Exclusive: IndieWire exclusively debuts the trailer for a striking film about one of horror’s most beautiful disasters.
<a href=”https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/videos/photography/documentary-storytelling-with-sergio-melendez” hreflang=”en”><img loading=”lazy” src=”https://static.bhphotovideo.com/explora/sites/default/files/video/TS-Documentary-Storytelling-with-Sergio-Melendez.jpg” width=”960″ height=”540″ alt=”” />
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<br /><p>Sergio Meléndez is an independent documentary photographer with over two decades of experience. Sergio shows you how to define a personal photographic style through documentary storytelling, finding a clear direction in your work to building projects with coherence and depth.</p>
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<li data-list-item-id=”ec3c82a04195a32b417c8f992a8ae1c31″>0:00 – Intro</li>
<li data-list-item-id=”ebd50f62e7fd2d055204dd2dbe8b289e6″>3:36 – Documentary photography as identity & memory</li>
<li data-list-item-id=”eff3f2f284b26320e2d5c54c0edffb84e”>5:45 – Develop your voice</li>
<li data-list-item-id=”e5126b89413cb16c1ab9a87af5e18226e”>8:26 – What is documentary storytelling?</li>
<li data-list-item-id=”ec0bef3aaaac0692c9f9457210dd6e6ad”>13:04 – What do you want to say with your images?</li>
<li data-list-item-id=”e0840bf4cfa132891cf0a3396b8d3acd9″>15:07 – How Sergio defines his style</li>
<li data-list-item-id=”ecbc2cd58dd0e0651e1e64627fcf81bd2″>27:12 – Take risks</li>
<li data-list-item-id=”e0244861d87a82abfea17798c923d5dcf”>31:07 – Show your work</li>
<li data-list-item-id=”e5d91a273ce3e6f774b85d87351456b64″>39:39 – Building style & believing in yourself</li>
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<a href=”https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/video/tips-and-solutions/so-you-want-to-be-a-documentarian” hreflang=”en”><img loading=”lazy” src=”https://static.bhphotovideo.com/explora/sites/default/files/TS-So-You-Want-to-be-a-Documentarian.png” width=”960″ height=”540″ alt=”So You Want to be a Documentarian” title=”So You Want to be a Documentarian” />
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<br /><p>Many moons ago, when the economy was unstable and layoffs were rampant, this author decided to switch careers to pursue filmmaking. With a new perspective and energy, but without any guidance, knowledge, or tools, going back to school for digital filmmaking was a no-brainer. The aim was to tell real stories in documentary form, and it became a challenging but ultimately rewarding adventure.</p>
<h2>Tips for Starting Out</h2>
<p>If you’re just starting out at the dawn of your student career, or find yourself older and wiser looking for a change, and you want to make documentaries– how do you begin? For the younger folks, your school will be the place to borrow most of your gear and use your classes and experiences on campus as a starting point. Start looking at doc formats: feature-length films, social-media reels, or corporate/non-profit shorts. Choose styles that fit your stories: talking heads, freeform, stock footage, or b-roll with narration. Go to seminars, borrow gear from film collectives, get feedback from focus groups, watch <a href=”https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/videos/video/want-to-be-a-filmmaker” target=”_blank”>instructional videos</a>, and most important of all—watch documentaries. As many as possible.</p>
<p><img class=”image-insert__auto” src=”https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/sites/default/files/Tips-for-Starting-Out.jpg” data-entity-uuid=”insert-auto-cfa4927c-38fc-4821-8938-ad78fe7c9a1e” data-entity-type=”file” alt=”Tips for Starting Out” width=”700″ height=”394″ title=”Tips for Starting Out” loading=”lazy”>
</p><p>For more life-experienced folks who are returning to school, you may need to consider supplementing the school-provided gear, investing in your own kit and finding gigs while taking classes.</p> …
Another month ends, as we enter the fourth quarter of the second third of the year (fractions are our friends). Kids down here in the south are heading back to school (we have a list of films to get them ready for that), which means I’ll be driving them around to camps and activities less and can hopefully write about documentaries more. This week’s selection of new releases (well, the pair I’ve watched) is interesting because they’re both about animals kept in captivity at some point in their lives. These documentaries aren’t similar in any other way, but seeing them back-to-back got me thinking a lot about zoos, unfavorably, and especially about animal lovers.
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. 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 now reach us at nonficseditor (at) gmail.
Nonfics Picks Of The Week: Wild Inside (2026)
One of my favorite animal-focused documentaries of all time is The Whale, a 2011 feature narrated by Ryan Reynolds and executive-produced by Reynolds and his then-wife, Scarlett Johansson. It’s about an orca who separates from his pod and sticks around Nootka Sound on Vancouver Island because he can’t get enough of the human attention he’s received there. In a piece I wrote 15 years ago for the IndieWire blog Spout, I called it the type of film involving “complicated contemplations of man’s treatment of other species.” I also stated, “It tells us the hard truth that even animals who seem to want and enjoy human interaction should not receive our affection and attention.”
I could have written the same comment in a review of Penny Lane’s Wild Inside, another great animal-focused documentary that deals with one creature who received way more attention than he should have. Flaco the owl escaped from the Central Park Zoo in New York City in 2023 and became a local sensation first for eluding the authorities who tried to return her to an enclosure and then for adapting to her new freedom in the Big Apple. Flaco’s story challenged notions of how animals born in captivity would fare in the wild. But her story also complicates that challenge by her becoming more observed than she ever was while in a cage at the zoo.
The film plays as seemingly simple, telling the whole story of Flaco’s escape, rise in fame, and eventual fate in a straightforward chronological manner. Lane interviews people who followed or came into contact with the bird and presents them in ways that fit seamlessly into the story as it unfolds, as if she filmed them at the time. There are also interviews with supposed experts on wildlife and what’s best for them in or out of captivity. But Wild Inside raises many questions about the nature of animals and our fascination and interactions with them without any explicit point or debate. Anyone with any opinion about Flaco’s tale can watch the documentary and still feel right while also being confronted by other ideas.
In addition to the film’s soft yet broadly inquisitive discourse on captive versus wild, it also deals with the monoculture concept in its portrayal of the global interest in the Flaco story. Most of the characters we meet in the film are more overtly and directly attached to or invested in the owl than the wider population, but they’re also so preoccupied by this particular creature because of his notoriety and for the notoriety they receive by feeding his fame with their photographs and videos posted online. They’re not mere birders. They reminded me of the amateur sleuths that keep showing up in true-crime documentaries, but instead they’re amateur zoologists. I wish that Flaco could have told them all to get a life and let him be.
Wild Inside will be released in theaters on Friday, July 31, 2026, via Sandbox Films.
Other Documentary Highlights
American Dream (1990)
Our long American (Dream) nightmare is over! For years, I’ve been recommending Barbara Kopple’s second Oscar-winning documentary feature involving a labor strike only to realize it’s still unavailable. It hasn’t even been easily accessible via physical commercial formats. This week, American Dream finally gets a streaming home via Criterion (exclusively? I’m not sure). The same company is also putting the documentary out on DVD and Blu-ray later this month. I made the film my Pick of the Week back in May when it was re-released in theaters in 4K, so I will only repeat the following bit where I compare it to Kopple’s Harlan County, USA, which pairs well with this later masterpiece: “[it’s] just as powerful in its aim to create empathy among its viewers, especially when it puts us in the passenger seat alongside strikebreakers.”
American Dream will begin streaming exclusively on The Criterion Channel on Saturday, August 1, 2026. The film will be released on DVD and Blu-ray as part of The Criterion Collection on Tuesday, August 25, 2026.
Apple TV Documentaries
Stat Significant, one of my favorite Substacks, took a deep dive last week into the success of Apple TV as a producer of acclaimed and award-worthy series that aren’t being watched nearly as much as other streamers’ content. They focus on shows, given that Apple TV just received a bunch of Emmy nominations for Widow’s Bay and Pluribus, but the same can be said for its movies since the company won an Oscar for Best Picture (with CODA) before Netflix. Thanks to its Emmy nods and the return of Ted Lasso this week, more people should be subscribing to Apple TV, so I wanted to highlight the streamer’s best documentaries while you’re there.
Apple TV does have a lot of celebrity-driven biographical profile documentaries, but they consistently make above-average films and series within that genre by working with prestigious auteur directors. My favorites include Davis Guggenheim’s Still: A Michael J. Fox Story, Ryan White’s Come See Me in the Good Light, Rebecca Miller’s Mr. Scorsese, Reginald Hudlin’s Sidney, and Morgan Neville’s Steve! (Martin): A Documentary in 2 Pieces (especially the first half). This category extends to many of their great music docs, such as R.J. Cutler’s Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry, Andrew Dominik’s Bono: Stories of Surrender, Spike Jonze’s Beastie Boys Story, and Todd Haynes’s The Velvet Underground. I’d also include Hudlin and Shola Lynch’s Number One on the Call Sheet and Roger Ross Williams and Larissa Bills’s The Super Models in the bunch.
For more serious fare, Apple TV has some terrific political and historical documentaries, including Guggenheim and Nyle DiMarco’s Deaf President Now! and Jesse Moss and Amanda McBain’s Boys State and its even better follow-up, Girls State. For science documentaries, there’s Sue Kim’s The Last of the Sea Women, Werner Herzog and Clive Oppenheimer’s Fireball: Visitors from Darker Worlds, and a slew of nature programming like The Secret Lives of Animals, The Elephant Queen, The Year Earth Changed, and the Prehistoric Planet franchise. While I can’t endorse many of the streamer’s sports documentary titles, one series that I love that surprised me the most of anything they’ve put out is Matthew Hamachek’s The Dynasty: New England Patriots. (I can’t wait for his follow-up, The Dynasty: UConn Huskies, which debuts August 21.)
Ken Burns Documentaries
I’ve celebrated the filmography of Ken Burns in the past, but PBS is releasing a whole bunch of titles on DVD and/or Blu-ray this week, most of them directed, co-directed, or produced by the master of the archival history documentary. His most famous series, such as Civil War and Baseball are not among the new releases, some of which are newly restored, but the completist will want to see what all is coming out (in the Tuesday section of the listings, as is always the case with new physical media releases), especially the Oscar-nominated early features Brooklyn Bridge and The Statue of Liberty as well as The Central Park Five and new series such as The U.S. and the Holocaust and The American Revolution. Also, I highly recommend The Dust Bowl, especially if you’re a fan of Christopher Nolan’s Intersteller.
Monsters Of God (2026)
There will never be a docuseries hit like Tiger King, which had the good fortune of being released just as the world was experiencing the misfortune of shutting down at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. That hasn’t stopped co-director and conservationist Eric Goode from making other series that seem hopeful of catching that same lightning on subject matter alone. His first follow-up was Chimp Crazy, about an animal broker specializing in primates, and now he’s made Monsters of God, a five-part docuseries about the history of illegal reptile smuggling and the outlaws who turned the trade into a billion-dollar business — alongside deals in drugs and guns.
I’ve only had the chance to watch the first two episodes, and it’s certainly a wild history with outrageous interviewees, many of whom hate each other. But so far it’s just primarily anecdotal talking heads, not enough scenes involving character- or action-driven material. It reminds me of the Cocaine Cowboys documentaries in that way, with a lot more about animal trade and some questionable elements of the zoo industry. That’s not a bad thing. It’s certainly engrossing. And I’m anxious to continue watching, so it’s hooked me. It just hasn’t given me much to think about beyond the basic criminal plot other than curiosity about the shady things that won’t be discussed.
Monsters of God premieres its first episode on Thursday, August 6, 2026, on HBO and HBO Max, with subsequent installments released weekly.
Time And Water (2026)
Sara Dosa’s follow-up to her Oscar-nominated feature Fire of Love is not on the same level, but plenty of fans of that 2022 film will like Time and Water as well. Instead of the fiery element of volcanoes, this documentary deals with the icy element of glaciers in Iceland through the personal experience of writer Andri Snær Magnason. Here’s part of my review of the film, which I recommend for the score alone:
“Magnason heavily narrates the documentary, which is inspired by his book On Time and Water and serves as an elegy for his grandparents and the Icelandic glaciers. There is a connection. His grandparents were co-founders of the Icelandic Glacial Research Society. He was commissioned to write an obituary for the OK Glacier after it was declared dead. I say the film serves as an elegy rather than a eulogy because it does feel more somber than celebratory of either his grandparents or the ice. He honors and memorializes them plenty, but the documentary is also slow and bleak.”
Time and Water will make its broadcast premiere on National Geographic on Friday, July 31, 2026, and will begin streaming exclusively on Disney+ and Hulu on Saturday, August 1, 2026.
Viktor (2024)
One of the best documentaries released in 2025 that deserves more eyeballs is Olivier Sarbil’s phenomenal feature Viktor. As far as I know, it hasn’t been available anywhere else since hitting theaters in limited release last October. Now it’s found a streaming home, albeit one with surely fewer subscribers than even Apple TV. I recommend giving it a look, and I do mean look. Shot in black and white, Viktor follows a Deaf Ukrainian man during the Russian invasion as he attempts to join the military. Here’s some more about it, from the best of 2025 list, that hopefully intrigues you:
“Shot in black and white and employing a sound team consisting of Oscar-winning talents, this is a technical achievement the likes of which we too rarely see with nonfiction cinema because of how much staging and post-production clash with what’s appreciated by the documentary purists. Even if Viktor looks more like the documentary features made a century ago than anything else on this list.”
Viktor will begin streaming exclusively on Mubi on Saturday, August 1, 2026.
Documentary Release Calendar 7/31/26 – 8/6/26
Friday, July 31, 2026
Glimpses of Florida (1950) – A short documentary installment of James A. FitzPatrick’s TravelTalks travelogue franchise that explores popular destinations in Florida. (TCM)
Hollywood Without Make-Up (1963) – A short documentary sharing home movie clips of Hollywood stars. (TCM)
Marine Circus (1939) – A short documentary in the Pete Smith Specialty series that looks at the marine life of Marineland of Florida. (TCM)
My Strange Shark Addiction (2026) – A documentary special about people who are obsessed with sharks. Presented as part of Shark Week. (Discovery)
A Paradise Lost (2025) – A partly animated documentary feature about a bird that sued the state of Hawaii to prevent its own extinction. (In Theaters)
Save Our Souls (2025) – A documentary feature about a humanitarian organization that rescues migrants from overcrowded boats in the Mediterranean. (OVID)
Secrets of the Great White Kill (2026) – A documentary special about the intelligent hunting techniques of great white sharks. Presented as part of Shark Week. (Discovery)
Sharkzilla Takes New York (2026) – A documentary special about massive radioactive mako sharks. Presented as part of Shark Week. (Discovery)
Time and Water – A documentary feature directed by Sara Dosa (Fire of Love) about Icelandic author Andri Snær Magnason and his mission to preserve the memory of his nation’s glaciers. See our highlights section for more info and a link to our review. (National Geographic)
Wild Inside (2026) – A documentary feature by Penny Lane (Nuts!) about Central Park’s Flaco the Owl. See our highlights section for more info and a brief review. *NONFICS PICK* (In Theaters)
Saturday, August 1, 2026
American Dream (1990) – Barbara Kopple’s Oscar-winning documentary feature about a Hormel Foods labor strike in Minnesota. See our highlights section for more info. *NONFICS PICK* (The Criterion Channel)
The American Ruling Class (2005) – A hybrid feature film described as the first “dramatic-documentary-musical” that offers a tour of the corridors of power. (The Criterion Channel)
Color Me Obsessed: A Film About the Replacements (2011) – A documentary feature about the rock band The Replacements. (TCM)
Easter Snap (2019) – A short documentary by RaMell Ross about the homestead ritual of hog processing. (Mubi)
Great White Highway (2026) – A documentary special about the tracking of great white sharks as they begin migrating further north. Presented as part of Shark Week. (Discovery)
Hale County This Morning, This Evening (2018) – An Oscar-nominated feature documentary by RaMell Ross about the Black community of Hale County, Alabama. *NONFICS PICK* (Mubi)
I Heard It Through the Grapevine (1982) – A documentary starring James Baldwin as he looks back at the Civil Rights Movement. *NONFICS PICK* (The Criterion Channel)
James Baldwin: The Price of the Ticket (1989) – A documentary feature about author/civil rights activist James Baldwin. *NONFICS PICK* (The Criterion Channel)
MGM Parade Show #8 (1955) – This installment of the behind-the-scenes docuseries showcases Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant in The Philadelphia Story. (TCM)
The Real Murders of Atlanta Season 4, Episode 4: “Murder on Welcome All Road” – The latest installment of an Atlanta-focused true-crime docuseries. This episode involves the killing of a veteran. (Oxygen)
The Rock (1967) – A short documentary about the making of the film Point Blank. (TCM)
Thresher Shark: Stun to Kill (2026) – A documentary special about the physics behind thresher sharks’ tail strike. Presented as part of Shark Week. (Discovery)
Through the Night (2020) – A documentary feature about two working mothers and a child care provider whose lives intersect at a 24-hour daycare center. (The Criterion Channel)
Time and Water – A documentary feature directed by Sara Dosa (Fire of Love) about Icelandic author Andri Snær Magnason and his mission to preserve the memory of his nation’s glaciers. See our highlights section for more info. (Disney+ and Hulu)
Viktor (2024) – A documentary feature about the Russian invasion of Ukraine from the perspective of a Deaf person wishing to fight. See our highlights section for more info. *NONFICS PICK* (Mubi)
Sunday, August 2, 2026
Decades in Sports Episodes 1 & 2: “1960s” & “1970s” – The first two installments of a six-part docuseries executive produced by Tom Hanks about milestones in sports in America. (CNN)
Hazardous History with Henry Winkler Season 2, Episode 15: “Harrowing Highways” – The latest installment of a docuseries about dangerous toys and household items that used to be common. This episode involves past dangers of automotive travel. (History)
The Mega-Brands That Built America Season 4, Episode 1: “Road Warriors” – The return of a docuseries about iconic commercial brands. This installment covers the World War II-era origin of the SUV. (History)
Unknown Serial Killers of America Season 2, Episode 1 – The latest episode of a true-crime series about less-famous murderers. (Oxygen)
Monday, August 3, 2026
How I Play Golf, by Bobby Jones No. 1: ‘The Putter’ (1931) – A short documentary, the first in a series of 12, in which Bobby Jones shows off his golf skills. (TCM)
A Killer Among Friends Season 2, Episode 3: “The Murder Pact” – The latest installment of a true-crime docuseries about murders that tear friend groups apart. This episode involves the disappearance of a computer whiz. (Investigation Discovery)
The Gas Station Attendant (2025) – A documentary feature by Karla Murthy about her father’s life, from fleeing his Indian village as a child to later emigrating to the United States in pursuit of the American Dream. Presented as an episode of POV. Read our review. (PBS)
Tuesday, August 4, 2026
50 Cent: Refuse 2 Die (2005) – A documentary about the titular rapper. (DVD)
The Address (2014) – A documentary feature by Ken Burns about the Gettysburg Address. (DVD)
Africa’s Great Civilizations (2017) – A docuseries hosted by Henry Louis Gates Jr. about the history of Africa. (DVD)
The American Buffalo (2023) – A documentary feature by Ken Burns about the titular animal. (DVD and Blu-ray)
American Horses (2022) – A documentary episode of Nature about the history of American horse breeds. (DVD)
The American Revolution – A docuseries directed by Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein, and David Schmidt about the Revolutionary War. *NONFICS PICK* (DVD and Blu-ray)
Attenborough’s Life Journey – A documentary episode of Nature about Sir David Attenborough. (DVD)
Atomic People (2024) – A documentary about the last survivors of the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. (DVD)
Becoming Frederick Douglas (2022) – A medium-length documentary by Stanley Nelson and Nicole London about the titular abolitionist. (DVD)
Becoming Thurgood: America’s Social Architect (2025) – A documentary about Thurgood Marshall. (DVD)
Benjamin Franklin (2022) – A documentary by Ken Burns about the titular inventor, publisher, and American Founding Father. (DVD and Blu-ray)
Black America Since MLK: And Still I Rise (2016) – A documentary about the history of Black people in the U.S. after the 1960s. (DVD)
Black and Jewish America: An Interwoven History (2026) – A docuseries hosted by Henry Louis Gates Jr. about the complex relationship between Black Americans and Jewish Americans. (DVD)
Brooklyn Bridge (1981) – An Oscar-nominated medium-length documentary by Ken Burns about the titular New York City landmark. *NONFICS PICK* (DVD)
Caregiving (2025) – A documentary about systemic issues with the American care system. (DVD)
The Central Park Five (2012) – A documentary feature by Ken Burns, Sarah Burns, and David McMahon about the titular group of wrongfully convicted men. *NONFICS PICK* (DVD)
College Behind Bars (2019) – A documentary executive-produced by Ken Burns about men and women trying to earn college degrees while serving time in prison. (DVD)
The Congress (1989) – A documentary feature by Ken Burns about the U.S. Congress. (DVD)
Dante: Inferno to Paradise (2024) – A docuseries by Ric Burns about the titular poet. (DVD)
Dark Side of the Ring Season 7, Episode 6: “The Ultimate Fantasy: The Fall of Renegade” – The latest installment of a docuseries that shares the darkest stories of professional wrestling. (Vice)
Deep Sea (2006) – A short IMAX documentary about the creatures of the deep ocean. (DVD and Blu-ray)
Driving While Black: Race, Space and Mobility in America (2020) – A documentary by Ric Burns and Gretchen Sorin about the pros and cons of the automobile’s invention for Black Americans. (DVD)
The Dust Bowl (2012) – A docuseries directed by Ken Burns about a longtime environmental disaster that occurred during the Great Depression. *NONFICS PICK* (DVD and Blu-ray)
East Lake Meadows: A Public Housing Story (2020) – A documentary feature executive produced by Ken Burns about a public housing project in Atlanta. (DVD)
Empire of the Air: The Men Who Made Radio (1991) – A documentary feature by Ken Burns about the invention and success of radio. (DVD)
Epic Train Journeys from Above (2024) – A six-part docuseries that follows American railways. (DVD)
Eyes on the Prize (1987) – A docuseries about the history of the U.S. Civil Rights movement from 1954 to 1965. *NONFICS PICK* (DVD)
Frank Lloyd Wright (1998) – A documentary by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick about the titular architect. (DVD)
The Gene: An Intimate History (2020) – A docuseries about genes. (DVD)
Gospel (2024) – A docuseries hosted by Henry Louis Gates Jr. about Black spirituality. (DVD)
Great Migrations: A People on the Move – A docuseries produced and hosted by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. about the movement of African Americans through the 20th and 21st centuries. (DVD)
Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Seattle Seahawks Episode 1 – The latest installment of the Hard Knocks franchise (technically Hard Knocks Season 22) goes behind the scenes with the titular NFL football team. (HBO and HBO Max)
Harriet Tubman: Visions of Freedom (2022) – A medium-length documentary by Stanley Nelson and Nicole London about the titular abolitionist. (DVD)
Hemingway (2021) – A docuseries by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick about the writer Ernest Hemingway. (DVD and Blu-ray)
Henry David Thoreau – A three-part docuseries executive-produced by Ken Burns, narrated by George Clooney, and featuring the voices of Jeff Goldblum, Meryl Streep, Ted Danson, and Tate Donovan about the titular naturalist and writer. (DVD)
Hiding in Plain Sight: Youth Mental Illness (2022) – A docuseries executive-produced by Ken Burns about people living with mental conditions. (DVD)
Horatio’s Drive: America’s First Road Trip (2003) – A documentary feature by Ken Burns about the first person to drive across the U.S. in an automobile. (DVD)
Hubble 3D (2010) – A medium-length 3D IMAX documentary directed by Toni Myers and narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio that follows the crew of the Space Shuttle Atlantis as they repair the Hubble Space Telescope. *NONFICS PICK* (DVD and Blu-ray)
Huey Long (1985) – A documentary feature by Ken Burns about the titular Louisiana governor and U.S. senator. (DVD)
Jackie Robinson (2016) – A docuseries by Ken Burns, Sarah Burns, and David McMahon about the titular baseball legend. *NONFICS PICK* (DVD)
Leonardo da Vinci – A two-part documentary by Ken Burns, Sarah Burns, and David McMahon about the titular Renaissance painter. (DVD and Blu-ray)
Lewis & Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery (1997) – A documentary by Ken Burns about the titular explorers. (DVD)
Main Street Today (1944) – An Oscar-nominated short documentary follow-up to the Oscar-winning short Main Street on the March! that shows how citizens of small towns in the U.S. are helping in the war effort. (TCM)
Making Black America: Through the Grapevine (2022) – A docuseries hosted by Henry Louis Gates Jr. about social networks and organizations created by and for Black people. (DVD)
Mark Twain (2001) – A documentary by Ken Burns about the titular author. (DVD)
Matter of Mind: My ALS (2023) – A documentary about people with ALS. (DVD)
Matter of Mind: My Alzheimer’s (2025) – A documentary following three families in which a member has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. (DVD)
Matter of Mind: My Parkinson’s (2024) – A documentary about people with Parkinson’s disease. (DVD)
The Mayo Clinic, Faith, Hope and Science (2018) – A documentary feature by Ken Burns, Christopher Loren Ewers, and Erik Ewers about the titular medical institution. (DVD)
Mister Rogers: It’s You I Like (2018) – A medium-length documentary about the children’s show Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. (DVD)
Muhammad Ali (2021) – A docuseries by Ken Burns, Sarah Burns, and David McMahon about the titular boxing legend. (DVD and Blu-ray)
The National Parks: America’s Best Idea (2009) – A docuseries by Ken Burns about America’s National Parks. (DVD and Blu-ray)
Not for Ourselves Alone: The Story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Susan B. Anthony (1999) – A docuseries by Ken Burns about the titular women’s rights activists. (DVD)
Of the People: Women of the Civil Rights Movement (2026) – A docuseries about Fannie Lou Hamer, Angela Davis, Dolores Huerta, and Yuri Kochiyama. (DVD)
Once Upon a Time in Space Episode 4: “Friends Forever” – The final installment of a four-part docuseries about the space race. This episode involves the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster. (PBS)
Prohibition (2011) – A docuseries by Ken Burns about the titular era of American history when alcohol was banned. *NONFICS PICK* (DVD and Blu-ray)
The Proof is Out There: Unexplained Edition Season 2, Episode 10: “Unidentified Lights” – The latest installment of a docuseries about strange phenomena captured on camera. (History)
The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch Season 7, Episode 12: “Hot Pursuit” – The latest installment of a docuseries about UFO phenomena at the Skinwalker Ranch. (History)
Seeing, Searching, Being: William Segal (2010) – A documentary by Ken Burns about the titular philosopher, publisher, writer and painter. (DVD)
The Shakers: Hands to Work, Hearts to God (1984) – A documentary feature by Ken Burns and Amy Stechler about the titular religious sect. (DVD)
Special Ops: True (2026) – A docuseries that revisits some of the most high-profile military missions of the last several decades with unseen footage. (Paramount+)
Starring Dick Van Dyke (2025) – A biographical documentary about the titular actor. (DVD)
The Statue of Liberty (1985) – An Oscar-nominated medium-length documentary by Ken Burns about the titular landmark. (DVD)
Thomas Hart Benton (1989) – A documentary feature by Ken Burns about the titular painter. (DVD)
Thomas Jefferson (1997) – A docuseries by Ken Burns about the titular U.S. president. (DVD)
Transparent Colors (2024) – A documentary about the Black art scene in Nashville. (DVD)
Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson (2004) – A documentary by Ken Burns about the titular boxer, who became the first African-American Heavyweight champion. (DVD)
The U.S. and the Holocaust (2022) – A docuseries by Ken Burns, Sara Botstein, and Lynn Novick about Americans during the Holocaust. *NONFICS PICK* (DVD and Blu-ray)
Women of World War II: The Untold Stories (2025) – A medium-length documentary about the women who built planes and flew them during World War II. (DVD)
Woodstock: Three Days That Defined a Generation (2019) – A documentary feature by Barak Goodman and Jamila Ephron about the titular 1969 music festival. (DVD)
Wednesday, August 5, 2026
911: Did the Killer Call? Season 2, Episode 4: “For Love or Lies” – The latest installment of a true-crime docuseries about cases where the murderer is on the 911 call. (Investigation Discovery)
Eons: Life and Death on Pangea Episode 3: “The Rise and Fall of an Ancient Reef” – The latest installment of a six-part docuseries on the mass-extinction event known as the “Great Dying.” (PBS)
ER: Caught on Camera Season 1, Episode 5 – The latest installment of a docuseries in which medical patients recall experiences in hospital emergency rooms. (TLC)
Hell’s Highway: The True Story of Highway Safety Films (2003) – A 2K restoration re-release of a documentary feature about traffic safety educational films. (Theatrical Event)
Holiday from Rules? (1958) – A short educational film that shows children why rules are important. (TCM)
Homestead Rescue: Intervention Season 1, Episode 3: “Wylde Mountain Reckoning” – The latest episode of a docuseries that follows wilderness experts as they save lives. (Discovery)
Invisible Frontliners (2022) – A medium-length documentary about caretakers, house cleaners, and other under-appreciated workers. (OVID)
Thursday, August 6, 2026
Billie Eilish – Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (2026) – A concert film directed by James Cameron and Billie Eilish and starring Billie Eilish. (Paramount+)
Monsters of God Episode 1: “The Fever” – The premiere installment of a five-part docuseries by Tiger King co-director Eric Goode about exotic reptile smugglers. See our highlights section for more info and a brief review. (HBO and HBO Max)
Pol Pot Dancing (2024) – A documentary feature about Pol Pot’s connection to classical dance. (OVID)
Ritual Season 2 – The return of a docuseries about customs in the American South, including second lines. (PBS)
The Soul of the Bossales (2024) – A documentary feature about rebellious Haitians. (OVID)
The Wedding in Monaco (1956) – A short documentary of Grace Kelly’s marriage to Prince Rainier of Monaco. (TCM)
Sneak Peek At What’s Coming Soon
8/7 – The Big Cheese – A documentary feature that follows an American team competing in France’s Mondial du Fromage. (In Theaters)
8/21 – Learning to Fly – A documentary feature executive-produced by Chris Hemsworth about runner-turned-photographer Aisha McAdams. (In Theaters)
8/28 – Boorman and the Devil – A documentary feature about John Boorman and the making of The Exorcist II. Watch the new trailer for the film below. (In Theaters)
9/4 – Brailled It – A documentary feature about a competition for blind and low-vision children to film their experiences. (In Theaters)
9/9 – Who Moves America – A documentary feature following UPS-employed members of the Teamsters union as they prepare to strike nationwide. (In Theaters)
10/2 – The Last First: Winter K2 – A documentary feature by Amir Bar-Lev (The Tillman Story) about the first successful winter summit climb of K2 (at least for the two-thirds of the people who attempted), five years ago. (Apple TV)
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Another month ends, as we enter the fourth quarter of the second third of the year (fractions are our friends). Kids down here in the south are heading back to school (we have a list of films to get them ready for that), which means I’ll be driving them around to camps and activities less and can hopefully write about documentaries more. This week’s selection of new releases (well, the pair I’ve watched) is interesting because they’re both about animals kept in captivity at some point in their lives. These documentaries aren’t similar in any other way, but seeing them back-to-back got me thinking a lot about zoos, unfavorably, and especially about animal lovers.
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. 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 now reach us at nonficseditor (at) gmail.
Nonfics Picks Of The Week: Wild Inside (2026)
One of my favorite animal-focused documentaries of all time is The Whale, a 2011 feature narrated by Ryan Reynolds and executive-produced by Reynolds and his then-wife, Scarlett Johansson. It’s about an orca who separates from his pod and sticks around Nootka Sound on Vancouver Island because he can’t get enough of the human attention he’s received there. In a piece I wrote 15 years ago for the IndieWire blog Spout, I called it the type of film involving “complicated contemplations of man’s treatment of other species.” I also stated, “It tells us the hard truth that even animals who seem to want and enjoy human interaction should not receive our affection and attention.”
I could have written the same comment in a review of Penny Lane’s Wild Inside, another great animal-focused documentary that deals with one creature who received way more attention than he should have. Flaco the owl escaped from the Central Park Zoo in New York City in 2023 and became a local sensation first for eluding the authorities who tried to return her to an enclosure and then for adapting to her new freedom in the Big Apple. Flaco’s story challenged notions of how animals born in captivity would fare in the wild. But her story also complicates that challenge by her becoming more observed than she ever was while in a cage at the zoo.
The film plays as seemingly simple, telling the whole story of Flaco’s escape, rise in fame, and eventual fate in a straightforward chronological manner. Lane interviews people who followed or came into contact with the bird and presents them in ways that fit seamlessly into the story as it unfolds, as if she filmed them at the time. There are also interviews with supposed experts on wildlife and what’s best for them in or out of captivity. But Wild Inside raises many questions about the nature of animals and our fascination and interactions with them without any explicit point or debate. Anyone with any opinion about Flaco’s tale can watch the documentary and still feel right while also being confronted by other ideas.
In addition to the film’s soft yet broadly inquisitive discourse on captive versus wild, it also deals with the monoculture concept in its portrayal of the global interest in the Flaco story. Most of the characters we meet in the film are more overtly and directly attached to or invested in the owl than the wider population, but they’re also so preoccupied by this particular creature because of his notoriety and for the notoriety they receive by feeding his fame with their photographs and videos posted online. They’re not mere birders. They reminded me of the amateur sleuths that keep showing up in true-crime documentaries, but instead they’re amateur zoologists. I wish that Flaco could have told them all to get a life and let him be.
Wild Inside will be released in theaters on Friday, July 31, 2026, via Sandbox Films.
Other Documentary Highlights
American Dream (1990)
Our long American (Dream) nightmare is over! For years, I’ve been recommending Barbara Kopple’s second Oscar-winning documentary feature involving a labor strike only to realize it’s still unavailable. It hasn’t even been easily accessible via physical commercial formats. This week, American Dream finally gets a streaming home via Criterion (exclusively? I’m not sure). The same company is also putting the documentary out on DVD and Blu-ray later this month. I made the film my Pick of the Week back in May when it was re-released in theaters in 4K, so I will only repeat the following bit where I compare it to Kopple’s Harlan County, USA, which pairs well with this later masterpiece: “[it’s] just as powerful in its aim to create empathy among its viewers, especially when it puts us in the passenger seat alongside strikebreakers.”
American Dream will begin streaming exclusively on The Criterion Channel on Saturday, August 1, 2026. The film will be released on DVD and Blu-ray as part of The Criterion Collection on Tuesday, August 25, 2026.
Apple TV Documentaries
Stat Significant, one of my favorite Substacks, took a deep dive last week into the success of Apple TV as a producer of acclaimed and award-worthy series that aren’t being watched nearly as much as other streamers’ content. They focus on shows, given that Apple TV just received a bunch of Emmy nominations for Widow’s Bay and Pluribus, but the same can be said for its movies since the company won an Oscar for Best Picture (with CODA) before Netflix. Thanks to its Emmy nods and the return of Ted Lasso this week, more people should be subscribing to Apple TV, so I wanted to highlight the streamer’s best documentaries while you’re there.
Apple TV does have a lot of celebrity-driven biographical profile documentaries, but they consistently make above-average films and series within that genre by working with prestigious auteur directors. My favorites include Davis Guggenheim’s Still: A Michael J. Fox Story, Ryan White’s Come See Me in the Good Light, Rebecca Miller’s Mr. Scorsese, Reginald Hudlin’s Sidney, and Morgan Neville’s Steve! (Martin): A Documentary in 2 Pieces (especially the first half). This category extends to many of their great music docs, such as R.J. Cutler’s Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry, Andrew Dominik’s Bono: Stories of Surrender, Spike Jonze’s Beastie Boys Story, and Todd Haynes’s The Velvet Underground. I’d also include Hudlin and Shola Lynch’s Number One on the Call Sheet and Roger Ross Williams and Larissa Bills’s The Super Models in the bunch.
For more serious fare, Apple TV has some terrific political and historical documentaries, including Guggenheim and Nyle DiMarco’s Deaf President Now! and Jesse Moss and Amanda McBain’s Boys State and its even better follow-up, Girls State. For science documentaries, there’s Sue Kim’s The Last of the Sea Women, Werner Herzog and Clive Oppenheimer’s Fireball: Visitors from Darker Worlds, and a slew of nature programming like The Secret Lives of Animals, The Elephant Queen, The Year Earth Changed, and the Prehistoric Planet franchise. While I can’t endorse many of the streamer’s sports documentary titles, one series that I love that surprised me the most of anything they’ve put out is Matthew Hamachek’s The Dynasty: New England Patriots. (I can’t wait for his follow-up, The Dynasty: UConn Huskies, which debuts August 21.)
Ken Burns Documentaries
I’ve celebrated the filmography of Ken Burns in the past, but PBS is releasing a whole bunch of titles on DVD and/or Blu-ray this week, most of them directed, co-directed, or produced by the master of the archival history documentary. His most famous series, such as Civil War and Baseball are not among the new releases, some of which are newly restored, but the completist will want to see what all is coming out (in the Tuesday section of the listings, as is always the case with new physical media releases), especially the Oscar-nominated early features Brooklyn Bridge and The Statue of Liberty as well as The Central Park Five and new series such as The U.S. and the Holocaust and The American Revolution. Also, I highly recommend The Dust Bowl, especially if you’re a fan of Christopher Nolan’s Intersteller.
Monsters Of God (2026)
There will never be a docuseries hit like Tiger King, which had the good fortune of being released just as the world was experiencing the misfortune of shutting down at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. That hasn’t stopped co-director and conservationist Eric Goode from making other series that seem hopeful of catching that same lightning on subject matter alone. His first follow-up was Chimp Crazy, about an animal broker specializing in primates, and now he’s made Monsters of God, a five-part docuseries about the history of illegal reptile smuggling and the outlaws who turned the trade into a billion-dollar business — alongside deals in drugs and guns.
I’ve only had the chance to watch the first two episodes, and it’s certainly a wild history with outrageous interviewees, many of whom hate each other. But so far it’s just primarily anecdotal talking heads, not enough scenes involving character- or action-driven material. It reminds me of the Cocaine Cowboys documentaries in that way, with a lot more about animal trade and some questionable elements of the zoo industry. That’s not a bad thing. It’s certainly engrossing. And I’m anxious to continue watching, so it’s hooked me. It just hasn’t given me much to think about beyond the basic criminal plot other than curiosity about the shady things that won’t be discussed.
Monsters of God premieres its first episode on Thursday, August 6, 2026, on HBO and HBO Max, with subsequent installments released weekly.
Time And Water (2026)
Sara Dosa’s follow-up to her Oscar-nominated feature Fire of Love is not on the same level, but plenty of fans of that 2022 film will like Time and Water as well. Instead of the fiery element of volcanoes, this documentary deals with the icy element of glaciers in Iceland through the personal experience of writer Andri Snær Magnason. Here’s part of my review of the film, which I recommend for the score alone:
“Magnason heavily narrates the documentary, which is inspired by his book On Time and Water and serves as an elegy for his grandparents and the Icelandic glaciers. There is a connection. His grandparents were co-founders of the Icelandic Glacial Research Society. He was commissioned to write an obituary for the OK Glacier after it was declared dead. I say the film serves as an elegy rather than a eulogy because it does feel more somber than celebratory of either his grandparents or the ice. He honors and memorializes them plenty, but the documentary is also slow and bleak.”
Time and Water will make its broadcast premiere on National Geographic on Friday, July 31, 2026, and will begin streaming exclusively on Disney+ and Hulu on Saturday, August 1, 2026.
Viktor (2024)
One of the best documentaries released in 2025 that deserves more eyeballs is Olivier Sarbil’s phenomenal feature Viktor. As far as I know, it hasn’t been available anywhere else since hitting theaters in limited release last October. Now it’s found a streaming home, albeit one with surely fewer subscribers than even Apple TV. I recommend giving it a look, and I do mean look. Shot in black and white, Viktor follows a Deaf Ukrainian man during the Russian invasion as he attempts to join the military. Here’s some more about it, from the best of 2025 list, that hopefully intrigues you:
“Shot in black and white and employing a sound team consisting of Oscar-winning talents, this is a technical achievement the likes of which we too rarely see with nonfiction cinema because of how much staging and post-production clash with what’s appreciated by the documentary purists. Even if Viktor looks more like the documentary features made a century ago than anything else on this list.”
Viktor will begin streaming exclusively on Mubi on Saturday, August 1, 2026.
Documentary Release Calendar 7/31/26 – 8/6/26
Friday, July 31, 2026
Glimpses of Florida (1950) – A short documentary installment of James A. FitzPatrick’s TravelTalks travelogue franchise that explores popular destinations in Florida. (TCM)
Hollywood Without Make-Up (1963) – A short documentary sharing home movie clips of Hollywood stars. (TCM)
Marine Circus (1939) – A short documentary in the Pete Smith Specialty series that looks at the marine life of Marineland of Florida. (TCM)
My Strange Shark Addiction (2026) – A documentary special about people who are obsessed with sharks. Presented as part of Shark Week. (Discovery)
A Paradise Lost (2025) – A partly animated documentary feature about a bird that sued the state of Hawaii to prevent its own extinction. (In Theaters)
Save Our Souls (2025) – A documentary feature about a humanitarian organization that rescues migrants from overcrowded boats in the Mediterranean. (OVID)
Secrets of the Great White Kill (2026) – A documentary special about the intelligent hunting techniques of great white sharks. Presented as part of Shark Week. (Discovery)
Sharkzilla Takes New York (2026) – A documentary special about massive radioactive mako sharks. Presented as part of Shark Week. (Discovery)
Time and Water – A documentary feature directed by Sara Dosa (Fire of Love) about Icelandic author Andri Snær Magnason and his mission to preserve the memory of his nation’s glaciers. See our highlights section for more info and a link to our review. (National Geographic)
Wild Inside (2026) – A documentary feature by Penny Lane (Nuts!) about Central Park’s Flaco the Owl. See our highlights section for more info and a brief review. *NONFICS PICK* (In Theaters)
Saturday, August 1, 2026
American Dream (1990) – Barbara Kopple’s Oscar-winning documentary feature about a Hormel Foods labor strike in Minnesota. See our highlights section for more info. *NONFICS PICK* (The Criterion Channel)
The American Ruling Class (2005) – A hybrid feature film described as the first “dramatic-documentary-musical” that offers a tour of the corridors of power. (The Criterion Channel)
Color Me Obsessed: A Film About the Replacements (2011) – A documentary feature about the rock band The Replacements. (TCM)
Easter Snap (2019) – A short documentary by RaMell Ross about the homestead ritual of hog processing. (Mubi)
Great White Highway (2026) – A documentary special about the tracking of great white sharks as they begin migrating further north. Presented as part of Shark Week. (Discovery)
Hale County This Morning, This Evening (2018) – An Oscar-nominated feature documentary by RaMell Ross about the Black community of Hale County, Alabama. *NONFICS PICK* (Mubi)
I Heard It Through the Grapevine (1982) – A documentary starring James Baldwin as he looks back at the Civil Rights Movement. *NONFICS PICK* (The Criterion Channel)
James Baldwin: The Price of the Ticket (1989) – A documentary feature about author/civil rights activist James Baldwin. *NONFICS PICK* (The Criterion Channel)
MGM Parade Show #8 (1955) – This installment of the behind-the-scenes docuseries showcases Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant in The Philadelphia Story. (TCM)
The Real Murders of Atlanta Season 4, Episode 4: “Murder on Welcome All Road” – The latest installment of an Atlanta-focused true-crime docuseries. This episode involves the killing of a veteran. (Oxygen)
The Rock (1967) – A short documentary about the making of the film Point Blank. (TCM)
Thresher Shark: Stun to Kill (2026) – A documentary special about the physics behind thresher sharks’ tail strike. Presented as part of Shark Week. (Discovery)
Through the Night (2020) – A documentary feature about two working mothers and a child care provider whose lives intersect at a 24-hour daycare center. (The Criterion Channel)
Time and Water – A documentary feature directed by Sara Dosa (Fire of Love) about Icelandic author Andri Snær Magnason and his mission to preserve the memory of his nation’s glaciers. See our highlights section for more info. (Disney+ and Hulu)
Viktor (2024) – A documentary feature about the Russian invasion of Ukraine from the perspective of a Deaf person wishing to fight. See our highlights section for more info. *NONFICS PICK* (Mubi)
Sunday, August 2, 2026
Decades in Sports Episodes 1 & 2: “1960s” & “1970s” – The first two installments of a six-part docuseries executive produced by Tom Hanks about milestones in sports in America. (CNN)
Hazardous History with Henry Winkler Season 2, Episode 15: “Harrowing Highways” – The latest installment of a docuseries about dangerous toys and household items that used to be common. This episode involves past dangers of automotive travel. (History)
The Mega-Brands That Built America Season 4, Episode 1: “Road Warriors” – The return of a docuseries about iconic commercial brands. This installment covers the World War II-era origin of the SUV. (History)
Unknown Serial Killers of America Season 2, Episode 1 – The latest episode of a true-crime series about less-famous murderers. (Oxygen)
Monday, August 3, 2026
How I Play Golf, by Bobby Jones No. 1: ‘The Putter’ (1931) – A short documentary, the first in a series of 12, in which Bobby Jones shows off his golf skills. (TCM)
A Killer Among Friends Season 2, Episode 3: “The Murder Pact” – The latest installment of a true-crime docuseries about murders that tear friend groups apart. This episode involves the disappearance of a computer whiz. (Investigation Discovery)
The Gas Station Attendant (2025) – A documentary feature by Karla Murthy about her father’s life, from fleeing his Indian village as a child to later emigrating to the United States in pursuit of the American Dream. Presented as an episode of POV. Read our review. (PBS)
Tuesday, August 4, 2026
50 Cent: Refuse 2 Die (2005) – A documentary about the titular rapper. (DVD)
The Address (2014) – A documentary feature by Ken Burns about the Gettysburg Address. (DVD)
Africa’s Great Civilizations (2017) – A docuseries hosted by Henry Louis Gates Jr. about the history of Africa. (DVD)
The American Buffalo (2023) – A documentary feature by Ken Burns about the titular animal. (DVD and Blu-ray)
American Horses (2022) – A documentary episode of Nature about the history of American horse breeds. (DVD)
The American Revolution – A docuseries directed by Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein, and David Schmidt about the Revolutionary War. *NONFICS PICK* (DVD and Blu-ray)
Attenborough’s Life Journey – A documentary episode of Nature about Sir David Attenborough. (DVD)
Atomic People (2024) – A documentary about the last survivors of the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. (DVD)
Becoming Frederick Douglas (2022) – A medium-length documentary by Stanley Nelson and Nicole London about the titular abolitionist. (DVD)
Becoming Thurgood: America’s Social Architect (2025) – A documentary about Thurgood Marshall. (DVD)
Benjamin Franklin (2022) – A documentary by Ken Burns about the titular inventor, publisher, and American Founding Father. (DVD and Blu-ray)
Black America Since MLK: And Still I Rise (2016) – A documentary about the history of Black people in the U.S. after the 1960s. (DVD)
Black and Jewish America: An Interwoven History (2026) – A docuseries hosted by Henry Louis Gates Jr. about the complex relationship between Black Americans and Jewish Americans. (DVD)
Brooklyn Bridge (1981) – An Oscar-nominated medium-length documentary by Ken Burns about the titular New York City landmark. *NONFICS PICK* (DVD)
Caregiving (2025) – A documentary about systemic issues with the American care system. (DVD)
The Central Park Five (2012) – A documentary feature by Ken Burns, Sarah Burns, and David McMahon about the titular group of wrongfully convicted men. *NONFICS PICK* (DVD)
College Behind Bars (2019) – A documentary executive-produced by Ken Burns about men and women trying to earn college degrees while serving time in prison. (DVD)
The Congress (1989) – A documentary feature by Ken Burns about the U.S. Congress. (DVD)
Dante: Inferno to Paradise (2024) – A docuseries by Ric Burns about the titular poet. (DVD)
Dark Side of the Ring Season 7, Episode 6: “The Ultimate Fantasy: The Fall of Renegade” – The latest installment of a docuseries that shares the darkest stories of professional wrestling. (Vice)
Deep Sea (2006) – A short IMAX documentary about the creatures of the deep ocean. (DVD and Blu-ray)
Driving While Black: Race, Space and Mobility in America (2020) – A documentary by Ric Burns and Gretchen Sorin about the pros and cons of the automobile’s invention for Black Americans. (DVD)
The Dust Bowl (2012) – A docuseries directed by Ken Burns about a longtime environmental disaster that occurred during the Great Depression. *NONFICS PICK* (DVD and Blu-ray)
East Lake Meadows: A Public Housing Story (2020) – A documentary feature executive produced by Ken Burns about a public housing project in Atlanta. (DVD)
Empire of the Air: The Men Who Made Radio (1991) – A documentary feature by Ken Burns about the invention and success of radio. (DVD)
Epic Train Journeys from Above (2024) – A six-part docuseries that follows American railways. (DVD)
Eyes on the Prize (1987) – A docuseries about the history of the U.S. Civil Rights movement from 1954 to 1965. *NONFICS PICK* (DVD)
Frank Lloyd Wright (1998) – A documentary by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick about the titular architect. (DVD)
The Gene: An Intimate History (2020) – A docuseries about genes. (DVD)
Gospel (2024) – A docuseries hosted by Henry Louis Gates Jr. about Black spirituality. (DVD)
Great Migrations: A People on the Move – A docuseries produced and hosted by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. about the movement of African Americans through the 20th and 21st centuries. (DVD)
Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Seattle Seahawks Episode 1 – The latest installment of the Hard Knocks franchise (technically Hard Knocks Season 22) goes behind the scenes with the titular NFL football team. (HBO and HBO Max)
Harriet Tubman: Visions of Freedom (2022) – A medium-length documentary by Stanley Nelson and Nicole London about the titular abolitionist. (DVD)
Hemingway (2021) – A docuseries by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick about the writer Ernest Hemingway. (DVD and Blu-ray)
Henry David Thoreau – A three-part docuseries executive-produced by Ken Burns, narrated by George Clooney, and featuring the voices of Jeff Goldblum, Meryl Streep, Ted Danson, and Tate Donovan about the titular naturalist and writer. (DVD)
Hiding in Plain Sight: Youth Mental Illness (2022) – A docuseries executive-produced by Ken Burns about people living with mental conditions. (DVD)
Horatio’s Drive: America’s First Road Trip (2003) – A documentary feature by Ken Burns about the first person to drive across the U.S. in an automobile. (DVD)
Hubble 3D (2010) – A medium-length 3D IMAX documentary directed by Toni Myers and narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio that follows the crew of the Space Shuttle Atlantis as they repair the Hubble Space Telescope. *NONFICS PICK* (DVD and Blu-ray)
Huey Long (1985) – A documentary feature by Ken Burns about the titular Louisiana governor and U.S. senator. (DVD)
Jackie Robinson (2016) – A docuseries by Ken Burns, Sarah Burns, and David McMahon about the titular baseball legend. *NONFICS PICK* (DVD)
Leonardo da Vinci – A two-part documentary by Ken Burns, Sarah Burns, and David McMahon about the titular Renaissance painter. (DVD and Blu-ray)
Lewis & Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery (1997) – A documentary by Ken Burns about the titular explorers. (DVD)
Main Street Today (1944) – An Oscar-nominated short documentary follow-up to the Oscar-winning short Main Street on the March! that shows how citizens of small towns in the U.S. are helping in the war effort. (TCM)
Making Black America: Through the Grapevine (2022) – A docuseries hosted by Henry Louis Gates Jr. about social networks and organizations created by and for Black people. (DVD)
Mark Twain (2001) – A documentary by Ken Burns about the titular author. (DVD)
Matter of Mind: My ALS (2023) – A documentary about people with ALS. (DVD)
Matter of Mind: My Alzheimer’s (2025) – A documentary following three families in which a member has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. (DVD)
Matter of Mind: My Parkinson’s (2024) – A documentary about people with Parkinson’s disease. (DVD)
The Mayo Clinic, Faith, Hope and Science (2018) – A documentary feature by Ken Burns, Christopher Loren Ewers, and Erik Ewers about the titular medical institution. (DVD)
Mister Rogers: It’s You I Like (2018) – A medium-length documentary about the children’s show Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. (DVD)
Muhammad Ali (2021) – A docuseries by Ken Burns, Sarah Burns, and David McMahon about the titular boxing legend. (DVD and Blu-ray)
The National Parks: America’s Best Idea (2009) – A docuseries by Ken Burns about America’s National Parks. (DVD and Blu-ray)
Not for Ourselves Alone: The Story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Susan B. Anthony (1999) – A docuseries by Ken Burns about the titular women’s rights activists. (DVD)
Of the People: Women of the Civil Rights Movement (2026) – A docuseries about Fannie Lou Hamer, Angela Davis, Dolores Huerta, and Yuri Kochiyama. (DVD)
Once Upon a Time in Space Episode 4: “Friends Forever” – The final installment of a four-part docuseries about the space race. This episode involves the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster. (PBS)
Prohibition (2011) – A docuseries by Ken Burns about the titular era of American history when alcohol was banned. *NONFICS PICK* (DVD and Blu-ray)
The Proof is Out There: Unexplained Edition Season 2, Episode 10: “Unidentified Lights” – The latest installment of a docuseries about strange phenomena captured on camera. (History)
The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch Season 7, Episode 12: “Hot Pursuit” – The latest installment of a docuseries about UFO phenomena at the Skinwalker Ranch. (History)
Seeing, Searching, Being: William Segal (2010) – A documentary by Ken Burns about the titular philosopher, publisher, writer and painter. (DVD)
The Shakers: Hands to Work, Hearts to God (1984) – A documentary feature by Ken Burns and Amy Stechler about the titular religious sect. (DVD)
Special Ops: True (2026) – A docuseries that revisits some of the most high-profile military missions of the last several decades with unseen footage. (Paramount+)
Starring Dick Van Dyke (2025) – A biographical documentary about the titular actor. (DVD)
The Statue of Liberty (1985) – An Oscar-nominated medium-length documentary by Ken Burns about the titular landmark. (DVD)
Thomas Hart Benton (1989) – A documentary feature by Ken Burns about the titular painter. (DVD)
Thomas Jefferson (1997) – A docuseries by Ken Burns about the titular U.S. president. (DVD)
Transparent Colors (2024) – A documentary about the Black art scene in Nashville. (DVD)
Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson (2004) – A documentary by Ken Burns about the titular boxer, who became the first African-American Heavyweight champion. (DVD)
The U.S. and the Holocaust (2022) – A docuseries by Ken Burns, Sara Botstein, and Lynn Novick about Americans during the Holocaust. *NONFICS PICK* (DVD and Blu-ray)
Women of World War II: The Untold Stories (2025) – A medium-length documentary about the women who built planes and flew them during World War II. (DVD)
Woodstock: Three Days That Defined a Generation (2019) – A documentary feature by Barak Goodman and Jamila Ephron about the titular 1969 music festival. (DVD)
Wednesday, August 5, 2026
911: Did the Killer Call? Season 2, Episode 4: “For Love or Lies” – The latest installment of a true-crime docuseries about cases where the murderer is on the 911 call. (Investigation Discovery)
Eons: Life and Death on Pangea Episode 3: “The Rise and Fall of an Ancient Reef” – The latest installment of a six-part docuseries on the mass-extinction event known as the “Great Dying.” (PBS)
ER: Caught on Camera Season 1, Episode 5 – The latest installment of a docuseries in which medical patients recall experiences in hospital emergency rooms. (TLC)
Hell’s Highway: The True Story of Highway Safety Films (2003) – A 2K restoration re-release of a documentary feature about traffic safety educational films. (Theatrical Event)
Holiday from Rules? (1958) – A short educational film that shows children why rules are important. (TCM)
Homestead Rescue: Intervention Season 1, Episode 3: “Wylde Mountain Reckoning” – The latest episode of a docuseries that follows wilderness experts as they save lives. (Discovery)
Invisible Frontliners (2022) – A medium-length documentary about caretakers, house cleaners, and other under-appreciated workers. (OVID)
Thursday, August 6, 2026
Billie Eilish – Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (2026) – A concert film directed by James Cameron and Billie Eilish and starring Billie Eilish. (Paramount+)
Monsters of God Episode 1: “The Fever” – The premiere installment of a five-part docuseries by Tiger King co-director Eric Goode about exotic reptile smugglers. See our highlights section for more info and a brief review. (HBO and HBO Max)
Pol Pot Dancing (2024) – A documentary feature about Pol Pot’s connection to classical dance. (OVID)
Ritual Season 2 – The return of a docuseries about customs in the American South, including second lines. (PBS)
The Soul of the Bossales (2024) – A documentary feature about rebellious Haitians. (OVID)
The Wedding in Monaco (1956) – A short documentary of Grace Kelly’s marriage to Prince Rainier of Monaco. (TCM)
Sneak Peek At What’s Coming Soon
8/7 – The Big Cheese – A documentary feature that follows an American team competing in France’s Mondial du Fromage. (In Theaters)
8/21 – Learning to Fly – A documentary feature executive-produced by Chris Hemsworth about runner-turned-photographer Aisha McAdams. (In Theaters)
8/28 – Boorman and the Devil – A documentary feature about John Boorman and the making of The Exorcist II. Watch the new trailer for the film below. (In Theaters)
9/4 – Brailled It – A documentary feature about a competition for blind and low-vision children to film their experiences. (In Theaters)
9/9 – Who Moves America – A documentary feature following UPS-employed members of the Teamsters union as they prepare to strike nationwide. (In Theaters)
10/2 – The Last First: Winter K2 – A documentary feature by Amir Bar-Lev (The Tillman Story) about the first successful winter summit climb of K2 (at least for the two-thirds of the people who attempted), five years ago. (Apple TV)
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Another month ends, as we enter the fourth quarter of the second third of the year (fractions are our friends). Kids down here in the south are heading back to school (we have a list of films to get them ready for that), which means I’ll be driving them around to camps and activities less and can hopefully write about documentaries more. This week’s selection of new releases (well, the pair I’ve watched) is interesting because they’re both about animals kept in captivity at some point in their lives. These documentaries aren’t similar in any other way, but seeing them back-to-back got me thinking a lot about zoos, unfavorably, and especially about animal lovers.
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. 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 now reach us at nonficseditor (at) gmail.
Nonfics Picks Of The Week: Wild Inside (2026)
One of my favorite animal-focused documentaries of all time is The Whale, a 2011 feature narrated by Ryan Reynolds and executive-produced by Reynolds and his then-wife, Scarlett Johansson. It’s about an orca who separates from his pod and sticks around Nootka Sound on Vancouver Island because he can’t get enough of the human attention he’s received there. In a piece I wrote 15 years ago for the IndieWire blog Spout, I called it the type of film involving “complicated contemplations of man’s treatment of other species.” I also stated, “It tells us the hard truth that even animals who seem to want and enjoy human interaction should not receive our affection and attention.”
I could have written the same comment in a review of Penny Lane’s Wild Inside, another great animal-focused documentary that deals with one creature who received way more attention than he should have. Flaco the owl escaped from the Central Park Zoo in New York City in 2023 and became a local sensation first for eluding the authorities who tried to return her to an enclosure and then for adapting to her new freedom in the Big Apple. Flaco’s story challenged notions of how animals born in captivity would fare in the wild. But her story also complicates that challenge by her becoming more observed than she ever was while in a cage at the zoo.
The film plays as seemingly simple, telling the whole story of Flaco’s escape, rise in fame, and eventual fate in a straightforward chronological manner. Lane interviews people who followed or came into contact with the bird and presents them in ways that fit seamlessly into the story as it unfolds, as if she filmed them at the time. There are also interviews with supposed experts on wildlife and what’s best for them in or out of captivity. But Wild Inside raises many questions about the nature of animals and our fascination and interactions with them without any explicit point or debate. Anyone with any opinion about Flaco’s tale can watch the documentary and still feel right while also being confronted by other ideas.
In addition to the film’s soft yet broadly inquisitive discourse on captive versus wild, it also deals with the monoculture concept in its portrayal of the global interest in the Flaco story. Most of the characters we meet in the film are more overtly and directly attached to or invested in the owl than the wider population, but they’re also so preoccupied by this particular creature because of his notoriety and for the notoriety they receive by feeding his fame with their photographs and videos posted online. They’re not mere birders. They reminded me of the amateur sleuths that keep showing up in true-crime documentaries, but instead they’re amateur zoologists. I wish that Flaco could have told them all to get a life and let him be.
Wild Inside will be released in theaters on Friday, July 31, 2026, via Sandbox Films.
Other Documentary Highlights
American Dream (1990)
Our long American (Dream) nightmare is over! For years, I’ve been recommending Barbara Kopple’s second Oscar-winning documentary feature involving a labor strike only to realize it’s still unavailable. It hasn’t even been easily accessible via physical commercial formats. This week, American Dream finally gets a streaming home via Criterion (exclusively? I’m not sure). The same company is also putting the documentary out on DVD and Blu-ray later this month. I made the film my Pick of the Week back in May when it was re-released in theaters in 4K, so I will only repeat the following bit where I compare it to Kopple’s Harlan County, USA, which pairs well with this later masterpiece: “[it’s] just as powerful in its aim to create empathy among its viewers, especially when it puts us in the passenger seat alongside strikebreakers.”
American Dream will begin streaming exclusively on The Criterion Channel on Saturday, August 1, 2026. The film will be released on DVD and Blu-ray as part of The Criterion Collection on Tuesday, August 25, 2026.
Apple TV Documentaries
Stat Significant, one of my favorite Substacks, took a deep dive last week into the success of Apple TV as a producer of acclaimed and award-worthy series that aren’t being watched nearly as much as other streamers’ content. They focus on shows, given that Apple TV just received a bunch of Emmy nominations for Widow’s Bay and Pluribus, but the same can be said for its movies since the company won an Oscar for Best Picture (with CODA) before Netflix. Thanks to its Emmy nods and the return of Ted Lasso this week, more people should be subscribing to Apple TV, so I wanted to highlight the streamer’s best documentaries while you’re there.
Apple TV does have a lot of celebrity-driven biographical profile documentaries, but they consistently make above-average films and series within that genre by working with prestigious auteur directors. My favorites include Davis Guggenheim’s Still: A Michael J. Fox Story, Ryan White’s Come See Me in the Good Light, Rebecca Miller’s Mr. Scorsese, Reginald Hudlin’s Sidney, and Morgan Neville’s Steve! (Martin): A Documentary in 2 Pieces (especially the first half). This category extends to many of their great music docs, such as R.J. Cutler’s Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry, Andrew Dominik’s Bono: Stories of Surrender, Spike Jonze’s Beastie Boys Story, and Todd Haynes’s The Velvet Underground. I’d also include Hudlin and Shola Lynch’s Number One on the Call Sheet and Roger Ross Williams and Larissa Bills’s The Super Models in the bunch.
For more serious fare, Apple TV has some terrific political and historical documentaries, including Guggenheim and Nyle DiMarco’s Deaf President Now! and Jesse Moss and Amanda McBain’s Boys State and its even better follow-up, Girls State. For science documentaries, there’s Sue Kim’s The Last of the Sea Women, Werner Herzog and Clive Oppenheimer’s Fireball: Visitors from Darker Worlds, and a slew of nature programming like The Secret Lives of Animals, The Elephant Queen, The Year Earth Changed, and the Prehistoric Planet franchise. While I can’t endorse many of the streamer’s sports documentary titles, one series that I love that surprised me the most of anything they’ve put out is Matthew Hamachek’s The Dynasty: New England Patriots. (I can’t wait for his follow-up, The Dynasty: UConn Huskies, which debuts August 21.)
Ken Burns Documentaries
I’ve celebrated the filmography of Ken Burns in the past, but PBS is releasing a whole bunch of titles on DVD and/or Blu-ray this week, most of them directed, co-directed, or produced by the master of the archival history documentary. His most famous series, such as Civil War and Baseball are not among the new releases, some of which are newly restored, but the completist will want to see what all is coming out (in the Tuesday section of the listings, as is always the case with new physical media releases), especially the Oscar-nominated early features Brooklyn Bridge and The Statue of Liberty as well as The Central Park Five and new series such as The U.S. and the Holocaust and The American Revolution. Also, I highly recommend The Dust Bowl, especially if you’re a fan of Christopher Nolan’s Intersteller.
Monsters Of God (2026)
There will never be a docuseries hit like Tiger King, which had the good fortune of being released just as the world was experiencing the misfortune of shutting down at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. That hasn’t stopped co-director and conservationist Eric Goode from making other series that seem hopeful of catching that same lightning on subject matter alone. His first follow-up was Chimp Crazy, about an animal broker specializing in primates, and now he’s made Monsters of God, a five-part docuseries about the history of illegal reptile smuggling and the outlaws who turned the trade into a billion-dollar business — alongside deals in drugs and guns.
I’ve only had the chance to watch the first two episodes, and it’s certainly a wild history with outrageous interviewees, many of whom hate each other. But so far it’s just primarily anecdotal talking heads, not enough scenes involving character- or action-driven material. It reminds me of the Cocaine Cowboys documentaries in that way, with a lot more about animal trade and some questionable elements of the zoo industry. That’s not a bad thing. It’s certainly engrossing. And I’m anxious to continue watching, so it’s hooked me. It just hasn’t given me much to think about beyond the basic criminal plot other than curiosity about the shady things that won’t be discussed.
Monsters of God premieres its first episode on Thursday, August 6, 2026, on HBO and HBO Max, with subsequent installments released weekly.
Time And Water (2026)
Sara Dosa’s follow-up to her Oscar-nominated feature Fire of Love is not on the same level, but plenty of fans of that 2022 film will like Time and Water as well. Instead of the fiery element of volcanoes, this documentary deals with the icy element of glaciers in Iceland through the personal experience of writer Andri Snær Magnason. Here’s part of my review of the film, which I recommend for the score alone:
“Magnason heavily narrates the documentary, which is inspired by his book On Time and Water and serves as an elegy for his grandparents and the Icelandic glaciers. There is a connection. His grandparents were co-founders of the Icelandic Glacial Research Society. He was commissioned to write an obituary for the OK Glacier after it was declared dead. I say the film serves as an elegy rather than a eulogy because it does feel more somber than celebratory of either his grandparents or the ice. He honors and memorializes them plenty, but the documentary is also slow and bleak.”
Time and Water will make its broadcast premiere on National Geographic on Friday, July 31, 2026, and will begin streaming exclusively on Disney+ and Hulu on Saturday, August 1, 2026.
Viktor (2024)
One of the best documentaries released in 2025 that deserves more eyeballs is Olivier Sarbil’s phenomenal feature Viktor. As far as I know, it hasn’t been available anywhere else since hitting theaters in limited release last October. Now it’s found a streaming home, albeit one with surely fewer subscribers than even Apple TV. I recommend giving it a look, and I do mean look. Shot in black and white, Viktor follows a Deaf Ukrainian man during the Russian invasion as he attempts to join the military. Here’s some more about it, from the best of 2025 list, that hopefully intrigues you:
“Shot in black and white and employing a sound team consisting of Oscar-winning talents, this is a technical achievement the likes of which we too rarely see with nonfiction cinema because of how much staging and post-production clash with what’s appreciated by the documentary purists. Even if Viktor looks more like the documentary features made a century ago than anything else on this list.”
Viktor will begin streaming exclusively on Mubi on Saturday, August 1, 2026.
Documentary Release Calendar 7/31/26 – 8/6/26
Friday, July 31, 2026
Glimpses of Florida (1950) – A short documentary installment of James A. FitzPatrick’s TravelTalks travelogue franchise that explores popular destinations in Florida. (TCM)
Hollywood Without Make-Up (1963) – A short documentary sharing home movie clips of Hollywood stars. (TCM)
Marine Circus (1939) – A short documentary in the Pete Smith Specialty series that looks at the marine life of Marineland of Florida. (TCM)
My Strange Shark Addiction (2026) – A documentary special about people who are obsessed with sharks. Presented as part of Shark Week. (Discovery)
A Paradise Lost (2025) – A partly animated documentary feature about a bird that sued the state of Hawaii to prevent its own extinction. (In Theaters)
Save Our Souls (2025) – A documentary feature about a humanitarian organization that rescues migrants from overcrowded boats in the Mediterranean. (OVID)
Secrets of the Great White Kill (2026) – A documentary special about the intelligent hunting techniques of great white sharks. Presented as part of Shark Week. (Discovery)
Sharkzilla Takes New York (2026) – A documentary special about massive radioactive mako sharks. Presented as part of Shark Week. (Discovery)
Time and Water – A documentary feature directed by Sara Dosa (Fire of Love) about Icelandic author Andri Snær Magnason and his mission to preserve the memory of his nation’s glaciers. See our highlights section for more info and a link to our review. (National Geographic)
Wild Inside (2026) – A documentary feature by Penny Lane (Nuts!) about Central Park’s Flaco the Owl. See our highlights section for more info and a brief review. *NONFICS PICK* (In Theaters)
Saturday, August 1, 2026
American Dream (1990) – Barbara Kopple’s Oscar-winning documentary feature about a Hormel Foods labor strike in Minnesota. See our highlights section for more info. *NONFICS PICK* (The Criterion Channel)
The American Ruling Class (2005) – A hybrid feature film described as the first “dramatic-documentary-musical” that offers a tour of the corridors of power. (The Criterion Channel)
Color Me Obsessed: A Film About the Replacements (2011) – A documentary feature about the rock band The Replacements. (TCM)
Easter Snap (2019) – A short documentary by RaMell Ross about the homestead ritual of hog processing. (Mubi)
Great White Highway (2026) – A documentary special about the tracking of great white sharks as they begin migrating further north. Presented as part of Shark Week. (Discovery)
Hale County This Morning, This Evening (2018) – An Oscar-nominated feature documentary by RaMell Ross about the Black community of Hale County, Alabama. *NONFICS PICK* (Mubi)
I Heard It Through the Grapevine (1982) – A documentary starring James Baldwin as he looks back at the Civil Rights Movement. *NONFICS PICK* (The Criterion Channel)
James Baldwin: The Price of the Ticket (1989) – A documentary feature about author/civil rights activist James Baldwin. *NONFICS PICK* (The Criterion Channel)
MGM Parade Show #8 (1955) – This installment of the behind-the-scenes docuseries showcases Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant in The Philadelphia Story. (TCM)
The Real Murders of Atlanta Season 4, Episode 4: “Murder on Welcome All Road” – The latest installment of an Atlanta-focused true-crime docuseries. This episode involves the killing of a veteran. (Oxygen)
The Rock (1967) – A short documentary about the making of the film Point Blank. (TCM)
Thresher Shark: Stun to Kill (2026) – A documentary special about the physics behind thresher sharks’ tail strike. Presented as part of Shark Week. (Discovery)
Through the Night (2020) – A documentary feature about two working mothers and a child care provider whose lives intersect at a 24-hour daycare center. (The Criterion Channel)
Time and Water – A documentary feature directed by Sara Dosa (Fire of Love) about Icelandic author Andri Snær Magnason and his mission to preserve the memory of his nation’s glaciers. See our highlights section for more info. (Disney+ and Hulu)
Viktor (2024) – A documentary feature about the Russian invasion of Ukraine from the perspective of a Deaf person wishing to fight. See our highlights section for more info. *NONFICS PICK* (Mubi)
Sunday, August 2, 2026
Decades in Sports Episodes 1 & 2: “1960s” & “1970s” – The first two installments of a six-part docuseries executive produced by Tom Hanks about milestones in sports in America. (CNN)
Hazardous History with Henry Winkler Season 2, Episode 15: “Harrowing Highways” – The latest installment of a docuseries about dangerous toys and household items that used to be common. This episode involves past dangers of automotive travel. (History)
The Mega-Brands That Built America Season 4, Episode 1: “Road Warriors” – The return of a docuseries about iconic commercial brands. This installment covers the World War II-era origin of the SUV. (History)
Unknown Serial Killers of America Season 2, Episode 1 – The latest episode of a true-crime series about less-famous murderers. (Oxygen)
Monday, August 3, 2026
How I Play Golf, by Bobby Jones No. 1: ‘The Putter’ (1931) – A short documentary, the first in a series of 12, in which Bobby Jones shows off his golf skills. (TCM)
A Killer Among Friends Season 2, Episode 3: “The Murder Pact” – The latest installment of a true-crime docuseries about murders that tear friend groups apart. This episode involves the disappearance of a computer whiz. (Investigation Discovery)
The Gas Station Attendant (2025) – A documentary feature by Karla Murthy about her father’s life, from fleeing his Indian village as a child to later emigrating to the United States in pursuit of the American Dream. Presented as an episode of POV. Read our review. (PBS)
Tuesday, August 4, 2026
50 Cent: Refuse 2 Die (2005) – A documentary about the titular rapper. (DVD)
The Address (2014) – A documentary feature by Ken Burns about the Gettysburg Address. (DVD)
Africa’s Great Civilizations (2017) – A docuseries hosted by Henry Louis Gates Jr. about the history of Africa. (DVD)
The American Buffalo (2023) – A documentary feature by Ken Burns about the titular animal. (DVD and Blu-ray)
American Horses (2022) – A documentary episode of Nature about the history of American horse breeds. (DVD)
The American Revolution – A docuseries directed by Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein, and David Schmidt about the Revolutionary War. *NONFICS PICK* (DVD and Blu-ray)
Attenborough’s Life Journey – A documentary episode of Nature about Sir David Attenborough. (DVD)
Atomic People (2024) – A documentary about the last survivors of the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. (DVD)
Becoming Frederick Douglas (2022) – A medium-length documentary by Stanley Nelson and Nicole London about the titular abolitionist. (DVD)
Becoming Thurgood: America’s Social Architect (2025) – A documentary about Thurgood Marshall. (DVD)
Benjamin Franklin (2022) – A documentary by Ken Burns about the titular inventor, publisher, and American Founding Father. (DVD and Blu-ray)
Black America Since MLK: And Still I Rise (2016) – A documentary about the history of Black people in the U.S. after the 1960s. (DVD)
Black and Jewish America: An Interwoven History (2026) – A docuseries hosted by Henry Louis Gates Jr. about the complex relationship between Black Americans and Jewish Americans. (DVD)
Brooklyn Bridge (1981) – An Oscar-nominated medium-length documentary by Ken Burns about the titular New York City landmark. *NONFICS PICK* (DVD)
Caregiving (2025) – A documentary about systemic issues with the American care system. (DVD)
The Central Park Five (2012) – A documentary feature by Ken Burns, Sarah Burns, and David McMahon about the titular group of wrongfully convicted men. *NONFICS PICK* (DVD)
College Behind Bars (2019) – A documentary executive-produced by Ken Burns about men and women trying to earn college degrees while serving time in prison. (DVD)
The Congress (1989) – A documentary feature by Ken Burns about the U.S. Congress. (DVD)
Dante: Inferno to Paradise (2024) – A docuseries by Ric Burns about the titular poet. (DVD)
Dark Side of the Ring Season 7, Episode 6: “The Ultimate Fantasy: The Fall of Renegade” – The latest installment of a docuseries that shares the darkest stories of professional wrestling. (Vice)
Deep Sea (2006) – A short IMAX documentary about the creatures of the deep ocean. (DVD and Blu-ray)
Driving While Black: Race, Space and Mobility in America (2020) – A documentary by Ric Burns and Gretchen Sorin about the pros and cons of the automobile’s invention for Black Americans. (DVD)
The Dust Bowl (2012) – A docuseries directed by Ken Burns about a longtime environmental disaster that occurred during the Great Depression. *NONFICS PICK* (DVD and Blu-ray)
East Lake Meadows: A Public Housing Story (2020) – A documentary feature executive produced by Ken Burns about a public housing project in Atlanta. (DVD)
Empire of the Air: The Men Who Made Radio (1991) – A documentary feature by Ken Burns about the invention and success of radio. (DVD)
Epic Train Journeys from Above (2024) – A six-part docuseries that follows American railways. (DVD)
Eyes on the Prize (1987) – A docuseries about the history of the U.S. Civil Rights movement from 1954 to 1965. *NONFICS PICK* (DVD)
Frank Lloyd Wright (1998) – A documentary by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick about the titular architect. (DVD)
The Gene: An Intimate History (2020) – A docuseries about genes. (DVD)
Gospel (2024) – A docuseries hosted by Henry Louis Gates Jr. about Black spirituality. (DVD)
Great Migrations: A People on the Move – A docuseries produced and hosted by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. about the movement of African Americans through the 20th and 21st centuries. (DVD)
Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Seattle Seahawks Episode 1 – The latest installment of the Hard Knocks franchise (technically Hard Knocks Season 22) goes behind the scenes with the titular NFL football team. (HBO and HBO Max)
Harriet Tubman: Visions of Freedom (2022) – A medium-length documentary by Stanley Nelson and Nicole London about the titular abolitionist. (DVD)
Hemingway (2021) – A docuseries by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick about the writer Ernest Hemingway. (DVD and Blu-ray)
Henry David Thoreau – A three-part docuseries executive-produced by Ken Burns, narrated by George Clooney, and featuring the voices of Jeff Goldblum, Meryl Streep, Ted Danson, and Tate Donovan about the titular naturalist and writer. (DVD)
Hiding in Plain Sight: Youth Mental Illness (2022) – A docuseries executive-produced by Ken Burns about people living with mental conditions. (DVD)
Horatio’s Drive: America’s First Road Trip (2003) – A documentary feature by Ken Burns about the first person to drive across the U.S. in an automobile. (DVD)
Hubble 3D (2010) – A medium-length 3D IMAX documentary directed by Toni Myers and narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio that follows the crew of the Space Shuttle Atlantis as they repair the Hubble Space Telescope. *NONFICS PICK* (DVD and Blu-ray)
Huey Long (1985) – A documentary feature by Ken Burns about the titular Louisiana governor and U.S. senator. (DVD)
Jackie Robinson (2016) – A docuseries by Ken Burns, Sarah Burns, and David McMahon about the titular baseball legend. *NONFICS PICK* (DVD)
Leonardo da Vinci – A two-part documentary by Ken Burns, Sarah Burns, and David McMahon about the titular Renaissance painter. (DVD and Blu-ray)
Lewis & Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery (1997) – A documentary by Ken Burns about the titular explorers. (DVD)
Main Street Today (1944) – An Oscar-nominated short documentary follow-up to the Oscar-winning short Main Street on the March! that shows how citizens of small towns in the U.S. are helping in the war effort. (TCM)
Making Black America: Through the Grapevine (2022) – A docuseries hosted by Henry Louis Gates Jr. about social networks and organizations created by and for Black people. (DVD)
Mark Twain (2001) – A documentary by Ken Burns about the titular author. (DVD)
Matter of Mind: My ALS (2023) – A documentary about people with ALS. (DVD)
Matter of Mind: My Alzheimer’s (2025) – A documentary following three families in which a member has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. (DVD)
Matter of Mind: My Parkinson’s (2024) – A documentary about people with Parkinson’s disease. (DVD)
The Mayo Clinic, Faith, Hope and Science (2018) – A documentary feature by Ken Burns, Christopher Loren Ewers, and Erik Ewers about the titular medical institution. (DVD)
Mister Rogers: It’s You I Like (2018) – A medium-length documentary about the children’s show Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. (DVD)
Muhammad Ali (2021) – A docuseries by Ken Burns, Sarah Burns, and David McMahon about the titular boxing legend. (DVD and Blu-ray)
The National Parks: America’s Best Idea (2009) – A docuseries by Ken Burns about America’s National Parks. (DVD and Blu-ray)
Not for Ourselves Alone: The Story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Susan B. Anthony (1999) – A docuseries by Ken Burns about the titular women’s rights activists. (DVD)
Of the People: Women of the Civil Rights Movement (2026) – A docuseries about Fannie Lou Hamer, Angela Davis, Dolores Huerta, and Yuri Kochiyama. (DVD)
Once Upon a Time in Space Episode 4: “Friends Forever” – The final installment of a four-part docuseries about the space race. This episode involves the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster. (PBS)
Prohibition (2011) – A docuseries by Ken Burns about the titular era of American history when alcohol was banned. *NONFICS PICK* (DVD and Blu-ray)
The Proof is Out There: Unexplained Edition Season 2, Episode 10: “Unidentified Lights” – The latest installment of a docuseries about strange phenomena captured on camera. (History)
The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch Season 7, Episode 12: “Hot Pursuit” – The latest installment of a docuseries about UFO phenomena at the Skinwalker Ranch. (History)
Seeing, Searching, Being: William Segal (2010) – A documentary by Ken Burns about the titular philosopher, publisher, writer and painter. (DVD)
The Shakers: Hands to Work, Hearts to God (1984) – A documentary feature by Ken Burns and Amy Stechler about the titular religious sect. (DVD)
Special Ops: True (2026) – A docuseries that revisits some of the most high-profile military missions of the last several decades with unseen footage. (Paramount+)
Starring Dick Van Dyke (2025) – A biographical documentary about the titular actor. (DVD)
The Statue of Liberty (1985) – An Oscar-nominated medium-length documentary by Ken Burns about the titular landmark. (DVD)
Thomas Hart Benton (1989) – A documentary feature by Ken Burns about the titular painter. (DVD)
Thomas Jefferson (1997) – A docuseries by Ken Burns about the titular U.S. president. (DVD)
Transparent Colors (2024) – A documentary about the Black art scene in Nashville. (DVD)
Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson (2004) – A documentary by Ken Burns about the titular boxer, who became the first African-American Heavyweight champion. (DVD)
The U.S. and the Holocaust (2022) – A docuseries by Ken Burns, Sara Botstein, and Lynn Novick about Americans during the Holocaust. *NONFICS PICK* (DVD and Blu-ray)
Women of World War II: The Untold Stories (2025) – A medium-length documentary about the women who built planes and flew them during World War II. (DVD)
Woodstock: Three Days That Defined a Generation (2019) – A documentary feature by Barak Goodman and Jamila Ephron about the titular 1969 music festival. (DVD)
Wednesday, August 5, 2026
911: Did the Killer Call? Season 2, Episode 4: “For Love or Lies” – The latest installment of a true-crime docuseries about cases where the murderer is on the 911 call. (Investigation Discovery)
Eons: Life and Death on Pangea Episode 3: “The Rise and Fall of an Ancient Reef” – The latest installment of a six-part docuseries on the mass-extinction event known as the “Great Dying.” (PBS)
ER: Caught on Camera Season 1, Episode 5 – The latest installment of a docuseries in which medical patients recall experiences in hospital emergency rooms. (TLC)
Hell’s Highway: The True Story of Highway Safety Films (2003) – A 2K restoration re-release of a documentary feature about traffic safety educational films. (Theatrical Event)
Holiday from Rules? (1958) – A short educational film that shows children why rules are important. (TCM)
Homestead Rescue: Intervention Season 1, Episode 3: “Wylde Mountain Reckoning” – The latest episode of a docuseries that follows wilderness experts as they save lives. (Discovery)
Invisible Frontliners (2022) – A medium-length documentary about caretakers, house cleaners, and other under-appreciated workers. (OVID)
Thursday, August 6, 2026
Billie Eilish – Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (2026) – A concert film directed by James Cameron and Billie Eilish and starring Billie Eilish. (Paramount+)
Monsters of God Episode 1: “The Fever” – The premiere installment of a five-part docuseries by Tiger King co-director Eric Goode about exotic reptile smugglers. See our highlights section for more info and a brief review. (HBO and HBO Max)
Pol Pot Dancing (2024) – A documentary feature about Pol Pot’s connection to classical dance. (OVID)
Ritual Season 2 – The return of a docuseries about customs in the American South, including second lines. (PBS)
The Soul of the Bossales (2024) – A documentary feature about rebellious Haitians. (OVID)
The Wedding in Monaco (1956) – A short documentary of Grace Kelly’s marriage to Prince Rainier of Monaco. (TCM)
Sneak Peek At What’s Coming Soon
8/7 – The Big Cheese – A documentary feature that follows an American team competing in France’s Mondial du Fromage. (In Theaters)
8/21 – Learning to Fly – A documentary feature executive-produced by Chris Hemsworth about runner-turned-photographer Aisha McAdams. (In Theaters)
8/28 – Boorman and the Devil – A documentary feature about John Boorman and the making of The Exorcist II. Watch the new trailer for the film below. (In Theaters)
9/4 – Brailled It – A documentary feature about a competition for blind and low-vision children to film their experiences. (In Theaters)
9/9 – Who Moves America – A documentary feature following UPS-employed members of the Teamsters union as they prepare to strike nationwide. (In Theaters)
10/2 – The Last First: Winter K2 – A documentary feature by Amir Bar-Lev (The Tillman Story) about the first successful winter summit climb of K2 (at least for the two-thirds of the people who attempted), five years ago. (Apple TV)
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After the Flaco documentary wrapped in June 2025, locals featured include Javier Torres (seated in the middle) and Juan Rosado (far right).
Reporting and photos by Stacie Joy
“Wild Inside,” a new documentary about Flaco, the Eurasian eagle-owl who captivated New Yorkers after escaping from the Central Park Zoo in 2023, makes its theatrical debut Friday (July 31) at the IFC Center on Sixth Avenue at Third Street.
The film, directed by Penny Lane, follows Flaco’s unlikely journey through the city — including the eight days he spent roaming the East Village and Lower East Side in November 2023.
Flaco first arrived in the neighborhood on Nov. 6, 2023, when he was spotted at the Kenkeleba House Garden off Avenue B and Third Street. Over the following week, he turned up at several locations on the East Side, drawing birders, photographers and curious neighbors hoping to catch a glimpse.
Among those featured in the documentary are barber Juan Rosado and photographer Javier Torres.
Rosado said Flaco’s visit left a lasting impression.
“He meant a lot because he landed above my window,” he recalled. “I missed him by one minute.”
After racing to his rooftop and finding the owl gone, Rosado, also a noted photographer who lives in the East Village, tried to predict where Flaco might head next.
“I said to myself, ‘Where would I run to if I were an owl?'” he said. “Sure enough, he went to Grand Street and Lewis.”
Rosado believes Flaco lingered there after spotting the owl statues mounted on a nearby school before eventually returning to the East Village, where neighbors reported hearing his nighttime hoots as he searched for a mate.
For Torres, an LES resident, photographing Flaco was an unforgettable experience.
“It was magical,” he said. “I felt like a kid seeing a magic show for the first time.”
After hearing reports that Flaco was near the Hillman Co-ops, Torres grabbed his camera and joined a group of bird photographers and news crews searching for the owl.
Photo from November on the LES by Javier Torres via @vinweasel_
“We could hear his deep hoots, but visibility was poor,” he said. “I managed to gain access to the rooftop where he was. I took about 15 shots, and he flew away.”
Juan Rosado and Javier Torres yesterday
Flaco died in February 2024 after colliding with a building on the Upper West Side.
But for a memorable week in November 2023, the East Village and Lower East Side became an unexpected stop on his journey — one now preserved on film.
Directed by eight-time Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Trent Cooper, Raise The Flags: 50 Years of Buccaneers Football dives into the raw, unfiltered history of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, from the team’s inauspicious debut in the 1970s through its growth into a major force in the NFL, including wins in the 2003 and 2021 Super Bowls.
The post Post and Color for <i>Raise the Flags</i> Buccaneers Docuseries appeared first on postPerspective.
Kodak is the only major manufacturer of color motion picture film left in the world, and at the 2026 Academy Awards, three out of five Best Cinematography nominees and five out of ten Best Picture nominees were shot on it. So is film in decline, stable, or growing again? Filmmaker Leon Barnard and his crew at Team 2 Films traveled from England to Rochester, NY, to find out, touring the buildings where Kodak makes motion picture film and talking to the people who make it. Fittingly, they shot their documentary about film on film.
This is a guest article by Leon Barnard of Team 2 Films, adapted for CineD. You can watch the resulting documentary embedded above or directly on YouTube here.
At the peak of cinema’s transition to digital, there was a moment when it looked like film might disappear completely. Despite the advances of digital technology, however, film remains a viable and increasingly attractive medium for telling stories. But it is contingent on an interconnected infrastructure: the manufacture of film stock, the maintenance of cameras, and the reliability of labs. On two of those fronts, things look healthy; there are many labs (new ones are even opening), there is a good supply of second-hand cameras, and new film cameras are being planned. Yet there is only one manufacturer of color motion picture film. For now, the future of film is linked to Kodak, which is exactly why we wanted to see the factory for ourselves.
Shooting a documentary about film, on film
If we’re going to make a documentary about how film is made, it seemed only right that we shoot it on film. So in addition to our Blackmagic PYXIS 12K and Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K, we took two film cameras: an Arriflex 35-III 4-perf 35mm and an Eclair ACL 2 Super 16mm.
Eastman Business Park: film has been made here for over 130 years
George Eastman began manufacturing dry plates for photography in 1881. It wasn’t until 1888 that he renamed his company Kodak, and in 1889 Kodak commercialized cellulose-based roll film, which played a critical role in the development of motion picture technology. In 1890, Eastman established Kodak Park and began developing a dedicated complex for manufacturing film and cameras to meet growing demand.
For over 100 years, Kodak has manufactured film on this site, and they still do. Today, the site is called Eastman Business Park, and it is extensive. The manufacture of motion picture film is spread between four different buildings, with each stage of the process happening in a different one.
Inside the Kodak factory
The clear plastic-like material that gives film its strength and shape, the base, is manufactured in building 219. The components for the coatings that make the film photosensitive are prepared in building 38, where Kodak maintains hundreds of ingredients and recipes.
Those coatings are applied to the base in building 38 using a process called curtain coating, with a machine capable of applying multiple liquid coatings simultaneously in one pass. The scale of this operation is hard to overstate: the coating line is over a mile long, including the drying alleys the film passes through. Between buildings, the light-sensitive material is transported in light-tight caskets.
The final steps happen in building 326, where the film is slit to size, perforated, packaged, and shipped to productions around the world.
Is film growing again?
According to Vanessa Bendetti, Vice President and Head of Motion Picture and Entertainment at Kodak, their revenue for motion picture film has grown 36% in the last two years. That trend is evident in the number of movies being shot on film and the rising popularity of exhibition on film.
Without a doubt, the manufacture of film is complex and requires highly skilled workers. If Kodak is to continue producing film, it is vital that they train the next generation of “Kodakers” before the current generation retires along with their experience and knowledge. As we toured and interacted with Kodak employees, it was heartening to see that young workers were being recruited and mentored, and many had positions of significant responsibility.
People, process, product
We were blown away by our time in the factory and left feeling confident that film, and the company that pioneered it, have a future. Three things impressed us most.
First, the people. Without fail, everyone we met at Kodak, from junior to senior, was friendly, passionate about film, and happy to share their time and knowledge.
Second, the process. In Rochester, there are four ordinary buildings, but they are filled with a symphony of machines and complex processes that must all happen perfectly to produce usable film. And they do so reliably and consistently. That takes smart people who work together well.
And finally, the product that comes from this place: film. It is special. It creates beautiful physical artifacts of moments and performances that you can hold in your hand, project on a screen, or share on the internet. And those images have far more permanence than a hard drive, SSD, or cloud storage.
You can learn more about the visit and the future of film in Team 2 Films’ full documentary here. Have you shot on film recently, and do you think it has a future alongside digital? Don’t hesitate to let us know in the comments below!
For those of a certain age, the ’90s sitcom Boy Meets World was a big part of their youth, and thanks to the podcast Pod Meets World, it might also be a big part of their adulthood. The long-standing affection that people have for the series brings us to Doc Meets World,
The post Director/Editor Chris Levitus on Making <i>Doc Meets World</i> appeared first on postPerspective.