Born in Belgium and today largely based in Paris, Virginie Efira’s path to Best Actress plaudits at Cannes—shared with co-star Tao Okamoto—for her role in Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s “All Of A Sudden” was anything but overnight. Beginning her screen career with news anchor gigs and voiceover work, she had a breakthrough year in 2016 with roles in Justine Triet’s “In Bed with Victoria” and Paul Verhoeven’s “Elle,” and hasn’t looked back since, becoming one of the most in-demand and lauded actresses in the Francophone world, reunions with Triet (on “Sibyl“) and Verhoeven (on “Benedetta“) among high points in a career that doubtless has many more to come. Join us in welcoming to Metrograph a performer equally effective in tempestuous emotion and gelid restraint, and one of the premier talents of her generation.

“Spotlight on Virginie Efira” runs from November 13th to November 22nd, with select encore screenings to follow.

ALL OF A SUDDEN
dir. Ryusuke Hamaguchi, 2026, 196 min, DCP
Members Only

Efira shared Best Actress honors with co-star Tao Okamoto at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival for her achingly expressive, heart-on-sleeve performance in “Drive My Car” director Hamaguchi’s much-lauded (mostly) French-language debut, in which she plays Marie-Lou, the director of a home for the aged outside Paris. Marie-Lou is facing stiff resistance in her push to adopt an innovative, idealistic approach to care work called Humanitude when her life is changed inexorably by a chance encounter with Mari (Okamoto), an experimental theater director in the late stages of terminal cancer. A very special Members Only screening, with Efira joining for a post-screening Q&A with critic Melissa Anderson.

Q&A with actress Virginie Efira moderated by film critic Melissa Anderson on Friday, November 13th

BENEDETTA
dir. Paul Verhoeven, 2021, 131 min, DCP

Inspired by the life of Benedetta Carlini, a nun of 17th-century Tuscany whose claims of mystic visions drew the attention of church higher-ups, their investigations eventually revealing a verboten sexual relationship between Carlini and one of her fellow nuns and leading to her imprisonment, Verhoeven’s earthy, irreverent film immerses one in the squelchy squalor and earthly delights of Counter Reformation era Europe, with Virginie Efira a revelation in the title role and Charlotte Rampling, as the abbess of the convent, conveying roiling inner turmoil beneath a cooly composed exterior. An examination of the difficult relationship between religious submission and sexual liberation, featuring some of the most memorable Foley sounds in recent cinema.

IN BED WITH VICTORIA
dir. Justine Triet, 2016, 97 min, DCP

High-powered lawyer Victoria (Efira) is an unstoppable force in the courtroom, but off the clock she struggles to raise her two daughters on her own, respond to the latest online defamation from her vindictive ex-husband, and feign more than passing interest in her latest app-arranged fuck-and-run. While wrapped up in a singularly unusual case brought to her by an old pal (Melvil Poupaud), Victoria reconnects with a onetime client (Vincent Lacoste) who seems to offer the prospect of something more than a desultory fling… that is, if she’s ready or able to accept what’s on offer. A frisky, funny showcase for Efira, unforgettable as the pouty, rumpled, restless, reckless Victoria, smart and savvy in its upending of rom-com cliché

Introduction by actress Virginie Efira on Friday, November 13th

OTHER PEOPLE’S CHILDREN
dir. Rebecca Zlotowski, 2022, 104 min, DCP

Efira may be as radiant as a Botticelli angel, but it’s her no-nonsense directness that gets to you” writes TIME’s Stephanie Zacharek of the actress’s performance in the comic drama “Other People’s Children” as Rachel, a childless forty-something middle-school teacher who, shortly after entering a new relationship with Ali (Roschdy Zem), the father of a four-year-old girl, finds herself increasingly besotted with the kid—and terrified of the risks that come along with such a consuming affection. A poignant, layered, and unerringly compassionate character study, featuring Efira at her most luminous and, at the same time, her most emotionally grounded.

SIBYL
dir. Justine Triet, 2019, 101 min, DCP

Four years before her Palme d’Or triumph with “Anatomy of a Fall,” Triet produced this comic thriller starring Virginie Efira in the title role as a psychotherapist who, fed up with her métier, decides to return to writing fiction—and, in the person of one of her patients, a young, tumultuous actress named Margot (Adèle Exarchopoulos), finds an absolutely irresistible source of literary inspiration. Impassioned performances by both leads make “Sibyl” a compelling study in obsession and self-delusion, with the added inducement of Anatomy star Sandra Hüller’s appearance in a side-splitting role as the director of a film-within-the-film.

What do you think of this news? Have you seen “All Of A Sudden” yet? If so, what did you think? Do you think Virginie will be nominated for the Oscar for Best Actress? Please let us know in the comments section below or on our X account.

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Nominations in both the film and television categories for the annual event will be announced by Live From E!’s Erin Lim Rhodes and Will Marfuggi at 12:00 p.m. ET / 9:00 a.m. PT on Friday, December 4th on E! and USA Network linear channels, along with CriticsChoice.com, E! Online, and on CCA’s and E!’s social platforms.

“For over three decades, the Critics Choice Awards have been the place where the conversation about the year’s best work really takes off – and who better to host a show about the best of TV and film than one of the very best in the business?” said CCA CEO Joey Berlin. “We are so honored to have the incredible Janelle James join us to host this year’s Critics Choice Awards.”

“Janelle brings a singular comedic voice and sharp point of view to the stage, and we’re thrilled to welcome her as host of the 32nd annual Critics Choice Awards,” said Val Boreland, President of Entertainment, VERSANT. “The Critics Choice Awards celebrate the year’s most exceptional work across film and television, and we look forward to once again sharing this special night with audiences on E! and USA Network.”

Janelle James is an award-winning actress and comedian best known for her scene-stealing role as Ava Coleman in ABC’s Emmy-nominated comedy series Abbott Elementary. James will debut her first hour-long stand-up special, Janelle James: How Romantic, on Netflix on November 10th.

James has earned widespread acclaim for her performance on Abbott Elementary, including five consecutive Emmy nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, a 2026 Critics Choice Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, and nominations from the Independent Spirit Awards, Gotham Awards, and Television Critics Association. She also won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 2023 and 2026, with additional nominations in 2024 and 2025.

Named one of Variety’s 10 Comics to Watch in 2020 and a New Face at Montreal’s Just for Laughs Festival in 2016, James continues to headline tours nationwide. Additional TV and film credits include writing and acting on Showtime’s Black Monday and Apple TV’s Central Park, as well as a role in the feature film One of Them Days, which earned her a 2026 NAACP Image Award nomination. James is also developing Rock City, a new Hulu comedy she co-writes and executive produces with David Caspe.

The Critics Choice Awards are bestowed annually to honor the finest in cinematic and television achievement. Historically, they are the most accurate predictor of Academy Award nominations. Bob Bain Productions and Berlin Entertainment will executive produce the 32nd annual Critics Choice Awards show. The Critics Choice Awards are represented by Dan Black at Greenberg Traurig, LLP.

What do you think of this news? Please let us know in the comments section below or on our X account.

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The nonprofit Sundance Institute announced today the Legacy program for the 2027 Sundance Film Festival, marking the first announcement of selections for the Festival’s inaugural edition in its new home of Boulder, Colorado. The Legacy program, formerly known as From the Collection, features projects from the Sundance Film Festival’s long and proud history showcasing groundbreaking independent cinema, including archival and restoration screenings of fiction and nonfiction works as well as special events. Also announced today, Letterboxd, the film discovery platform with over 30 million members globally, joins as co-presenter of the Legacy program, with additional details for on-site activations during the Festival to come.

The 2027 Sundance Film Festival will take place January 21st–31st, in Boulder, Colorado. World premieres of new films will be held Thursday, January 21st, to Tuesday, January 26th — Festivalgoers will be part of the first audiences ever to see soon-to-be-announced films, episodic projects, and more. Throughout the entire run of the Festival, additional showings of the 2027 program will continue along with talks and additional programming. From Thursday, January 28th–Sunday, January 31st, audiences anywhere in the U.S. can enjoy a selection of the 2027 Festival lineup online; find more details at festival.sundance.org.

Legacy screenings will include director appearances and select cast members in attendance, inviting audiences to start new conversations about old favorites as well as discovering previously missed gems. Screenings include brand-new restorations of every film: the 2002 Sundance Film Festival version of “Better Luck Tomorrow” (Justin Lin); a digital 4K restoration of “Dogtown and Z-Boys” (Stacy Peralta); a 35th anniversary screening of “Fool’s Fire” (Julie Taymor); “Nitrate Kisses” (Barbara Hammer), which premiered in the U.S. at the Festival 35 years ago and whose director is at the center of Brydie O’Connor’s 2026 Sundance Film Festival documentary “Barbara Forever”; a 25th anniversary screening of “Real Women Have Curves” (Patricia Cardoso); a 35th anniversary screening of “Swoon” (Tom Kalin); and a 25th anniversary screening of a 4K restoration of “Y tu mamá también” (Alfonso Cuarón). The Legacy program will also include a two-part session on the final weekend of the Festival called “Sundance Film Festival presents: Cinema Interruptus featuring “Memento”” (Christopher Nolan), featuring a 4K restoration and a communal discussion. Additional programming for the category will be announced in the coming weeks. The Legacy program will take place from Tuesday, January 27th, through Sunday, January 31st, during the second half of the Festival.

In 2027, we celebrate the 30th anniversary of Sundance Institute and UCLA Film & Television Archive jointly establishing a vital film preservation initiative, the Sundance Institute Collection at UCLA, to ensure the long-term preservation of independent film. The Collection currently holds material from over 1,000 titles and has participated in restorations of “Hoop Dreams”, “River of Grass”, “Mysterious Skin”, “Doom Generation”, “Just Another Girl on the IRT”, “High Art”, “Go Fish”, “Three Seasons”, “Paris Is Burning”, “Superstar”, “Unzipped”, “The Hours and Times”, “SLAM”, and, this year, “Better Luck Tomorrow” and “Swoon”.

“We’re excited to kick off the Festival season in earnest with this first 2027 Sundance Film Festival announcement, revealing some of our Legacy programming,” said Eugene Hernandez, Director, Sundance Film Festival and Public Programming. “Each year we honor the legacy of our founder Robert Redford and the history of the Sundance Film Festival by looking back at just a few of the films and filmmakers who have shaped our history. Our first festival in our new home in Boulder, Colorado will bring change, but as we evolve, we’ll keep at our core what we celebrate: our rich history. Sundance will always uplift independent voices, and our Legacy slate is a beautiful example of that. We are also pleased to announce Letterboxd’s co-partnership for the Legacy category — it’s great to collaborate with organizations that build momentum and excitement for a culture of cinematic discovery, and we look forward to having them at the Festival with us in January.”

“Revisiting and becoming newly acquainted with films from our previous lineups in a theatrical setting, in community, and with some of the talent behind the films is a rare treat — even more so when these projects have been restored,” said Kim Yutani, Director of Programming, Sundance Film Festival. “We’re really looking forward to welcoming back these artists and know that audiences will enjoy the opportunity to complement the new films we will soon be announcing with these classics.”

“Our Legacy programming at the Sundance Film Festival grew out of a partnership with the UCLA Film & Television Archive and its continued growth is running in parallel to the incredible moment repertory cinema is having across the country right now,” said John Nein, Sundance Film Festival Senior Programmer and Director of Strategic Initiatives. “This program offers a space for brand-new restorations of classic independent films to be discovered or rediscovered by audiences as the creative teams behind these films reunite — it’s an exciting way of celebrating what these artists have brought to independent storytelling.”

In-person ticket packages and passes and online ticket packages and passes are currently on sale at festival.sundance.org/tickets. Single Film Tickets will go on sale starting January 8th, 2027.

The Sundance Film Festival is an artist program of Sundance Institute, a nonprofit that has supported thousands of artists every year plus thousands more through its public programming. Proceeds earned through Festival ticket sales go to supporting and developing emerging artists on a year-round basis through focused labs, direct grants, fellowships, residencies, and more.

LEGACY FILMS

Legacy films (formerly known as From the Collection) are restorations of titles that screened at previous editions of the Sundance Film Festival, inviting film lovers to experience these stories in a theatrical setting and giving them the opportunity to discover and rediscover the projects that have shaped the heritage of both Sundance Institute and independent storytelling.

“Better Luck Tomorrow” / U.S.A. (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Justin Lin, Screenwriters: Ernesto Foronda, Fabian Marquez, Producers: Julie Asato, Ernesto Foronda) — To escape the crushing pressure of academic perfection, a group of high-achieving teens leads a secret, thrill-seeking double life of petty crime that quickly spins out of control. Cast: Karin Anna Cheung, John Cho, Roger Fan, Sung Kang, Parry Shen, Jason Tobin. Fiction.

25th anniversary. “Better Luck Tomorrow” premiered at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival as part of the U.S. Dramatic Competition. It was subsequently released with small changes in the edit. The original 2002 Sundance Film Festival cut of “Better Luck Tomorrow” was restored by the UCLA Film & Television Archive in collaboration with Sundance Institute and Perfect Storm Entertainment, with funding provided by Chris Quintos Cathcart, co-CEO of Unapologetic Projects. The 4K restoration utilized the original 35 mm camera negatives, 35 mm Sundance Film Festival print, and DA-88 sound materials and was supervised by filmmaker Justin Lin at Resillion and Deluxe Audio Services. Additional lab services by Roundabout Entertainment, Inc. The release version has also been restored and archived. Special thanks to Paramount Pictures for permission to screen the film.

“Dogtown and Z-Boys” / U.S.A (Director and Screenwriter: Stacy Peralta, Screenwriter: Craig Stecyk, Producer: Agi Orsi) — The Z-Boys: outcast surf rats from the run-down Dogtown neighborhood in Venice, California, who revolutionized skateboarding with their innovative style and attitude. An exploration of the birth of a cultural phenomenon, narrated by Sean Penn and featuring old-school skating footage, a blistering soundtrack, and interviews with Tony Alva, Jay Adams, and Tony Hawk. Documentary.

25th Anniversary of U.S. Release. “Dogtown and Z-Boys” premiered at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival as part of the U.S. Documentary Competition and won the Audience Award: Documentary and Directing Award: Documentary. 2027 marks the 25th anniversary of its theatrical release. The 4K digital restoration was undertaken from the original 35 mm elements by Sony Pictures Classics. The restoration was approved by the filmmakers.

“Fool’s Fire” / U.S.A. (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Julie Taymor, Producer: Kerry Orent) — A captured dwarf, Hopfrog, is forced to become a jester to a tyrannical king. But when the King is gifted with another little person, whom the king debases and shames, Hopfrog plots a terrible revenge. Based on the story “Hop-Frog” by Edgar Allan Poe. Cast: Michael J. Anderson, Tom Hewitt, Mireille Mossé. Fiction.

35th anniversary. “Fool’s Fire” premiered at the 1992 Sundance Film Festival as part of the U.S. Dramatic Competition. This new restoration was created by the nonprofit IndieCollect in collaboration with Julie Taymor and with support from the Golden Globe Foundation, using a 6.5K scan of the original 35 mm negative and a soundtrack restored by Endpoint Audio Labs from the optical track negative. Featuring an extended conversation with Julie Taymor and clips from “The Making of Fool’s Fire”, exploring the film’s artistry and cutting-edge use of high definition.

“Nitrate Kisses” / U.S.A. (Director: Barbara Hammer) — A liberating portrait of queer sexuality that weaves striking images of four lesbian and gay couples with archival footage, interviews, sexual imagery, and queer cinema dating back to the 1930s to unearth forbidden and long-invisible histories. Documentary.

“Nitrate Kisses” had its U.S. premiere at the 1993 Sundance Film Festival as part of the U.S. Documentary Competition. “Nitrate Kisses” was preserved by the Academy Film Archive. The original 16 mm A/B-rolls were scanned at 4K and restored by BB Optics. The mono mix was digitized from the original 16 mm mag track. The restoration was funded by Frameline and supervised by The Estate of Barbara Hammer and Brydie O’Connor.

“Real Women Have Curves” / U.S.A. (Director: Patricia Cardoso, Screenwriters: George LaVoo, Josefina López, Producers: George Lavoo, Effie Brown) — Ana, a first-generation Mexican American teenager, fights for her independence and her curves in a war of wills with her mother. Based on the play by Josefina López. Cast: America Ferrera, George Lopez, Ingrid Oliu, Lupe Ontiveros, Brian Sites. Fiction.

25th anniversary. “Real Women Have Curves” premiered at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival as part of the U.S. Dramatic Competition and took home the Audience Award: Dramatic and the Special Jury Prize for Acting for America Ferrera and Lupe Ontiveros. Supervised by director Patricia Cardoso and director of photography Jim Denault, this new 4K restoration was undertaken by Criterion in collaboration with Warner Bros. Pictures, Sundance Institute, and the Academy Film Archive from the 35 mm original camera negative.

“Swoon” / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Tom Kalin, Producers: Christine Vachon) — The true story of Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb, who kidnapped and brutally murdered 14-year-old Bobby Franks in Chicago in 1924. The revelation that these wealthy Jewish college students had a sexual relationship scandalized the nation. After their arrest and trial, they were sentenced to life plus 99 years. Cast: Craig Chester, Michael Kirby, John A. Mudd, Daniel Schlachet, Natalie Stanford, Michael Stumm, Ron Vawter. Fiction.

35th anniversary. “Swoon” premiered at the 1992 Sundance Film Festival as part of the U.S. Dramatic Competition and took home the Excellence in Cinematography Award: Dramatic. “Swoon” was restored by the Academy Film Archive and UCLA Film & Television Archive in collaboration with Frameline, Strand Releasing, and Sundance Institute in 4K from the original 16 mm A/B camera negatives, 35 mm interpositive, 35 mm dupe negative, and 35 mm magnetic track. The restoration was supervised by Tom Kalin and Ellen Kuras at Roundabout Entertainment, Inc. and Deluxe Audio Services. Restoration funding was provided by the Academy Film Archive and UCLA Film & Television Archive with additional support from Frameline, Ellen Kuras, Strand Releasing, and Sundance Institute.

“Y tu mamá también” / Mexico (Director, Screenwriter and Producer: Alfonso Cuarón, Screenwriter: Carlos Cuarón, Producer: Jorge Vergara) — After their girlfriends jet off for the summer, a pair of Mexico City teenagers become bewitched by an older Spanish woman they meet at a wedding. When she agrees to accompany them on a road trip, the three form an increasingly intense and sensual bond. Cast: Gael García Bernal, Diego Luna, Maribel Verdú. Fiction.

25th anniversary. “Y tu mamá también” screened at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival as part of the Special Events category. Newly restored by Esperanto Films in 4K under the supervision of filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón and cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki. A Janus Films release.

LEGACY SPECIAL EVENTS

Sundance Film Festival presents: Cinema Interruptus featuring “Memento”

A unique tradition established at the University of Colorado Boulder’s Conference on World Affairs (CWA) by film critic Roger Ebert and CWA founder and sociology professor Howard Higman, Cinema Interruptus is communal film criticism in two sessions. As “Memento” screens, participants can yell “Stop!” at any point to make a comment or ask a question, after which the film will resume. Critic and author Josh Larsen — who hosted Interruptus at CWA on campus from 2017 to 2024 — will moderate the discussion and keep things on track, with the goal of finishing the entire movie by the end of the second session.

“Memento” / U.S.A. (Director: Christopher Nolan) — A former insurance investigator who now suffers from anterograde amnesia uses notes and tattoos to hunt down his wife’s murderer. Fiction.

“Memento” had its U.S. festival premiere at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival in the U.S. Dramatic Competition, and it took home the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award. Restored in 4K from original interpositive materials by Umbrella with approval from director Christopher Nolan.

Cinema Interrupts is also part of our Offscreen program, to be announced in its entirety soon.

So what do you think of this news for Sundance? Will you be attending the festival next year for the first time in Boulder? Please let us know your thoughts in the comments section below or on our X account. Stay tuned for more from Next Best Picture and be sure to visit the Sundance Film Festival website for more information on the festival.

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“With “The Invite,” Olivia Wilde has made a film that is both comedic and deeply human. In addition to directing, she stars alongside three of the most compelling actors working today: Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz, and Edward Norton,” said Festival Chairman Nachhattar Singh Chandi. “Each of them brings something irreplaceable to this story, and together they’ve created something that has stayed with audiences long after the credits roll. We are thrilled to honor this incredible team with this year’s Vanguard Award.”

After its celebrated Sundance premiere, “The Invite” became a breakout cultural and box office success, winning over audiences with razor-sharp humor, an irresistible ensemble, and disarming emotional depth. The film has since earned four Gotham Award nominations, including Best Feature, Best Adapted Screenplay, Outstanding Supporting Performance for Penélope Cruz, and the Gotham Audience Award. Masterfully directed by Olivia Wilde and starring Wilde, Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz, and Edward Norton, the film finds both hilarity and humanity in the complexities of marriage, intimacy, and the relationships that shape our lives. What begins as a dinner party between two neighboring couples spirals into an unpredictable evening of revelations, desire, and unexpected connection. Beneath its biting comedy is a heartfelt exploration of the messiness of human relationships, and the complicated, often surprising ways we love one another. The screenplay was adapted by Will McCormack and Rashida Jones.

Past recipients of the Vanguard Award include Academy Award Best Picture winners “Green Book” and “The Shape of Water” as well as Best Picture nominees “Belfast,” “Emilia Pérez,” “Hamnet,” “Killers of the Flower Moon,” “La La Land,” “Little Miss Sunshine,” “The Fabelmans,” and “The Trial of the Chicago 7.”

What do you think of this news for the Palm Springs International Film Festival? Have you seen “The Invite” yet? If so, what did you think of it? Please let us know your thoughts in the comments section below or on our X account.

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The Audience Choice Prize Longlist and selection of Unforgettables Honorees can be key harbingers of future awards. Last year, the eventual Oscar and BAFTA winner, “Mr. Nobody Against Putin,” was on the Audience Choice Longlist, and Pavel Talankin was an Unforgettable Honoree.

This year’s Unforgettable Honorees, the on-camera collaborators who are the first announced winners for 2027, come from six films: Dr. Thaer Ahmad, Dr. Mark Perlmutter, and Dr. Feroze Sidhwa from “American Doctor,” E. Jean Carroll from “Ask E. Jean,” Soraya Akhlaghi from “A Fox Under a Pink Moon,” Billie Jean King from “Give Me the Ball,” Israa from “One in a Million,” and Amy Goodman from “Steal This Story, Please!”

Four of those films—“American Doctor,,” “Ask E. Jean,” “Give Me the Ball,” and “Steal This Story, Please!”—are also on the Audience Choice Prize Longlist, along with thirteen of the year’s most talked-about and acclaimed feature documentaries: “The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist,” “The Bend in the River,” “Cookie Queens,” “The Cycle of Love,” “Everest: The Other Side,” “Everybody to Kenmure Street,” “The History of Concrete,” “NAZA,” “The Oldest Person in the World,” “Once Upon a Time in Harlem,” “Time and Water,” “Wild Inside,” and “You Can See Everything.”

The eventual Oscar winner for Best Documentary Feature has been on the Audience Choice Longlist for each of the past eight years. Public voting to determine the ten films that will be nominated in the category will open on Monday, October 26th.

HBO Max led this year’s Broadcast announcement with ten nominations across five categories, including two apiece for “Bang My Box: The Robin Byrd Story,” “Earth, Wind & Fire: To Be Celestial or That’s the Weight of the World,” and “The Yogurt Shop Murders.”

Also receiving two nominations in the Broadcast categories were “Katrina: Come Hell and High Water” and “Songs from the Hole” from Netflix, “High Horse: The Black Cowboy” from Peacock, “Mr. Scorsese” from Apple TV, and “Tucci in Italy” (Season Two) from National Geographic.

Three previous Cinema Eye winners were among the filmmakers on this year’s ten-film Shorts List, Cinema Eye’s annual list of semifinalists for its Nonfiction Short Film Honor: Bill Morrison (“Sawyer Avenue, Sunday Afternoon”), Laura Poitras (“They’re Here”), and Nathan Truesdell (“A Derailment”). From those ten semifinalists, six films will be announced in December as the official nominees. For the fourth year in a row, Cinema Eye will screen all of the Shorts List films in both Los Angeles and New York, with a series of screenings in New York at DCTV on Wednesday, December 2nd, and at Vidiots in Los Angeles on Saturday, December 5th.

In each of the past two years, four of the nominees—and the eventual winner—for the Oscar for Best Documentary Short Film were part of the Cinema Eye Shorts List.

Steve James’ documentary masterpiece, “Hoop Dreams,” will receive the Legacy Award, which is presented to a classic nonfiction film that continues to inspire today’s working filmmakers. James will accept the award on behalf of his team members Peter Gilbert (Producer and DP), Frederick Marx (Producer and Editor), Adam Singer (Sound Recordist), Gordon Quinn (Executive Producer and founder of Kartemquin Films), Bill Haugse (Editor), Marcie McCall (Kartemquin), and Ben Sidran (Composer).

Cinema Eye will celebrate its 20th annual Awards Ceremony on Monday, January 11th, 2027.

Today’s announcements were made on the organization’s “All These Wonderful Things” podcast, which was posted just prior to the 9th Annual Cinema Eye Honors Fall Lunch in Downtown Los Angeles. The event was co-hosted by Amazon MGM Studios, Apple Original Films, Hulu, National Geographic Documentary Films, and Netflix.

Key Dates for the 2027 Cinema Eye Honors

Monday, October 26th: Voting Opens for Audience Choice First Round Voting
Monday, November 2nd: Voting Closes for Audience Choice First Round Voting
Thursday, November 12th: Cinema Eye Honors Feature Film Nominations Announced
Wednesday, December 2nd: Shorts List Screenings, DCTV, New York
Saturday, December 5th: Shorts List Screenings, Vidiots, Los Angeles
Monday, December 14th: Shorts Nominees Announced and Final Audience Choice Voting Opens
Friday, January 8th, 2027: Cinema Eye Weekend begins in New York City
Mond, January 11thy 11th, 2027: 20th Annual Cinema Eye Honors Awards Ceremony

What do you think of the honorees and these announcements? Please let us know your thoughts on our X account. Click here for the most recent tally of awards season winners for the current year.

The post The Cinema Eye Honors Reveals First Awards Announcements For 2027 appeared first on Next Best Picture.

“In his final months, Ian Charleson affirmed his talent, his determination, and what it means to be an actor,” said Jeffrey Sharp, Executive Director of The Gotham Film & Media Institute. “With Elsinore, Andrew Scott, Stephen Beresford, Simon Stone, and the entire production team have made a deeply moving film about a life devoted to performance and the community that supported him. We are delighted to celebrate Elsinore with the Gotham Legacy Tribute in recognition of the remarkable artist who inspired it.”

Elsinore tells the story of Ian Charleson, a Scottish actor who is widely known as the star of Best Picture winner “Chariots of Fire.” The film’s memorable score followed Charleson everywhere, leaving him longing less for Hollywood and more for his theatre roots. When the role of a lifetime appears for Charleson, so does a devastating AIDS diagnosis. “Elsinore” follows an actor at the height of his powers as he strives to command the stage, facing his own mortality with unflinching honesty, wit, and grace. His final performance becomes his greatest triumph, and a source of healing and inspiration for those around him.

Scott stars as Charleson, and the film also stars Academy Award winner Olivia Colman, Billie Piper, Johnny Flynn, and Joe Locke. Colman plays Dr. Margaret Johnson, who treated Charleson and fellow gay men during the HIV epidemic, launching the first-ever dedicated HIV clinic. The film is directed by Simon Stone and written by Queer Palm and BAFTA-winning screenwriter Stephen Beresford. Having come together to make the film, Scott, Beresford, and Stone have coined themselves “The Charleson Chaps.” “Elsinore” is produced by STUDIOCANAL, LD Entertainment, Lucky Red, and Magnolia Mae Films.

“Elsinore” premiered in September at the 53rd Telluride Film Festival and had its Canadian premiere in the Special Presentations section of the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival, where it was given the International People’s Choice Award. The film has continued to play fall festivals, earning rave reviews and collecting numerous Audience prizes, including at the Mill Valley Film Festival and the Hamptons International Film Festival. Focus Features will release the film in North America, beginning its theatrical run on November 20th before expanding wider over the Thanksgiving holiday and throughout December.

It was previously announced that “Michael” will receive the Gotham Musical Tribute, “La Bola Negra” will receive the Gotham Vanguard Tribute, Danny Boyle will receive the Gotham Director Tribute for “Ink,” and LAIKA will receive the Gotham Anniversary Tribute at the 36th Annual Gotham Film Awards Ceremony.

Winners of the 36th Annual Gotham Film Awards will be honored at the awards ceremony at Cipriani Wall Street on Monday, November 30th, 2026. Nominees will be announced on October 27th, 2026.

What do you think of this news for the annual Gotham Awards? Please let us know your thoughts in the comments section below or on our X account.

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“Tom Cruise is a global icon,” said Kathleen Kennedy, Chair of the AFI Board of Trustees. “As an actor and producer, he brings an extraordinary commitment to everything he does. What I especially admire is his deep belief in movies and their ability to bring people together. That passion has made him an extraordinary ambassador for American film around the world. It is AFI’s honor to present him with the 52nd AFI Life Achievement Award.”

The American Film Institute is a nonprofit organization that champions the moving image as an art form. All proceeds from the 52nd AFI Life Achievement Award Tribute Gala support AFI’s education and arts initiatives.

Tom Cruise is a global cultural icon who has made an immeasurable impact on cinema by creating some of the most memorable characters of all time. With extraordinary success as an actor, producer, and philanthropist over a career spanning more than five decades, Cruise is a four-time Oscar nominee whose films have earned nearly $13 billion at the worldwide box office.

Driven by a lifetime goal of entertaining audiences worldwide, Cruise has spent the last 40 years producing and starring in movies that stand the test of time.  As a result, he has played a leading role in numerous legendary films including TOP GUN, JERRY MAGUIRE, RISKY BUSINESS, MINORITY REPORT, INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE, A FEW GOOD MEN, THE FIRM, RAIN MAN, COLLATERAL, THE LAST SAMURAI, EDGE OF TOMORROW, BORN ON THE FOURTH OF JULY, THE COLOR OF MONEY and the MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE series, among many others, including TOP GUN: MAVERICK, the highest-grossing film in his career. Cruise is currently starring in DIGGER, directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu, and is set to return as “Cole Trickle” in DAYS OF THUNDER 2.

Cruise received Academy Award nominations for Best Actor for BORN ON THE FOURTH OF JULY and JERRY MAGUIRE and was a nominee for Best Supporting Actor for MAGNOLIA. Cruise was also an Academy Award® nominee in 2022 as producer of TOP GUN: MAVERICK, which was nominated for Best Picture.

Cruise has previously been honored by the Cannes Film Festival, the Producers Guild of America, France’s Knight of the Legion of Honor, Harvard’s Hasty Pudding Man of the Year Award, the John Huston Award from the Artists Rights Foundation, the Simon Wiesenthal Humanitarian Award, the Entertainment Icon Award from the Friars Club and the Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation’s Pioneer Award.

In 2025, Cruise received the Honorary Oscar at the Academy’s Governors Awards.

The 52nd AFI Life Achievement Award Honoree joins an esteemed group of individuals who have been chosen for this distinguished honor since its inception.

1973 – John Ford
1974 – James Cagney
1975 – Orson Welles
1976 – William Wyler
1977 – Bette Davis
1978 – Henry Fonda
1979 – Alfred Hitchcock
1980 – James Stewart
1981 – Fred Astaire
1982 – Frank Capra
1983 – John Huston
1984 – Lillian Gish
1985 – Gene Kelly
1986 – Billy Wilder
1987 – Barbara Stanwyck
1988 – Jack Lemmon
1989 – Gregory Peck
1990 – David Lean
1991 – Kirk Douglas
1992 – Sidney Poitier
1993 – Elizabeth Taylor
1994 – Jack Nicholson
1995 – Steven Spielberg
1996 – Clint Eastwood
1997 – Martin Scorsese
1998 – Robert Wise
1999 – Dustin Hoffman
2000 – Harrison Ford
2001 – Barbra Streisand
2002 – Tom Hanks
2003 – Robert De Niro
2004 – Meryl Streep
2005 – George Lucas
2006 – Sean Connery
2007 – Al Pacino
2008 – Warren Beatty
2009 – Michael Douglas
2010 – Mike Nichols
2011 – Morgan Freeman
2012 – Shirley MacLaine
2013 – Mel Brooks
2014 – Jane Fonda
2015 – Steve Martin
2016 – John Williams
2017 – Diane Keaton
2018 – George Clooney
2019 – Denzel Washington
2022 – Julie Andrews
2024 – Nicole Kidman
2025 – Francis Ford Coppola
2026 – Eddie Murphy

The AFI Board of Trustees established the AFI Life Achievement Award in 1973 as the highest honor for a career in film. It is presented to a single honoree each year based on the following criteria as mandated through a resolution passed by the AFI Board of Trustees: “The recipient should be one whose talent has in a fundamental way advanced the film art; whose accomplishment has been acknowledged by scholars, critics, professional peers and the general public; and whose work has stood the test of time.”

Most recently, AFI presented the 51st AFI Life Achievement Award to Eddie Murphy on Saturday, April 18th, at a Gala Tribute at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. This special event later premiered globally on Netflix on May 31st, 2026.  Performers and presenters included Bill Burr, Dave Chappelle, Arsenio Hall, Kevin Hart, Martin Lawrence, Spike Lee, Eva Longoria, Tracy Morgan, Mike Myers, Judge Reinhold, Chris Rock, Kenan Thompson, Robert Townsend, and Stevie Wonder.

Are you excited about this news for Tom Cruise? Have you seen “Digger” yet? If so, what did you think of it? Please let us know in the comments section below or on our Twitter account.

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“For our second Gotham Musical Tribute, we are delighted to honor these incredibly talented actors and filmmakers for bringing Michael Jackson’s life, legend, and music to the screen,” said Jeffrey Sharp, Executive Director of The Gotham Film & Media Institute. “Their extraordinary work captures the humanity behind one of the world’s most celebrated artists.”

“Michael” is the cinematic portrayal of the life and legacy of one of the most influential artists the world has ever known. The film tells Michael Jackson’s story beyond the music, tracing his journey from the discovery of his extraordinary talent as the lead of The Jackson Five to the visionary artist whose creative ambition fueled a relentless pursuit of becoming the world’s biggest entertainer. Highlighting both his life off-stage and some of the most iconic performances from his early solo career, the film gives audiences a front-row seat to Michael Jackson as never before. This is where his story begins. Lionsgate presents, in association with Universal Pictures, a GK Films production, an Optimum production.

Directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by John Logan, “Michael” stars Jaafar Jackson in the title role, with Nia Long, Laura Harrier, Juliano Krue Valdi, Miles Teller, and Colman Domingo. The film is produced by Academy Award-winning producer Graham King, John Branca, and the late John McClain. “Michael” premiered at the Uber Eats Music Hall in Berlin on April 10, 2026, and was released by Universal Pictures in the UK on April 22nd and by Lionsgate in the US on April 24. With $1.029 billion in worldwide box office, the film is the highest-grossing biographical film of all time, the first biographical film to reach $1 billion, the highest-grossing Lionsgate film, and the fourth-highest-grossing film of 2026. A sequel is in development.

The Gotham Musical Tribute was inaugurated last year with “Song Sung Blue.” LAIKA was previously announced to receive the Gotham Anniversary Tribute, Danny Boyle the Gotham Director Tribute for “Ink,” and “La Bola Negra” the Gotham Vanguard Tribute at the 36th Annual Gotham Film Awards Ceremony.

Winners of the 36th Annual Gotham Film Awards will be honored at the awards ceremony at Cipriani Wall Street on Monday, November 30th, 2026. Nominees will be announced on October 27th, 2026.

What do you think of this news for the annual Gotham Awards? Please let us know your thoughts in the comments section below or on our X account.

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Given annually to an actor who fosters the “finest ideals of the acting profession,” the SAG-AFTRA Life Achievement Award will be the latest recognition in Pacino’s extraordinary career spanning more than six decades. Across film, television, and the stage, Pacino has captivated audiences with transformative performances, creating some of the most memorable characters in entertainment history and profoundly influencing generations of actors and culture itself.

Defined by iconic roles and an unwavering commitment to acting, Pacino’s legacy places him squarely among the most celebrated performers of all time. His work has been recognized with an Academy Award, two Tony Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awards, and two Actor Awards. He has also received the AFI Life Achievement Award, the Golden Globes’ Cecil B. DeMille Award, a Kennedy Center Honor, a Venice Career Golden Lion and numerous other accolades.

SAG-AFTRA President Sean Astin said, “Like so many actors, I have spent my life in awe and appreciation of the force of nature that is Al Pacino. When you watch him perform, you are witnessing a student and a master. Al Pacino is an artist of extraordinary courage, intensity, and heart whose work has always set an exceptional standard of skill and talent. All of that and he’s just plain fun to watch. SAG-AFTRA is proud to celebrate Al Pacino with our union’s highest honor.”

Al Pacino said, “I wondered and wandered most of my life but have always felt at home with a script and my fellow actors.  It’s the work and the actors along the way that have been among the greatest joys of my life.  It’s an honor to be recognized by SAG-AFTRA in celebrating the journey”

Film
Pacino’s film career began with a brief appearance in “Me, Natalie” (1969), followed by his first major film role in “The Panic in Needle Park” (1971). His breakthrough came the following year when Francis Ford Coppola cast him as Michael Corleone in “The Godfather” (1972). The performance earned Pacino his first Academy Award nomination and established him as one of the defining actors of his generation. He reprised the role in “The Godfather Part II” (1974) and “The Godfather Part III” (1990).

Throughout the 1970s, Pacino delivered a succession of acclaimed performances, starring opposite Gene Hackman in the Palme d’Or-winning “Scarecrow” (1973) and earning Best Actor Academy Award nominations for “Serpico” (1973), “The Godfather Part II” (1974), “Dog Day Afternoon” (1975), and “…And Justice for All” (1979). His portrayal of Tony Montana in Brian De Palma’s “Scarface” (1983) became another career-defining role, with the film and character achieving enduring cultural significance.

Following a four-year hiatus from film starting in 1985, Pacino returned in “Sea of Love” (1989). He received an Academy Award nomination for his performance as Big Boy Caprice in “Dick Tracy” (1990). He made history in 1993 as the first male actor to receive two acting nominations for two different films in the same year, receiving a nomination for his performance in “Glengarry Glen Ross” (1992) and winning the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade in “Scent of a Woman” (1992).

Pacino’s extensive filmography also includes “Frankie and Johnny” (1991), “Carlito’s Way” (1993), “Heat” (1995), “Looking for Richard” (1996), “The Devil’s Advocate” (1997), “Donnie Brasco” (1997), “The Insider” (1999), “Any Given Sunday” (1999), “Insomnia” (2002), “The Merchant of Venice” (2004), “Ocean’s Thirteen” (2007), “Danny Collins” (2015), “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” (2019), “House of Gucci” (2021) and “Knox Goes Away” (2023).

In 2019, Pacino portrayed Jimmy Hoffa in Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman,” marking his first collaboration with the director and earning him his ninth Academy Award nomination.

His recent work includes “Modì, Three Days on the Wing of Madness” (2024), which he also co-produced, “The Ritual” (2025), “Billy Knight” (2025), “Dead Man’s Wire” (2025), “In the Hand of Dante” (2025), “Easy’s Waltz” (2025), and “Killing Castro” (2026).

Television
Pacino made his television debut in a 1968 episode of the ABC series “N.Y.P.D.” Decades later, he delivered one of his most acclaimed television performances as attorney Roy Cohn in HBO’s “Angels in America” (2003), adapted from Tony Kushner’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play. The role earned Pacino a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and his first Actor Award.

In 2010, Pacino portrayed physician-assisted-suicide advocate Dr. Jack Kevorkian in the HBO biographical film “You Don’t Know Jack.” His performance earned him a second Primetime Emmy Award, another Golden Globe, and his second Actor Award. He returned to HBO in “Phil Spector” (2013), portraying the record producer during his murder trial, and in “Paterno” (2018), where he played former Penn State football coach Joe Paterno.

In 2020, Pacino made his episodic-series debut as Nazi hunter Meyer Offerman in the Amazon Prime Video drama “Hunters.” He starred in both seasons of the series, continuing a television career defined by complex portrayals of consequential and often controversial real-life and fictional figures.

Theater
Pacino began establishing himself on the stage in the 1960s. In 1967, he spent a season at Boston’s Charles Playhouse, appearing in Clifford Odets’ “Awake and Sing!” and Jean-Claude van Itallie’s “America Hurrah.” The following year, he starred as Murph in Israel Horovitz’s “The Indian Wants the Bronx” at the Astor Place Theatre. His performance earned him an Obie Award for Best Actor.

Pacino made his Broadway debut in 1969 in Don Petersen’s “Does a Tiger Wear a Necktie?”, earning critical acclaim and his first Tony Award. He received a second Tony Award for “The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel” and further distinguished himself onstage in the title role of “Richard III” and in David Mamet’s “American Buffalo.”

His subsequent stage work has included productions and revivals of “Julius Caesar,” “Hughie,” “Salome,” “Orphans,” and “The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui.” In 2010, Pacino starred as Shylock in Shakespeare in the Park’s acclaimed production of “The Merchant of Venice,” which transferred to Broadway and earned him another Tony Award nomination for Best Leading Actor in a Play. He later returned to Broadway in the 30th-anniversary revival of “Glengarry Glen Ross” and in David Mamet’s “China Doll,” a play written for him. This year, Shakespeare’s Globe honored Pacino with the Sam Wanamaker Award in recognition of his contributions to theater and film, particularly his acclaimed interpretations of Shakespeare.

Activism & Philanthropy
Pacino’s humanitarian efforts have extended to disaster relief and global advocacy. Pacino participated in the “2001 America: A Tribute to Heroes” telethon supporting victims and families affected by the September 11 attacks, the ONE Campaign’s 2005 Make Poverty History initiative addressing extreme poverty, hunger and AIDS, and a 2012 public service campaign supporting Hurricane Sandy relief. In 2023, he revisited his celebrated “inch by inch” speech from “Any Given Sunday” for the Halftime campaign, calling attention to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

He has lent his talents to numerous benefit productions. His continued support of the Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles has included benefit presentations in which he reprised his roles as Shylock in “The Merchant of Venice” and the title role in “The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel,” as well as “Al Pacino Live on Stage,” a career retrospective and audience conversation. The 2012 premiere of his documentary-drama “Wilde Salomé” also benefited the GLBT Historical Society.

In recognition of his history of charitable giving and support for those affected by arthritis, Pacino received the Southern California Chapter of the Arthritis Foundation’s Jane Wyman Humanitarian Award in 2009. His decades of support have reflected an enduring commitment to the arts, education, humanitarian relief, and social causes.

What do you think of this news for the 2026 awards season? Please let us know your thoughts in the comments section below or on our X account.

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With these new announcements, DOC NYC will present 118 features (including 26 World premieres and 27 U.S. premieres) and 89 short films in its 17th edition. The festival runs in person November 11-19 at IFC Center, SVA Theatre, and Village East by Angelika and continues online through November 29 with films available to viewers across the U.S.

The Short Lists sections showcase a selection of nonfiction features and shorts that the festival’s programming team considers among the year’s strongest contenders for Oscars and other prizes, while Winner’s Circle celebrates films already awarded at major international and U.S. film events that deserve additional consideration. Selects Encore showcases significant titles from DOC NYC’s year-round Selects screening series—films that continue to be part of our awards season conversations.

DOC NYC’s 2026 Short List: Features screenings will include the New York City premieres of Biljana Tutorov and Petar Glomazic’s “To Hold a Mountain,” winner of the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Documentary at this year’s Sundance Film Festival and recently chosen to represent Montenegro in the Best International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards, and Mehrdad Oskouei and Soraya Akhlaghi’s “A Fox Under a Pink Moon,” executive produced by David Borenstein (co-director of the Oscar-winning DOC NYC 2025 alumnus “Mr. Nobody Against Putin“).

The Winner’s Circle screenings include the NYC premiere of Pegah Ahangarani’s “Rehearsals for a Revolution,” winner of the L’Œeil d’Or for Best Documentary at Cannes and recently selected as the UK submission for Best International Feature Film at the 99th Academy Awards.

See below for the complete slates for each section.

SHORT LIST: FEATURES

The DOC NYC Short List for documentary features launched in 2012 and has a long history of predicting other awards—from critics’ prizes and top-ten lists to the Oscars. For 14 of the last 15 years, DOC NYC has screened the documentary feature that went on to win the Academy Award, and the festival has screened 64 of the last 75 Oscar-nominated documentary features, including “Mr. Nobody Against Putin” in 2025, which went on to win the Oscar. DOC NYC’s Short List: Features selection committee is overseen by Artistic Director Jaie Laplante and Director of Special Projects Thom Powers.

This year’s selections for Short List: Features are:

“14TH“

Director: Ava DuVernay
Producers: Ava DuVernay, Spencer Averick, Tammy Garnes, Paul Garnes
A powerful film essay exploring the legacy of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

“AMERICAN DOCTOR“

Director: Poh Si Teng
Producers: Poh Si Teng, Kirstine Barfod, Reem Haddad
A visceral, unflinching film following three notable U.S. physicians as they provide in-person support at a Gaza hospital treating victims of mass-casualty events from the Israeli war campaign.

“THE BEND IN THE RIVER“

Director: Robb Moss
Producers: Lisa Remington, Kristin Feeley
A masterful meditation on the eternal, the temporal and the inevitable, from veteran filmmaker Robb Moss.

“EVERYBODY TO KENMURE STREET”

Director: Felipe Bustos Sierra
Producer: Ciara Barry
An uplifting portrayal of resistance, set in 2021, follows an incident when immigration officers raided Glasgow’s Kenmure Street.

“A FOX UNDER A PINK MOON” (NYC Premiere)

Directors: Mehrdad Oskouei, Soraya Akhlaghi
Producer: Mehrdad Oskouei
A young, talented Afghan woman living under the thumb of the patriarchy in Iran channels her emotions into unforgettable expressions of art.

“THE GREAT EXPERIMENT”

Directors: Stephen Maing, Eric Daniel Metzgar
Producers: Stephen Maing, Eric Daniel Metzgar, Farihah Zaman
Traversing the U.S. from 2016 to 2020, patient observational filmmaking becomes a temperature check on American democracy—what George Washington described as the last great experiment in promoting human happiness in civil society. Co-director Stephen Maing will receive the Robert and Anne Drew Award for Documentary Excellence at this year’s DOC NYC Visionaries Tribute.

“MUSK“

Director: Alex Gibney
Producers: Alex Gibney, Jessie Deeter, Erin Edeiken, Zhang Xin, Joey Marra, Nick Shumaker, Jessica Grimshaw, Dana O’Keefe
An epic work profiling the world’s first trillionaire, Elon Musk. Director Alex Gibney will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at this year’s DOC NYC Visionaries Tribute.

“NAZA“

Directors: Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor
Producers: Harry Davies, Lindsay Poulton, James Wilson
Anonymous members of the Israel Defense Force candidly reflect on their attitudes toward civilian casualties, known as NAZA, and how they process the meaning of genocide.

“ONCE UPON A TIME IN HARLEM“

Director: David Greaves
Producers: Liani Greaves, Anne de Mare
A glorious night that captures a vital period of American culture, when luminaries active in the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s recount their memories.

“ONE IN A MILLION“

Directors: Itab Azzam, Jack MacInnes
Producers: Will Anderson, James Bluemel, Andrew Palmer, Raney Aronson-Rath
A chronicle of one Syrian daughter’s journey in fleeing war and seeking refuge in Germany, and how over ten years, new pressures and opportunities present themselves.

“SOUL PATROL“

Director: J.M. Harper
Producers: Sam Bisbee, Danielle Massie, J.M. Harper, Nasir Jones, Peter Bittenbender
A hidden chapter of American military history—the Vietnam War’s first Black special ops team, an elite unit operating deep behind enemy lines.

“TIME AND WATER“

Director: Sara Dosa
Producers: Shane Boris, Elijah Stevens, Jameka Autry, Sara Dosa
A letter to the next generation by an Icelandic poet, reflecting on melting glaciers as a harbinger of climate change.

“TO HOLD A MOUNTAIN” (NYC Premiere)

Directors: Biljana Tutorov, Petar Glomazić
Producers: Biljana Tutorov, Petar Glomazić, Quentin Laurent, Rok Biček
In the remote highlands of Montenegro, the spirit of motherhood, the violence of men, and the sacredness of the mountain collide and reconcile.

“WILD INSIDE“

Director: Penny Lane
Producers: Gabriel Sedgwick, Nickolas Hasse
In 2023, Flaco the Eurasian Eagle Owl became an international folk hero and a mythological figure for a world where so many find themselves living far from their roots.

“YOU CAN SEE EVERYTHING“

Directors: Nathan Fielder, Lance Oppenheim
Producers: Nathan Fielder, Lance Oppenheim, Tatiana Bears, Maggie Ambrose, Jack Davis
As she prepares to begin serving her federal prison sentence, disgraced Silicon Valley tycoon Elizabeth Holmes continues to claim she has never lied, as America’s premiere absurdist documentarians record her every word.

SHORT LIST: SHORTS

The Short List: Shorts showcase of 15 titles is now in its ninth year at DOC NYC. Artistic Director Jaie Laplante, Director of Special Projects Thom Powers, and consultant Samah Ali oversee the selection process. In 2025, the showcase included All The Empty Rooms, which went on to win the Oscar.

This year’s selections for Short List: Shorts are:

“THE BADDEST SPEECHWRITER OF ALL”

Directors: Ben Proudfoot, Stephen Curry
Producers: Stephen Curry, Erick Peyton, Ben Proudfoot
At 93, Martin Luther King Jr. ‘s lawyer and speechwriter offers a living testament to history, and reminds us that silence is still our most urgent problem.

“THE BOYS AND THE BEES”

Director: Arielle Knight
Producer: Sean Weiner
On an idyllic farm in rural Georgia, beekeeping parents tenderly share their knowledge of life, love, and nature with their young sons as they restore their homestead.

“BUCKSKIN”

Director/Producer: Mars Verrone
A groundbreaking African-American and Indigenous forester reflects on his life’s work in conservation and ancestral knowledge as he approaches the twilight of his days.

“A DERAILMENT”

Director: Nathan Truesdell
Producers: Kat Nguyen, Will Lennon
A 2023 freight train derailment in rural Ohio corporate gives rise to a shocking new low in corporate maleficence.

“THE GRANDFATHER PUZZLE”

Director: Ora DeKornfeld
Producers: Zsofia Paczolay, Noémi Veronika Szakonyi, Máté Artur Vincze
Ora wants to better understand her aging grandfather before it’s too late. When she travels to Hungary to see if she can unlock the mysteries of his defense mechanisms, she finds a world left behind that illuminates a deep appreciation for life as it is now.

“LA TIERRA DEL VALOR (THE HOME OF THE BRAVE)”

Director: Cristina Costantini
Producers: Cristina Costantini, Alfie Koetter
Amid growing antipathy toward immigrants, Latina pop star NEZZA makes the bold choice to perform the National Anthem at Dodger Stadium in Spanish, sparking an outpouring of outrage, support, and discussion about freedom of speech and who decides what ‘American’ means.

“LISTEN”

Director: Taliesin Black-Brown
Producers: Taliesin Black-Brown, Sam Davis, Greg Moga
An Alaskan sound specialist works to preserve two levels of loss: the fading songs of wildlife disappearing from the wilderness as climate change threatens natural populations, and his mother’s disappearing memory as she slowly succumbs to dementia.

“THE OATH”

Directors: Liane Aviram, Louis Hollis
Producer: Liane Aviram
Dr Lina Qasem-Hassan, a Palestinian living and working in Israel, teaches medical ethics as well as practicing as a physician – walking a tightrope of activism and professionalism while working through the trauma of her people.

“ONE LAST ORDER”

Directors: Lauren Defilippo, Sam Soko
Producers: Lauren Defilippo, Sam Soko, Amanda Pollak
After 37 years at Mac’s Drive-Thru in Gainesville, Florida, sunny and beloved Sighle is retiring. As customers travel from near and far to say goodbye, this heartwarming portrait celebrates an everyday worker who always went above and beyond, and the joy and community one person can inspire.

“AN OPEN FIELD”

Director: Teboho Edkins
Producers: Don Edkins, Carine Chichkowsky
One hundred and fifty-seven people died when a new Boeing 737 MAX crashed in Ethiopia in 2019. While Boeing callously deflects blame for their negligence, a family of one victim finds strength in gathering collective mourning.

“OUTPOSTS – NOTHING HERE IS YOURS”

Director: Hilla Medalia
Producers: Hilla Medalia, Sheila Nevins, Yael Melamed
In the West Bank, Palestinian shepherd communities face escalating settler violence and displacement, while a group of Israeli activists stands in solidarity with shepherd communities as they struggle to remain on their land.

“THE REVOLUTION AGAINST DEATH”

Director: Joshua Oppenheimer
Producer: Signe Byrge Sørensen
A sharp, provocative look at the anti-aging industry and our increasingly elaborate efforts to resist mortality.

“THEY’RE HERE”

Directors: Laura Poitras, Rachel Lauren Mueller
Producers: Rachel Lauren Mueller, Laura Poitras, Yoni Golijov
A view of ICE’s evils through an organized resistance group of citizens in Minneapolis during the 2025-26 winter, using a unique cinematic language.

“THE TUNERS”

Director: Pawel Piotr Chorzepa
Producer: Joanna Chorzepa
Behind the scenes of Warsaw’s Chopin Festival, a group of expert tuners vies to achieve the perfect pitch so that the champion pianist will win on their instrument.

“WATER COOLER”

Director/Producer: Emma V.F.
In the halls of NYC’s immigration court, the casual chitchat of ICE agents waiting to arrest their unsuspecting targets stands in stark contrast to the horrors these detainees are likely to face.

WINNER’S CIRCLE

The DOC NYC Winner’s Circle for documentary features, introduced in 2019, highlights films that arrive at DOC NYC with strong award pedigrees. Past films shown in Winner’s Circle that all went on to further acclaim include “Writing with Fire,” “The Mole Agent,” “A House Made of Splinters,” “Hollywoodgate,” “In the Rearview,” “Bad Axe,” “Midnight Family,” and “Advocate”. To qualify for inclusion in this category, films must have won a major award at a significant international or US film festival.

This year’s selections for Winner’s Circle are:

“AMERICAN PACHUCO: THE LEGEND OF LUIS VALDEZ“

Director: David Alvarado
Producers: David Alvarado, Lauren DeFilippo, Everett Katigbak, Amanda Pollak
Against political resistance and industry skepticism, Luis Valdez pushes Chicano storytelling forward, creating iconic works that challenge, celebrate, and expand America’s story. Winner, Audience Award: U.S. Documentary and Festival Favorite Award, 2026 Sundance Film Festival

“BUCKS HARBOR“

Director: Pete Muller
Producers: Pete Muller, Nathan Golon, Noel Paul
Striking cinematography marks this observant, verite film about men in East Maine, the traditions of their elders, and their complex inner lives. Winner, Golden Eye Award for Best Documentary Film, 2026 Zurich Film Festival

“CLOSURE“

Director: Michał Marczak
Producers: Monika Braid, Remi Grellety, Michał Marczak, Katarzyna Szczerba, Karolina Marczak
A haunting portrait of what it means to seek closure that’s a testament to parental love. Winner, Golden Alexander International Competition Award, 2026 Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival

“AN EYE FOR AN EYE”

Directors: Tanaz Eshaghian, Farzad Jafari
Producers: Christoph Jorg, Katayoon Arsanjani, Gelareh Kiazand, Joey Marra
A tense examination of Iran’s justice system and one family torn asunder by a legacy of abuse and mariticide, unfolding like a Shakespearean tragedy. Winner, Grand Prize Impact Documentary, 2026 Fipadoc

“GIVE ME THE BALL!“

Directors: Liz Garbus, Elizabeth Wolff
Producers: Liz Garbus, Elizabeth Wolff, Chris James, Dan Cogan, Dominic Crossley-Holland, Gentry Kirby
Billie Jean King, the iconic athlete who changed both the worlds of tennis and of women’s athletics, offers new perspectives on her legacy and the state of the sports world. Winner, Audience Award / Best Documentary Feature, 2026 Provincetown International Film Festival

“NUISANCE BEAR“

Directors: Gabriela Osio Vanden, Jack Weisman
Producers: Will N. Miller, Michael Code, Teddy Leifer, Jack Weisman, Gabriela Osio Vanden
The modern clash between humans and polar bears takes on an ironic meaning when an Inuit elder shares his perspectives on his people’s ancient beliefs and customs. Winner, U.S. Documentary: Grand Jury Prize, 2026 Sundance Film Festival

“REHEARSALS FOR A REVOLUTION” (NYC Premiere)

Director: Pegah Ahangarani
Producers: Parnian Farnam, Pegah Ahangarani, Arash Ashtiani
Celebrated Iranian actor Pegah Ahangarani creates an essayistic documentary, weaving together home movies and news broadcasts to construct a vivid portrait of Iran’s modern history in the four decades since the revolution. Winner, L’Œil d’or Documentary Award, 2026 Cannes Film Festival

“STEAL THIS STORY, PLEASE!“

Directors: Carl Deal, Tia Lessin
Producers: Carl Deal, Tia Lessin, Karen Ranucci, Diana Cohn, Caren Spruch
Amy Goodman of Democracy Now! pursues the news with integrity and dauntlessness, seeing independent journalism as a major force for good. Winner, Greg Gund Memorial Standing Up Competition, Cleveland International Film Festival

SELECTS ENCORE

Selects Encore showcases films that screened at DOC NYC Selects, the festival’s ongoing screening series extension that runs annually from late winter through summer. The films chosen for Selects Encore represent works that remain in the season’s awards conversations.

This year’s selections for Selects Encore are:

“DAYLIGHT”

Director: Jon Kasbe
Producers: Jon Kasbe, Zoe Rogovin
Serving a life sentence for murder, Joe Garcia finds unexpected refuge in Taylor Swift’s lyrics. When an essay he writes about love and music goes viral, it cracks open the past and rekindles a connection, opening the door to a life and love he thought were lost forever.

“A LIFE ILLUMINATED”

Director: Tasha Van Zandt
Producers: Tasha Van Zandt, Sebastian Zeck, Jessica Harrop, Kathryn Everett
A daring quest to document a bioluminescent phenomenon that could forever change how we understand life on Earth.

“MANHOOD“

Director: Daniel Lombroso
Producers: Kerry Mack, Rebecca Shaid
Manhood explores shame, sex, and the fragile myths of American masculinity, with dark humor and unexpected empathy.

“MARY OLIVER: SAVED BY THE BEAUTY OF THE WORLD”

Director/Producer: Sasha Waters
If poetry had a pop icon, Mary Oliver would be it, and Sasha Waters’ beguiling portrait is as poetic as its protagonist.

“SCENES FROM THE DIVIDE”

Director: Alison Klayman
Producers: Alison Klayman, Courtney Powell
A fierce battle among American Jews over identity, history, and responsibility is revealed in the homes of New Yorkers on both sides of Zohran Mamdani’s 2025 mayoral campaign.

“THEYDREAM“

Director: William D. Caballero
Producers: William D. Caballero, Brad Jones, Erin Ploss-Campoamor, Elaine Del Valle
A deeply personal documentary that examines the transformative nature of grief for a close-knit Puerto Rican family.

“WHO MOVES AMERICA”

Director: Yael Bridge
Producers: Yael Bridge, Jeremy Flood, Yoni Golijov, Mars Verrone
Examines the tense 2023 contract negotiations between UPS and its 340,000 unionized workers, as a microcosm for the larger struggles of labor justice in the U.S.A.

What do you think of this news for DOC NYC? Which films do you think are the biggest awards contenders here? Please let us know your thoughts in the comments section below or on our X account and check out our latest Oscar predictions here.

The post DOC NYC Announces 2026 Short Lists For Features And Shorts, Winner’s Circle & Selects Encore Programs appeared first on Next Best Picture.