Official trailer for the new documentary “By George: It All Comes Down.” For more information, visit: https://july9th.com

SYNOPSIS:

A one-hour documentary about our first real moment of declaring independence 250 years ago, when New Yorkers toppled the statue of King George III at Bowling Green after a first public reading of the freshly inked document on July 9, 1776. What happened to the statue after that? The answer might surprise you. Made of lead to look like a Roman statue of Marcus Aurelius, it got melted down by a Connecticut girl into artillery balls to kill the enemy. Its decapitated head got smuggled back to England, probably hiding to this day in a colonist’s estate. In this film, we consider the rise and fall of empires, the toppling of statues, and the removal of monuments to Confederates and slave holders in the afterlife of George Floyd. We follow historian Abby Suckle on her trail to finally find the missing head of King George III, telling the story of how it all happened, along with reflections from Ivan Schwartz whose Studio EIS in Brooklyn has spent a half century sculpting statues of legends from American history in all its complexity: from Presidential libraries, to a re-creation of King George’s statue.

CREDITS:

filmed & edited by H. Paul Moon | @zenviolence

featuring Abby Suckle & Ivan Schwartz

original music by @PhilippeGerber

additional camera & sound by Dennis Cembalo

Telluride: Two generations of women see each other through the years in this marvelous documentary cobbled together from 80 hours of “Marie Antoinette” set footage.

Greetings friends,

Still rocking out during week 6 (I think?? / who can keep track / what is time) of the Wild Inside theatrical. TODAY I am going back to New Plaza (Upper West Side) for a Q&A + doing a Zoom Q&A in Minneapolis! UPCOMING Q&As are: Nitehawk (Park Slope), Syndicated (Bushwick) + MoMI (Queens); Upstate in Catskill / Chatham; + Salt Lake City. WILD INSIDE is one of the best films of the year according to IndieWire, Vulture and ArtsFuse. Here is where you can still see it on the big screen, with friends.

IN OTHER NEWS — and then I promise I’ll get to the advertised purpose of this newsletter — I announced a new film project this week!!! Obviously more on that in due course, but for now the reason we announced in the first place: WE NEED YOUR FOOTAGE/PHOTOS/STORIES of not just Happy in the Bronx Zoo — but also 6 other elephants. Collectively this group was known as “the 7 Dwarfs” at Lion Country Safari in early 1970s Florida. Then they were split up and lived all over the country at zoos, circuses and other venues. Home movies and memories of your personal encounters are both great examples of what we need! Check the website to learn more about when/where each elephant lived.

Meanwhile, in other movie-making news: after what feels like FOREVER, I recently started a new edit. HALLELUJAH!

If I don’t have an edit in progress I truly do not feel I am making a movie yet

For various quirks of my schedule / money / other pesky realities, I have not had a creative edit going for 9+ months. (By “creative edit,” I mean picture editing, as opposed to all the post work that comes later — online, sound, etc.)

Ugh! I have felt UTTERLY BEREFT AND LOST DURING THIS TIME because as much as I have learned to love production, I never feel like I’m RESOLVING anything in production. I am ONLY TRYING STUFF OUT… until it’s in the timeline.

It’s been soooooo damn long since I sat in a room with an editor squinting at index cards on the wall that I’m feeling unusually reflective on the process. So here is what I’ve learned about how to START an edit: what to do first, what to look for in that first screening pass, and how to begin turning that pile of footage into a MOVIE…

How to Start an Edit

01. What is the mission (+ how will you communicate it to your collaborators?)

Read more

Greetings friends,

Still rocking out during week 6 (I think?? / who can keep track / what is time) of the Wild Inside theatrical. TODAY I am going back to New Plaza (Upper West Side) for a Q&A + doing a Zoom Q&A in Minneapolis! UPCOMING Q&As are: Nitehawk (Park Slope), Syndicated (Bushwick) + MoMI (Queens); Upstate in Catskill / Chatham; + Salt Lake City. WILD INSIDE is one of the best films of the year according to IndieWire, Vulture and ArtsFuse. Here is where you can still see it on the big screen, with friends.

IN OTHER NEWS — and then I promise I’ll get to the advertised purpose of this newsletter — I announced a new film project this week!!! Obviously more on that in due course, but for now the reason we announced in the first place: WE NEED YOUR FOOTAGE/PHOTOS/STORIES of not just Happy in the Bronx Zoo — but also 6 other elephants. Collectively this group was known as “the 7 Dwarfs” at Lion Country Safari in early 1970s Florida. Then they were split up and lived all over the country at zoos, circuses and other venues. Home movies and memories of your personal encounters are both great examples of what we need! Check the website to learn more about when/where each elephant lived.

Meanwhile, in other movie-making news: after what feels like FOREVER, I recently started a new edit. HALLELUJAH!

If I don’t have an edit in progress I truly do not feel I am making a movie yet

For various quirks of my schedule / money / other pesky realities, I have not had a creative edit going for 9+ months. (By “creative edit,” I mean picture editing, as opposed to all the post work that comes later — online, sound, etc.)

Ugh! I have felt UTTERLY BEREFT AND LOST DURING THIS TIME because as much as I have learned to love production, I never feel like I’m RESOLVING anything in production. I am ONLY TRYING STUFF OUT… until it’s in the timeline.

It’s been soooooo damn long since I sat in a room with an editor squinting at index cards on the wall that I’m feeling unusually reflective on the process. So here is what I’ve learned about how to START an edit: what to do first, what to look for in that first screening pass, and how to begin turning that pile of footage into a MOVIE…

How to Start an Edit

01. What is the mission (+ how will you communicate it to your collaborators?)

Read more

Ever since his feature directorial debut with the rock mockumentary Fubar back in 2002, Canadian director Michael Dowse has merged the techniques of non-fiction filmmaking within his narrative works. His latest film, The Stunt Driver, is his most hybridized vision yet. It explicitly merges the broad storyline and even restored elements from Robert Fortier’s cult classic NFB doc The Devil at Your Heels, the 1981 portrait of the “Mad Canadian” Ken Carter as he attempted a rocket car jump across the St. Lawrence River. (The Carter story itself was reimagined in the 2016 documentary musical Aim for the Roses.)

Dowse reunites with his Goon collaborator Jay Baruchel in this sympathetic yet unabashedly zany version of Carter’s story. With Joe Cobden playing Fortier and other characters more broadly fictionalized, this meta film-within-film retelling of the tale is a reflection not only upon the story of the stunt but also the films that tried to document it. As fictionalized elements merge with truthful parts that feel almost too strange to believe, The Stunt Driver derives much of its impact from its truth-is-stranger-than-fiction play, showcasing Dowse’s skill at knitting fact and fable into an effective whole.

POV spoke to Dowse prior to the film’s premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival.

POV: Jason Gorber

MD: Michael Dowse

The following has been edited for brevity and clarity.

POV: When did you first learn about Ken Carter’s story?

MD: About 12 or 13 years ago, a friend of mine said I should watch this doc on the NFB site. I had never heard of Ken Carter, and his story was totally new to me. I watched the doc and completely fell in love with the character and the story, and I just thought this would make a great [scripted] feature.

We had a bit of development money, so we tried to get the rights from the NFB to the doc, and that took a while. A lot of people had tried to make a version of this film over the years. While the NFB had the rights, they were tied up with another producer. We decided to reach out to Robert Fortier directly. He was rightly a little wary as he’d spent some time helping out a bunch of other people who had never succeeded at making actually making the film.

About five or six years ago, the rights became available, and the NFB allowed us to acquire them. In the meantime, I had written a script on spec. We started the long process of casting and raising money for it. This film is definitely a labour of love, and I just really fell in love with Ken as a character. I think there’s a piece of Ken Carter in all of us for sure, that quixotic instinct to do something crazy or make your mark as a person. I love that he was a walking contradiction. He’s a stunt driver, but he doesn’t have a license; he’s jumping a river, but he doesn’t know how to swim. He just felt like a character that a lot of people can relate to. I certainly related to him!

POV: In addition to Fortier’s film that tells Carter’s story there’s Aim for the Roses. Did you also have a similar relationship with that project?

MD: Not really. It’s a totally different take, much more of a musical for sure. I tried to avoid any script that came in.  A lot of people had scripts on this thing, so I would just send them right back to my agent. So while Aim for the Roses wasn’t a huge influence at all, we did meet a lot of the same people they had collaborated with.

POV: You’re no stranger to bridging the gap between fiction and non-fiction, but this is your most explicit tie-in with documentary in your filmography. Was the direct relationship to the NFB film always in the cards?

MD: For this film, there was a certain amount of necessity where we had to lean on Fortier’s footage. There’s no way we could insure or have the money to send a car off a ramp or do all of those stunts. It would have taken another six weeks of filming and at least another four or five million dollars to that pull off.

As I developed the script, and started to play around with the elements, I thought there was an interesting relationship to capture with Ken Carter and the 16mm cameras themselves, along with Bob Fortier. I thought of it  like the Paul Anka doc, Lonely Boy. At the time, Ken was very much aware of the camera, as anybody would be. I was interested in was trying to get behind that and then also mix with the various media. The documentary cameras in themselves give a window into Ken’s showmanship, but as the movie goes on, we introduce a 35mm documentary crew, and that provides a whole other aspect ratio.

What was exciting to me as a filmmaker was this idea of reverse engineering a dramatic film out of documentary footage, which I don’t think has been done that much. Stories We Tell would be something that kind of dabbles in that, for sure. That was the interesting part, to take a 2.39:1 anamorphic, beautifully shot image and make that the truth of our story, and then be able to duck and weave around Fortier’s footage to fill in the blanks and to give it the scale and the period.

Those period things that you absolutely need and are, to be frank, incredibly expensive to create. With the first schedule laid out, we were doing all of the stunts. We gave the script to an Assistant Director and they were like, “This is what it’s going to cost to do it,” and we’re like, “Well, there’s no way in hell we’re gonna do it like that!” So we had to be creative in terms of how can we shoot this. So it really grew organically, and what I loved is how everything just cuts together. You can jump between 16mm and 35mm. What I tried to do is that when Ken’s not aware that the camera’s on him, we mix in the wider aspect. When you pop in behind the 2.39, you feel like you have a special access, which is kind of what documentary filmmaking is all about. So it’s all about playing around.

POV: You’ve obviously  watched that documentary a gazillion times in order to select those elements to incorporate. Which pieces did you always know were going to be included, and what did you know you didn’t need to adhere so directly to the truth in order to get a dramatic truth?

MD: For some people, you just couldn’t clear them, like Kenny Powers. That’s a hornet’s nest of clearances for a number of reasons. So when we couldn’t clear the name, we changed Kenny Powers to Danny Lafortune. We also cast Marc Beaupre, one of Quebec’s greatest actors, and to be able to work with him was a big thing for me.

Right from the top we put a big disclaimer, because it’s a story that has to work in a 90-120 minutes, so you have to combine characters. There was more than one impresario/producer of the jump in the documentary, and it was going to be very hard to clear those guys, so we combined that into one character and fictionalized it. There’s a lot of things you have to streamline.

There were lot of attempts for the actual jump, and my first draft definitely stuck very true to the documentary. As you read that out and you realize there’s a lot of repetition of beats – of the car blowing up, of testing Captain America car versus testing the actual yellow card vis a vis testing one in between in Florida. In our film we can’t do three tests of the car because it becomes redundant and still have a flow to the story, so you have to be quite picky.

In terms of what we selected from the doc, it was an ability to utilize the best scenes that we could never recreate, like the car going off the ramp, the helicopter stuff, and the water. We do partially recreate it, but it’s a smaller version. Narratively, you have to fill in some of those spaces in terms of the relationship with Gloria and Ken.

There was also the relationship with Bob and Ken, which isn’t really documented in the doc, but it’s a huge part of the process of making of Devil at Your Heels. It’s as much about Bob Fortier as it is about Ken Carter. And he’s got to finish a film, so they’re a little bit at odds, especially at the end, when things don’t go as planned.

POV: It is wild to watch the scene when the door closes, in the doc, after having seen your fictionalized version of this conversation that we didn’t see. Now, it’s impossible to see that scene through anything other than the perspective your film provides.

MD: For sure, we were extrapolating all of that stuff in the motel. That’s all based off of what we could take out of Ken’s interview with Bob Fortier that’s in the documentary when he talks about what happened.

I’d love to do something like this again with Burden of Dreams or something like that, where you get the clearance to use the doc footage, and then you reverse engineer a dramatic story out of it.

POV: The making-of a making-of doc?

MD: Yeah!

POV: I love when things that are lies tell deeper truths, and where truths are so surreal as to appear made up. You have deeply navigated that from your earliest films to now. What draws you specifically to navigating this balance?

MD: Man Bites Dog was a huge influence on me. But there’s a big difference between Man Bites Dog and Spınal Tap, right? That’s a $50,000, $100,000 film that’s attainable as a young man when you’re making films. From a comedy standpoint, you let people improvise and embrace everything about a documentary. It injects the movie with energy. That’s what I like to bring from the doc style into narrative. But with this one, I’m kind of flipping it on its head in a way of trying to take a more traditional, dolly-locked camera, 2.39:1 aspect film ratio and ram it into the middle of a documentary and see what truths can come out of that.

I’ve always been a big fan of mockumentaries. I grew up watching them and those were my favourite movies. When we went to make Fubar, it came out of trying to make a film the “proper way,” like by reading [Rick Schmidt’s] Feature Filmmaking at Used Car Prices and all of those books that were around in the early 2000s and the late ’90s, and then realizing that all of that shit doesn’t matter at all. So films like Man Bites Dog, …And God Spoke and stuff like that were big influences on me.

Back then it was right in the middle of the Dogme style too, in terms of the rules of not using lights and all of those other rules. That was a massive influence on figuring out what I could actually and practically make. I think I’ve tried to keep that going. You see a little bit of that in It’s All Gone Pete Tong, but that’s a bit more of like a fake bio piece with a bit of documentary elements added.

POV: You brought in the likes of Ed Helms, a writer comfortable with improv, and you once again connect with Baruchel, also writer, etc. Does having space for improvisation provide an even closer sense of non-fiction style?

MD: 100%. These are the kind of actors I want, ones that improvise. What I try to do is nail the script and then let them run. With Jay, you’ve gotta let him run. He’s awesome, and he adds so much. You want those thoroughbreds who can live in that world. It just gives the film energy.

POV: A documentary energy?

MD: A documentary energy for sure. Exactly.

The Stunt Driver premieres at TIFF 2026.

It opens in theatres Sept. 25.

Get all of POV‘s TIFF coverage here.

The post How The Stunt Driver Reimagines an NFB Ken Carter Documentary appeared first on POV Magazine.

While the setlist might be a bit long for more casual fans, this joyous chronicle of the Oasis reunion tour offers an inspiring tale of forgiveness and reconciliation.

It’s fall film festival season! This is a time I currently hate because I keep hearing about documentaries I have no way of seeing, and more importantly, neither do you. I also miss the days when I had the time and clout to attend several film festivals around the world, mostly on their dime (I could never really afford most of them). Now, due to family and financial reasons (mine and film festivals’ or their local tourism boards’), I attend no festivals throughout the year, let alone the big fall events.

At least I’ve been there, done that with Toronto and New York, but Venice and Telluride are on my bucket list if anyone wants to sponsor my coverage in the future. Otherwise, I’ll get to the highly anticipated latest from Barbara Kopple, Chai Vasarhelyi & Jimmy Chin, Nanette Burstein, Robert Greene, Frank Marshall, Ava DuVernay, Ron Howard, Laura Poitras, Alex Gibney, Julia Loktev, Liz Garbus, Joshua Oppenheimer, Ben Proudfoot, Bill Morrison, Viktor Kossakovsky, Sophie Fiennes, and Rebecca Huntt when they’re on their way to you.

In addition to looking forward to what’s to come, this week I’m thinking a lot about what’s come before and left behind. As if our latest Pick of the Week weren’t melancholy enough, there have been a lot of celebrity deaths lately that have me thinking about the ways these people will be frozen in time, to quote from that top highlight below. I wish to direct you to a post at That Documentary Girl showcasing documentaries about or featuring Hayden Panettiere, Dolly Parton, Tim Curry, and others. Of course, Gloria Steinem could have a list all her own for the number of documentaries she’s participated in or appeared in via archival footage.

Without further ado, below are this week’s documentary highlights, followed by daily listings for all known releases and broadcasts, along with a brief look at what’s coming soon for doc fans (including the latest from William Greaves, Chris Smith, and Chai Vasarhelyi & Jimmy Chin. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber to receive more in-depth highlights and reviews in the future, plus full access to special posts like our best-of lists, and to give me more time to watch more (if not everything) available. If you have a doc needing coverage or a mention, you can reach us at nonficseditor (at) gmail and let us know about its release plans.

Nonfics Pick Of The Week: The Oldest Person In The World (2026)

Many documentarians, especially those prone to first-person narration, reach a point where they make a film about mortality. Maybe it’s because they get to a certain age, or they receive an unfortunate diagnosis, or a parent or other loved one dies. Or they have children — which I know from experience can really alter your sense of time — and film them through the years. The pandemic also put death at the forefront of all our minds, but especially the minds of those recording reality daily.

Sam Green checks all these boxes with his documentary The Oldest Person in the World, which he began a decade ago just after his father died and right as he was becoming a father himself for the first time. Then he found out he had a rare blood cancer. He had also just turned 50, which is technically past midlife based on the average lifespan, yet below middle age for those who make it past 100. Perhaps that’s one reason he made this film, which spotlights several women who live to 116, 117, or even 119.

[continue reading this review of The Oldest Person in the World]

The Oldest Person in the World (version 1.0) will be released in theaters on Thursday, September 10, 2026, via

Other Documentary Highlights

Barbara Forever (2026)

Lesbian cinema pioneer Barbara Hammer died in 2019, but that hasn’t kept her from narrating her own documentary. Barbara Forever employs the avant-garde filmmaker’s audio diaries to tell her life story rather than recruiting fans or academics to convince us of her importance. We can also see that significance for ourselves with the many clips of her films that make up the documentary, supplemented by her voiceover commentary providing biographical and professional context. Brydie O’Connor, making her feature directorial debut by building upon her 2022 short, Love, Barbara, does a commendable job with a tribute artistically suited to Hammer’s legacy.

Barbara Forever will be released in theaters on Friday, September 4, 2026.

Brailled It (2026)

There is much to be admired about Brailled It, a competition documentary showcasing the annual Braille Challenge. One is that the film includes audio descriptions throughout, making it automatically accessible for blind and low-vision audiences. Another is that it’s shot by its three main characters, each of whom wears a camera that records their experience at the Braille literacy competition. The three kids also received directing credit.

The cameras aren’t at eye level, so most of the footage is captured from a low angle, creating some visual disorientation for those of us with sight. Story-wise, it’s a pretty simple example of the genre, climaxing with an awards ceremony. But it’s difficult to connect with the characters since we’re mostly encountering them off-camera through the first-person video perspective. Mainly, it’s interesting as an introduction to the event and the tools it tests the kids on.

Brailled It will be released in theaters on Friday, September 4, 2026.

Folktales (2025) & Teenage Wasteland (2025)

Two notable teen-focused documentaries that premiered back at Sundance 2025 are making big streaming platform debuts this week. Folktales is the latest feature by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady and follows three young characters as they attend a unique school in the Arctic. The positive and heartwarming coming-of-age documentary lacks dramatic narrative tension but is visually appealing and worth watching at least twice. As I wrote in my review of Folktales, “By the end of the film, when each character’s next steps are shared, and the whole picture is in the rearview, the beauty and sensitivity of the documentary are finally considered in their impressionistic totality, and you’ll want to go back and watch it again with that perspective.”

While Folktales has already been available to stream on Kanopy and to rent or own digitally, Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine’s Teenage Wasteland has really needed a platform. The film, which premiered as Middletown, ranks high on our list of the best documentaries of 2025 and is probably one of the least-seen titles there. From my capsule review from last fall: “Teenage Wasteland chronicles, through present-day talking head interviews and a lot of archival footage, an investigation by high school students in the 1990s into an environmental conspiracy….I have to recommend this documentary because its storytelling is near-perfect, thrillingly guiding viewers through the narrative as if it were unfolding right in front of them.”

Folktales and Teenage Wasteland begin streaming on Netflix on Friday, September 4, with the latter film available exclusively on the platform.

Remake (2025)

Ross McElwee’s Remake focuses on the director’s son, Adrian, who died of an accidental drug overdose a decade ago. It is a film in conversation with his previous feature, Photographic Memory, and also heavily references his breakthrough 1985 documentary, Sherman’s March, which was optioned for a fictional adaptation. McElwee was planning on documenting the production of that remake, and Adrian was hoping to work on the Hollywood project in some capacity. Remake is the resulting document of neither of those things panning out, one of them expiring, and Adrian tragically passing away. It’s a film full of mournful reflection and regret, yet it doesn’t play too sorrowfully.

Remake will air on PBS as an episode of POV on Monday, September 7, 2026, and will then be available to stream through PBS’s online channels. This film and Sherman’s March will also be released on VOD on Tuesday, September 8, 2026.

Top Of The World (2026)

Another documentary commemorating the upcoming 25th anniversary of 9/11 comes out this week, and it’s a bit different in terms of its size, shape, and sentiment. Top of the World is a short film directed by the Oscar-nominated duo of Julie Cohen and Betsy West (RBG) in remembrance of the lives lost in a restaurant located on one of the uppermost floors of the World Trade Center’s North Tower. The film looks back at the eatery’s history while also recognizing the diversity of its staff, many of whom were immigrants. These two sides of the film coalesce well enough for what it wishes to report on, though the latter is more effective. There’s not a lot to care about concerning the Windows on the World restaurant as an entity outside of the tragedy.

Top of the World premieres on CNN on Monday, September 7, 2026.

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Documentary Release Calendar 8/28/26 – 9/3/26

Friday, September 4, 2026

Austin City Limits Season 52, Episode 1: “Carlos Vives y La Provincia” – The return of a long-running music series. This installment stars Colombian singer Carlos Vives. (PBS)

Barbara Forever (2026) – A documentary feature executive-produced by Kristen Stewart about the pioneering lesbian filmmaker Barbara Hammer. See our highlights section for more info and a brief review. (In Theaters)

Brailled It (2026) – A documentary feature about a competition for blind and low-vision children completely filmed by three of its entrants. See our highlights section for more info and a brief review. (In Theaters)

Charles Grodin: Rebel with a Cause (2025) – A documentary feature about the titular actor and talk show host. (TCM)

Conan O’Brien Must Go Season 3, Episode 3: “Morocco” – The latest installment of a travel series starring Conan O’Brien. (HBO and HBO Max)

Deadliest Catch Season 22, Episode 16: “Contagion” – The latest installment of a series that follows Alaskan crab fishermen. (Discovery Channel)

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. (TCM)

Folktales (2025) – A documentary by Oscar-nominated filmmakers Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady (Jesus Camp) about a folk high school in Arctic Norway. See our highlights section for more info and a link to our review. (Netflix)

Give it a Shot (2026) – A documentary feature about the launch of a male contraceptive. (In Theaters)

The Grand Tour Season 7 – The return of a docuseries that follows three men as they drive various automobiles around the world. All six new episodes will be released together. (Prime Video)

Instadocs: The Decoy Plane (2026) – A documentary about President Trump’s recent secret flight switch from Air Force One in Turkey. (Netflix)

The Miracle of Sound (1940) – A short documentary showing how sound movies are made. (TCM)

The Program: Texas Tech (2026) – A four-part docuseries narrated by Dennis Quaid about the Texas Tech University Red Raiders College Football Program. (Paramount+)

Teenage Wasteland (2025) – A documentary feature by Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine about high school students uncovering a conspiracy in their town. See our highlights section for more info. *NONFICS PICK* (Netflix)

The Work in Progress (2026) – A documentary that follows Americans as they discuss cultural, political, economic, and generational divisions. (In Theaters)

Saturday, September 5, 2026

The Cincinnati Kid Plays According to Hoyle (1965) – A short film about magician and gambler Jay Ose, who served as a technical advisor for the film The Cincinnati Kid. (TCM)

Crashing the Movies (1950) – A short film presenting clips of people performing strange stunts. (TCM)

Handlebars (1933) – A short film presenting the history of the bicycle. (TCM)

Super Animals Season 4, Episode 3 – The latest episode of a nature docuseries for kids about animals with special traits. (National Geographic)

Sunday, September 6, 2026

Hazardous History with Henry Winkler Season 2, Episode 20: “Surviving the ‘70s” – The latest installment of a docuseries about dangerous toys and household items that were common in the past. This episode looks back at how unsafe the 1970s were. (History)

The Mega-Brands That Built America Season 4, Episode 6: “Rise of the Personal Computer” – The latest installment of a docuseries about iconic brands. This installment covers early personal computer companies like Microsoft and Apple. (History)

Monday, September 7, 2026

The Hoaxters (1952) – A short documentary about totalitarian dictators, including Adolf Hitler and the leaders of the Soviet Union, being con men. *NONFICS PICK* (TCM)

The Hooters Murders: Deadly Shift (2026) – A true-crime documentary about three Hooters employees killed between 2001 and 2010. (Oxygen)

Mirrors (1934) – A short film starring Freddie Rich and His Orchestra as they perform popular songs. (TCM)

Personalities (1942) – A short film about Hollywood performers at the start of their careers. (TCM)

OJ Unseen: Exploitation of Evil (2026) – A four-part docuseries about O.J. Simpson’s attempt at a comeback with a prank show. (Investigation Discovery)

Remake (2025) – A first-person documentary feature by Ross McElwee about the death of his son and an attempt to remake his classic film Sherman’s March as a narrative feature. Presented as an episode of POV. See our highlights section for more info. *NONFICS PICK* (PBS)

Rural Mexico (1935) – A short documentary installment of James A. FitzPatrick’s TravelTalks travelogue franchise that explores small towns in Mexico, including Mazatlán, Toluca, and Taxco. (TCM)

The Singing Nun (1966) – A short film on the making of the movie of the same name. (TCM)

Somebody Knows Something Season 1, Episode 6: “Lost at the Science Fair” – The latest installment of a true-crime series about unsolved murder and missing persons cases. This episode involves a missing second grader in Portland. (Freeform)

Spanish Fiesta (1942) – A short film starring the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo as they perform a ballet to Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Capriccio Espagnol.” (TCM)

Top of the World (2026) – A short documentary by Oscar-nominated directors Julie Cohen and Betsy West (RBG) about Windows on the World, the restaurant at the top of the World Trade Center. See our highlights section for more info and a brief review. (CNN)

Whispers (1941) – A short film about the power of gossip. (TCM)

Tuesday, September 8, 2026

20 Days in Mariupol (2023) – An Oscar-winning documentary by Mstyslav Chernov about the Russian invasion of Ukraine. *NONFICS PICK* (DVD)

2000 Meters to Andriivka (2025) – A documentary by Oscar-winning director Mstyslav Chernov (20 Days in Mariupol) about a Ukrainian platoon’s effort to liberate a village from Russian occupation. *NONFICS PICK* (DVD)

Alice: Curiouser and Curiouser (2026) – A documentary about Alice in Wonderland. (DVD)

An American Family (1973) – A classic docuseries about a typical suburban family, the Louds. *NONFICS PICK* (DVD)

American Historia: The Untold History of Latinos (2024) – A PBS docuseries under the VOCES banner starring John Leguizamo about Latino history. (DVD)

Bastard. The Legacy of Pinochet’s Genocide (2023) – A documentary by Pepe Rovano about his discovery that his father was the head of Chilean police intelligence under Pinochet. (OVID)

Bears (2019) – A documentary about all kinds of bears around the world presented as an episode of American Experience. (DVD)

Becoming Elephant: The Orphans of Reteti – Baby Steps (2026) – A documentary about a disabled orphan elephant presented as an episode of Nature. (DVD)

Big Cats, Small World (2024) – A docuseries about three species of African big cats, presented as an installment of Nature. (DVD)

The Black Church: This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song (2021) – A docuseries about the history of Black churches and African-American faith. (DVD)

The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution (2015) – A documentary feature by Stanley Nelson about the Black Panther Party. (DVD)

Border 197 (2025) – A docuseries by Drew Blinsky about his effort to visit every country on Earth. (DVD)

Bring Her Home (2022) – A medium-length documentary about indigenous women seeking justice for relatives lost to violence against Native women. (DVD)

The Bug Show (1988) – An incomplete documentary special about insects. Released as part of the Dinosaurs Forever! box set. (Blu-ray)

Critical Condition: Health in Black America (2025) – A documentary feature about systemic racism in the U.S. medical system presented as an episode of Nova. (DVD)

Dino Birds (2025) – A documentary about how birds are the descendants of dinosaurs, presented as an episode of Nova. (DVD)

Dinosaurs, Dinosaurs, Dinosaurs (1985) – A short documentary about dinosaurs. Released as part of the Dinosaurs Forever! box set. (Blu-ray)

Dracula’s Hidden Kingdom (2024) – A documentary about the wildlife of Transylvania presented as an episode of Nature. (DVD)

Drag Heals Season 1 – The first season of a docuseries about drag performers. (DVD)

Dreams (1940) – A short film in MGM’s Passing Parade series that examines the meaning of various dreams. (TCM)

The Egg: Life’s Perfect Invention (2019) – A documentary hosted by Sir David Attenborough about the egg, presented as an episode of Nature. (DVD)

Equus: Story of the Horse (2018) – A documentary feature about the history of horsepower and humans’ love of horses. (DVD)

Finding Happy (2025) – A documentary feature about a woman who saved an injured sparrow. (DVD)

Forgotten Hero: Walter White and The NAACP (2025) – A documentary about the titular civil rights activist, presented as an episode of American Experience. (DVD)

The Gilded Age (2018) – A documentary about wealth disparities in the U.S., presented as an episode of American Experience. (DVD)

Grizzly 399: Queen of the Tetons (2024) – A documentary about a famous bear and her four cubs presented as an episode of Nature. (DVD)

Highway 66 Revisited (1992) – A documentary about a road trip along Route 66. Released as part of the Route 66: The Ultimate DVD Collection. (DVD)

The Hummingbird Effect (2023) – A documentary about hummingbirds in Costa Rica presented as an episode of Nature. (DVD)

Hummingbirds of Hollywood (2025) – A PBS documentary about a woman who cares for wounded hummingbirds, presented as an episode of Nature. (DVD)

I Lived with a Killer Season 1 – A true-crime docuseries about serial killers’ family members. (DVD)

Ishiro Honda: Memoirs of a Film Director (2025) – A documentary about the titular Japanese filmmaker best known for helming the original Godzilla. (Blu-ray)

The Jewish Journey: America (2015) – A medium-length documentary about Jewish immigration to America through the centuries. (DVD)

A Journey Down Route 66 (1994) – A documentary about the titular highway. Released as part of the Route 66: The Ultimate DVD Collection. (DVD)

Karlton: The Dunkin’ Hines Story (2026) – A documentary feature about basketball player Karlton Hines. (DVD)

Katavi – Africa’s Fallen Paradise (2024) – A PBS docuseries about animal survival during an extreme weather event in the titular national park in Tanzania, presented as an episode of Nature. (DVD)

Kissinger (2025) – A documentary about former National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger presented as an episode of American Experience. (DVD)

Last Stand at Little Bighorn (1992) – A documentary about the titular 1876 battle presented as an episode of American Experience. (DVD)

Life Behind the Stars (2016) – A medium-length documentary about the link between life on Earth and the history of the rest of the universe. (DVD)

Luminaries: Pope Francis (2025) – A short documentary about Pope Francis. (DVD)

More Dinosaurs (1985) – A short documentary about dinosaurs. Released as part of the Dinosaurs Forever! box set. (Blu-ray)

Museum Alive with David Attenborough (2025) – A documentary tour of the Natural History Museum in London hosted by Sir David Attenborough, presented as an episode of Nature. (DVD)

Nature: Parenthood (2026) – A docuseries in the Nature franchise narrated by Sir David Attenborough that showcases animal parents around the world. (DVD)

Nazi Town, USA (2024) – A documentary about a pro-Nazi group in the U.S. in the 1930s presented as an episode of American Experience. (DVD)

Our Old Car (1946) – A short film in which writer, producer, and narrator John Nesbitt traces his life story based on the cars his father owned. (TCM)

Patrick and the Whale (2022) – A documentary about sperm whales presented as an episode of Nature. (DVD)

Phantom Parrot (2023) – A documentary feature about a top-secret British surveillance program. (Blu-ray)

Philly on Fire (2021) – A documentary about the 1985 bombing of an activist group’s home by the Philadelphia Police Department. (DVD)

The Pilgrims (2015) – A documentary about the founding of Plymouth County and the first Thanksgiving presented as an episode of American Experience. (DVD)

Plants Behaving Badly (2017) – A two-part PBS documentary about carnivorous plants and orchids. (DVD)

Pompeii: The New Dig (2024) – A docuseries about an extensive archaeological dig of Pompeii. (DVD)

Prehistoric World (1993) – A short documentary about dinosaurs. Released as part of the Dinosaurs Forever! box set. (Blu-ray)

President in Waiting (2020) – A documentary feature about the office of the Vice President of the United States. (DVD and Blu-ray)

Remake (2025) – A first-person documentary feature by Ross McElwee about the death of his son and an attempt to remake his classic film Sherman’s March as a narrative feature. See our highlights section for more info. *NONFICS PICK* (VOD)

The Return of Dinosaurs (1993) – A short documentary about dinosaurs. Released as part of the Dinosaurs Forever! box set. (Blu-ray)

Revolutionary War Weapons (2025) – A documentary about the muskets, submarines, and other weapons that helped the Americans win the Revolutionary War, presented as an episode of Nova. (DVD)

Route 66 Turns 75: A Special Anniversary Celebration (1994) – A documentary about a road trip along the titular highway in celebration of its 75th birthday. Released as part of the Route 66: The Ultimate DVD Collection. (DVD)

Saving the Animals of Ukraine (2024) – A PBS documentary about Ukrainian citizens saving animals left behind during the Russian invasion and war, presented as an episode of Nature. (DVD)

Secrets of Great British Castles Season 1 – A docuseries presenting the histories of six castles: Warwick, Dover, Caernarfon, the Tower of London, Carrickfergus, and Stirling. (DVD)

Sherman’s March (1985) – A 4K re-release of a classic first-person documentary feature by Ross McElwee about his romantic pursuits amidst his Civil War history project. *NONFICS PICK* (VOD)

Son of Dinosaurs (1988) – A short documentary about dinosaurs. Released as part of the Dinosaurs Forever! box set. (Blu-ray)
Stallone: Frank, That Is (2021) – A documentary feature about actor Frank Stallone. (DVD)

Tell Them You Love Me (2023) – A documentary about a scandalous relationship between a professor and a nonverbal person with cerebral palsy. (Kino Film Collection)

Tom Lehrer: Live in Copenhagen (1967) – A concert film starring Tom Lehrer as he performs “Studenterforeningen.” (DVD)

Under the Lights: Lionel Messi (2025) – A medium-length documentary about the titular soccer player. (DVD)

Under the Lights: Maradona (2022) – A medium-length documentary about soccer player Diego Armando Maradona. (DVD)

Untold Mr. T: I Pity the Fool – A documentary feature in the Untold series about Mr. T. (Netflix)

The Volcano Show (1988) – An incomplete documentary special about volcanoes. Released as part of the Dinosaurs Forever! box set. (Blu-ray)

We Want the Funk! (2025) – A documentary by Stanley Nelson and Nicole London chronicling the history of funk music. (DVD)

The Whale Detective (2020) – A documentary that investigates whether whales have purposefully harmed humans, presented as an episode of Nature. (DVD)

What Are UFOs? (2025) – A documentary about the possible existence of UFOs, presented as an episode of Nova. (DVD)

The Wondrous World of Weird Animals (1993) – A short documentary about strange but real creatures. Released as part of the Dinosaurs Forever! box set. (Blu-ray)

Woodpeckers: The Hole Story (2022) – A documentary about woodpeckers presented as an episode of Nature. (DVD)

Wednesday, September 9, 2026

Don’t Look Back in Anger (2026) – A documentary about the band Oasis as they reunite for their 2025 tour. (In IMAX Theaters)

ER: Caught on Camera Season 1, Episode 10 – The latest installment of a docuseries in which medical patients recall experiences in hospital emergency rooms. (TLC)

Expedition X Season 12, Episode 4: “Ghosts of Guam” – The latest installment of a paranormal investigation series. (Discovery)

Freeports – The Beauty of Tax Free Storage (2021) – A medium-length documentary about tax havens. (OVID)

Untold Stories of the ER Season 14, Episode 4 – The latest installment of a docuseries about difficult emergency room cases. (TLC)

Who Moves America (2026) – A documentary feature following UPS-employed members of the Teamsters union as they prepare to strike nationwide. (In Theaters)

Thursday, September 10, 2026

A Killer Story Episode 1: “Welcome to Topeka” – The first episode of a three-part true-crime docuseries about a double murder, the ex-wife who allegedly committed the crime, and the citizen sleuths who believe she’s innocent. (HBO & HBO Max)

The Oldest Person in the World (2026) – A documentary feature directed by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Sam Green (The Weather Underground) about people who have held the titular record over the last decade. See our highlights section for more info and a link to our review. *NONFICS PICK* (In Theaters)

Six Days in June (2007) – A documentary about the Six-Day War in the Middle East in 1967. (OVID)

Spiezio (2026) – A medium-length documentary about Major League Baseball player Scott Spiezio. (In Theaters)

We Never Left (2024) – A documentary feature about three Lebanese immigrants in New York City during the country’s recent revolution. (OVID)

WrestleHer (2026) – An 11-part docuseries about the rise of girls’ high school wrestling. (Allez! Sports and Documentary+)

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Sneak Peek At What’s Coming Soon

9/11 – A Marble in the Jar – A documentary feature about surfer Tatiana Weston-Webb and her coach, Greg Browning. (In Theaters)

9/11 – Mighty Mary – A documentary feature narrated by Elizabeth Banks and Hugh Jackman about the first-ever all-women’s sailing crew to compete for the America’s Cup. Watch the new trailer for the film below. (In Theaters)

9/14 – Ghost in the Machine – A documentary feature by Valerie Veatch (Me at the Zoo) about AI’s background in eugenics and misogyny. (PBS)

9/17 – First They Came for My College – A documentary feature about a right-wing political coup at a public college in Florida. Watch the new trailer for the film below. (In Theaters)

9/20 – How to Live on Earth – A documentary feature presented by Benedict Cumberbatch about our connection to nature. (YouTube)

9/30 – The Widower: ‘Til Death Do Us Part – A true-crime documentary feature by Chris Smith (The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann) about a man wed six times and widowed suspiciously in six of those marriages. Watch the new trailer for the film below. (Netflix)

10/12 – Always Lalisa – A documentary feature by Sue Kim (The Last of the Sea Women) that follows a year in the life of Blackpink rapper/singer Lalisa Manoban, aka Lisa, as she embarks on a solo career. (In IMAX Theaters)

10/16 – Once Upon a Time in Harlem – A documentary feature co-directed by the late William Greaves (Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take One), resurrecting footage he shot in 1972 of a get-together of Harlem Renaissance legends. Watch the new trailer for the film below. (In Theaters)

10/21 – One in a Million – A Sundance-winning documentary feature that captures 10 years in the life of a Syrian refugee and her family. Watch the new trailer for the film here. (In Theaters)

10/30 – Everest: The Other Side – A documentary feature by Oscar winners Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin (Free Solo) that follows mountaineering couple Jim Morrison and Hilaree Nelson as they climb and ski the North Face of Mount Everest. Watch the new trailer for the film below. (In IMAX Theaters)

10/30 – Who Killed Alex Odeh? – A documentary feature about the 1985 assassination of the titular Palestinian-American civil rights activist. Watch the new trailer for the film here. (In Theaters)

12/11 – George Michael: The Faith Tour – A concert film starring George Michael that was originally shot in 1988. Watch the new trailer for the film below. (In Theaters)

It’s fall film festival season! This is a time I currently hate because I keep hearing about documentaries I have no way of seeing, and more importantly, neither do you. I also miss the days when I had the time and clout to attend several film festivals around the world, mostly on their dime (I could never really afford most of them). Now, due to family and financial reasons (mine and film festivals’ or their local tourism boards’), I attend no festivals throughout the year, let alone the big fall events.

At least I’ve been there, done that with Toronto and New York, but Venice and Telluride are on my bucket list if anyone wants to sponsor my coverage in the future. Otherwise, I’ll get to the highly anticipated latest from Barbara Kopple, Chai Vasarhelyi & Jimmy Chin, Nanette Burstein, Robert Greene, Frank Marshall, Ava DuVernay, Ron Howard, Laura Poitras, Alex Gibney, Julia Loktev, Liz Garbus, Joshua Oppenheimer, Ben Proudfoot, Bill Morrison, Viktor Kossakovsky, Sophie Fiennes, and Rebecca Huntt when they’re on their way to you.

In addition to looking forward to what’s to come, this week I’m thinking a lot about what’s come before and left behind. As if our latest Pick of the Week weren’t melancholy enough, there have been a lot of celebrity deaths lately that have me thinking about the ways these people will be frozen in time, to quote from that top highlight below. I wish to direct you to a post at That Documentary Girl showcasing documentaries about or featuring Hayden Panettiere, Dolly Parton, Tim Curry, and others. Of course, Gloria Steinem could have a list all her own for the number of documentaries she’s participated in or appeared in via archival footage.

Without further ado, below are this week’s documentary highlights, followed by daily listings for all known releases and broadcasts, along with a brief look at what’s coming soon for doc fans (including the latest from William Greaves, Chris Smith, and Chai Vasarhelyi & Jimmy Chin. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber to receive more in-depth highlights and reviews in the future, plus full access to special posts like our best-of lists, and to give me more time to watch more (if not everything) available. If you have a doc needing coverage or a mention, you can reach us at nonficseditor (at) gmail and let us know about its release plans.

Nonfics Pick Of The Week: The Oldest Person In The World (2026)

Many documentarians, especially those prone to first-person narration, reach a point where they make a film about mortality. Maybe it’s because they get to a certain age, or they receive an unfortunate diagnosis, or a parent or other loved one dies. Or they have children — which I know from experience can really alter your sense of time — and film them through the years. The pandemic also put death at the forefront of all our minds, but especially the minds of those recording reality daily.

Sam Green checks all these boxes with his documentary The Oldest Person in the World, which he began a decade ago just after his father died and right as he was becoming a father himself for the first time. Then he found out he had a rare blood cancer. He had also just turned 50, which is technically past midlife based on the average lifespan, yet below middle age for those who make it past 100. Perhaps that’s one reason he made this film, which spotlights several women who live to 116, 117, or even 119.

[continue reading this review of The Oldest Person in the World]

The Oldest Person in the World (version 1.0) will be released in theaters on Thursday, September 10, 2026, via

Other Documentary Highlights

Barbara Forever (2026)

Lesbian cinema pioneer Barbara Hammer died in 2019, but that hasn’t kept her from narrating her own documentary. Barbara Forever employs the avant-garde filmmaker’s audio diaries to tell her life story rather than recruiting fans or academics to convince us of her importance. We can also see that significance for ourselves with the many clips of her films that make up the documentary, supplemented by her voiceover commentary providing biographical and professional context. Brydie O’Connor, making her feature directorial debut by building upon her 2022 short, Love, Barbara, does a commendable job with a tribute artistically suited to Hammer’s legacy.

Barbara Forever will be released in theaters on Friday, September 4, 2026.

Brailled It (2026)

There is much to be admired about Brailled It, a competition documentary showcasing the annual Braille Challenge. One is that the film includes audio descriptions throughout, making it automatically accessible for blind and low-vision audiences. Another is that it’s shot by its three main characters, each of whom wears a camera that records their experience at the Braille literacy competition. The three kids also received directing credit.

The cameras aren’t at eye level, so most of the footage is captured from a low angle, creating some visual disorientation for those of us with sight. Story-wise, it’s a pretty simple example of the genre, climaxing with an awards ceremony. But it’s difficult to connect with the characters since we’re mostly encountering them off-camera through the first-person video perspective. Mainly, it’s interesting as an introduction to the event and the tools it tests the kids on.

Brailled It will be released in theaters on Friday, September 4, 2026.

Folktales (2025) & Teenage Wasteland (2025)

Two notable teen-focused documentaries that premiered back at Sundance 2025 are making big streaming platform debuts this week. Folktales is the latest feature by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady and follows three young characters as they attend a unique school in the Arctic. The positive and heartwarming coming-of-age documentary lacks dramatic narrative tension but is visually appealing and worth watching at least twice. As I wrote in my review of Folktales, “By the end of the film, when each character’s next steps are shared, and the whole picture is in the rearview, the beauty and sensitivity of the documentary are finally considered in their impressionistic totality, and you’ll want to go back and watch it again with that perspective.”

While Folktales has already been available to stream on Kanopy and to rent or own digitally, Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine’s Teenage Wasteland has really needed a platform. The film, which premiered as Middletown, ranks high on our list of the best documentaries of 2025 and is probably one of the least-seen titles there. From my capsule review from last fall: “Teenage Wasteland chronicles, through present-day talking head interviews and a lot of archival footage, an investigation by high school students in the 1990s into an environmental conspiracy….I have to recommend this documentary because its storytelling is near-perfect, thrillingly guiding viewers through the narrative as if it were unfolding right in front of them.”

Folktales and Teenage Wasteland begin streaming on Netflix on Friday, September 4, with the latter film available exclusively on the platform.

Remake (2025)

Ross McElwee’s Remake focuses on the director’s son, Adrian, who died of an accidental drug overdose a decade ago. It is a film in conversation with his previous feature, Photographic Memory, and also heavily references his breakthrough 1985 documentary, Sherman’s March, which was optioned for a fictional adaptation. McElwee was planning on documenting the production of that remake, and Adrian was hoping to work on the Hollywood project in some capacity. Remake is the resulting document of neither of those things panning out, one of them expiring, and Adrian tragically passing away. It’s a film full of mournful reflection and regret, yet it doesn’t play too sorrowfully.

Remake will air on PBS as an episode of POV on Monday, September 7, 2026, and will then be available to stream through PBS’s online channels. This film and Sherman’s March will also be released on VOD on Tuesday, September 8, 2026.

Top Of The World (2026)

Another documentary commemorating the upcoming 25th anniversary of 9/11 comes out this week, and it’s a bit different in terms of its size, shape, and sentiment. Top of the World is a short film directed by the Oscar-nominated duo of Julie Cohen and Betsy West (RBG) in remembrance of the lives lost in a restaurant located on one of the uppermost floors of the World Trade Center’s North Tower. The film looks back at the eatery’s history while also recognizing the diversity of its staff, many of whom were immigrants. These two sides of the film coalesce well enough for what it wishes to report on, though the latter is more effective. There’s not a lot to care about concerning the Windows on the World restaurant as an entity outside of the tragedy.

Top of the World premieres on CNN on Monday, September 7, 2026.

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Documentary Release Calendar 8/28/26 – 9/3/26

Friday, September 4, 2026

Austin City Limits Season 52, Episode 1: “Carlos Vives y La Provincia” – The return of a long-running music series. This installment stars Colombian singer Carlos Vives. (PBS)

Barbara Forever (2026) – A documentary feature executive-produced by Kristen Stewart about the pioneering lesbian filmmaker Barbara Hammer. See our highlights section for more info and a brief review. (In Theaters)

Brailled It (2026) – A documentary feature about a competition for blind and low-vision children completely filmed by three of its entrants. See our highlights section for more info and a brief review. (In Theaters)

Charles Grodin: Rebel with a Cause (2025) – A documentary feature about the titular actor and talk show host. (TCM)

Conan O’Brien Must Go Season 3, Episode 3: “Morocco” – The latest installment of a travel series starring Conan O’Brien. (HBO and HBO Max)

Deadliest Catch Season 22, Episode 16: “Contagion” – The latest installment of a series that follows Alaskan crab fishermen. (Discovery Channel)

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. (TCM)

Folktales (2025) – A documentary by Oscar-nominated filmmakers Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady (Jesus Camp) about a folk high school in Arctic Norway. See our highlights section for more info and a link to our review. (Netflix)

Give it a Shot (2026) – A documentary feature about the launch of a male contraceptive. (In Theaters)

The Grand Tour Season 7 – The return of a docuseries that follows three men as they drive various automobiles around the world. All six new episodes will be released together. (Prime Video)

Instadocs: The Decoy Plane (2026) – A documentary about President Trump’s recent secret flight switch from Air Force One in Turkey. (Netflix)

The Miracle of Sound (1940) – A short documentary showing how sound movies are made. (TCM)

The Program: Texas Tech (2026) – A four-part docuseries narrated by Dennis Quaid about the Texas Tech University Red Raiders College Football Program. (Paramount+)

Teenage Wasteland (2025) – A documentary feature by Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine about high school students uncovering a conspiracy in their town. See our highlights section for more info. *NONFICS PICK* (Netflix)

The Work in Progress (2026) – A documentary that follows Americans as they discuss cultural, political, economic, and generational divisions. (In Theaters)

Saturday, September 5, 2026

The Cincinnati Kid Plays According to Hoyle (1965) – A short film about magician and gambler Jay Ose, who served as a technical advisor for the film The Cincinnati Kid. (TCM)

Crashing the Movies (1950) – A short film presenting clips of people performing strange stunts. (TCM)

Handlebars (1933) – A short film presenting the history of the bicycle. (TCM)

Super Animals Season 4, Episode 3 – The latest episode of a nature docuseries for kids about animals with special traits. (National Geographic)

Sunday, September 6, 2026

Hazardous History with Henry Winkler Season 2, Episode 20: “Surviving the ‘70s” – The latest installment of a docuseries about dangerous toys and household items that were common in the past. This episode looks back at how unsafe the 1970s were. (History)

The Mega-Brands That Built America Season 4, Episode 6: “Rise of the Personal Computer” – The latest installment of a docuseries about iconic brands. This installment covers early personal computer companies like Microsoft and Apple. (History)

Monday, September 7, 2026

The Hoaxters (1952) – A short documentary about totalitarian dictators, including Adolf Hitler and the leaders of the Soviet Union, being con men. *NONFICS PICK* (TCM)

The Hooters Murders: Deadly Shift (2026) – A true-crime documentary about three Hooters employees killed between 2001 and 2010. (Oxygen)

Mirrors (1934) – A short film starring Freddie Rich and His Orchestra as they perform popular songs. (TCM)

Personalities (1942) – A short film about Hollywood performers at the start of their careers. (TCM)

OJ Unseen: Exploitation of Evil (2026) – A four-part docuseries about O.J. Simpson’s attempt at a comeback with a prank show. (Investigation Discovery)

Remake (2025) – A first-person documentary feature by Ross McElwee about the death of his son and an attempt to remake his classic film Sherman’s March as a narrative feature. Presented as an episode of POV. See our highlights section for more info. *NONFICS PICK* (PBS)

Rural Mexico (1935) – A short documentary installment of James A. FitzPatrick’s TravelTalks travelogue franchise that explores small towns in Mexico, including Mazatlán, Toluca, and Taxco. (TCM)

The Singing Nun (1966) – A short film on the making of the movie of the same name. (TCM)

Somebody Knows Something Season 1, Episode 6: “Lost at the Science Fair” – The latest installment of a true-crime series about unsolved murder and missing persons cases. This episode involves a missing second grader in Portland. (Freeform)

Spanish Fiesta (1942) – A short film starring the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo as they perform a ballet to Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Capriccio Espagnol.” (TCM)

Top of the World (2026) – A short documentary by Oscar-nominated directors Julie Cohen and Betsy West (RBG) about Windows on the World, the restaurant at the top of the World Trade Center. See our highlights section for more info and a brief review. (CNN)

Whispers (1941) – A short film about the power of gossip. (TCM)

Tuesday, September 8, 2026

20 Days in Mariupol (2023) – An Oscar-winning documentary by Mstyslav Chernov about the Russian invasion of Ukraine. *NONFICS PICK* (DVD)

2000 Meters to Andriivka (2025) – A documentary by Oscar-winning director Mstyslav Chernov (20 Days in Mariupol) about a Ukrainian platoon’s effort to liberate a village from Russian occupation. *NONFICS PICK* (DVD)

Alice: Curiouser and Curiouser (2026) – A documentary about Alice in Wonderland. (DVD)

An American Family (1973) – A classic docuseries about a typical suburban family, the Louds. *NONFICS PICK* (DVD)

American Historia: The Untold History of Latinos (2024) – A PBS docuseries under the VOCES banner starring John Leguizamo about Latino history. (DVD)

Bastard. The Legacy of Pinochet’s Genocide (2023) – A documentary by Pepe Rovano about his discovery that his father was the head of Chilean police intelligence under Pinochet. (OVID)

Bears (2019) – A documentary about all kinds of bears around the world presented as an episode of American Experience. (DVD)

Becoming Elephant: The Orphans of Reteti – Baby Steps (2026) – A documentary about a disabled orphan elephant presented as an episode of Nature. (DVD)

Big Cats, Small World (2024) – A docuseries about three species of African big cats, presented as an installment of Nature. (DVD)

The Black Church: This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song (2021) – A docuseries about the history of Black churches and African-American faith. (DVD)

The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution (2015) – A documentary feature by Stanley Nelson about the Black Panther Party. (DVD)

Border 197 (2025) – A docuseries by Drew Blinsky about his effort to visit every country on Earth. (DVD)

Bring Her Home (2022) – A medium-length documentary about indigenous women seeking justice for relatives lost to violence against Native women. (DVD)

The Bug Show (1988) – An incomplete documentary special about insects. Released as part of the Dinosaurs Forever! box set. (Blu-ray)

Critical Condition: Health in Black America (2025) – A documentary feature about systemic racism in the U.S. medical system presented as an episode of Nova. (DVD)

Dino Birds (2025) – A documentary about how birds are the descendants of dinosaurs, presented as an episode of Nova. (DVD)

Dinosaurs, Dinosaurs, Dinosaurs (1985) – A short documentary about dinosaurs. Released as part of the Dinosaurs Forever! box set. (Blu-ray)

Dracula’s Hidden Kingdom (2024) – A documentary about the wildlife of Transylvania presented as an episode of Nature. (DVD)

Drag Heals Season 1 – The first season of a docuseries about drag performers. (DVD)

Dreams (1940) – A short film in MGM’s Passing Parade series that examines the meaning of various dreams. (TCM)

The Egg: Life’s Perfect Invention (2019) – A documentary hosted by Sir David Attenborough about the egg, presented as an episode of Nature. (DVD)

Equus: Story of the Horse (2018) – A documentary feature about the history of horsepower and humans’ love of horses. (DVD)

Finding Happy (2025) – A documentary feature about a woman who saved an injured sparrow. (DVD)

Forgotten Hero: Walter White and The NAACP (2025) – A documentary about the titular civil rights activist, presented as an episode of American Experience. (DVD)

The Gilded Age (2018) – A documentary about wealth disparities in the U.S., presented as an episode of American Experience. (DVD)

Grizzly 399: Queen of the Tetons (2024) – A documentary about a famous bear and her four cubs presented as an episode of Nature. (DVD)

Highway 66 Revisited (1992) – A documentary about a road trip along Route 66. Released as part of the Route 66: The Ultimate DVD Collection. (DVD)

The Hummingbird Effect (2023) – A documentary about hummingbirds in Costa Rica presented as an episode of Nature. (DVD)

Hummingbirds of Hollywood (2025) – A PBS documentary about a woman who cares for wounded hummingbirds, presented as an episode of Nature. (DVD)

I Lived with a Killer Season 1 – A true-crime docuseries about serial killers’ family members. (DVD)

Ishiro Honda: Memoirs of a Film Director (2025) – A documentary about the titular Japanese filmmaker best known for helming the original Godzilla. (Blu-ray)

The Jewish Journey: America (2015) – A medium-length documentary about Jewish immigration to America through the centuries. (DVD)

A Journey Down Route 66 (1994) – A documentary about the titular highway. Released as part of the Route 66: The Ultimate DVD Collection. (DVD)

Karlton: The Dunkin’ Hines Story (2026) – A documentary feature about basketball player Karlton Hines. (DVD)

Katavi – Africa’s Fallen Paradise (2024) – A PBS docuseries about animal survival during an extreme weather event in the titular national park in Tanzania, presented as an episode of Nature. (DVD)

Kissinger (2025) – A documentary about former National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger presented as an episode of American Experience. (DVD)

Last Stand at Little Bighorn (1992) – A documentary about the titular 1876 battle presented as an episode of American Experience. (DVD)

Life Behind the Stars (2016) – A medium-length documentary about the link between life on Earth and the history of the rest of the universe. (DVD)

Luminaries: Pope Francis (2025) – A short documentary about Pope Francis. (DVD)

More Dinosaurs (1985) – A short documentary about dinosaurs. Released as part of the Dinosaurs Forever! box set. (Blu-ray)

Museum Alive with David Attenborough (2025) – A documentary tour of the Natural History Museum in London hosted by Sir David Attenborough, presented as an episode of Nature. (DVD)

Nature: Parenthood (2026) – A docuseries in the Nature franchise narrated by Sir David Attenborough that showcases animal parents around the world. (DVD)

Nazi Town, USA (2024) – A documentary about a pro-Nazi group in the U.S. in the 1930s presented as an episode of American Experience. (DVD)

Our Old Car (1946) – A short film in which writer, producer, and narrator John Nesbitt traces his life story based on the cars his father owned. (TCM)

Patrick and the Whale (2022) – A documentary about sperm whales presented as an episode of Nature. (DVD)

Phantom Parrot (2023) – A documentary feature about a top-secret British surveillance program. (Blu-ray)

Philly on Fire (2021) – A documentary about the 1985 bombing of an activist group’s home by the Philadelphia Police Department. (DVD)

The Pilgrims (2015) – A documentary about the founding of Plymouth County and the first Thanksgiving presented as an episode of American Experience. (DVD)

Plants Behaving Badly (2017) – A two-part PBS documentary about carnivorous plants and orchids. (DVD)

Pompeii: The New Dig (2024) – A docuseries about an extensive archaeological dig of Pompeii. (DVD)

Prehistoric World (1993) – A short documentary about dinosaurs. Released as part of the Dinosaurs Forever! box set. (Blu-ray)

President in Waiting (2020) – A documentary feature about the office of the Vice President of the United States. (DVD and Blu-ray)

Remake (2025) – A first-person documentary feature by Ross McElwee about the death of his son and an attempt to remake his classic film Sherman’s March as a narrative feature. See our highlights section for more info. *NONFICS PICK* (VOD)

The Return of Dinosaurs (1993) – A short documentary about dinosaurs. Released as part of the Dinosaurs Forever! box set. (Blu-ray)

Revolutionary War Weapons (2025) – A documentary about the muskets, submarines, and other weapons that helped the Americans win the Revolutionary War, presented as an episode of Nova. (DVD)

Route 66 Turns 75: A Special Anniversary Celebration (1994) – A documentary about a road trip along the titular highway in celebration of its 75th birthday. Released as part of the Route 66: The Ultimate DVD Collection. (DVD)

Saving the Animals of Ukraine (2024) – A PBS documentary about Ukrainian citizens saving animals left behind during the Russian invasion and war, presented as an episode of Nature. (DVD)

Secrets of Great British Castles Season 1 – A docuseries presenting the histories of six castles: Warwick, Dover, Caernarfon, the Tower of London, Carrickfergus, and Stirling. (DVD)

Sherman’s March (1985) – A 4K re-release of a classic first-person documentary feature by Ross McElwee about his romantic pursuits amidst his Civil War history project. *NONFICS PICK* (VOD)

Son of Dinosaurs (1988) – A short documentary about dinosaurs. Released as part of the Dinosaurs Forever! box set. (Blu-ray)
Stallone: Frank, That Is (2021) – A documentary feature about actor Frank Stallone. (DVD)

Tell Them You Love Me (2023) – A documentary about a scandalous relationship between a professor and a nonverbal person with cerebral palsy. (Kino Film Collection)

Tom Lehrer: Live in Copenhagen (1967) – A concert film starring Tom Lehrer as he performs “Studenterforeningen.” (DVD)

Under the Lights: Lionel Messi (2025) – A medium-length documentary about the titular soccer player. (DVD)

Under the Lights: Maradona (2022) – A medium-length documentary about soccer player Diego Armando Maradona. (DVD)

Untold Mr. T: I Pity the Fool – A documentary feature in the Untold series about Mr. T. (Netflix)

The Volcano Show (1988) – An incomplete documentary special about volcanoes. Released as part of the Dinosaurs Forever! box set. (Blu-ray)

We Want the Funk! (2025) – A documentary by Stanley Nelson and Nicole London chronicling the history of funk music. (DVD)

The Whale Detective (2020) – A documentary that investigates whether whales have purposefully harmed humans, presented as an episode of Nature. (DVD)

What Are UFOs? (2025) – A documentary about the possible existence of UFOs, presented as an episode of Nova. (DVD)

The Wondrous World of Weird Animals (1993) – A short documentary about strange but real creatures. Released as part of the Dinosaurs Forever! box set. (Blu-ray)

Woodpeckers: The Hole Story (2022) – A documentary about woodpeckers presented as an episode of Nature. (DVD)

Wednesday, September 9, 2026

Don’t Look Back in Anger (2026) – A documentary about the band Oasis as they reunite for their 2025 tour. (In IMAX Theaters)

ER: Caught on Camera Season 1, Episode 10 – The latest installment of a docuseries in which medical patients recall experiences in hospital emergency rooms. (TLC)

Expedition X Season 12, Episode 4: “Ghosts of Guam” – The latest installment of a paranormal investigation series. (Discovery)

Freeports – The Beauty of Tax Free Storage (2021) – A medium-length documentary about tax havens. (OVID)

Untold Stories of the ER Season 14, Episode 4 – The latest installment of a docuseries about difficult emergency room cases. (TLC)

Who Moves America (2026) – A documentary feature following UPS-employed members of the Teamsters union as they prepare to strike nationwide. (In Theaters)

Thursday, September 10, 2026

A Killer Story Episode 1: “Welcome to Topeka” – The first episode of a three-part true-crime docuseries about a double murder, the ex-wife who allegedly committed the crime, and the citizen sleuths who believe she’s innocent. (HBO & HBO Max)

The Oldest Person in the World (2026) – A documentary feature directed by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Sam Green (The Weather Underground) about people who have held the titular record over the last decade. See our highlights section for more info and a link to our review. *NONFICS PICK* (In Theaters)

Six Days in June (2007) – A documentary about the Six-Day War in the Middle East in 1967. (OVID)

Spiezio (2026) – A medium-length documentary about Major League Baseball player Scott Spiezio. (In Theaters)

We Never Left (2024) – A documentary feature about three Lebanese immigrants in New York City during the country’s recent revolution. (OVID)

WrestleHer (2026) – An 11-part docuseries about the rise of girls’ high school wrestling. (Allez! Sports and Documentary+)

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Sneak Peek At What’s Coming Soon

9/11 – A Marble in the Jar – A documentary feature about surfer Tatiana Weston-Webb and her coach, Greg Browning. (In Theaters)

9/11 – Mighty Mary – A documentary feature narrated by Elizabeth Banks and Hugh Jackman about the first-ever all-women’s sailing crew to compete for the America’s Cup. Watch the new trailer for the film below. (In Theaters)

9/14 – Ghost in the Machine – A documentary feature by Valerie Veatch (Me at the Zoo) about AI’s background in eugenics and misogyny. (PBS)

9/17 – First They Came for My College – A documentary feature about a right-wing political coup at a public college in Florida. Watch the new trailer for the film below. (In Theaters)

9/20 – How to Live on Earth – A documentary feature presented by Benedict Cumberbatch about our connection to nature. (YouTube)

9/30 – The Widower: ‘Til Death Do Us Part – A true-crime documentary feature by Chris Smith (The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann) about a man wed six times and widowed suspiciously in six of those marriages. Watch the new trailer for the film below. (Netflix)

10/12 – Always Lalisa – A documentary feature by Sue Kim (The Last of the Sea Women) that follows a year in the life of Blackpink rapper/singer Lalisa Manoban, aka Lisa, as she embarks on a solo career. (In IMAX Theaters)

10/16 – Once Upon a Time in Harlem – A documentary feature co-directed by the late William Greaves (Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take One), resurrecting footage he shot in 1972 of a get-together of Harlem Renaissance legends. Watch the new trailer for the film below. (In Theaters)

10/21 – One in a Million – A Sundance-winning documentary feature that captures 10 years in the life of a Syrian refugee and her family. Watch the new trailer for the film here. (In Theaters)

10/30 – Everest: The Other Side – A documentary feature by Oscar winners Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin (Free Solo) that follows mountaineering couple Jim Morrison and Hilaree Nelson as they climb and ski the North Face of Mount Everest. Watch the new trailer for the film below. (In IMAX Theaters)

10/30 – Who Killed Alex Odeh? – A documentary feature about the 1985 assassination of the titular Palestinian-American civil rights activist. Watch the new trailer for the film here. (In Theaters)

12/11 – George Michael: The Faith Tour – A concert film starring George Michael that was originally shot in 1988. Watch the new trailer for the film below. (In Theaters)

It’s fall film festival season! This is a time I currently hate because I keep hearing about documentaries I have no way of seeing, and more importantly, neither do you. I also miss the days when I had the time and clout to attend several film festivals around the world, mostly on their dime (I could never really afford most of them). Now, due to family and financial reasons (mine and film festivals’ or their local tourism boards’), I attend no festivals throughout the year, let alone the big fall events.

At least I’ve been there, done that with Toronto and New York, but Venice and Telluride are on my bucket list if anyone wants to sponsor my coverage in the future. Otherwise, I’ll get to the highly anticipated latest from Barbara Kopple, Chai Vasarhelyi & Jimmy Chin, Nanette Burstein, Robert Greene, Frank Marshall, Ava DuVernay, Ron Howard, Laura Poitras, Alex Gibney, Julia Loktev, Liz Garbus, Joshua Oppenheimer, Ben Proudfoot, Bill Morrison, Viktor Kossakovsky, Sophie Fiennes, and Rebecca Huntt when they’re on their way to you.

In addition to looking forward to what’s to come, this week I’m thinking a lot about what’s come before and left behind. As if our latest Pick of the Week weren’t melancholy enough, there have been a lot of celebrity deaths lately that have me thinking about the ways these people will be frozen in time, to quote from that top highlight below. I wish to direct you to a post at That Documentary Girl showcasing documentaries about or featuring Hayden Panettiere, Dolly Parton, Tim Curry, and others. Of course, Gloria Steinem could have a list all her own for the number of documentaries she’s participated in or appeared in via archival footage.

Without further ado, below are this week’s documentary highlights, followed by daily listings for all known releases and broadcasts, along with a brief look at what’s coming soon for doc fans (including the latest from William Greaves, Chris Smith, and Chai Vasarhelyi & Jimmy Chin. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber to receive more in-depth highlights and reviews in the future, plus full access to special posts like our best-of lists, and to give me more time to watch more (if not everything) available. If you have a doc needing coverage or a mention, you can reach us at nonficseditor (at) gmail and let us know about its release plans.

Nonfics Pick Of The Week: The Oldest Person In The World (2026)

Many documentarians, especially those prone to first-person narration, reach a point where they make a film about mortality. Maybe it’s because they get to a certain age, or they receive an unfortunate diagnosis, or a parent or other loved one dies. Or they have children — which I know from experience can really alter your sense of time — and film them through the years. The pandemic also put death at the forefront of all our minds, but especially the minds of those recording reality daily.

Sam Green checks all these boxes with his documentary The Oldest Person in the World, which he began a decade ago just after his father died and right as he was becoming a father himself for the first time. Then he found out he had a rare blood cancer. He had also just turned 50, which is technically past midlife based on the average lifespan, yet below middle age for those who make it past 100. Perhaps that’s one reason he made this film, which spotlights several women who live to 116, 117, or even 119.

[continue reading this review of The Oldest Person in the World]

The Oldest Person in the World (version 1.0) will be released in theaters on Thursday, September 10, 2026, via

Other Documentary Highlights

Barbara Forever (2026)

Lesbian cinema pioneer Barbara Hammer died in 2019, but that hasn’t kept her from narrating her own documentary. Barbara Forever employs the avant-garde filmmaker’s audio diaries to tell her life story rather than recruiting fans or academics to convince us of her importance. We can also see that significance for ourselves with the many clips of her films that make up the documentary, supplemented by her voiceover commentary providing biographical and professional context. Brydie O’Connor, making her feature directorial debut by building upon her 2022 short, Love, Barbara, does a commendable job with a tribute artistically suited to Hammer’s legacy.

Barbara Forever will be released in theaters on Friday, September 4, 2026.

Brailled It (2026)

There is much to be admired about Brailled It, a competition documentary showcasing the annual Braille Challenge. One is that the film includes audio descriptions throughout, making it automatically accessible for blind and low-vision audiences. Another is that it’s shot by its three main characters, each of whom wears a camera that records their experience at the Braille literacy competition. The three kids also received directing credit.

The cameras aren’t at eye level, so most of the footage is captured from a low angle, creating some visual disorientation for those of us with sight. Story-wise, it’s a pretty simple example of the genre, climaxing with an awards ceremony. But it’s difficult to connect with the characters since we’re mostly encountering them off-camera through the first-person video perspective. Mainly, it’s interesting as an introduction to the event and the tools it tests the kids on.

Brailled It will be released in theaters on Friday, September 4, 2026.

Folktales (2025) & Teenage Wasteland (2025)

Two notable teen-focused documentaries that premiered back at Sundance 2025 are making big streaming platform debuts this week. Folktales is the latest feature by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady and follows three young characters as they attend a unique school in the Arctic. The positive and heartwarming coming-of-age documentary lacks dramatic narrative tension but is visually appealing and worth watching at least twice. As I wrote in my review of Folktales, “By the end of the film, when each character’s next steps are shared, and the whole picture is in the rearview, the beauty and sensitivity of the documentary are finally considered in their impressionistic totality, and you’ll want to go back and watch it again with that perspective.”

While Folktales has already been available to stream on Kanopy and to rent or own digitally, Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine’s Teenage Wasteland has really needed a platform. The film, which premiered as Middletown, ranks high on our list of the best documentaries of 2025 and is probably one of the least-seen titles there. From my capsule review from last fall: “Teenage Wasteland chronicles, through present-day talking head interviews and a lot of archival footage, an investigation by high school students in the 1990s into an environmental conspiracy….I have to recommend this documentary because its storytelling is near-perfect, thrillingly guiding viewers through the narrative as if it were unfolding right in front of them.”

Folktales and Teenage Wasteland begin streaming on Netflix on Friday, September 4, with the latter film available exclusively on the platform.

Remake (2025)

Ross McElwee’s Remake focuses on the director’s son, Adrian, who died of an accidental drug overdose a decade ago. It is a film in conversation with his previous feature, Photographic Memory, and also heavily references his breakthrough 1985 documentary, Sherman’s March, which was optioned for a fictional adaptation. McElwee was planning on documenting the production of that remake, and Adrian was hoping to work on the Hollywood project in some capacity. Remake is the resulting document of neither of those things panning out, one of them expiring, and Adrian tragically passing away. It’s a film full of mournful reflection and regret, yet it doesn’t play too sorrowfully. Read our interview with McElwee about it here.

Remake will air on PBS as an episode of POV on Monday, September 7, 2026, and will then be available to stream through PBS’s online channels. This film and Sherman’s March will also be released on VOD on Tuesday, September 8, 2026.

Top Of The World (2026)

Another documentary commemorating the upcoming 25th anniversary of 9/11 comes out this week, and it’s a bit different in terms of its size, shape, and sentiment. Top of the World is a short film directed by the Oscar-nominated duo of Julie Cohen and Betsy West (RBG) in remembrance of the lives lost in a restaurant located on one of the uppermost floors of the World Trade Center’s North Tower. The film looks back at the eatery’s history while also recognizing the diversity of its staff, many of whom were immigrants. These two sides of the film coalesce well enough for what it wishes to report on, though the latter is more effective. There’s not a lot to care about concerning the Windows on the World restaurant as an entity outside of the tragedy.

Top of the World premieres on CNN on Monday, September 7, 2026.

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Documentary Release Calendar 8/28/26 – 9/3/26

Friday, September 4, 2026

Austin City Limits Season 52, Episode 1: “Carlos Vives y La Provincia” – The return of a long-running music series. This installment stars Colombian singer Carlos Vives. (PBS)

Barbara Forever (2026) – A documentary feature executive-produced by Kristen Stewart about the pioneering lesbian filmmaker Barbara Hammer. See our highlights section for more info and a brief review. (In Theaters)

Brailled It (2026) – A documentary feature about a competition for blind and low-vision children completely filmed by three of its entrants. See our highlights section for more info and a brief review. (In Theaters)

Charles Grodin: Rebel with a Cause (2025) – A documentary feature about the titular actor and talk show host. (TCM)

Conan O’Brien Must Go Season 3, Episode 3: “Morocco” – The latest installment of a travel series starring Conan O’Brien. (HBO and HBO Max)

Deadliest Catch Season 22, Episode 16: “Contagion” – The latest installment of a series that follows Alaskan crab fishermen. (Discovery Channel)

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. (TCM)

Folktales (2025) – A documentary by Oscar-nominated filmmakers Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady (Jesus Camp) about a folk high school in Arctic Norway. See our highlights section for more info and a link to our review. (Netflix)

Give it a Shot (2026) – A documentary feature about the launch of a male contraceptive. (In Theaters)

The Grand Tour Season 7 – The return of a docuseries that follows three men as they drive various automobiles around the world. All six new episodes will be released together. (Prime Video)

Instadocs: The Decoy Plane (2026) – A documentary about President Trump’s recent secret flight switch from Air Force One in Turkey. (Netflix)

The Miracle of Sound (1940) – A short documentary showing how sound movies are made. (TCM)

The Program: Texas Tech (2026) – A four-part docuseries narrated by Dennis Quaid about the Texas Tech University Red Raiders College Football Program. (Paramount+)

Teenage Wasteland (2025) – A documentary feature by Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine about high school students uncovering a conspiracy in their town. See our highlights section for more info and a link to our review. *NONFICS PICK* (Netflix)

The Work in Progress (2026) – A documentary that follows Americans as they discuss cultural, political, economic, and generational divisions. (In Theaters)

Saturday, September 5, 2026

The Cincinnati Kid Plays According to Hoyle (1965) – A short film about magician and gambler Jay Ose, who served as a technical advisor for the film The Cincinnati Kid. (TCM)

Crashing the Movies (1950) – A short film presenting clips of people performing strange stunts. (TCM)

Handlebars (1933) – A short film presenting the history of the bicycle. (TCM)

Super Animals Season 4, Episode 3 – The latest episode of a nature docuseries for kids about animals with special traits. (National Geographic)

Yanuni (2025) – An Oscar-shortlisted documentary feature directed by Richard Ladkani (Sea of Shadows) and produced by Leonardo DiCaprio about an indigenous chief trying to protect her ancestral lands. (Leonardo DiCaprio’s YouTube Channel)

Sunday, September 6, 2026

Hazardous History with Henry Winkler Season 2, Episode 20: “Surviving the ‘70s” – The latest installment of a docuseries about dangerous toys and household items that were common in the past. This episode looks back at how unsafe the 1970s were. (History)

The Mega-Brands That Built America Season 4, Episode 6: “Rise of the Personal Computer” – The latest installment of a docuseries about iconic brands. This installment covers early personal computer companies like Microsoft and Apple. (History)

Monday, September 7, 2026

The Hoaxters (1952) – A short documentary about totalitarian dictators, including Adolf Hitler and the leaders of the Soviet Union, being con men. *NONFICS PICK* (TCM)

The Hooters Murders: Deadly Shift (2026) – A true-crime documentary about three Hooters employees killed between 2001 and 2010. (Oxygen)

Mirrors (1934) – A short film starring Freddie Rich and His Orchestra as they perform popular songs. (TCM)

Personalities (1942) – A short film about Hollywood performers at the start of their careers. (TCM)

OJ Unseen: Exploitation of Evil (2026) – A four-part docuseries about O.J. Simpson’s attempt at a comeback with a prank show. (Investigation Discovery)

Remake (2025) – A first-person documentary feature by Ross McElwee about the death of his son and an attempt to remake his classic film Sherman’s March as a narrative feature. Presented as an episode of POV. See our highlights section for more info and a link to our review. *NONFICS PICK* (PBS)

Rural Mexico (1935) – A short documentary installment of James A. FitzPatrick’s TravelTalks travelogue franchise that explores small towns in Mexico, including Mazatlán, Toluca, and Taxco. (TCM)

The Singing Nun (1966) – A short film on the making of the movie of the same name. (TCM)

Somebody Knows Something Season 1, Episode 6: “Lost at the Science Fair” – The latest installment of a true-crime series about unsolved murder and missing persons cases. This episode involves a missing second grader in Portland. (Freeform)

Spanish Fiesta (1942) – A short film starring the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo as they perform a ballet to Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Capriccio Espagnol.” (TCM)

Top of the World (2026) – A short documentary by Oscar-nominated directors Julie Cohen and Betsy West (RBG) about Windows on the World, the restaurant at the top of the World Trade Center. See our highlights section for more info and a brief review. (CNN)

Whispers (1941) – A short film about the power of gossip. (TCM)

Tuesday, September 8, 2026

20 Days in Mariupol (2023) – An Oscar-winning documentary by Mstyslav Chernov about the Russian invasion of Ukraine. *NONFICS PICK* (DVD)

2000 Meters to Andriivka (2025) – A documentary by Oscar-winning director Mstyslav Chernov (20 Days in Mariupol) about a Ukrainian platoon’s effort to liberate a village from Russian occupation. Read our review of 2000 Meters to Andriivka. *NONFICS PICK* (DVD)

Alice: Curiouser and Curiouser (2026) – A documentary about Alice in Wonderland. (DVD)

An American Family (1973) – A classic docuseries about a typical suburban family, the Louds. *NONFICS PICK* (DVD)

American Historia: The Untold History of Latinos (2024) – A PBS docuseries under the VOCES banner starring John Leguizamo about Latino history. (DVD)

Bastard. The Legacy of Pinochet’s Genocide (2023) – A documentary by Pepe Rovano about his discovery that his father was the head of Chilean police intelligence under Pinochet. (OVID)

Bears (2019) – A documentary about all kinds of bears around the world presented as an episode of American Experience. (DVD)

Becoming Elephant: The Orphans of Reteti – Baby Steps (2026) – A documentary about a disabled orphan elephant presented as an episode of Nature. (DVD)

Big Cats, Small World (2024) – A docuseries about three species of African big cats, presented as an installment of Nature. (DVD)

The Black Church: This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song (2021) – A docuseries about the history of Black churches and African-American faith. (DVD)

The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution (2015) – A documentary feature by Stanley Nelson about the Black Panther Party. Read our review of The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution. (DVD)

Border 197 (2025) – A docuseries by Drew Blinsky about his effort to visit every country on Earth. (DVD)

Bring Her Home (2022) – A medium-length documentary about indigenous women seeking justice for relatives lost to violence against Native women. (DVD)

The Bug Show (1988) – An incomplete documentary special about insects. Released as part of the Dinosaurs Forever! box set. (Blu-ray)

Critical Condition: Health in Black America (2025) – A documentary feature about systemic racism in the U.S. medical system presented as an episode of Nova. (DVD)

Dino Birds (2025) – A documentary about how birds are the descendants of dinosaurs, presented as an episode of Nova. (DVD)

Dinosaurs, Dinosaurs, Dinosaurs (1985) – A short documentary about dinosaurs. Released as part of the Dinosaurs Forever! box set. (Blu-ray)

Dracula’s Hidden Kingdom (2024) – A documentary about the wildlife of Transylvania presented as an episode of Nature. (DVD)

Drag Heals Season 1 – The first season of a docuseries about drag performers. (DVD)

Dreams (1940) – A short film in MGM’s Passing Parade series that examines the meaning of various dreams. (TCM)

The Egg: Life’s Perfect Invention (2019) – A documentary hosted by Sir David Attenborough about the egg, presented as an episode of Nature. (DVD)

Equus: Story of the Horse (2018) – A documentary feature about the history of horsepower and humans’ love of horses. (DVD)

Finding Happy (2025) – A documentary feature about a woman who saved an injured sparrow. (DVD)

Forgotten Hero: Walter White and The NAACP (2025) – A documentary about the titular civil rights activist, presented as an episode of American Experience. (DVD)

The Gilded Age (2018) – A documentary about wealth disparities in the U.S., presented as an episode of American Experience. (DVD)

Grizzly 399: Queen of the Tetons (2024) – A documentary about a famous bear and her four cubs presented as an episode of Nature. (DVD)

Highway 66 Revisited (1992) – A documentary about a road trip along Route 66. Released as part of the Route 66: The Ultimate DVD Collection. (DVD)

The Hummingbird Effect (2023) – A documentary about hummingbirds in Costa Rica presented as an episode of Nature. (DVD)

Hummingbirds of Hollywood (2025) – A PBS documentary about a woman who cares for wounded hummingbirds, presented as an episode of Nature. (DVD)

I Lived with a Killer Season 1 – A true-crime docuseries about serial killers’ family members. (DVD)

Ishiro Honda: Memoirs of a Film Director (2025) – A documentary about the titular Japanese filmmaker best known for helming the original Godzilla. (Blu-ray)

The Jewish Journey: America (2015) – A medium-length documentary about Jewish immigration to America through the centuries. (DVD)

A Journey Down Route 66 (1994) – A documentary about the titular highway. Released as part of the Route 66: The Ultimate DVD Collection. (DVD)

Karlton: The Dunkin’ Hines Story (2026) – A documentary feature about basketball player Karlton Hines. (DVD)

Katavi – Africa’s Fallen Paradise (2024) – A PBS docuseries about animal survival during an extreme weather event in the titular national park in Tanzania, presented as an episode of Nature. (DVD)

Kissinger (2025) – A documentary about former National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger presented as an episode of American Experience. (DVD)

Last Stand at Little Bighorn (1992) – A documentary about the titular 1876 battle presented as an episode of American Experience. (DVD)

Life Behind the Stars (2016) – A medium-length documentary about the link between life on Earth and the history of the rest of the universe. (DVD)

Luminaries: Pope Francis (2025) – A short documentary about Pope Francis. (DVD)

More Dinosaurs (1985) – A short documentary about dinosaurs. Released as part of the Dinosaurs Forever! box set. (Blu-ray)

Museum Alive with David Attenborough (2025) – A documentary tour of the Natural History Museum in London hosted by Sir David Attenborough, presented as an episode of Nature. (DVD)

Nature: Parenthood (2026) – A docuseries in the Nature franchise narrated by Sir David Attenborough that showcases animal parents around the world. (DVD)

Nazi Town, USA (2024) – A documentary about a pro-Nazi group in the U.S. in the 1930s presented as an episode of American Experience. (DVD)

Our Old Car (1946) – A short film in which writer, producer, and narrator John Nesbitt traces his life story based on the cars his father owned. (TCM)

Patrick and the Whale (2022) – A documentary about sperm whales presented as an episode of Nature. (DVD)

Phantom Parrot (2023) – A documentary feature about a top-secret British surveillance program. (Blu-ray)

Philly on Fire (2021) – A documentary about the 1985 bombing of an activist group’s home by the Philadelphia Police Department. (DVD)

The Pilgrims (2015) – A documentary about the founding of Plymouth County and the first Thanksgiving presented as an episode of American Experience. (DVD)

Plants Behaving Badly (2017) – A two-part PBS documentary about carnivorous plants and orchids. (DVD)

Pompeii: The New Dig (2024) – A docuseries about an extensive archaeological dig of Pompeii. (DVD)

Prehistoric World (1993) – A short documentary about dinosaurs. Released as part of the Dinosaurs Forever! box set. (Blu-ray)

President in Waiting (2020) – A documentary feature about the office of the Vice President of the United States. (DVD and Blu-ray)

Remake (2025) – A first-person documentary feature by Ross McElwee about the death of his son and an attempt to remake his classic film Sherman’s March as a narrative feature. See our highlights section for more info. *NONFICS PICK* (VOD)

The Return of Dinosaurs (1993) – A short documentary about dinosaurs. Released as part of the Dinosaurs Forever! box set. (Blu-ray)

Revolutionary War Weapons (2025) – A documentary about the muskets, submarines, and other weapons that helped the Americans win the Revolutionary War, presented as an episode of Nova. (DVD)

Route 66 Turns 75: A Special Anniversary Celebration (1994) – A documentary about a road trip along the titular highway in celebration of its 75th birthday. Released as part of the Route 66: The Ultimate DVD Collection. (DVD)

Saving the Animals of Ukraine (2024) – A PBS documentary about Ukrainian citizens saving animals left behind during the Russian invasion and war, presented as an episode of Nature. (DVD)

Secrets of Great British Castles Season 1 – A docuseries presenting the histories of six castles: Warwick, Dover, Caernarfon, the Tower of London, Carrickfergus, and Stirling. (DVD)

Sherman’s March (1985) – A 4K re-release of a classic first-person documentary feature by Ross McElwee about his romantic pursuits amidst his Civil War history project. *NONFICS PICK* (VOD)

Son of Dinosaurs (1988) – A short documentary about dinosaurs. Released as part of the Dinosaurs Forever! box set. (Blu-ray)
Stallone: Frank, That Is (2021) – A documentary feature about actor Frank Stallone. (DVD)

Tell Them You Love Me (2023) – A documentary about a scandalous relationship between a professor and a nonverbal person with cerebral palsy. (Kino Film Collection)

Tom Lehrer: Live in Copenhagen (1967) – A concert film starring Tom Lehrer as he performs “Studenterforeningen.” (DVD)

Under the Lights: Lionel Messi (2025) – A medium-length documentary about the titular soccer player. (DVD)

Under the Lights: Maradona (2022) – A medium-length documentary about soccer player Diego Armando Maradona. (DVD)

Untold Mr. T: I Pity the Fool – A documentary feature in the Untold series about Mr. T. (Netflix)

The Volcano Show (1988) – An incomplete documentary special about volcanoes. Released as part of the Dinosaurs Forever! box set. (Blu-ray)

We Want the Funk! (2025) – A documentary by Stanley Nelson and Nicole London chronicling the history of funk music. Read our review of We Want the Funk! (DVD)

The Whale Detective (2020) – A documentary that investigates whether whales have purposefully harmed humans, presented as an episode of Nature. (DVD)

What Are UFOs? (2025) – A documentary about the possible existence of UFOs, presented as an episode of Nova. (DVD)

The Wondrous World of Weird Animals (1993) – A short documentary about strange but real creatures. Released as part of the Dinosaurs Forever! box set. (Blu-ray)

Woodpeckers: The Hole Story (2022) – A documentary about woodpeckers presented as an episode of Nature. (DVD)

Wednesday, September 9, 2026

Don’t Look Back in Anger (2026) – A documentary about the band Oasis as they reunite for their 2025 tour. (In IMAX Theaters)

ER: Caught on Camera Season 1, Episode 10 – The latest installment of a docuseries in which medical patients recall experiences in hospital emergency rooms. (TLC)

Expedition X Season 12, Episode 4: “Ghosts of Guam” – The latest installment of a paranormal investigation series. (Discovery)

Freeports – The Beauty of Tax Free Storage (2021) – A medium-length documentary about tax havens. (OVID)

Untold Stories of the ER Season 14, Episode 4 – The latest installment of a docuseries about difficult emergency room cases. (TLC)

Who Moves America (2026) – A documentary feature following UPS-employed members of the Teamsters union as they prepare to strike nationwide. (In Theaters)

Thursday, September 10, 2026

A Killer Story Episode 1: “Welcome to Topeka” – The first episode of a three-part true-crime docuseries about a double murder, the ex-wife who allegedly committed the crime, and the citizen sleuths who believe she’s innocent. (HBO & HBO Max)

The Oldest Person in the World (2026) – A documentary feature directed by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Sam Green (The Weather Underground) about people who have held the titular record over the last decade. See our highlights section for more info and a link to our review. *NONFICS PICK* (In Theaters)

Six Days in June (2007) – A documentary about the Six-Day War in the Middle East in 1967. (OVID)

Spiezio (2026) – A medium-length documentary about Major League Baseball player Scott Spiezio. (In Theaters)

We Never Left (2024) – A documentary feature about three Lebanese immigrants in New York City during the country’s recent revolution. (OVID)

WrestleHer (2026) – An 11-part docuseries about the rise of girls’ high school wrestling. (Allez! Sports and Documentary+)

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Sneak Peek At What’s Coming Soon

9/11 – A Marble in the Jar – A documentary feature about surfer Tatiana Weston-Webb and her coach, Greg Browning. (In Theaters)

9/11 – Mighty Mary – A documentary feature narrated by Elizabeth Banks and Hugh Jackman about the first-ever all-women’s sailing crew to compete for the America’s Cup. Watch the new trailer for the film below. (In Theaters)

9/14 – Ghost in the Machine – A documentary feature by Valerie Veatch (Me at the Zoo) about AI’s background in eugenics and misogyny. (PBS)

9/17 – First They Came for My College – A documentary feature about a right-wing political coup at a public college in Florida. Watch the new trailer for the film below. (In Theaters)

9/20 – How to Live on Earth – A documentary feature presented by Benedict Cumberbatch about our connection to nature. (YouTube)

9/30 – The Widower: ‘Til Death Do Us Part – A true-crime documentary feature by Chris Smith (The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann) about a man wed six times and widowed suspiciously in six of those marriages. Watch the new trailer for the film below. (Netflix)

10/12 – Always Lalisa – A documentary feature by Sue Kim (The Last of the Sea Women) that follows a year in the life of Blackpink rapper/singer Lalisa Manoban, aka Lisa, as she embarks on a solo career. (In IMAX Theaters)

10/16 – Once Upon a Time in Harlem – A documentary feature co-directed by the late William Greaves (Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take One), resurrecting footage he shot in 1972 of a get-together of Harlem Renaissance legends. Watch the new trailer for the film below. (In Theaters)

10/21 – One in a Million – A Sundance-winning documentary feature that captures 10 years in the life of a Syrian refugee and her family. Read our review of One in a Million. *NONFICS PICK* Watch the new trailer for the film here. (In Theaters)

10/30 – Everest: The Other Side – A documentary feature by Oscar winners Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin (Free Solo) that follows mountaineering couple Jim Morrison and Hilaree Nelson as they climb and ski the North Face of Mount Everest. Watch the new trailer for the film below. (In IMAX Theaters)

10/30 – Who Killed Alex Odeh? – A documentary feature about the 1985 assassination of the titular Palestinian-American civil rights activist. *NONFICS PICK* Watch the new trailer for the film here. (In Theaters)

12/11 – George Michael: The Faith Tour – A concert film starring George Michael that was originally shot in 1988. Watch the new trailer for the film below. (In Theaters)

It’s fall film festival season! This is a time I currently hate because I keep hearing about documentaries I have no way of seeing, and more importantly, neither do you. I also miss the days when I had the time and clout to attend several film festivals around the world, mostly on their dime (I could never really afford most of them). Now, due to family and financial reasons (mine and film festivals’ or their local tourism boards’), I attend no festivals throughout the year, let alone the big fall events.

At least I’ve been there, done that with Toronto and New York, but Venice and Telluride are on my bucket list if anyone wants to sponsor my coverage in the future. Otherwise, I’ll get to the highly anticipated latest from Barbara Kopple, Chai Vasarhelyi & Jimmy Chin, Nanette Burstein, Robert Greene, Frank Marshall, Ava DuVernay, Ron Howard, Laura Poitras, Alex Gibney, Julia Loktev, Liz Garbus, Joshua Oppenheimer, Ben Proudfoot, Bill Morrison, Viktor Kossakovsky, Sophie Fiennes, and Rebecca Huntt when they’re on their way to you.

In addition to looking forward to what’s to come, this week I’m thinking a lot about what’s come before and left behind. As if our latest Pick of the Week weren’t melancholy enough, there have been a lot of celebrity deaths lately that have me thinking about the ways these people will be frozen in time, to quote from that top highlight below. I wish to direct you to a post at That Documentary Girl showcasing documentaries about or featuring Hayden Panettiere, Dolly Parton, Tim Curry, and others. Of course, Gloria Steinem could have a list all her own for the number of documentaries she’s participated in or appeared in via archival footage.

Without further ado, below are this week’s documentary highlights, followed by daily listings for all known releases and broadcasts, along with a brief look at what’s coming soon for doc fans (including the latest from William Greaves, Chris Smith, and Chai Vasarhelyi & Jimmy Chin. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber to receive more in-depth highlights and reviews in the future, plus full access to special posts like our best-of lists, and to give me more time to watch more (if not everything) available. If you have a doc needing coverage or a mention, you can reach us at nonficseditor (at) gmail and let us know about its release plans.

Nonfics Pick Of The Week: The Oldest Person In The World (2026)

Many documentarians, especially those prone to first-person narration, reach a point where they make a film about mortality. Maybe it’s because they get to a certain age, or they receive an unfortunate diagnosis, or a parent or other loved one dies. Or they have children — which I know from experience can really alter your sense of time — and film them through the years. The pandemic also put death at the forefront of all our minds, but especially the minds of those recording reality daily.

Sam Green checks all these boxes with his documentary The Oldest Person in the World, which he began a decade ago just after his father died and right as he was becoming a father himself for the first time. Then he found out he had a rare blood cancer. He had also just turned 50, which is technically past midlife based on the average lifespan, yet below middle age for those who make it past 100. Perhaps that’s one reason he made this film, which spotlights several women who live to 116, 117, or even 119.

[continue reading this review of The Oldest Person in the World]

The Oldest Person in the World (version 1.0) will be released in theaters on Thursday, September 10, 2026, via

Other Documentary Highlights

Barbara Forever (2026)

Lesbian cinema pioneer Barbara Hammer died in 2019, but that hasn’t kept her from narrating her own documentary. Barbara Forever employs the avant-garde filmmaker’s audio diaries to tell her life story rather than recruiting fans or academics to convince us of her importance. We can also see that significance for ourselves with the many clips of her films that make up the documentary, supplemented by her voiceover commentary providing biographical and professional context. Brydie O’Connor, making her feature directorial debut by building upon her 2022 short, Love, Barbara, does a commendable job with a tribute artistically suited to Hammer’s legacy.

Barbara Forever will be released in theaters on Friday, September 4, 2026.

Brailled It (2026)

There is much to be admired about Brailled It, a competition documentary showcasing the annual Braille Challenge. One is that the film includes audio descriptions throughout, making it automatically accessible for blind and low-vision audiences. Another is that it’s shot by its three main characters, each of whom wears a camera that records their experience at the Braille literacy competition. The three kids also received directing credit.

The cameras aren’t at eye level, so most of the footage is captured from a low angle, creating some visual disorientation for those of us with sight. Story-wise, it’s a pretty simple example of the genre, climaxing with an awards ceremony. But it’s difficult to connect with the characters since we’re mostly encountering them off-camera through the first-person video perspective. Mainly, it’s interesting as an introduction to the event and the tools it tests the kids on.

Brailled It will be released in theaters on Friday, September 4, 2026.

Folktales (2025) & Teenage Wasteland (2025)

Two notable teen-focused documentaries that premiered back at Sundance 2025 are making big streaming platform debuts this week. Folktales is the latest feature by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady and follows three young characters as they attend a unique school in the Arctic. The positive and heartwarming coming-of-age documentary lacks dramatic narrative tension but is visually appealing and worth watching at least twice. As I wrote in my review of Folktales, “By the end of the film, when each character’s next steps are shared, and the whole picture is in the rearview, the beauty and sensitivity of the documentary are finally considered in their impressionistic totality, and you’ll want to go back and watch it again with that perspective.”

While Folktales has already been available to stream on Kanopy and to rent or own digitally, Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine’s Teenage Wasteland has really needed a platform. The film, which premiered as Middletown, ranks high on our list of the best documentaries of 2025 and is probably one of the least-seen titles there. From my capsule review from last fall: “Teenage Wasteland chronicles, through present-day talking head interviews and a lot of archival footage, an investigation by high school students in the 1990s into an environmental conspiracy….I have to recommend this documentary because its storytelling is near-perfect, thrillingly guiding viewers through the narrative as if it were unfolding right in front of them.”

Folktales and Teenage Wasteland begin streaming on Netflix on Friday, September 4, with the latter film available exclusively on the platform.

Remake (2025)

Ross McElwee’s Remake focuses on the director’s son, Adrian, who died of an accidental drug overdose a decade ago. It is a film in conversation with his previous feature, Photographic Memory, and also heavily references his breakthrough 1985 documentary, Sherman’s March, which was optioned for a fictional adaptation. McElwee was planning on documenting the production of that remake, and Adrian was hoping to work on the Hollywood project in some capacity. Remake is the resulting document of neither of those things panning out, one of them expiring, and Adrian tragically passing away. It’s a film full of mournful reflection and regret, yet it doesn’t play too sorrowfully. Read our interview with McElwee about it here.

Remake will air on PBS as an episode of POV on Monday, September 7, 2026, and will then be available to stream through PBS’s online channels. This film and Sherman’s March will also be released on VOD on Tuesday, September 8, 2026.

Top Of The World (2026)

Another documentary commemorating the upcoming 25th anniversary of 9/11 comes out this week, and it’s a bit different in terms of its size, shape, and sentiment. Top of the World is a short film directed by the Oscar-nominated duo of Julie Cohen and Betsy West (RBG) in remembrance of the lives lost in a restaurant located on one of the uppermost floors of the World Trade Center’s North Tower. The film looks back at the eatery’s history while also recognizing the diversity of its staff, many of whom were immigrants. These two sides of the film coalesce well enough for what it wishes to report on, though the latter is more effective. There’s not a lot to care about concerning the Windows on the World restaurant as an entity outside of the tragedy.

Top of the World premieres on CNN on Monday, September 7, 2026.

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Documentary Release Calendar 8/28/26 – 9/3/26

Friday, September 4, 2026

Austin City Limits Season 52, Episode 1: “Carlos Vives y La Provincia” – The return of a long-running music series. This installment stars Colombian singer Carlos Vives. (PBS)

Barbara Forever (2026) – A documentary feature executive-produced by Kristen Stewart about the pioneering lesbian filmmaker Barbara Hammer. See our highlights section for more info and a brief review. (In Theaters)

Brailled It (2026) – A documentary feature about a competition for blind and low-vision children completely filmed by three of its entrants. See our highlights section for more info and a brief review. (In Theaters)

Charles Grodin: Rebel with a Cause (2025) – A documentary feature about the titular actor and talk show host. (TCM)

Conan O’Brien Must Go Season 3, Episode 3: “Morocco” – The latest installment of a travel series starring Conan O’Brien. (HBO and HBO Max)

Deadliest Catch Season 22, Episode 16: “Contagion” – The latest installment of a series that follows Alaskan crab fishermen. (Discovery Channel)

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. (TCM)

Folktales (2025) – A documentary by Oscar-nominated filmmakers Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady (Jesus Camp) about a folk high school in Arctic Norway. See our highlights section for more info and a link to our review. (Netflix)

Give it a Shot (2026) – A documentary feature about the launch of a male contraceptive. (In Theaters)

The Grand Tour Season 7 – The return of a docuseries that follows three men as they drive various automobiles around the world. All six new episodes will be released together. (Prime Video)

Instadocs: The Decoy Plane (2026) – A documentary about President Trump’s recent secret flight switch from Air Force One in Turkey. (Netflix)

The Miracle of Sound (1940) – A short documentary showing how sound movies are made. (TCM)

The Program: Texas Tech (2026) – A four-part docuseries narrated by Dennis Quaid about the Texas Tech University Red Raiders College Football Program. (Paramount+)

Teenage Wasteland (2025) – A documentary feature by Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine about high school students uncovering a conspiracy in their town. See our highlights section for more info and a link to our review. *NONFICS PICK* (Netflix)

The Work in Progress (2026) – A documentary that follows Americans as they discuss cultural, political, economic, and generational divisions. (In Theaters)

Saturday, September 5, 2026

The Cincinnati Kid Plays According to Hoyle (1965) – A short film about magician and gambler Jay Ose, who served as a technical advisor for the film The Cincinnati Kid. (TCM)

Crashing the Movies (1950) – A short film presenting clips of people performing strange stunts. (TCM)

Handlebars (1933) – A short film presenting the history of the bicycle. (TCM)

Super Animals Season 4, Episode 3 – The latest episode of a nature docuseries for kids about animals with special traits. (National Geographic)

Yanuni (2025) – An Oscar-shortlisted documentary feature directed by Richard Ladkani (Sea of Shadows) and produced by Leonardo DiCaprio about an indigenous chief trying to protect her ancestral lands. (Leonardo DiCaprio’s YouTube Channel)

Sunday, September 6, 2026

Hazardous History with Henry Winkler Season 2, Episode 20: “Surviving the ‘70s” – The latest installment of a docuseries about dangerous toys and household items that were common in the past. This episode looks back at how unsafe the 1970s were. (History)

The Mega-Brands That Built America Season 4, Episode 6: “Rise of the Personal Computer” – The latest installment of a docuseries about iconic brands. This installment covers early personal computer companies like Microsoft and Apple. (History)

Monday, September 7, 2026

The Hoaxters (1952) – A short documentary about totalitarian dictators, including Adolf Hitler and the leaders of the Soviet Union, being con men. *NONFICS PICK* (TCM)

The Hooters Murders: Deadly Shift (2026) – A true-crime documentary about three Hooters employees killed between 2001 and 2010. (Oxygen)

Mirrors (1934) – A short film starring Freddie Rich and His Orchestra as they perform popular songs. (TCM)

Personalities (1942) – A short film about Hollywood performers at the start of their careers. (TCM)

OJ Unseen: Exploitation of Evil (2026) – A four-part docuseries about O.J. Simpson’s attempt at a comeback with a prank show. (Investigation Discovery)

Remake (2025) – A first-person documentary feature by Ross McElwee about the death of his son and an attempt to remake his classic film Sherman’s March as a narrative feature. Presented as an episode of POV. See our highlights section for more info and a link to our review. *NONFICS PICK* (PBS)

Rural Mexico (1935) – A short documentary installment of James A. FitzPatrick’s TravelTalks travelogue franchise that explores small towns in Mexico, including Mazatlán, Toluca, and Taxco. (TCM)

The Singing Nun (1966) – A short film on the making of the movie of the same name. (TCM)

Somebody Knows Something Season 1, Episode 6: “Lost at the Science Fair” – The latest installment of a true-crime series about unsolved murder and missing persons cases. This episode involves a missing second grader in Portland. (Freeform)

Spanish Fiesta (1942) – A short film starring the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo as they perform a ballet to Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Capriccio Espagnol.” (TCM)

Top of the World (2026) – A short documentary by Oscar-nominated directors Julie Cohen and Betsy West (RBG) about Windows on the World, the restaurant at the top of the World Trade Center. See our highlights section for more info and a brief review. (CNN)

Whispers (1941) – A short film about the power of gossip. (TCM)

Tuesday, September 8, 2026

20 Days in Mariupol (2023) – An Oscar-winning documentary by Mstyslav Chernov about the Russian invasion of Ukraine. *NONFICS PICK* (DVD)

2000 Meters to Andriivka (2025) – A documentary by Oscar-winning director Mstyslav Chernov (20 Days in Mariupol) about a Ukrainian platoon’s effort to liberate a village from Russian occupation. Read our review of 2000 Meters to Andriivka. *NONFICS PICK* (DVD)

Alice: Curiouser and Curiouser (2026) – A documentary about Alice in Wonderland. (DVD)

An American Family (1973) – A classic docuseries about a typical suburban family, the Louds. *NONFICS PICK* (DVD)

American Historia: The Untold History of Latinos (2024) – A PBS docuseries under the VOCES banner starring John Leguizamo about Latino history. (DVD)

Bastard. The Legacy of Pinochet’s Genocide (2023) – A documentary by Pepe Rovano about his discovery that his father was the head of Chilean police intelligence under Pinochet. (OVID)

Bears (2019) – A documentary about all kinds of bears around the world presented as an episode of American Experience. (DVD)

Becoming Elephant: The Orphans of Reteti – Baby Steps (2026) – A documentary about a disabled orphan elephant presented as an episode of Nature. (DVD)

Big Cats, Small World (2024) – A docuseries about three species of African big cats, presented as an installment of Nature. (DVD)

The Black Church: This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song (2021) – A docuseries about the history of Black churches and African-American faith. (DVD)

The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution (2015) – A documentary feature by Stanley Nelson about the Black Panther Party. Read our review of The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution. (DVD)

Border 197 (2025) – A docuseries by Drew Blinsky about his effort to visit every country on Earth. (DVD)

Bring Her Home (2022) – A medium-length documentary about indigenous women seeking justice for relatives lost to violence against Native women. (DVD)

The Bug Show (1988) – An incomplete documentary special about insects. Released as part of the Dinosaurs Forever! box set. (Blu-ray)

Critical Condition: Health in Black America (2025) – A documentary feature about systemic racism in the U.S. medical system presented as an episode of Nova. (DVD)

Dino Birds (2025) – A documentary about how birds are the descendants of dinosaurs, presented as an episode of Nova. (DVD)

Dinosaurs, Dinosaurs, Dinosaurs (1985) – A short documentary about dinosaurs. Released as part of the Dinosaurs Forever! box set. (Blu-ray)

Dracula’s Hidden Kingdom (2024) – A documentary about the wildlife of Transylvania presented as an episode of Nature. (DVD)

Drag Heals Season 1 – The first season of a docuseries about drag performers. (DVD)

Dreams (1940) – A short film in MGM’s Passing Parade series that examines the meaning of various dreams. (TCM)

The Egg: Life’s Perfect Invention (2019) – A documentary hosted by Sir David Attenborough about the egg, presented as an episode of Nature. (DVD)

Equus: Story of the Horse (2018) – A documentary feature about the history of horsepower and humans’ love of horses. (DVD)

Finding Happy (2025) – A documentary feature about a woman who saved an injured sparrow. (DVD)

Forgotten Hero: Walter White and The NAACP (2025) – A documentary about the titular civil rights activist, presented as an episode of American Experience. (DVD)

The Gilded Age (2018) – A documentary about wealth disparities in the U.S., presented as an episode of American Experience. (DVD)

Grizzly 399: Queen of the Tetons (2024) – A documentary about a famous bear and her four cubs presented as an episode of Nature. (DVD)

Highway 66 Revisited (1992) – A documentary about a road trip along Route 66. Released as part of the Route 66: The Ultimate DVD Collection. (DVD)

The Hummingbird Effect (2023) – A documentary about hummingbirds in Costa Rica presented as an episode of Nature. (DVD)

Hummingbirds of Hollywood (2025) – A PBS documentary about a woman who cares for wounded hummingbirds, presented as an episode of Nature. (DVD)

I Lived with a Killer Season 1 – A true-crime docuseries about serial killers’ family members. (DVD)

Ishiro Honda: Memoirs of a Film Director (2025) – A documentary about the titular Japanese filmmaker best known for helming the original Godzilla. (Blu-ray)

The Jewish Journey: America (2015) – A medium-length documentary about Jewish immigration to America through the centuries. (DVD)

A Journey Down Route 66 (1994) – A documentary about the titular highway. Released as part of the Route 66: The Ultimate DVD Collection. (DVD)

Karlton: The Dunkin’ Hines Story (2026) – A documentary feature about basketball player Karlton Hines. (DVD)

Katavi – Africa’s Fallen Paradise (2024) – A PBS docuseries about animal survival during an extreme weather event in the titular national park in Tanzania, presented as an episode of Nature. (DVD)

Kissinger (2025) – A documentary about former National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger presented as an episode of American Experience. (DVD)

Last Stand at Little Bighorn (1992) – A documentary about the titular 1876 battle presented as an episode of American Experience. (DVD)

Life Behind the Stars (2016) – A medium-length documentary about the link between life on Earth and the history of the rest of the universe. (DVD)

Luminaries: Pope Francis (2025) – A short documentary about Pope Francis. (DVD)

More Dinosaurs (1985) – A short documentary about dinosaurs. Released as part of the Dinosaurs Forever! box set. (Blu-ray)

Museum Alive with David Attenborough (2025) – A documentary tour of the Natural History Museum in London hosted by Sir David Attenborough, presented as an episode of Nature. (DVD)

Nature: Parenthood (2026) – A docuseries in the Nature franchise narrated by Sir David Attenborough that showcases animal parents around the world. (DVD)

Nazi Town, USA (2024) – A documentary about a pro-Nazi group in the U.S. in the 1930s presented as an episode of American Experience. (DVD)

Our Old Car (1946) – A short film in which writer, producer, and narrator John Nesbitt traces his life story based on the cars his father owned. (TCM)

Patrick and the Whale (2022) – A documentary about sperm whales presented as an episode of Nature. (DVD)

Phantom Parrot (2023) – A documentary feature about a top-secret British surveillance program. (Blu-ray)

Philly on Fire (2021) – A documentary about the 1985 bombing of an activist group’s home by the Philadelphia Police Department. (DVD)

The Pilgrims (2015) – A documentary about the founding of Plymouth County and the first Thanksgiving presented as an episode of American Experience. (DVD)

Plants Behaving Badly (2017) – A two-part PBS documentary about carnivorous plants and orchids. (DVD)

Pompeii: The New Dig (2024) – A docuseries about an extensive archaeological dig of Pompeii. (DVD)

Prehistoric World (1993) – A short documentary about dinosaurs. Released as part of the Dinosaurs Forever! box set. (Blu-ray)

President in Waiting (2020) – A documentary feature about the office of the Vice President of the United States. (DVD and Blu-ray)

Remake (2025) – A first-person documentary feature by Ross McElwee about the death of his son and an attempt to remake his classic film Sherman’s March as a narrative feature. See our highlights section for more info. *NONFICS PICK* (VOD)

The Return of Dinosaurs (1993) – A short documentary about dinosaurs. Released as part of the Dinosaurs Forever! box set. (Blu-ray)

Revolutionary War Weapons (2025) – A documentary about the muskets, submarines, and other weapons that helped the Americans win the Revolutionary War, presented as an episode of Nova. (DVD)

Route 66 Turns 75: A Special Anniversary Celebration (1994) – A documentary about a road trip along the titular highway in celebration of its 75th birthday. Released as part of the Route 66: The Ultimate DVD Collection. (DVD)

Saving the Animals of Ukraine (2024) – A PBS documentary about Ukrainian citizens saving animals left behind during the Russian invasion and war, presented as an episode of Nature. (DVD)

Secrets of Great British Castles Season 1 – A docuseries presenting the histories of six castles: Warwick, Dover, Caernarfon, the Tower of London, Carrickfergus, and Stirling. (DVD)

Sherman’s March (1985) – A 4K re-release of a classic first-person documentary feature by Ross McElwee about his romantic pursuits amidst his Civil War history project. *NONFICS PICK* (VOD)

Son of Dinosaurs (1988) – A short documentary about dinosaurs. Released as part of the Dinosaurs Forever! box set. (Blu-ray)
Stallone: Frank, That Is (2021) – A documentary feature about actor Frank Stallone. (DVD)

Tell Them You Love Me (2023) – A documentary about a scandalous relationship between a professor and a nonverbal person with cerebral palsy. (Kino Film Collection)

Tom Lehrer: Live in Copenhagen (1967) – A concert film starring Tom Lehrer as he performs “Studenterforeningen.” (DVD)

Under the Lights: Lionel Messi (2025) – A medium-length documentary about the titular soccer player. (DVD)

Under the Lights: Maradona (2022) – A medium-length documentary about soccer player Diego Armando Maradona. (DVD)

Untold Mr. T: I Pity the Fool – A documentary feature in the Untold series about Mr. T. (Netflix)

The Volcano Show (1988) – An incomplete documentary special about volcanoes. Released as part of the Dinosaurs Forever! box set. (Blu-ray)

We Want the Funk! (2025) – A documentary by Stanley Nelson and Nicole London chronicling the history of funk music. Read our review of We Want the Funk! (DVD)

The Whale Detective (2020) – A documentary that investigates whether whales have purposefully harmed humans, presented as an episode of Nature. (DVD)

What Are UFOs? (2025) – A documentary about the possible existence of UFOs, presented as an episode of Nova. (DVD)

The Wondrous World of Weird Animals (1993) – A short documentary about strange but real creatures. Released as part of the Dinosaurs Forever! box set. (Blu-ray)

Woodpeckers: The Hole Story (2022) – A documentary about woodpeckers presented as an episode of Nature. (DVD)

Wednesday, September 9, 2026

Don’t Look Back in Anger (2026) – A documentary about the band Oasis as they reunite for their 2025 tour. (In IMAX Theaters)

ER: Caught on Camera Season 1, Episode 10 – The latest installment of a docuseries in which medical patients recall experiences in hospital emergency rooms. (TLC)

Expedition X Season 12, Episode 4: “Ghosts of Guam” – The latest installment of a paranormal investigation series. (Discovery)

Freeports – The Beauty of Tax Free Storage (2021) – A medium-length documentary about tax havens. (OVID)

Untold Stories of the ER Season 14, Episode 4 – The latest installment of a docuseries about difficult emergency room cases. (TLC)

Who Moves America (2026) – A documentary feature following UPS-employed members of the Teamsters union as they prepare to strike nationwide. (In Theaters)

Thursday, September 10, 2026

A Killer Story Episode 1: “Welcome to Topeka” – The first episode of a three-part true-crime docuseries about a double murder, the ex-wife who allegedly committed the crime, and the citizen sleuths who believe she’s innocent. (HBO & HBO Max)

The Oldest Person in the World (2026) – A documentary feature directed by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Sam Green (The Weather Underground) about people who have held the titular record over the last decade. See our highlights section for more info and a link to our review. *NONFICS PICK* (In Theaters)

Six Days in June (2007) – A documentary about the Six-Day War in the Middle East in 1967. (OVID)

Spiezio (2026) – A medium-length documentary about Major League Baseball player Scott Spiezio. (In Theaters)

We Never Left (2024) – A documentary feature about three Lebanese immigrants in New York City during the country’s recent revolution. (OVID)

WrestleHer (2026) – An 11-part docuseries about the rise of girls’ high school wrestling. (Allez! Sports and Documentary+)

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Sneak Peek At What’s Coming Soon

9/11 – A Marble in the Jar – A documentary feature about surfer Tatiana Weston-Webb and her coach, Greg Browning. (In Theaters)

9/11 – Mighty Mary – A documentary feature narrated by Elizabeth Banks and Hugh Jackman about the first-ever all-women’s sailing crew to compete for the America’s Cup. Watch the new trailer for the film below. (In Theaters)

9/14 – Ghost in the Machine – A documentary feature by Valerie Veatch (Me at the Zoo) about AI’s background in eugenics and misogyny. (PBS)

9/17 – First They Came for My College – A documentary feature about a right-wing political coup at a public college in Florida. Watch the new trailer for the film below. (In Theaters)

9/20 – How to Live on Earth – A documentary feature presented by Benedict Cumberbatch about our connection to nature. (YouTube)

9/30 – The Widower: ‘Til Death Do Us Part – A true-crime documentary feature by Chris Smith (The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann) about a man wed six times and widowed suspiciously in six of those marriages. Watch the new trailer for the film below. (Netflix)

10/12 – Always Lalisa – A documentary feature by Sue Kim (The Last of the Sea Women) that follows a year in the life of Blackpink rapper/singer Lalisa Manoban, aka Lisa, as she embarks on a solo career. (In IMAX Theaters)

10/16 – Once Upon a Time in Harlem – A documentary feature co-directed by the late William Greaves (Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take One), resurrecting footage he shot in 1972 of a get-together of Harlem Renaissance legends. Watch the new trailer for the film below. (In Theaters)

10/21 – One in a Million – A Sundance-winning documentary feature that captures 10 years in the life of a Syrian refugee and her family. Read our review of One in a Million. *NONFICS PICK* Watch the new trailer for the film here. (In Theaters)

10/30 – Everest: The Other Side – A documentary feature by Oscar winners Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin (Free Solo) that follows mountaineering couple Jim Morrison and Hilaree Nelson as they climb and ski the North Face of Mount Everest. Watch the new trailer for the film below. (In IMAX Theaters)

10/30 – Who Killed Alex Odeh? – A documentary feature about the 1985 assassination of the titular Palestinian-American civil rights activist. *NONFICS PICK* Watch the new trailer for the film here. (In Theaters)

12/11 – George Michael: The Faith Tour – A concert film starring George Michael that was originally shot in 1988. Watch the new trailer for the film below. (In Theaters)