This week, we turn the corner on the year, closing out the first half of 2025. I should be posting an updated list of the best documentaries of 2025 so far very soon, hopefully on Tuesday. I can say that none of the additions to that list will have been released in the final days of June, since this is another disappointing week for nonfiction content. There’s a decent celebrity doc, but that’s about it.

I want to note that I watched two new documentaries in the last week where the subject suddenly dies in the final moments of the film. That sort of real-life twist was surely a problem for the filmmakers who’d been following these people for years, but that doesn’t mean it should be so unexpected in the context of cinematic storytelling. Sure, there are docs where shocking deaths work, but in these instances, it was handled poorly. I chose not to review them or even name them, only to acknowledge the common issue among the disappointments I’m not bothering to showcase.

That said, below are this week’s documentary highlights, including rIeviews of new nonfiction films and series. They are followed by daily listings for all notable releases and a brief look at what’s coming soon for doc fans. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber to receive more in-depth highlights and reviews in the future.

Nonfics Picks Of The Week: D. A. Pennebaker Documentaries

Bob Dylan and D. A. Pennebaker from the making of Don’t Look Back

I was planning to highlight D. A. Pennabaker’s films in a couple of weeks in honor of his 100th birthday on July 15. But The Criterion Channel is devoting the whole month to celebrating his centenary, and we ought to follow suit. One of the pioneers of Direct Cinema, Pennebaker’s name is synonymous with the verité tradition. At the Critics Choice Documentary Awards, we even have an annual honor in his name that typically goes to a filmmaker who follows in his footsteps with a similar style.

Pennebaker was one of the names in political documentary, having been a major collaborator on Robert Drew’s Primary and one of the directors of the Oscar-nominated film The War Room. For a while, he was also the name in music docs, having helmed Don’t Look Back, Monterey Pop, and Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, the latter two being listed among the best concert films of all time. His final film, Unlocking the Cage, is one of the most underrated docs of the last 10 years.

Neither Ziggy Stardust nor Unlocking the Cage is on The Criterion Channel (the former is only streaming on the Quello Concerts channel on Amazon; the latter is free on Kanopy). Only two of his films are being added to the streamer on July 1: 65 Revisited, the deleted-scenes compilation (or B-side) of Don’t Look Back that I wrote about recently, and The Return of The War Room, which looks back at The War Room’s legacy. Neither film has been available online until this week.

With those two new additions, The Criterion Channel boasts 16 films directed by Pennebaker, including the shorts Daybreak Express, Baby, and Lambert & Co., and the features Original Cast Album: Company, Town Bloody Hall, Jimi Plays Monterey, Shake! Otis at Monterey, and The Kings of Pastry, along with the aforementioned Monterey Pop, Don’t Look Back, 65 Revisited, The War Room, and The Return of The War Room. Join them and us in celebrating 100 years since Penny’s birth by marathoning them all.

65 Revisited and The Return of The War Room begin streaming on The Criterion Channel on Tuesday, July 1. The other listed Pennebaker films are now available.

Other Documentary Highlights

Jayne Mansfield and Mariska Hargitay in My Mom Jayne

Berlin: Symphony Of Metropolis (1927)

Acquaint yourself with the city symphony genre of nonfiction cinema with one of the most famous examples, Berlin: Symphony of Metropolis (a.k.a. Berlin: Symphony of a Great City). It’s not the earliest (I think Manhatta is officially the pioneer), nor my favorite (that’d be Rain), nor the most acclaimed (that’d be Man with a Movie Camera if it counts), but it’s often considered the prime example and is possibly the most ambitious in its length and acute in its focus.

Berlin: Symphony of Metropolis airs on TCM in the early morning on Monday, June 30.

Documentary Portraits Of Artists

Another curation beginning on The Criterion Channel this week is titled Portraits of Artists, and it consists solely of nonfiction films. They include The Mystery of Picasso and Christo’s Valley Curtain, which can be found on our list of the best documentaries about artists. Other titles include David Lynch: The Art Life, Routine Pleasures, A Bigger Splash, Wim Wenders’s Anselm, and Orson Welles’s F for Fake. New additions to The Criterion Channel for the program include Crumb, Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child, Beyond the Visible – Hilma af Klint, and Wenders’s Notebook on Cities and Clothes, which until now has been unavailable online. Those begin streaming there on July 1.

My Mom Jayne (2025)

Movies made about famous fathers and mothers are a genre unto themselves. There is an even more focused group within that category devoted to movies made about parents who died before their filmmaker children got to know them. We recently saw it with A Photographic Memory, a film about the journalist Sheila Turner-Seed by her daughter, Rachel, who was 18 months old when the subject died of a brain aneurysm.

My Mom Jayne similarly looks at the life of Hollywood actress Jayne Mansfield through the lens of her daughter, Mariska Hargitay, who was three-and-a-half when her mom died in a car crash. The difference here is that Mansfield is much more famous, as is Hargitay, so their documentary is sure to be seen by a larger audience. I recommend that anyone who watches this film also see the other (it reopens in NYC this weekend!)

Hargitay’s film’s title is a bit misleading. It’s far more about the Law and Order SVU actress than her mom, which is fine in this case. There are a lot of scenes of reflection and discovery that feel genuinely experienced before the camera rather than staged or relayed. It’s a deeply personal and emotional share session for Hargitay, who interviews her siblings, step-mother, and biological father, whose identity she only recently revealed through the promotion of the documentary.

Fans of the iconic Mansfield will surely get something out of watching My Mom Jayne, but they can’t fault Hargitay for making it about herself and her journey. It’s not often enough that we see a filmmaker or a documentary protagonist, even when they’re the same person, go through such a transformation as Hargitay does here in her change of mind, perception, and appreciation of Mansfield. I found the film surprisingly moving.

My Mom Jayne premieres on HBO and Max on Friday, June 27.

News & Documentary Emmy Winners

Last week, the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences held its 46th News & Documentary Emmy Awards over two nights, with the documentary portion being on Thursday. The top prize of Best Documentary went to NBC’s The Sing Sing Chronicles. Other winners in various genre categories included We Will Dance Again (now streaming on Paramount+), The Truth vs. Alex Jones (Max), The Sixth (Prime Video and Kanopy), American Conspiracy: The Octopus Murders (Netflix), Tsunami: Race Against Time (Hulu and Disney+), Madu (Disney+), The Hunt for the Oldest DNA (Kanopy), and the Frontline installment Two American Families: 1991-2024 (PBS.org).

Winners in various craft categories include Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story (Disney+), which won for both writing and promotional announcement, The Grab (Hulu), Frida (Prime Video), Blink (Hulu and Disney+), Omnivore (Apple TV+), Secret World of Sound with David Attenborough (Netflix), and Hitler and the Nazis: Evil on Trial (Netflix). For a full list of winners, including in the News categories, check out the press release.

Paris Is Burning (1990) & The Queen (1968)

While Paris is Burning has long been a recognized documentary classic, the much earlier film The Queen is rising in its notoriety lately. This is in part thanks to the popularity of RuPaul’s Drag Race, which owes a lot to both films. The former is about the New York City drag ball scene in the late ‘80s, while the latter is about a drag queen contest, also in New York City, in the 1960s. Both are must-watch pieces of cultural history, especially at this time for their early showcase of trans identity.

Paris is Burning and The Queen both air on TCM on Monday night (the former is technically airing on Tuesday morning) to close out Prime Month.

Rolling Stones Documentaries

A third curation on The Criterion Channel debuting this week is titled The Rolling Stones on Film. It’s a small crop considering how many Rolling Stones documentaries exist, but all are essential, including the Maysles brothers’ Gimme Shelter. The others are these three new additions to The Criterion Channel: Charlie is My Darling, which is otherwise unavailable, The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus, and Jean-Luc Godard’s Sympathy for the Devil. Those begin streaming there on July 1.

Shark Whisperer (2025)

The expert diver turned conservationist Ocean Ramsey has been criticized for the level of self-promotion in her activism, and this documentary certainly isn’t going to help silence any of her haters. Shark Whisperer is all about Ramsey, who has become famous for swimming with sharks, including great whites, and fighting against their negative reputation as blood-thirsty monsters. As with her own work, though, the film still gets her message across through the attention directed at her.

It’s not an original message. Many legit scientists and other more experienced figures have been challenging the vilification of sharks for years. I recommend watching Playing with Sharks (streaming on Disney+), about another diver and conservationist who has also been in the limelight for being a blonde beauty, for a more interesting and engaging narrative. As a film star, Ramsey is a flat personality, so soft-spoken that she may put some viewers to sleep (the doc’s score combined with the serene marine cinematography also has a lulling effect). For those who stay awake, though, her being kind of boring helps steer focus to the more important matters of saving the sharks.

Shark Whisperer debuts on Netflix on Monday, June 30.

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Documentary Release Calendar 6/27/25 – 7/3/25

Ocean Ramsey in Shark Whisperer

Friday, June 27, 2025

Afternoons of Solitude (2024) – A documentary about bullfighting. (In Theaters)

Blur: To the End (2024) – A documentary about the reunion of the Britpop group Blur. (In Theaters)

Dressed in Blue (1983) – A documentary about transgender sex workers in Madrid. (OVID)

Esports World Cup: Level Up Episode 4: “From Out of Nowhere” – The fourth part of a docuseries by R.J. Cutler on last year’s inaugural Esports World Cup. (Prime Video)

Hollywood: Style Center of the World (1940) – A short film about the fashions seen in movies. (TCM)

JessZilla (2023) – A documentary feature about an Olympic-hopeful boxer diagnosed with cancer. (VOD)

The Last Class (2025) – A documentary feature starring political economist Robert Reich as he teaches his final Wealth and Poverty course at UC Berkeley. (In Theaters)

My Mom Jayne – A documentary by actress Mariska Hargitay about her mother, Jayne Mansfield. You can find our review of My Mom Jayne in the highlights section above. (HBO and Max)

Nichols and May: Take Two (1996) – A medium-length episode of American Masters about the titular comedy duo. (TCM)

Nobu (2024) – A documentary profile about chef and restaurateur Nobuyuki Matsuhisa. (In Theaters)

Queercore: How To Punk A Revolution (2017) – A documentary about the cultural and social movement known as Queercore. (OVID)

Phantoms, Inc. (1945) – A short film about con artists pretending to be spiritualists. (TCM)

Planet Weird Episode 3: “Villains” – The latest installment of this new nature docuseries about the world’s strangest species. (National Geographic WILD)

The Proof is Out There Season 5, Episode 3: “Bigfoot Train Sighting, Jesus and Aliens, and Iceland’s Loch Ness Monster” – The latest installment of this docuseries investigating UFOs, conspiracies, and mythical creatures. (History)

Saturday, June 28, 2025

Fish Tales (1954) – A short documentary in the Pete Smith Specialty series about salmon fishing. (TCM)

Planet Weird Episode 3: “Villains” – The latest installment of this new nature docuseries about the world’s strangest species. (Hulu)

Sunday, June 29, 2025

Johannesburg: ‘City of Gold’ (1953) – A short documentary installment of James A. FitzPatrick’s TravelTalks travelogue franchise that explores Johannesburg. (TCM)

Pretoria to Durban (1952) – A short documentary installment of James A. FitzPatrick’s TravelTalks travelogue franchise that explores South Africa. (TCM)

Secrets of the Zoo: Down Under Season 5, Episode 8: “Healing Hippos” – The latest episode of this docuseries filmed at Sydney’s Taronga Zoo involves a sick hippopotamus. (National Geographic WILD)

Underdogs Episode 5: “Total Grossout” – The latest episode of this nature docuseries narrated by Ryan Reynolds about evolutionary underdogs and how they survive. (National Geographic)

Monday, June 30, 2025

À Propos de Nice (1930) – A short documentary by Jean Vigo about Nice, France. (TCM)

Berlin: Symphony of Metropolis (1927) – A city symphony film showcasing Berlin. (TCM)

Jimmie Lunceford and His Dance Orchestra (1937) – A short film showcasing the titular group as they perform musical classics. (TCM)

The Queen (1968) – A documentary about a national drag queen contest in New York City. (TCM)

Shark Whisperer (2025) – A documentary following conservationist and activist Ocean Ramsey as he swims with and aims to protect sharks. You can find our review of Shark Whisperer in the highlights section above. (Netflix)

Tuesday, July 1, 2025

65 Revisited (2007) – A medium-length documentary by D. A. Pennebaker compiled from outtakes shot for Don’t Look Back. (The Criterion Collection)

Aliens Uncovered: Golden Frequency (2025) – The latest in the Aliens Uncovered franchise explores the connection between UFO sightings and unexplained mineral deposits. (VOD)

Attack on London: Hunting the 7/7 Bombers (2025) – A docuseries about the July 7 terrorist attack in the London Underground in 2005. (Netflix)

Bearing Witness, Native American Voices in Hollywood (2024) – A documentary about the villainization of “indians” in Western movies. (DVD)

Beyond The Visible – Hilma af Klint (2019) – A biographical documentary about the abstract artist Hilma Klint. (The Criterion Channel)

Charlie Is My Darling (1966) – A medium-length documentary following The Rolling Stones over two days during their 1965 tour in Ireland. (The Criterion Channel)

Chasing Zombies: A Tribute to George Romero (2024) – A documentary about the zombies from George Romero’s movies. (DVD)

Concerning Violence (2014) – A documentary by Göran Olsson about the decolonization of Africa. Read our review of Concerning Violence. (The Criterion Channel)

Crumb (1995) – A documentary by Terry Zwigoff about the underground cartoonist Robert Crumb. (The Criterion Channel)

The Endless Summer (1966) – A documentary by Bruce Brown following two surfers in pursuit of the perfect wave. (The Criterion Channel)

Executions – The Rise and Fall of Capital Punishment (2025) – A medium-length documentary about the history of death as a sentence for a crime. (DVD)

Film Geek (2023) – A personal documentary in which director Richard Shepard compiles film clips and his own archives for a look back at his love of cinema and his relationship with his father. (Max)

Finding Fela (2014) – A documentary by Alex Gibney about Nigerian singer Fela Kuti. Read our review of Finding Fela. (Tubi)

Frantz Fanon: Black Skin, White Mask (1995) – A documentary about the titular psychiatrist and philosopher. (The Criterion Channel)

Jackass 2.5 (2007) – A documentary about the making of Jackass Number Two featuring additional footage. (Paramount+)

Jackass 3 (2010) – The third installment of the Jackass film franchise featuring spectacular stunts and pranks. (Tubi and Paramount+)

Jackass 3.5 (2011) – A documentary about the making of Jackass 3 featuring additional footage. (Paramount+)

Jackass Number Two (2006) – The second installment of the Jackass film franchise featuring spectacular stunts and pranks. (Paramount+)

Jackass: The Movie (2010) – The first feature film spin-off of the Jackass TV series featuring spectacular stunts and pranks. (Paramount+)

Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa (2013) – A hybrid comedy starring Johnny Knoxville as an old man traveling with his grandson and pulling pranks and stunts on real people. (Tubi and Paramount+)

Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa .5 (2013) – An unrated and extended version of a hybrid comedy starring Johnny Knoxville as an old man traveling with his grandson and pulling pranks and stunts on real people. (Tubi and Paramount+)

Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child (2010) – A documentary about the titular artist. (The Criterion Channel)

Let’s Get Lost (1988) – A feature documentary by Bruce Weber about jazz trumpeter Chet Baker. (The Criterion Channel)

MGM Parade Show #27 (1956) – This installment of the Hollywood-focused docuseries showcases the MGM films Captains Courageous and Forbidden Planet. (TCM)

Moana with Sound (1926/1929) – A sound version of the documentary by Robert J. Flaherty about a Samoan family. (Max)

Notebook on Cities and Clothes (1989) – A documentary by Wim Wenders about Japanese fashion designer Yohji Yamamoto. (The Criterion Channel)

Paparazzi (1964) – A short documentary by Jacques Rozier about the relationship between Brigitte Bardot and the paparazzi while she films Contempt. (The Criterion Channel)

Paris is Burning (1990) – A documentary about the New York City drag ball scene. (TCM)

Le Parti des Choses: Bardot et Godard (1964) – A short documentary by Jaques Rozier about the making of Contempt. (The Criterion Channel)

The Punk Singer (2013) – A documentary about Kathleen Hanna. Read our review of The Punk Singer. (The Criterion Channel)

The Return of the War Room (2008) – A documentary by D. A. Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus looking back at their classic, Oscar-nominated political film The War Room. (The Criterion Channel)

The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus (1996) – A documentary by Michael Lindsay-Hogg showcasing a performance by The Rolling Stones. (The Criterion Channel)

Sound of the Surf (2022) – A documentary about surf rock. (DVD)

Sympathy for the Devil (1968) – A short documentary by Jean-Luc Godard showcasing a performance by The Rolling Stones of the titular song. (The Criterion Channel)

Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am (2019) – A documentary about the titular author. Read our review of Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am. (Max)

Trainwreck: The Cult of American Apparel (2025) – The latest in the Trainwreck franchise examines the rise and fall of the 2000s fashion brand American Apparel. (Netflix)

Wednesday, July 2, 2025

Dear Ms.: A Revolution in Print (2025) – A feature-length documentary about Ms. magazine. (HBO and Max)

Expedition Unknown Season 15, Episode 3: “The Lost Grave of Buffalo Bill” – The latest installment of this docuseries following an archaeologist looking for lost artifacts. (Discovery)

Thursday, July 3, 2025

761st Tank Battalion: The Original Black Panthers (2023) – A docuseries about the first Black tank regiment in World War II. (Hulu)

Aaron Hernandez and the Untold Murders of Bristol (2025) – A docuseries about the titular NFL player, who was convicted of murder and suspected in other deaths. (Hulu)

America: Promised Land (2017) – A docuseries about America’s history as a destination for immigrants. (Hulu)

America: The Story of the U.S. (2010) – A docuseries about America’s history of becoming a superpower. (Hulu)

Black Patriots: Heroes of the Civil War (2022) – A docuseries starring Kareem Abdul-Jabbar about Black soldiers in the American Civil War. (Hulu)

Black Patriots: Heroes of the Revolution (2020) – A docuseries starring Kareem Abdul-Jabbar about Black soldiers in the American Revolutionary War. (Hulu)

Codes and Conspiracies Seasons 1 & 2 – A docuseries about AI created accidentally online. (Hulu)

Days That Shaped America (2018) – A docuseries about historic events that changed America. (Hulu)

The First 48 Presents Critical Minutes Season 3C – The complete third part of Season 3 of the true crime docuseries about the first two days in murder cases. (Hulu)

The Proof is Out There Season 4B – The second part of the fourth season of this docuseries about mysteries of the unknown. (Hulu)

The Secret History of Air Force One (2019) – A docuseries about the U.S. president’s plane. (Hulu)

The Secret History of the Civil War (2022) – A docuseries about the American Civil War. (Hulu)

This Is Not a Movie (2019) – A documentary by Yung Chang about journalist Robert Fisk. (OVID)

Who is Luigi Mangione? (2025) – A docuseries about the man accused of murdering United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson. (Hulu)

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Sneak Peek At What’s Coming Soon

7/11 – Little, Big, and Far – A hybrid film by Jem Cohen about a husband and wife scientist couple. (In Theaters)

7/15 – Love & Rage: Munroe Bergdorf – A documentary about the trans activist Munroe Bergdorf. (VOD)

7/18 – Billy Joel: And So It Goes – A documentary about the titular singer-songwriter. (HBO and Max)

7/25 – Folktales – A documentary by Oscar-nominated filmmakers Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady (Jesus Camp) about a folk high school in Arctic Norway. Read our review of Folktales from Sundance. Watch the new trailer for the film below. (In Theaters)

7/27 – Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time – A five-part docuseries about the 2005 hurricane that devastated New Orleans. (National Geographic)

7/28 – Slumlord Millionaire – A documentary feature about residents, activists, and nonprofit attorneys fighting corrupt landlords. Read our review of Slumlord Millionaire. (PBS)

8/8 – It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley – A documentary by Amy Berg about the late musician. (In Theaters)

8/10 – American Prince: JFK Jr. – A three-part docuseries about John F. Kennedy Jr. (CNN)

8/15 – Magic City: An American Fantasy (2025) – A docuseries about the titular Atlanta strip club. (Starz)

This week, we turn the corner on the year, closing out the first half of 2025. I should be posting an updated list of the best documentaries of 2025 so far very soon, hopefully on Tuesday. I can say that none of the additions to that list will have been released in the final days of June, since this is another disappointing week for nonfiction content. There’s a decent celebrity doc, but that’s about it.

I want to note that I watched two new documentaries in the last week where the subject suddenly dies in the final moments of the film. That sort of real-life twist was surely a problem for the filmmakers who’d been following these people for years, but that doesn’t mean it should be so unexpected in the context of cinematic storytelling. Sure, there are docs where shocking deaths work, but in these instances, it was handled poorly. I chose not to review them or even name them, only to acknowledge the common issue among the disappointments I’m not bothering to showcase.

That said, below are this week’s documentary highlights, including rIeviews of new nonfiction films and series. They are followed by daily listings for all notable releases and a brief look at what’s coming soon for doc fans. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber to receive more in-depth highlights and reviews in the future.

Nonfics Picks Of The Week: D. A. Pennebaker Documentaries

Bob Dylan and D. A. Pennebaker from the making of Don’t Look Back

I was planning to highlight D. A. Pennabaker’s films in a couple of weeks in honor of his 100th birthday on July 15. But The Criterion Channel is devoting the whole month to celebrating his centenary, and we ought to follow suit. One of the pioneers of Direct Cinema, Pennebaker’s name is synonymous with the verité tradition. At the Critics Choice Documentary Awards, we even have an annual honor in his name that typically goes to a filmmaker who follows in his footsteps with a similar style.

Pennebaker was one of the names in political documentary, having been a major collaborator on Robert Drew’s Primary and one of the directors of the Oscar-nominated film The War Room. For a while, he was also the name in music docs, having helmed Don’t Look Back, Monterey Pop, and Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, the latter two being listed among the best concert films of all time. His final film, Unlocking the Cage, is one of the most underrated docs of the last 10 years.

Neither Ziggy Stardust nor Unlocking the Cage is on The Criterion Channel (the former is only streaming on the Quello Concerts channel on Amazon; the latter is free on Kanopy). Only two of his films are being added to the streamer on July 1: 65 Revisited, the deleted-scenes compilation (or B-side) of Don’t Look Back that I wrote about recently, and The Return of The War Room, which looks back at The War Room’s legacy. Neither film has been available online until this week.

With those two new additions, The Criterion Channel boasts 16 films directed by Pennebaker, including the shorts Daybreak Express, Baby, and Lambert & Co., and the features Original Cast Album: Company, Town Bloody Hall, Jimi Plays Monterey, Shake! Otis at Monterey, and The Kings of Pastry, along with the aforementioned Monterey Pop, Don’t Look Back, 65 Revisited, The War Room, and The Return of The War Room. Join them and us in celebrating 100 years since Penny’s birth by marathoning them all.

65 Revisited and The Return of The War Room begin streaming on The Criterion Channel on Tuesday, July 1. The other listed Pennebaker films are now available.

Other Documentary Highlights

Jayne Mansfield and Mariska Hargitay in My Mom Jayne

Berlin: Symphony Of Metropolis (1927)

Acquaint yourself with the city symphony genre of nonfiction cinema with one of the most famous examples, Berlin: Symphony of Metropolis (a.k.a. Berlin: Symphony of a Great City). It’s not the earliest (I think Manhatta is officially the pioneer), nor my favorite (that’d be Rain), nor the most acclaimed (that’d be Man with a Movie Camera if it counts), but it’s often considered the prime example and is possibly the most ambitious in its length and acute in its focus.

Berlin: Symphony of Metropolis airs on TCM in the early morning on Monday, June 30.

Documentary Portraits Of Artists

Another curation beginning on The Criterion Channel this week is titled Portraits of Artists, and it consists solely of nonfiction films. They include The Mystery of Picasso and Christo’s Valley Curtain, which can be found on our list of the best documentaries about artists. Other titles include David Lynch: The Art Life, Routine Pleasures, A Bigger Splash, Wim Wenders’s Anselm, and Orson Welles’s F for Fake. New additions to The Criterion Channel for the program include Crumb, Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child, Beyond the Visible – Hilma af Klint, and Wenders’s Notebook on Cities and Clothes, which until now has been unavailable online. Those begin streaming there on July 1.

My Mom Jayne (2025)

Movies made about famous fathers and mothers are a genre unto themselves. There is an even more focused group within that category devoted to movies made about parents who died before their filmmaker children got to know them. We recently saw it with A Photographic Memory, a film about the journalist Sheila Turner-Seed by her daughter, Rachel, who was 18 months old when the subject died of a brain aneurysm.

My Mom Jayne similarly looks at the life of Hollywood actress Jayne Mansfield through the lens of her daughter, Mariska Hargitay, who was three-and-a-half when her mom died in a car crash. The difference here is that Mansfield is much more famous, as is Hargitay, so their documentary is sure to be seen by a larger audience. I recommend that anyone who watches this film also see the other (it reopens in NYC this weekend!)

Hargitay’s film’s title is a bit misleading. It’s far more about the Law and Order SVU actress than her mom, which is fine in this case. There are a lot of scenes of reflection and discovery that feel genuinely experienced before the camera rather than staged or relayed. It’s a deeply personal and emotional share session for Hargitay, who interviews her siblings, step-mother, and biological father, whose identity she only recently revealed through the promotion of the documentary.

Fans of the iconic Mansfield will surely get something out of watching My Mom Jayne, but they can’t fault Hargitay for making it about herself and her journey. It’s not often enough that we see a filmmaker or a documentary protagonist, even when they’re the same person, go through such a transformation as Hargitay does here in her change of mind, perception, and appreciation of Mansfield. I found the film surprisingly moving.

My Mom Jayne premieres on HBO and Max on Friday, June 27.

News & Documentary Emmy Winners

Last week, the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences held its 46th News & Documentary Emmy Awards over two nights, with the documentary portion being on Thursday. The top prize of Best Documentary went to NBC’s The Sing Sing Chronicles. Other winners in various genre categories included We Will Dance Again (now streaming on Paramount+), The Truth vs. Alex Jones (Max), The Sixth (Prime Video and Kanopy), American Conspiracy: The Octopus Murders (Netflix), Tsunami: Race Against Time (Hulu and Disney+), Madu (Disney+), The Hunt for the Oldest DNA (Kanopy), and the Frontline installment Two American Families: 1991-2024 (PBS.org).

Winners in various craft categories include Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story (Disney+), which won for both writing and promotional announcement, The Grab (Hulu), Frida (Prime Video), Blink (Hulu and Disney+), Omnivore (Apple TV+), Secret World of Sound with David Attenborough (Netflix), and Hitler and the Nazis: Evil on Trial (Netflix). For a full list of winners, including in the News categories, check out the press release.

Paris Is Burning (1990) & The Queen (1968)

While Paris is Burning has long been a recognized documentary classic, the much earlier film The Queen is rising in its notoriety lately. This is in part thanks to the popularity of RuPaul’s Drag Race, which owes a lot to both films. The former is about the New York City drag ball scene in the late ‘80s, while the latter is about a drag queen contest, also in New York City, in the 1960s. Both are must-watch pieces of cultural history, especially at this time for their early showcase of trans identity.

Paris is Burning and The Queen both air on TCM on Monday night (the former is technically airing on Tuesday morning) to close out Prime Month.

Rolling Stones Documentaries

A third curation on The Criterion Channel debuting this week is titled The Rolling Stones on Film. It’s a small crop considering how many Rolling Stones documentaries exist, but all are essential, including the Maysles brothers’ Gimme Shelter. The others are these three new additions to The Criterion Channel: Charlie is My Darling, which is otherwise unavailable, The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus, and Jean-Luc Godard’s Sympathy for the Devil. Those begin streaming there on July 1.

Shark Whisperer (2025)

The expert diver turned conservationist Ocean Ramsey has been criticized for the level of self-promotion in her activism, and this documentary certainly isn’t going to help silence any of her haters. Shark Whisperer is all about Ramsey, who has become famous for swimming with sharks, including great whites, and fighting against their negative reputation as blood-thirsty monsters. As with her own work, though, the film still gets her message across through the attention directed at her.

It’s not an original message. Many legit scientists and other more experienced figures have been challenging the vilification of sharks for years. I recommend watching Playing with Sharks (streaming on Disney+), about another diver and conservationist who has also been in the limelight for being a blonde beauty, for a more interesting and engaging narrative. As a film star, Ramsey is a flat personality, so soft-spoken that she may put some viewers to sleep (the doc’s score combined with the serene marine cinematography also has a lulling effect). For those who stay awake, though, her being kind of boring helps steer focus to the more important matters of saving the sharks.

Shark Whisperer debuts on Netflix on Monday, June 30.

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Documentary Release Calendar 6/27/25 – 7/3/25

Ocean Ramsey in Shark Whisperer

Friday, June 27, 2025

Afternoons of Solitude (2024) – A documentary about bullfighting. (In Theaters)

Blur: To the End (2024) – A documentary about the reunion of the Britpop group Blur. (In Theaters)

Dressed in Blue (1983) – A documentary about transgender sex workers in Madrid. (OVID)

Esports World Cup: Level Up Episode 4: “From Out of Nowhere” – The fourth part of a docuseries by R.J. Cutler on last year’s inaugural Esports World Cup. (Prime Video)

Hollywood: Style Center of the World (1940) – A short film about the fashions seen in movies. (TCM)

JessZilla (2023) – A documentary feature about an Olympic-hopeful boxer diagnosed with cancer. (VOD)

The Last Class (2025) – A documentary feature starring political economist Robert Reich as he teaches his final Wealth and Poverty course at UC Berkeley. (In Theaters)

My Mom Jayne – A documentary by actress Mariska Hargitay about her mother, Jayne Mansfield. You can find our review of My Mom Jayne in the highlights section above. (HBO and Max)

Nichols and May: Take Two (1996) – A medium-length episode of American Masters about the titular comedy duo. (TCM)

Nobu (2024) – A documentary profile about chef and restaurateur Nobuyuki Matsuhisa. (In Theaters)

Queercore: How To Punk A Revolution (2017) – A documentary about the cultural and social movement known as Queercore. (OVID)

Phantoms, Inc. (1945) – A short film about con artists pretending to be spiritualists. (TCM)

Planet Weird Episode 3: “Villains” – The latest installment of this new nature docuseries about the world’s strangest species. (National Geographic WILD)

The Proof is Out There Season 5, Episode 3: “Bigfoot Train Sighting, Jesus and Aliens, and Iceland’s Loch Ness Monster” – The latest installment of this docuseries investigating UFOs, conspiracies, and mythical creatures. (History)

Saturday, June 28, 2025

Fish Tales (1954) – A short documentary in the Pete Smith Specialty series about salmon fishing. (TCM)

Planet Weird Episode 3: “Villains” – The latest installment of this new nature docuseries about the world’s strangest species. (Hulu)

Sunday, June 29, 2025

Johannesburg: ‘City of Gold’ (1953) – A short documentary installment of James A. FitzPatrick’s TravelTalks travelogue franchise that explores Johannesburg. (TCM)

Pretoria to Durban (1952) – A short documentary installment of James A. FitzPatrick’s TravelTalks travelogue franchise that explores South Africa. (TCM)

Secrets of the Zoo: Down Under Season 5, Episode 8: “Healing Hippos” – The latest episode of this docuseries filmed at Sydney’s Taronga Zoo involves a sick hippopotamus. (National Geographic WILD)

Underdogs Episode 5: “Total Grossout” – The latest episode of this nature docuseries narrated by Ryan Reynolds about evolutionary underdogs and how they survive. (National Geographic)

Monday, June 30, 2025

À Propos de Nice (1930) – A short documentary by Jean Vigo about Nice, France. (TCM)

Berlin: Symphony of Metropolis (1927) – A city symphony film showcasing Berlin. (TCM)

Jimmie Lunceford and His Dance Orchestra (1937) – A short film showcasing the titular group as they perform musical classics. (TCM)

The Queen (1968) – A documentary about a national drag queen contest in New York City. (TCM)

Shark Whisperer (2025) – A documentary following conservationist and activist Ocean Ramsey as he swims with and aims to protect sharks. You can find our review of Shark Whisperer in the highlights section above. (Netflix)

Tuesday, July 1, 2025

65 Revisited (2007) – A medium-length documentary by D. A. Pennebaker compiled from outtakes shot for Don’t Look Back. (The Criterion Collection)

Aliens Uncovered: Golden Frequency (2025) – The latest in the Aliens Uncovered franchise explores the connection between UFO sightings and unexplained mineral deposits. (VOD)

Attack on London: Hunting the 7/7 Bombers (2025) – A docuseries about the July 7 terrorist attack in the London Underground in 2005. (Netflix)

Bearing Witness, Native American Voices in Hollywood (2024) – A documentary about the villainization of “indians” in Western movies. (DVD)

Beyond The Visible – Hilma af Klint (2019) – A biographical documentary about the abstract artist Hilma Klint. (The Criterion Channel)

Charlie Is My Darling (1966) – A medium-length documentary following The Rolling Stones over two days during their 1965 tour in Ireland. (The Criterion Channel)

Chasing Zombies: A Tribute to George Romero (2024) – A documentary about the zombies from George Romero’s movies. (DVD)

Concerning Violence (2014) – A documentary by Göran Olsson about the decolonization of Africa. Read our review of Concerning Violence. (The Criterion Channel)

Crumb (1995) – A documentary by Terry Zwigoff about the underground cartoonist Robert Crumb. (The Criterion Channel)

The Endless Summer (1966) – A documentary by Bruce Brown following two surfers in pursuit of the perfect wave. (The Criterion Channel)

Executions – The Rise and Fall of Capital Punishment (2025) – A medium-length documentary about the history of death as a sentence for a crime. (DVD)

Film Geek (2023) – A personal documentary in which director Richard Shepard compiles film clips and his own archives for a look back at his love of cinema and his relationship with his father. (Max)

Finding Fela (2014) – A documentary by Alex Gibney about Nigerian singer Fela Kuti. Read our review of Finding Fela. (Tubi)

Frantz Fanon: Black Skin, White Mask (1995) – A documentary about the titular psychiatrist and philosopher. (The Criterion Channel)

Jackass 2.5 (2007) – A documentary about the making of Jackass Number Two featuring additional footage. (Paramount+)

Jackass 3 (2010) – The third installment of the Jackass film franchise featuring spectacular stunts and pranks. (Tubi and Paramount+)

Jackass 3.5 (2011) – A documentary about the making of Jackass 3 featuring additional footage. (Paramount+)

Jackass Number Two (2006) – The second installment of the Jackass film franchise featuring spectacular stunts and pranks. (Paramount+)

Jackass: The Movie (2010) – The first feature film spin-off of the Jackass TV series featuring spectacular stunts and pranks. (Paramount+)

Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa (2013) – A hybrid comedy starring Johnny Knoxville as an old man traveling with his grandson and pulling pranks and stunts on real people. (Tubi and Paramount+)

Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa .5 (2013) – An unrated and extended version of a hybrid comedy starring Johnny Knoxville as an old man traveling with his grandson and pulling pranks and stunts on real people. (Tubi and Paramount+)

Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child (2010) – A documentary about the titular artist. (The Criterion Channel)

Let’s Get Lost (1988) – A feature documentary by Bruce Weber about jazz trumpeter Chet Baker. (The Criterion Channel)

MGM Parade Show #27 (1956) – This installment of the Hollywood-focused docuseries showcases the MGM films Captains Courageous and Forbidden Planet. (TCM)

Moana with Sound (1926/1929) – A sound version of the documentary by Robert J. Flaherty about a Samoan family. (Max)

Notebook on Cities and Clothes (1989) – A documentary by Wim Wenders about Japanese fashion designer Yohji Yamamoto. (The Criterion Channel)

Paparazzi (1964) – A short documentary by Jacques Rozier about the relationship between Brigitte Bardot and the paparazzi while she films Contempt. (The Criterion Channel)

Paris is Burning (1990) – A documentary about the New York City drag ball scene. (TCM)

Le Parti des Choses: Bardot et Godard (1964) – A short documentary by Jaques Rozier about the making of Contempt. (The Criterion Channel)

The Punk Singer (2013) – A documentary about Kathleen Hanna. Read our review of The Punk Singer. (The Criterion Channel)

The Return of the War Room (2008) – A documentary by D. A. Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus looking back at their classic, Oscar-nominated political film The War Room. (The Criterion Channel)

The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus (1996) – A documentary by Michael Lindsay-Hogg showcasing a performance by The Rolling Stones. (The Criterion Channel)

Sound of the Surf (2022) – A documentary about surf rock. (DVD)

Sympathy for the Devil (1968) – A short documentary by Jean-Luc Godard showcasing a performance by The Rolling Stones of the titular song. (The Criterion Channel)

Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am (2019) – A documentary about the titular author. Read our review of Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am. (Max)

Trainwreck: The Cult of American Apparel (2025) – The latest in the Trainwreck franchise examines the rise and fall of the 2000s fashion brand American Apparel. (Netflix)

Wednesday, July 2, 2025

Dear Ms.: A Revolution in Print (2025) – A feature-length documentary about Ms. magazine. (HBO and Max)

Expedition Unknown Season 15, Episode 3: “The Lost Grave of Buffalo Bill” – The latest installment of this docuseries following an archaeologist looking for lost artifacts. (Discovery)

Thursday, July 3, 2025

761st Tank Battalion: The Original Black Panthers (2023) – A docuseries about the first Black tank regiment in World War II. (Hulu)

Aaron Hernandez and the Untold Murders of Bristol (2025) – A docuseries about the titular NFL player, who was convicted of murder and suspected in other deaths. (Hulu)

America: Promised Land (2017) – A docuseries about America’s history as a destination for immigrants. (Hulu)

America: The Story of the U.S. (2010) – A docuseries about America’s history of becoming a superpower. (Hulu)

Black Patriots: Heroes of the Civil War (2022) – A docuseries starring Kareem Abdul-Jabbar about Black soldiers in the American Civil War. (Hulu)

Black Patriots: Heroes of the Revolution (2020) – A docuseries starring Kareem Abdul-Jabbar about Black soldiers in the American Revolutionary War. (Hulu)

Codes and Conspiracies Seasons 1 & 2 – A docuseries about AI created accidentally online. (Hulu)

Days That Shaped America (2018) – A docuseries about historic events that changed America. (Hulu)

The First 48 Presents Critical Minutes Season 3C – The complete third part of Season 3 of the true crime docuseries about the first two days in murder cases. (Hulu)

The Proof is Out There Season 4B – The second part of the fourth season of this docuseries about mysteries of the unknown. (Hulu)

The Secret History of Air Force One (2019) – A docuseries about the U.S. president’s plane. (Hulu)

The Secret History of the Civil War (2022) – A docuseries about the American Civil War. (Hulu)

This Is Not a Movie (2019) – A documentary by Yung Chang about journalist Robert Fisk. (OVID)

Who is Luigi Mangione? (2025) – A docuseries about the man accused of murdering United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson. (Hulu)

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Sneak Peek At What’s Coming Soon

7/11 – Little, Big, and Far – A hybrid film by Jem Cohen about a husband and wife scientist couple. (In Theaters)

7/15 – Love & Rage: Munroe Bergdorf – A documentary about the trans activist Munroe Bergdorf. (VOD)

7/18 – Billy Joel: And So It Goes – A documentary about the titular singer-songwriter. (HBO and Max)

7/25 – Folktales – A documentary by Oscar-nominated filmmakers Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady (Jesus Camp) about a folk high school in Arctic Norway. Read our review of Folktales from Sundance. Watch the new trailer for the film below. (In Theaters)

7/27 – Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time – A five-part docuseries about the 2005 hurricane that devastated New Orleans. (National Geographic)

7/28 – Slumlord Millionaire – A documentary feature about residents, activists, and nonprofit attorneys fighting corrupt landlords. Read our review of Slumlord Millionaire. (PBS)

8/8 – It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley – A documentary by Amy Berg about the late musician. (In Theaters)

8/10 – American Prince: JFK Jr. – A three-part docuseries about John F. Kennedy Jr. (CNN)

8/15 – Magic City: An American Fantasy (2025) – A docuseries about the titular Atlanta strip club. (Starz)

Composer Ceiri Torjussen has scored everything from independent films, documentaries and network TV to animation and large-budget studio films. He earned an Emmy nomination for his work on the animated series Dive, Olly, Dive! Torjussen is also an accomplished concert and experimental composer, with commissions from the BBC National Orchestra of Wales,

The post Creating a Winning Score for <i>Tom Daley: 1.6 Seconds</i> Doc appeared first on postPerspective.

Matt Tyrnauer’s fawning portrait of Nobu Matsuhisa feels like it should only be available to watch on a DVD sold at the gift shops in the restaurateur’s hotels.

“Mierle Does Not Fit Neatly Into Any Box”: Toby Perl Freilich Discusses Her Tribeca-Premiering ‘Maintenance Artist’ Starring Mierle Laderman Ukeles
lwissot
Thu, 06/26/2025 – 14:00

“Mierle Does Not Fit Neatly Into Any Box”: Toby Perl Freilich Discusses Her Tribeca-Premiering ‘Maintenance Artist’ Starring Mierle Laderman Ukeles
lwissot
Thu, 06/26/2025 – 14:00

Writer, producer and host Phil Rosenthal makes television for the whole family. First, he created the Emmy Award-winning sitcom classic, Everybody Loves Raymond. Now he has taken his vision to food and travel with Somebody Feed Phil. Through his global travels – to places as close to home as Las Vegas, Nevada, and as far away as Sydney, Australia – Phil Rosenthal aims to emphasize our shared humanity through food and comedy.

In this episode, Rosenthal talks about the importance of his everyman persona in Somebody Feed Phil, how to be a respectful tourist, and how humor and a good meal can bridge any cultural divide. We also discuss the important role of the diner in America, how his childhood influenced his career in comedy, and how immigrants enrich the world around us.

The longtime “Law & Order: SVU” star makes her feature directing debut in impressive fashion, interrogating the intersection of grief, memory, and legacy.

Writer, producer and host Phil Rosenthal makes television for the whole family. First, he created the Emmy Award-winning sitcom classic, Everybody Loves Raymond. Now he has taken his vision to food and travel with Somebody Feed Phil. Through his global travels – to places as close to home as Las Vegas, Nevada, and as far away as Sydney, Australia – Phil Rosenthal aims to emphasize our shared humanity through food and comedy.

In this episode, Rosenthal talks about the importance of his everyman persona in Somebody Feed Phil, how to be a respectful tourist, and how humor and a good meal can bridge any cultural divide. We also discuss the important role of the diner in America, how his childhood influenced his career in comedy, and how immigrants enrich the world around us.

Leaders of documentary groups from around the world are banding together in an international advocacy alliance. Earlier this week, representatives from key advocacy groups convened in a panel at Sheffield DocFest in the U.K. to discuss shared concerns. The Documentary Organization of Canada’s new executive director Julian Carrington joined Abby Sun of the International Documentary Association (IDA), and joint acting CEO Steve Presence of the U.K.’s Documentary Film Council as they pledged to share research and promote cross-border strategies.

The alliance comes at a moment in which the documentary field faces considerable challenges worldwide. Filmmakers and industry peers note declining deals with distributors, streamers, and broadcasters as buyers and commissioners display increased risk-aversion, particularly when it comes to documentaries with controversial subject matter or politically sensitive topics. Meanwhile, theatrical windows for docs are increasingly sparse. (Although Screen recently reported encouraging returns in the U.K., with attendance largely driven by built-in audiences.)

“DOC’s 40-year history shows that robust advocacy has been essential to sustaining Canada’s independent documentary community,” said Carrington. “Our members regularly undertake production partnerships with international colleagues, and an international advocacy alliance is a natural extension. This partnership can only empower us in confronting the challenges that face our industry globally.”

These concerns arrive as distributors and, particularly, streamers and broadcasters favour easygoing celebrity profile docs and formulaic works that draw heavily from non-fiction lifestyle programming. Moreover, works with Canadian broadcasters increasingly rely on international co-production. The alliance also coincides with looming policy changes to potential revisions to the definition of Canadian Content from the CRTC, as well as an existential threat to feature documentary production in Canada if docs are removed from the list of Programs of National Interest ensuring space on Canadian airwaves for specialty content.

In the USA, public funding for documentary has faced serious setbacks in an astonishingly brief window as Donald Trump nixed a reported 85% of funding for National Endowment for the Humanities and left filmmakers shortchanged after they had previously received notification of funding. Trump also barrelled through an attack on PBS and National Public Radio with a request to rescind $1.1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting in an effort to reduce “woke propaganda.” Add to that Trump’s 100% tariff on films produced outside the USA—a decision that has industry leaders worldwide both cautiously confused and dumbfounded—and documentary filmmakers have a dizzying array of hurdles in an already challenging field.

Last year, doc powerhouse Participant announced its closure, while hip US-based distributor A24, which won an Oscar for Amy while setting  box office records for a British doc, recently said it was clipping its doc wing altogether. A24’s doc André Is an Idiot won an audience award at Sundance earlier this year.

In the U.K., the spend on broadcast commissions dropped by 10% in 2024, while public broadcasters BBC and ITV, among others, are reducing productions spends as streamers move into their territory.

“We can all see the present and coming challenges to the sector on a political, financial and technological level. I know that together we are stronger, both in the US and internationally,” said Sun. “Doc makers are some of the most resourceful, committed and agile people in the industry and right now we all need to pull together.”

“Despite the different contexts we’re working in, it’s really striking how similar the challenges are. There is so much work to do to improve the outlook for documentary filmmakers in the UK,” added Presence. “The more we can co-ordinate with international bodies working on the same fundamental issues, the better – whether that’s on funding, regulation, advocacy, inclusivity or the value of public service media.”

The international alliance announcement followed a documentary advocacy panel in which Carrington, Sun, and Presence joined Natalia Imaz of the Documentary Association of Europe and moderator Krishan Arora to discuss the state of affairs. The panel was produced by the DFC’s Joint Acting CEO Emily Copley, who also serves as Senior Producer of Talks & Sessions at Sheffield DocFest.

The post DOC, IDA, and DFC Announce International Documentary Advocacy Alliance appeared first on POV Magazine.