New York's Documentary Festival

New York's Documentary Festival

Doc Nyc Celebrates Documentary Filmmaking By Connecting Artists And Audiences Through Powerful Stories And Diverse Voices. The 2024 Festival Will Be Held In-Person From November 13 - 21, 2024, And Online From November 13 - December 1, 2024.

Schedule Of Events:

11:00 am: Union

Against Incredible Odds And Immense Opposition, A Group Of Current And Former amazon Workers Form A Labor Union And Petition The Formidable Corporate Behemoth For More Dignified And Humane Treatment At The Company's Staten Island Warehouse. Steve Maing And Brett Story Provide Stunning Moments Of Observation Of The Union Group As They Stumble Through Early Steps And Internal Stresses To Find Their Footing, While Resisting The Tech Giant's Efforts To Break Them.

1:00 pm: Soundtrack To A Coup D'etat

In This Magnificent Essay Film, Johan Grimonprez Explores The Riveting Historical Rollercoaster Of The Congo After Its Independence From Colonial Control. Richly Illustrated With Eyewitness Accounts, Official Government Memos, Testimonies From Mercenaries And Cia Operatives, And A Veritable Pantheon Of Jazz Icons, Soundtrack To A Coup D'etat Interrogates Cold War History To Tell An Urgent And Timely Story That Resonates More Than Ever In Today's Geopolitical Climate.

1:15 pm: Shorts: She Stories

Women Share Their Stories From In Front Of, And Behind, The Camera. - Samah Ali

1:45 pm: Mothers Of Chibok

World Premiere A Community Of Mothers In A Nigerian Village Struggle To Persevere While Grieving For Their Daughters, Who Were Kidnapped By Boko Haram. Intertwining The Stories Of Multiple Families, The Filmmakers Show How Life Continues In The Wake Of Unspeakable Horror. At Once Cinematically Gripping And Emotionally Stirring, This Story Of Endurance Shows The Ongoing Personal Ramifications Of An Event Long Forgotten By The News Media. - Murtada Elfadl

3:45 pm: Between Goodbyes

Nyc Premiere An Adoptee Raised In The Netherlands, Mieke's Life Is Very Different From The One She Might Have Led If Her Korean Family Had Not Been Pressured To Give Her Up As A Baby. When Her Birth Parents Track Down The Adult Mieke, Their Reunion Unleashes A Whirlwind Of Guilt, Joy, Regret, And ambivalence. Through Non-Linear Storytelling We Witness The Family's Journey Towards Reconnection In This Unique Story Of Home, Acceptance, And The Power Of Forgiveness. - Karen Mcmullen

4:00 pm: Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story

Nyc Premiere Groundbreaking Trans Soul Singer Jackie Shane Was On The Cusp Of Stardom When She Turned Away From The Music Industry And The World. After Her Death, Family Members Who Never Knew Their Pioneering Aunt, Piece Together Her Remarkable Life, Uncovering Her Personal Struggles, Immense Talent, And Unmistakable Voice. Through Never Before Heard Audio Recordings And Beautifully Expressive Animation, Jackie Tells Her Own Story, In Her Own Words. - Brandon Harrison

4:30 pm: Shorts: Generations

This Program Documents What Bonds And Separates Generations Of A Family. - Samah Ali

4:45 pm: Shorts: Caretakers

A Selection Of Tenderhearted Films About People Taking Care Of Each Other. - Samah Ali

6:15 pm: 76 Days Adrift

Nyc Premiere In 1982, A Whale Collided With Steven Callahan's Single Man Sailboat,  Napoleon Solo, Leaving Him Stranded On A Life Raft In The Atlantic Ocean. This First-Person Account, From Executive Producer Ang Lee, Based On A New York Times Bestseller, Details Callahan's Life Alone At Sea For Nearly Three Harrowing Months. Forced To Reckon With The Consequences Of His Choices, Facing The Dangers Of The Open Ocean, He Pushes Forward In Hopes Of A Rescue. - Brandon Harrison

6:15 pm: Roleplay

Nyc Premiere A Timely, Lyrical Film That Follows College Students As They Grapple With Questions Of Sex, Consent, Identity, And Power. The Students Spend A Year Creating An Immersive Play From Their Real-Life Experiences,  Building Characters And Scenes Based On The Sexual Politics Of Their Campus. A Film That Respectfully Captures Vulnerable And Fascinating Young Adults Creating A Space For Deep Reflection And Learning, While Discussing Privilege, Representation, Allyship, And Racism. - Ruth Somalo

6:30 pm: Facing The Wind

World Premiere Linda And Carla Each Care For Their Beloved Spouses Who Are Living With Lewy Body Dementia. Eager To Learn And Share Information With Others, Linda Starts A Podcast With Curry, Who Has The Disease, And A Community Of Support Groups Begins To Grow. Linda And Jim Decide To Go On An Epic Road Trip, And Carla Quits Her Job To Devote Her Time To Patrick. As Life Becomes Overwhelming, Their Online Support Group Is A Lifeline. Intimate, Raw, And Full Of Life, This Moving Portrait Gracefully Explores The Stark Realities Of Caregiving. - Ruth Somalo

6:45 pm: Art Spiegelman: Disaster Is My Muse

World Premiere This Insightful Documentary Delves Into The Life And Work Of Art Spiegelman, The Queens-Raised Artist Who Revolutionized Comics By Exploring Dark, Complex Themes. Shaped By His Holocaust-Survivor Parents And Inspired By Mad Magazine's Irreverent Satire, Spiegelman's Most Famous Work, Maus, Is A Poignant Holocaust Narrative That Redefined The Medium. The Film Showcases His Resistance To Fascism, From Nazis To Trump, And Features Rich Illustrations From His Comics, Highlighting His Significant Impact As An Artist And Cultural Critic. - Karen Mcmullen

6:45 pm: Mistress Dispeller

Nyc Premiere In China, Mrs. Li Thought Her Personal Life Was On Solid Emotional Ground, Only To Discover With A Shock That Her Husband Is Having An Affair With A Younger Woman. Feeling Unmoored, She Hires An Agency To Help Save Her Marriage.  The Film Unfolds Like A Novel, Providing Intimate Details With Remarkable Candor; The Filmmaker's Conscientious And Arduous Process Of Gaining Consent From All Participants Is among The Film's Astonishing Details. - Jaie Laplante

7:15 pm: Left Behind

Nyc Premiere - Left Behind Illuminates The Struggles Of Nyc Schoolchildren With Dyslexia, Following A Diverse Group Of Parents Who, Frustrated By The Lack Of Support, Founded The Literacy Academy Collective. Driven By The Stark Reality That 1 In 5 People Are Dyslexic And Nearly 50% Of Prison Inmates Share This Diagnosis, These Passionate Advocates Fight To De-Stigmatize Dyslexia And Secure Proper Education For Their Kids. The Film Reveals The Power Of Grassroots Activism, Offering An Eye-Opening And Uplifting Message Of Hope And Resilience. - Karen Mcmullen

8:30 pm: The Battle For Laikipia

Nyc Premiere A Prescient And Urgent Documentary That Shows How Climate Change Can Directly Lead To Conflict; When Resources Dwindle, Battles Arise. In Laikipia, Kenya, The Ranchers, Mostly White Descendants Of British Colonizers, And Local Nomadic Pastoralists Find Themselves Adrift When Drought Hits The Land They Share. Tensions That Have Been Kept At Bay For Generations Resurface And Strife Brews. With Clear-Eyed Rigor, This Film Delivers A Call To Action For Sustainability Worldwide. - Murtada Elfadl

8:45 pm: This Is A Film About The Black Keys.

Nyc Premiere This Music-Filled Documentary Follows The Black Keys, From Their Parents' Garages In Ohio To Global Fame. Geeky Pat And Popular Dan Develop A Unique Musical Chemistry And Style Influenced By Mississippi Blues, And Embark On Tour In A Minivan. During Their Rise, They Gain Fans, Wives, Acclaim, And Well-Timed Boosts From Collaborators Like Danger Mouse, Rza, And Beck. When Rock-Star Status And The Pressures Of Fame Strain Their Creative Partnership, The Duo Reckon With The Hidden Costs Of Success. - Karen Mcmullen

9:00 pm: There Was, There Was Not

Ny Premiere Armenian Fairy Tales Often Start With The Same Sentence, "There Was, There Was Not," Suggesting An Existence That Is As Present As It Is Absent. In The Republic Of Artsakh, Four Women Live Their Lives In The Shadowy Twilight Of War And Peace, Past And Present, Remembrance And Oblivion. Each Chooses Her Own Way To Fight For A Land That They Dearly Love But Risk Losing. - Bedatri D. Choudhury

9:15 pm: Space Cowboy

Nyc Premiere Legendary Aerial Cinematographer Joe Jennings Has Spent Decades Soaring Through The Skies. A Thrill-Seeker Since Childhood, Jennings Fell In Love With Skydiving, And Parlayed His Penchant For Risk-Taking Into A Career Shooting Mind-Blowing Visuals For Commercials, Television, And Hollywood Blockbusters. Though He Has Lost Multiple Compatriots To The Dangers Of The Work, Jennings, Now In His 60s, Remains Undeterred As He Attempts To Film An Open-Top Convertible, Filled With Passengers, As It Tumbles Through The Air. - Brandon Harrison

9:15 pm: Ernest Cole: Lost And Found

Nyc Premiere Oscar-Nominated Filmmaker Raoul Peck Has Done It Again. In This Rousing, Elegant Documentary, Peck Opens The Life And Works Of A Seminal Artist Of The 20th Century, South African Photographer Ernest Cole. Denouncing Apartheid With The Publication Of His 1967 Photo Book House Of Bondage, Cole Then Lived In Exile In The Us, Where He Documented New York City And The american South, Observing The Echoes Of The Homeland He Left Behind. Cole's Words Are Voiced With Spooky Vivacity By Another Oscar Nominee, Actor Lakeith Stanfield.

9:30 pm: Shorts: Profiles

Portraits And Profiles Of Unique Individuals With Filmmaking To Match.  - Samah Ali

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