DOC NYC, America’s largest documentary festival, announces the full lineup for its seventh edition, which runs from November 10-17 at the IFC Center in Greenwich Village and Chelsea’s SVA Theatre and Cinepolis Chelsea. The 2016 festival includes 110 feature-length documentaries and has expanded to showcase over 250 films and events overall. This year, there will be 18 world premieres and 19 U.S. premieres, with more than 300 documentary makers and special guests expected to present their films in person.
World premieres at the festival include “City of Joy,” featuring Christine Schuler Deschryver, Dr. Denis Mukwege, and Eve Ensler, about a women’s leadership community in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo; the new Netflix series “Captive,” about stories of hostage-taking; HBO’s “Every Brilliant Thing,” directed by Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato, capturing the poignant and funny one-man show by Jonny Donahoe; and “Rikers,” a searing indictment of the New York prison.
North American premieres include “Sacred,” a visually stunning survey of religious rituals around the world; and “David Lynch: The Art Life” on the iconoclastic filmmaker discussing his early years.
The Closing Night film on November 17 will be “Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary,” directed by John Scheinfeld (“The U.S. vs John Lennon”). It joins the previously announced Opening Night film “Citizen Jane: Battle for the City,” directed by Matt Tyrnauer (“Valentino: The Last Emperor”).
“Everyone loves a good story, and this year’s lineup puts some fantastic true-life storytelling on display, drawing from the worlds of music, sports, art, crime, activism, and more,” said Director of Programming Basil Tsiokos. “DOC NYC’s filmmakers get to share these stories with New York City’s diverse and influential audience—one that’s incomparable to any other festival.”
Notable documentarians will also be honored at the previously announced Visionaries Tribute Awards event on Nov. 10: Jonathan Demme and Stanley Nelson will receive Lifetime Achievement Awards while Dawn Porter will receive the Robert and Anne Drew Award for observational filmmaking. A&E IndieFilms executive Molly Thompson will receive the Leading Light Award for distinguished service to documentary in a role outside filmmaking.
DOC NYC will welcome over 300 filmmakers and special guests in attendance for Q&As after most screenings. Among the notable visitors expected to appear in person are Bill Moyers for “Rikers”; Kenny Anderson for “Mr. Chibbs”; Steven Van Zandt for “Bang! The Bert Berns Story”; Carolee Schneemann for “Ken Dewey: This Is a Test”; Lori Singer for “God Knows Where I Am”; Evan Wolfson for “The Freedom to Marry”; and members of L7 for “L7: Pretend We’re Dead.”