DOC NYC 2026 Opens With Sara Flores Portrait, Closes on Solar Eclipse

DOC NYC will open its 17th edition on Nov. 11 with "The Hummingbird Paints Fragrant Songs," Èlia Gasull Balada and Matteo Norzi's film about 75-year-old Indigenous artist Sara Flores, who emerged from the Peruvian Amazon into the global contemporary art scene.

The festival runs in Manhattan through Nov. 19 and continues online through Nov. 29. Kate Davis and David Heilbroner's "Totality" will close the event. The documentary examines the 2024 solar eclipse that swept across North America and the power of collectively looking up to take stock of our personal universes.

Barbara Kopple's "Union Town" serves as the festival's centerpiece film. Kopple, a two-time Oscar winner for labor documentaries, examines three laborers seeking better working conditions, unionization and basic human decency.

What does the 2026 program include?

The main slate contains 115 feature-length documentaries:

• 26 world premieres
• 27 U.S. premieres
• Over 200 films in total
• Dozens of events, with filmmakers expected in person at select screenings

The Special Presentations program features two world premieres: Joe Berlinger's "Primetime Preacher$," a chronicle of 1980s televangelism, and Abhay and Halavah Sofsky's "Palace of Gold," a portrait of the scandal-ridden New Vrindaban commune.

The short list, winner's circle and select encore sections will be announced at a later date.

How do the organizers describe the slate?

Artistic director Jaie LaPlante framed this year's selection in terms of range. "Each year, we are struck by the extraordinary range of stories that documentary filmmakers are bringing to the screen and this year's Main Slate is especially rich in its breadth, ambition and artistry," LaPlante said.

"From intimate portraits and deeply personal journeys to urgent investigations, stories of resistance and films that explore the natural world, these documentaries offer fresh perspectives on the world around us and the people who shape it," LaPlante continued. "We're thrilled to present such a dynamic group of filmmakers and to give audiences the opportunity to experience their work."

The opening film places Sara Flores at the center of the festival's launch. Flores, a Shipibo-Conibo artist working in the Peruvian Amazon, entered the international contemporary art market late in life — a trajectory that Balada and Norzi's documentary traces.

Kopple's centerpiece slot continues the festival's pattern of platforming veteran documentarians alongside first-time feature directors. Berlinger, whose credits span true-crime and investigative work, adds the televangelist chronicle to this year's premieres.

For arts audiences, the Flores opening signals DOC NYC's continued attention to how artists from outside institutional art circuits enter global visibility. Full program details are available at DOCNYC.net, with additional sections — including the short list and winner's circle — still to come before the November launch.