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Doc NYC, the country’s largest documentary film festival — and one of the top Oscar bellwethers — has revealed its 2025 Short List: Features, Short List: Shorts, Winner’s Circle, and newly launched Selects Encore sections — rounding out the full lineup for its 16th edition. The festival will take place Nov. 12–20 at IFC Center, SVA Theatre, and Village East by Angelika, with select titles available online through Nov. 30.

This year’s festival will present 116 feature films (including 30 world premieres and 34 U.S. premieres) and 113 shorts, continuing Doc NYC’s tradition of spotlighting the year’s most acclaimed nonfiction storytelling and strongest Oscar contenders.

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Several titles from this year’s lineup were also recognized by the Critics Choice Documentary Awards, including Best Feature nominees 2000 Meters to Andriivka, Apocalypse in the Tropics, Cover-Up, Orwell: 2+2=5, The Perfect Neighbor, and The Tale of Silyan — further cementing their status as leading Oscar contenders.

Short List: Features

Since its launch in 2012, Doc NYC’s Short List: Features has become a key predictor of major awards success — screening 59 of the last 70 Oscar-nominated documentary features and 13 of the last 14 Academy Award winners.

The 2025 lineup includes:

2000 Meters to Andriivka — Dir. Mstyslav Chernov
After taking us through the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in his Oscar-winning 20 Days in Mariupol, Mstyslav Chernov and his creative team give us a perspective of the war more than a year on.

Apocalypse in the Tropics — Dir. Petra Costa
Christian fundamentalism has seized political discourse in Brazil, and this clear-eyed, deeply troubling, and internationally resonant distillation examines the implications.

Co-Existence, My Ass! — Dir. Amber Fares
Disillusioned with politics, Noam Shuster Eliassi pivots to the world of stand-up comedy as a means of communicating her “radical” message that Palestinians and Israelis deserve equal human rights.

Come See Me in the Good Light — Dir. Ryan White
A poignant and unexpectedly funny love story about poets Andrea Gibson and Megan Falley facing an incurable cancer diagnosis with joy, wit, and an unshakable partnership.

Cover-Up — Dirs. Laura Poitras, Mark Obenhaus
A chronicle of Seymour Hersh’s groundbreaking investigative journalism, exposing systemic deception within US military and intelligence agencies, blending personal narrative with an examination of institutional accountability.

Cutting Through Rocks — Dirs. Sara Khaki, Mohammadreza Eyni
In rural Iran, a trailblazing councilwoman empowers girls through motorcycles and activism—but when her motives are questioned, her fight against patriarchy becomes a deeply personal reckoning.

Heightened Scrutiny — Dir. Sam Feder
As a transphobic firestorm sweeps American culture and legislatures, ACLU lawyer Chase Strangio becomes the first trans man to argue a case before the Supreme Court.

Mistress Dispeller — Dir. Elizabeth Lo
Desperate to save her marriage, a woman in China hires a professional to go undercover and break up her husband’s affair.

Mr. Nobody Against Putin — Dirs. David Borenstein, Pasha Talankin
Amid Russia’s wartime propaganda, a teacher secretly films the militarization of education, risking everything to expose the state’s manipulation of youth—and the quiet courage of those who defy it.

My Mom Jayne: A Film by Mariska Hargitay — Dir. Mariska Hargitay
Mariska Hargitay embarks on a deeply personal journey to uncover the real Jayne Mansfield—her iconic mother—through rare footage, intimate interviews, and a search for lost memories.

Orwell: 2+2=5 — Dir. Raoul Peck
A stirring depiction of the dangers of power and the fragility of so-called civilized society, told through the vision of George Orwell (1984), who just might hold the key to the world’s future.

The Perfect Neighbor — Dir. Geeta Gandbhir
Raw police bodycam footage provides a shocking, clear-eyed chronicle of a neighborhood dispute’s tragic escalation in Florida, examining the deadly consequences of “stand your ground” laws and systemic racial tensions.

Predators — Dir. David Osit
Nearly 20 years after the NBC Dateline show “To Catcha Predator” went off the air in scandal, filmmaker David Osit contemplates the complicity of both host and viewer in our “society of the spectacle.”

Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk — Dir. Sepideh Farsi
A powerful act of witness and remembrance, this urgent, deeply personal documentary unfolds through video calls between filmmaker Sepideh Farsi and 25-year-old Palestinian photojournalist and poet Fatma Hassona.

The Tale of Silyan — Dir. Tamara Kotevska
A magical Macedonian folktale comes to life when an unlikely savior rescues a wounded white stork, transforming both of their lives for the better.

Short List: Shorts

Now in its eighth year, the Short List: Shorts features 15 titles selected by Artistic Director Jaie Laplante, Director of Special Projects Thom Powers, and consultant Samah Ali. The 2024 lineup included “The Only Girl in the Orchestra,” which went on to win the Oscar.

This year’s selections are:

  • “All the Empty Rooms” — Dir. Joshua Seftel

  • “All the Walls Came Down” — Dir. Ondi Timoner

  • “Am I the Skinniest Person You’ve Ever Seen?” — Dir. Eisha Marjara

  • “Armed Only with a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud” — Dirs. Brent Renaud, Craig Renaud

  • “Children No More: Were and Are Gone” — Dir. Hilla Medalia

  • “The Devil Is Busy” — Dirs. Christalyn Hampton, Geeta Gandbhir

  • “Last Days on Lake Trinity” — Dir. Charlotte Cooley

  • “Maybe It’s Just the Rain” — Dir. Reina Bonta

  • “Oh Yeah!” — Dir. Nick Canfield

  • “Qotzuñi: People of the Lake” — Dirs. Gastón Zilberman, Michael Salama

  • “The Reality of Hope” — Dir. Joe Hunting

  • “Songs of Black Folk” — Dirs. Justin Emeka, Haley Watson

  • “Tessitura” — Dirs. Lydia Cornett, Brit Fryer

  • “Tiger” — Dir. Loren Waters

  • “We Were the Scenery” — Dir. Christopher Radcliff

Winner’s Circle

Established in 2019, Winner’s Circle honors acclaimed documentaries that have already triumphed at major international festivals.

The 2025 selections are:

  • Below the Clouds — Dir. Gianfranco Rosi (Venice Special Jury Prize)

  • Holding Liat — Dir. Brandon Kramer (Berlinale Documentary Award)

  • The Librarians — Dir. Kim A. Snyder (Dallas International Film Festival)

  • Life After — Dir. Reid Davenport (U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award, Sundance)

  • Secret Mall Apartment — Dir. Jeremy Workman (Grand Jury Prize: Documentary, IFF Boston)

  • Seeds — Dir. Brittany Shyne (U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Documentary, Sundance)

Selects Encore

The new Selects Encore section features standout films from Doc NYC’s year-round Selects screening series that have continued to resonate through awards season.

This year’s lineup includes:

  • It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley — Dir. Amy Berg

  • Monk in Pieces — Dirs. Billy Shebar, David C. Roberts

  • One to One: John & Yoko — Dirs. Kevin Macdonald, Sam Rice-Edwards

  • Suburban Fury — Dir. Robinson Devor

Canadian Showcase

Cutting Through Rocks, “Am I the Skinniest Person You’ve Ever Seen?” and “We Were the Scenery” are also featured in Doc NYC’s Voices of Canada showcase, co-presented by the Consulate General of Canada in New York.

Festival details

All films will screen in person at Doc NYC’s three main venues, with online access available across the U.S. through Nov. 30. Ticket prices range from $10 to $30 for individual screenings, with passes for in-person, online, and PRO events also available.

For the full schedule, passes, and additional information, visit docnyc.net.

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