DOC NYC has unveiled its influential Short List selections for feature and short documentaries, setting an early benchmark for awards season contenders as Academy voters begin evaluating nonfiction standouts.
Overseen by Artistic Director Jaie Laplante and Director of Special Projects Thom Powers, the 15-title Short List: Features roster spotlights high-profile festival premieres, investigative exposés, and political essays. Headlining the slate is Ava DuVernay’s Netflix essay film 14th, examining the enduring legal and societal legacy of the 14th Amendment, alongside You Can See Everything, Lance Oppenheim and Nathan Fielder’s A24 documentary capturing disgraced Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes on the eve of her federal prison sentence.
The feature selection also highlights vital geopolitical dispatches, including two portraits of the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza: Poh Si Teng’s Sundance entry American Doctor (Watermelon Pictures), following U.S. surgeons on the ground in local trauma wards, and NAZA (The Guardian/mk2), directed by Oscar winners Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, which interrogates Israeli military personnel on systemic civilian casualties.
Biographical profiles also feature prominently, led by Alex Gibney’s expansive chronicle Musk. Both Gibney (Lifetime Achievement Award) and filmmaker Stephen Maing (Robert and Anne Drew Award for Documentary Excellence for The Great Experiment) will receive special honors at this year’s DOC NYC Visionaries Tribute.
The festival also locked in its competitive Winner’s Circle—reserved for titles arriving with top-tier international awards pedigree—featuring Cannes L’Œil d’Or winner and UK Oscar submission Rehearsals for a Revolution by Pegah Ahangarani, Thessaloniki Golden Alexander winner Closure by Michał Marczak, and Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner Nuisance Bear.
DOC NYC’s 2026 edition runs in person November 11–19 across New York City’s IFC Center, SVA Theatre, and Village East by Angelika, with nationwide virtual screenings running through November 29.
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