Happy Thanksgiving to my American readers! This holiday I’m giving away two of my “live” story consulting recordings when you buy my popular filmmaking seminars.

Read about both seminar descriptions below. (But use this PURCHASE LINK to buy.)

•  The Ultimate Guide to Structuring Your Documentary
•  Editing the Character-Driven Documentary here for free (valued at $77.97).

Again, click on this PURCHASE LINK to buy both seminars for $50 and also receive two free gifts.

These gift tutorials invite you into real-life story consulting sessions in which I help filmmakers craft two different kinds of documentaries:

Gift 1: Story Consultation on Story-Driven Documentary

Gift 2: Story Consultation on Essay-Driven Documentary

Finally, here’s what one Emmy-Award-winning director had to say about my seminar Editing the Character-Driven Documentary:

“This class was invaluable for bringing into Crystal clear focus how to adapt a fictional three-act structure to a documentary film. Karen is inspiring and the documentary clips she screens are extremely useful.”

• Paige Bierma, Emmy-Award Winning Director

The singer co-directed the live 3D concert documentary with Oscar-winner James Cameron 

The singer co-directed the live 3D concert documentary with Oscar-winner James Cameron 

The Canadian documentary The Pink Pill: Sex, Drugs, and Who Has Control led the winners of this year’s DOC NYC with the Audience Award as the overall festival favourite. The film directed by Aisling Chin-Yee and produced by Julie Bristow and Abby Greensfelder explores inequalities among sexual health treatment for men and women when a pill designed to boost women’s libidos receives far more pushback than the blue pill for men that’s created a lucrative industry. The Pink Pill had its world premiere at DOC NYC and screened in part of the festival’s “Voices of Canada” spotlight on Canadian film.

Meanwhile, Imago and Traces of Home topped the juried awards with the top prizes in the international and national competitions, respectively. Imago, directed by Déni Oumar Pitsaev and produced by Alexandra Melot, Anne-Laure Guégan, and Géraldine Sprimont, observes a homecoming of sorts for the filmmaker when he inherits a piece of land in Georgia and returns to build his dream house. The French/Belgian co-production, which is Pitsaev’s feature directorial debut, won the l’Œil d’Or at Cannes earlier this year.

“Through cinematic layering, vulnerability, and lyricism, the filmmaker turns the camera inward to rebuild identity and familial bonds with rare honesty and grace,” the jury remarked on Imago in a statement. “Each frame feels intentional and emotionally charged, inviting viewers into a Chechen community seldom seen on screen. The film lingers long after viewing and resonates as both personal confession and cultural revelation.” 9-Month Contract, directed by Ketevan Vashagashvili, received a special mention from the international jury.

On the U.S. side, Traces of Home is directed by Colette Ghunim, and produced by Sara Maamouri, Dan Rybicky, and Capella Fahoome. The film sees Ghunim learn from her Mexican mother and Palestinian father about their respective journeys that brought them to the U.S.A. with hopes to illuminate the human stories of immigrants and the histories they carry.

The jury praised the vulnerability on display, saying, “Using an intimate family lens, it offers a powerful portrayal of parenthood and identity. With tenderness and courage, the filmmaker uses the camera as a tool for reconciliation that bridges generations and cultures. In a time of division, Traces of Home stands out for its compassion and timely representation of Mexican and Palestinian experiences united by love and resilience.” Wayumi, directed by Andrew Balcof, who produced with David Good and Elius Kim, received a special mention from the national jury.

Other winners at DOC NYC included the Canadian documentary Shifting Baselines, directed by Julien Elie and produced by Andreas Mendritzki. The film won the Kaleidoscopic Competition devoted to “essayistic and formally adventurous documentaries.” Shifting Baselines offers an observational essay about the small town of Boca Chica, Texas, and the environmental impact of Elon Musk’s SpaceX Starbase that moves into the area.

The jury called Shifting Baselines “a haunting reflection on human ambition and the natural world.” It added, “Its striking black-and-white cinematography and bold artistic choices draw the viewer into a story that feels both urgent and universal. Balancing power and subtle humor, it transforms the impact of the SpaceX project into a vivid portrait of displacement, border politics, and the cost of progress.”

Meanwhile, Artists in Residence, directed by Katie Jacobs and produced by Henry Hayes, won the Metropolis Competition devoted to New York stories. The doc tells of three women artists who bought a house in the 1950s and pushed against the status quo by focussing on their creative endeavours. Museum of the Night, directed and produced by Fermín Eloy Acosta with Ramiro Pavón and Pablo Ingercher also producing, received an honourable mention.

On the shorts side, A View from Home, directed by Mingzhe Zhou and produced by Yiqian Zhang and Zhou, won the Grand Jury Prize for best short documentary. It now qualifies in the same category at the Academy Awards. A View from Home marks another winner from the Voices of Canada spotlight, as Zhou and Zhang are both based in Toronto and one of the city’s parks serves as the backdrop for this meditative consideration of urban life. A Color I Named Blue, directed by Sybilla Patrizia, who produced the doc with Mai Hosomura, received an honourable mention in the shorts category.

DOC NYC awarded additional funds and honours to films in the official selection, including Nuns vs. the Vatican, which received a $25,000 grant from Subject Matter, a non-profit committed to supporting social impact filmmaking. The grant serves to assist with outreach and impact efforts for Lorena Luciano’s doc about nuns speaking up against sexual abuse and harassment. A subsequent grant of $25,000 was also made to BishopAccountability.org. Subject Matter also gave a $20,000 grant to Sandra Winther’s debut feature Lowland Kids, with a corresponding $20,000 grant to the First People’s Conservation Council. DOC NYC also announced the creation of The Louies, named for the media/TV pioneer. The $100,000 fund devoted to short docs will support three projects beginning in 2026.

DOC NYC wrapped in-person screenings yesterday with online screenings, including many of the above winners, streaming online through Nov. 30.

The post Three Canadian Films Among DOC NYC Winners appeared first on POV Magazine.

An abandoned movie on hunting the Zodiac Killer turns into a side-eye look at something even more rampant than mass murder: true-crime documentaries

An abandoned movie on hunting the Zodiac Killer turns into a side-eye look at something even more rampant than mass murder: true-crime documentaries

The 38th edition of the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA), ran from November 13 to November 23. It was the first festival under new Artistic Director Isabel Arrate Fernandez. As usual, IDFA was a veritable feast of the world’s best creative documentaries.

The 2025 film lineup reflected our current global climate of insecurity, from bearing witness to ongoing violent conflicts, including Gaza and the Ukraine, to the plight of individuals displaced by political turmoil.

At the same time, there were films that provided space for reflection and healing, stories that highlighted the transformative power of art, and docs that urged us to stay open to alternative perspectives. Here are five highlights from the International Competition that provide a snapshot of IDFA’s programming this year.

IDFA

A Fox Under a Pink Moon

Veteran Iranian filmmaker Mehrdad Oskouei’s latest film, which won Best Film in IDFA’s competition, is a migration story of a young asylum seeker trying to reach Europe with a twist: There was no film crew. Mehrdad directed the entire film remotely. And the protagonist, Soraya Akhalaghi, filmed herself using two cell phones over five years. (Akhalaghi receives a co-director credit.)

Oskouei was first inspired to try this novel approach several years ago when he viewed some precious “raw” footage that the protagonists of Sunless Shadows (his film about teenage girls in a detention centre) had shot of themselves when they were on their own.

Akhalaghi has always lived in Iran. But as an artist—and as a woman—she is determined to seek a better life. “I am a ‘gamer’ I won’t fall off the edge of life,” she states, referring to the code word for crossing a border illegally. Via Soraya’s cell phone recordings, we witness harrowing scenes of her and fellow asylum seekers’ repeated attempts to cross the border from Iran to Turkey en route to Europe.

But beneath that bravado, there is a young woman who has grown up with little parental care and who is married to a man who beats her. Soraya deals with constant feelings of intense fear and loneliness by creating her own world with coloured pencils, markers, and papier mâché.

We are soon immersed in Soraya’s inner life through drawings of a fox (her loyal travelling companion), a moon that watches over her, and her alter ego, a clown with hollow eyes and a sewn-up mouth. Many of these drawings, reminiscent of Frida Kahlo’s macabre imagery, are brought to life via animation.

A Fox Under a Pink Moon is also interspersed with scenes of television news regarding Afghanistan. Although she was not born or raised there, Soraya considers the country of her ancestors to be her homeland. For Soraya, Afghanistan is not merely a geographical region. It is a dream space that she needs to believe in to stay grounded. The Taliban takeover of this country following the American evacuation disturbs her and Soraya knows that she needs to “find another homeland.”

Soraya is extremely bright and willing to take incredible risks. Will that be enough to help her cope with the trials of undocumented migration? The process of making video recordings, which she addresses to “Uncle” Mehrdad, will certainly play an essential role in her journey.

IDFA

Synthetic Sincerity

Marc Isaacs’s Synthetic Sincerity is a playful but pointed look at the brave new world of Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) that we are hurtling towards.

Isaacs, a singular filmmaker who has made a career of probing the political and social fabric of British society through offbeat documentary films, is starting a new chapter of his career with this film. Discouraged by an increasingly risk-averse doc industry and determined to “keep his freedom as a filmmaker,” Isaacs has turned to hybrid filmmaking. Synthetic Sincerity is his third docu-fiction.

As in The Filmmaker’s House and This Blessed Plot, Isaacs’ latest film features non-actors playing versions of themselves in fictitious scenarios. All three films are written by Adam Ganz.

The adventure begins as Isaacs agrees to license his body of film work to a lab “where data learns to be human” in exchange for documenting the lab’s working process. An attractive and well-spoken A.I. avatar guide cheekily ensures Isaacs that the lab researchers will be delighted to work with an old school doc maker like him.

As Isaacs innocently tries to understand the A.I. work underway, one of the characters, who can quote Robert Bresson, tells Isaacs that she used to work in film but now she wants to be where the future is.

The controversial use of generative A.I. technology is cleverly alluded to as Lynn, one of the researchers, records Ablikim, a Uyghur man, pronouncing key phonemes in English and his mother tongue. The lab needs these audio recordings in order to create an A.I. version of Ablikim that will be able to express emotional truths — that the stoic real-life Ablikim cannot. They will give a voice to the voiceless.

At one point, Isaacs is continually interrupted by the avatar. When he refers to “her” rude behaviour, she snaps back “Don’t expect ethics from me, Marc.”

Synthetic Sincerity leaves us with overwhelming questions. What is an authentic image in an A.I. world? What will happen when film loses the power to document? Can our memories be colonized?

IDFA

Flood

Katy Scoggin’s Flood, is a personal account of the ongoing clash between science and evangelism in the United States. The film marks Scoggin’s feature directorial debut after spending six years working with Laura Poitras, including as director of photography and co-producer for the Oscar-winning Citizenfour (2014). Poitras is among the executive producers of Flood.

While filming with paleontologists in the badlands of western Kanas, Scoggin was tempted to tell her father Marvin (a primary school science teacher) about the remarkable fossils that were being uncovered. Yet, at the same time, she knew that his religious beliefs would make it impossible for her to fully explain the discovery of the fossils. Marvin is a young-earth creationist who genuinely believes that all of the earth’s creatures are descendants of animals housed on Noah’s Ark.

When Scoggin decides to use her professional filmmaking tools to try and reconnect with her father, the ten-year development journey of this film is set in motion. It’s an incredible challenge. Although the filmmaker loves her father, she has not had any significant conversations with him since abandoning the oppressiveness of her conservative Christian childhood.

When Scoggin returns home, she discovers that several of her relatives have also moved away from a literal interpretation of the Bible. During a family outing to the Grand Canyon, her nephew openly challenges the guide from Canyon Ministries, a faith-based tour company, for providing a creationist explanation for the fossilized sea creatures in the area. This situation complicates Scoggin’s attempts to reconnect with her father. As other family members carve their own paths, Marvin takes refuge behind the fortifications of his beliefs.

IDFA

Silent Flood

Golden fields of wheat swaying in the sun, children laughing as they play on the shores of a placid river, a horse and carriage passing through a lush tunnel of leaves—the long, painterly scenes of Silent Flood are so idyllic, that they hardly seem real.

However, this farming community in western Ukraine does exist. And it exists because it has found a way to survive ongoing existential threats. Periodic flooding of the Dniester River and destructive military campaigns are regular occurrences in this part of the world. They’re so inevitable that they serve as markers of time.

Bridges built by the Austro-Hungarian empire have long since been destroyed by natural forces and retreating armies. The villagers now use a ferry to travel across the Dniester River as a result. The detritus of warfare, including landmines, lies hidden in fields and forest. The villagers have taught therefore their children to avoid certain areas.

This observational film by Ukrainian director Dmytro Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk is a testament to the gentle resilient ways of the Saved Ones, as they are known locally. Similar to the North-American Amish, this Christian community has stayed true to its 19th century roots. It shuns modern technology, drinking, smoking, and anything else that might distract them from their focus on worship.

It is also a pacifist society that does not send its sons to battle. In a country that has been at war with Russia since the February 2022 invasion, this is not a popular position.

Via voice-over narration, we discover how members of this community view themselves and also how they are viewed by outsiders. One voice quips “Maybe they are the saved ones!!!? Because they don’t die in battle.”

Silent Flood is plea for understanding. The Saved Ones may not send their sons to war, but they have found other ways to support their fellow Ukrainians. Their simple way of life, rooted in kindness and non-violence, holds lessons for us all.

IDFA

All My Sisters

Massoud Bakhshi began recording footage of two beloved nieces when then were toddlers. Initially, he planned to continue filming until they turned seven years old and started school. However, this family project became so engaging that he decided to keep filming for 18 years. The result, All My Sisters, is an extraordinary account of growing up as young women in Iran.

Public and private spheres are kept extremely separate in Iranian life, so Bakhshi makes consent part of the film structure. In the opening scene of, Bakhshi requests his nieces’ permission. Throughout the film, we view the young women watching themselves as they develop from young children to their current selves. Periodically, the film pauses as Bakhshi asks them to comment on certain scenes.

As young children, the girls are completely carefree— giggling in the playground, watching cartoons and blowing out birthday candles. Before long, their traditional and deeply religious grandmother begins to teach them about the meaning of sin, Hell, and mahram (people who are allowed to see your hair and body contours). The little girls are not overly concerned. When she is scolded by her granny for dancing and told “a reader of the Quran would not do that,” her granddaughter plainly replies that she is not a reader of the Quran.

As the nieces start school, they seem pleased with the novelty of their chadors, which enable them to resemble their older female relatives. And their play-acting reflects their traditional milieu, they recreate scenes involving inquisitive morality police.

Years later, though, as they become teenagers, the nieces begin to openly question Iranian government policies and they join protests along with their friends. Their mother and grandmother plead with them to focus on their personal lives. “How is your anger useful? It only drains your energy,” the girls are told. The girls refuse to ignore horrors in their midst and we view them chanting “Woman Life Freedom” from the rooftops with their peers.

Bakhshi did several pre-edits over the years in order to keep track of the vast amount of footage. Remarkably, the total editing time was only nine months. As their uncle, Bakhshi is clearly impressed by the girls’ courage and humanity. At the same time, as an Iranian artist, he is all too aware of the potential dangers that await Iranians who are too outspoken.

***

Here are some additional highlights from IDFA 2025:

IDFA

Memory

Memory is the debut feature documentary of Ukrainian-born artist and filmmaker Vladlena Sandu. This eclectic heartfelt account of Sandu’s formative experiences is about memory, political indoctrination, and the transmission of violence.

Via surreal theatrical sets, recreations acted by children, archival footage, and a poignant personal narration, we learn about Sandu’s childhood and early teenage years during a time of great political turmoil, including the collapse of the USSR and the fracturing of the Chechen Republic. The soundtrack to this singular documentary draws from an extremely wide mix, ranging from “Prokofiev” to Bob Dylan to Dr. Alban’s pop hit “It’s My Life” to themes from Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake.

A sensitive child who is simply trying to make sense of her world,  Sandu wonders why she has been sent to live with her severe and mean-spirited grandfather and her superstitious grandmother. She also wonders why her teacher wants her to emulate Lenin. But Sandu’s innocent questioning leads to punishment more often than it leads to answers.

Sandu was barely a teenager at the beginning of armed conflict in the Chechen Republic. In a heartbeat, her simple life in Grozny was turned upside down. All family, friends and neighbours lived in fear of brutal attacks—whether they were Russian or Chechen— and there were extreme food shortages. While the tone of the film becomes increasingly grim, her story continues to be told using Barbie dolls, action figures and other children’s toys.

IDFA

Kabul, Between Prayers

This sympathetic portrayal of a Taliban soldier and his family urges us to consider the reality of life for young people growing up in Afghanistan. In a country that has been decimated by decades of foreign military intervention and stripped of its cultural heritage, this film asks if it is any wonder that some young men heed the siren call of religious soldiery and glory in the afterlife.

Kabul, Between Prayers is Afghan-Dutch director Aboozar Amini’s second film in a planned trilogy about the Afghan people who “keep paying the price” of being caught between superpowers. His acclaimed debut feature, Kabul, City in the Wind, opened IDFA 2018.

Thanks to extraordinary access, developed over years by Amini, Kabul Between Prayers tells the story of Samim, a Taliban soldier, in all aspects of his daily life: guarding a bridge checkpoint with his M-16 assault rifle, praising recent martyrs with fellow Taliban, playing outdoor games with his younger brothers, and seeking advice regarding his strained marriage from both his father and his spiritual adviser.

Amini is Hazara, an ethnic group that has suffered terribly under the Taliban. However, Amini, who grew up in his father’s Kabul bookstore, is able to take an authentic interest in Samim’s life because he believes that the only way forward is telling true stories and looking for shared humanity. “Whether human (qualities) or radicalization, I just try to catch the reality of them,” Amini said during a Q&A following the film’s IDFA premiere. It’s a welcome philosophy for a festival that shared a multitude of realities this year, not matter how harrowing, provocative, or radical they may be.

The post A World of Creative Documentaries at IDFA 2025 appeared first on POV Magazine.

Variety reports that the IDFA has become a key stop on the Oscars campaign trail for documentaries, thanks to its late-fall timing and strong programming showcasing the year’s top nonfiction titles.

Academy executive Michael Benedict attended this year’s event to outline eligibility, submission rules, and campaigning guidelines for the Best Documentary Feature race. Benedict also emphasized that documentaries are eligible not just in their own category but across craft categories and even Best Picture — something the Academy has never achieved.

Can you believe that in the Academy’s 97-year history, no documentary has ever been nominated for the Best Picture Oscar? Odds are that streak will continue next year, unless “The Perfect Neighbor” or “2000 Meters to Andriivka” somehow pull off a surprise nomination — don’t bet on it.

Which docs have come closest over the decades, especially if there had been a ten-nominee field? There was some backlash in the ’80s when Errol Morris’ “The Thin Blue Line” and Michael Moore’s “Roger & Me” — both hailed as among the best films of their years — were snubbed. Archived think pieces from that era, particularly about Morris’ work, argued for documentary inclusion in the Best Picture lineup.

This century, Moore’s “Bowling for Columbine” should have been nominated in 2002. Other near-misses include “Fahrenheit 9/11” (2004) and “An Inconvenient Truth” (2006), which, despite box-office success, never made the cut.

Harvey Weinstein mounted a major campaign for “Fahrenheit 9/11”: it won the Palme d’Or, grossed over $100M domestically, and arrived amid growing mainstream opposition to the Iraq War. It likely would have been nominated if the ten-nominee rule had existed then.

It remains a glaring hole that no documentary has ever been recognized in Best Picture, especially in the 21st century, when nonfiction filmmaking has become increasingly prominent, with Netflix further boosting visibility. Why does the Academy continue to overlook non-fiction films? Is it because they don’t dominate the cultural conversation as much? Or because many critics continue to ignore them? The fact remains that voters are still largely confining documentaries to their own category.

Just this century, standout docs deserving Best Picture nods include “O.J. Made in America,” “Grizzly Man,” “Bowling for Columbine,” “This Is Not a Film,” “Capturing the Friedmans,” “Exit Through the Gift Shop,” “Faces Places,” “The Act of Killing,” “Citizenfour,” and “Cameraperson.”

What are your picks?

The holidays are just around the corner, and I’m happy to share any special deals or gifts targeting documentary fans. Zipporah Films has already provided this year’s info for its offers on orders of Frederick Wiseman films. They’re giving away free shipping in the U.S. (code: FREESHIP) on orders over $80 and DVD copies of At Berkeley, City Hall, Crazy Horse, and Monrovia, Indiana (your choice of one using the respective code ATBERKELEY, CITYHALL, CRAZYHORSE, or MONROVIA) with purchases of three or more other DVD titles. Gifting to yourself is allowed, too.

Below are this week’s documentary highlights, including capsule reviews of new nonfiction films and series. They are followed by daily listings for all notable releases and broadcasts, plus a brief look at what’s coming soon for doc fans (including a film about Chevy Chase). Please consider becoming a paid subscriber to receive more in-depth highlights and reviews in the future, and to give me more time to watch more (if not everything) available. If you have a doc in need of coverage or a mention in our listings, you can reach me at christopherbartoncampbell (at) gmail.

Nonfics Pick Of The Week: Teenage Wasteland (2025)

I caught this movie during Sundance when it was called Middletown, and unfortunately, I never had time to review it. I hate the retitling, and I haven’t seen the film since January, so I can’t say if anything else has changed, but the version I watched was fantastic. I’m still surprised that no distributor picked it up at all, let alone immediately. Especially given the prestige of its directors, Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine (most recently of Boys State and Girls State success), and the fact that it’s the best thing they’ve done since The Overnighters.

Teenage Wasteland chronicles, through present-day talking head interviews and a lot of archival footage, an investigation by high school students in the 1990s into an environmental conspiracy. They were led by their media teacher, and maybe part of why I love the film is that I took a similar television production class in high school around the same time. But mostly, I have to recommend this documentary because its storytelling is near-perfect, thrillingly guiding viewers through the narrative as if it were unfolding right in front of them. After seeing the film earlier this year, I said it might be tied with 2000 Meters to Andriivka for my favorite of the festival. Given that 2000 Meters remains at the top of my list of the best documentaries of 2025, Teenage Wasteland will likely join the rankings in a close spot, but I need to see it again first.

Teenage Wasteland opens theatrically at the Film Forum in New York City on Wednesday, November 26.

Other Documentary Highlights

Sara Shahverdi in Cutting Through Rocks

2000 Meters To Andriivka (2025) *Nonfics Pick*

Speaking of 2000 Meters to Andriivka, I would highlight this film as the Pick of the Week because it’s still currently my favorite of the year, but I already gave it that honor in July, tied to its theatrical release. Since then, it’s been nominated for many more awards (including Critics Choice Documentary Awards), has been lauded as a major Oscar contender (if recognized, director Mstyslav Chernov would be two for two with the Academy), and released an essential soundtrack album. Now I’m excited to share that it’s finally arriving on television and streaming courtesy of Frontline. Here’s a repeat of the excerpt from my review of 2000 Meters to Andriivka:

“In the summer of 2023, Chernov and his AP colleague Alex Babenko joined a Ukrainian brigade as they slowly advanced toward Andriivka, avoiding mine-covered roads, trekking through a thin, mile-long stretch of forest, and securing their positions in foxholes. What would have taken a couple of minutes to reach by car took days and many lives, on both sides, and when Andriivka was reached, it was in ruins. Months later, Russia took it back. This is anything but a picture of the futility of war, however. Through Chernov’s firsthand coverage, including brief on-the-spot interviews with some of the soldiers along the way, 2000 Meters to Andriivka shows fighting for the sake of fighting. It’s not pointless for these Ukrainian men who’ve volunteered to defend and honor their homeland. As their leader, Fedya, says, it’s an opportunity to start over. The territory is key. It can be rebuilt upon and repopulated.”

2000 Meters to Andriivka airs on PBS on Tuesday, November 25, and will then be available to stream for free on the PBS website, app, and YouTube channel.

Claude Lanzmann Documentaries

Claude Lanzmann was born 100 years ago this week, so I recommend watching his films in honor of his centenary. He’s best known for the Holocaust epic Shoah (available on Philo), which is considered by many critics to be the best documentary of all time. His other works are related, some of them even created out of footage shot for Shoah. They include The Four Sisters (VOD), The Last of the Unjust (Kanopy), and Israel, Why (DVD). You should also check out Adam Benzine’s Oscar-nominated short, Claude Lanzmann: Spectres of the Shoah (Prime Video’s Cohen Media Channel)

Cutting Through Rocks (2025) *Nonfics Pick*

Another film I saw late into my Sundance coverage and never got around to reviewing is the World Cinema Documentary program’s Grand Jury Prize winner, Cutting Through Rocks. It’s a profile of Iranian politician and women’s advocate Sara Shahverdi, and as such, it’s the perfect sort of feature to be recognized by the Cinema Eye Honors’ Unforgettables spotlight.

The film around her is impressive, too, delivering greater cinematography than you could hope for with this type of documentary, but it’s still primarily worth watching to get to know its remarkable subject. I think it probably could have worked at half the runtime, but Shahverdi and her feminist efforts, including her support for young girls staying in school and not marrying as preteens, are never not captivating.

Cutting Through Rocks opens in theaters on Friday, November 21.

Zodiac Killer Project (2025)

Another documentary that premiered at Sundance, this one I did cover. I also didn’t like it nearly as much as many of my colleagues. Here’s an excerpt from my review of Zodiac Killer Project:

“While I appreciate what Zodiac Killer Project is doing and how it’s doing it, the film can be frustratingly vague, incomplete in several of its points, and monotonous in its overall expression. I think there’s more to be explored in the ‘evocative b-roll’ cliches that are addressed, most of them originating with Errol Morris’s 1988 true-crime masterpiece The Thin Blue Line and copied ever since. Even the non-cliche parts of the documentary that might appear unique reminded me of the anti-sensationalist format of Masao Adachi’s 1975 film A.K.A. Serial Killer (a.k.a. Ryakushō Renzoku Shasatsuma) and that doc’s display of ‘landscape theory.’”

Zodiac Killer Project opens in theaters on Friday, November 21.

Awards Highlights

IDA Awards Nominations

Last week, the Independent Documentary Association announced this year’s IDA Awards nominations, with Petra Costa’s Apocalypse in the Tropics (Netflix) leading the pack. Its competition in the Best Feature Documentary category includes Life After (unavailable), Seeds (unavailable), Songs of Slow Burning Earth (Hoopla), and The Tale of Silyan (in theaters 11/28). Each filmmaker behind these titles is up for Best Director.

Among the other features nominated, My Undesirable Friends: Part I – Last Air in Moscow (unavailable) is up for Best Editing, The Alabama Solution (HBO Max) for Best Production, Architecton (VOD) for Best Sound Design, and Sally (Hulu and Disney+) for Best Writing. Series nominees include Eyes on the Prize III: We Who Believe in Freedom Cannot Rest 1977-2015 (HBO Max) and Turning Point: The Vietnam War (Netflix).

Movies For Grown Ups Nominations

The AARP announced its nominees for this year’s Movies for Grownups Awards, with five films named in the Best Documentary category: Becoming Led Zeppelin (now streaming on Netflix), Cover-Up (on Netflix 12/26), My Mom Jayne: A Film by Mariska Hargitay (HBO Max), Riefenstahl (VOD), and Stiller & Meara: Nothing is Lost (Apple TV).

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Documentary Release Calendar 11/21/25 – 11/27/25

Chris Hemsworth, Craig Hemsworth in Chris Hemsworth: A Road Trip to Remember

Friday, November 21, 2025

The Age of Disclosure (2025) – A political documentary about the American government’s cover-up of UFOs and aliens. (In Theaters)

The American Revolution Episode 6: “The Most Sacred Thing” – The final installment of a Critics Choice-winning docuseries directed by Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein, and David Schmidt about the Revolutionary War. *NONFICS PICK* (PBS)

Cutting Through Rocks (2025) – A Sundance award-winning documentary about Iranian politician Sara Shahverdi and her fight against child marriage. *NONFICS PICK*
(In Theaters)

East Harbor Heroes Season 1, Episode 5: “Between A Fin And A Hard Place” – The fifth installment of a docuseries following various maritime workers in St. John’s, Newfoundland. (Discovery Channel)

Everything on the Menu with Braun Strowman Season 1, Episode 6: “Brew City Beatdown” – The latest installment of a travel food series following the titular pro wrestler as he attempts to eat every item on restaurant menus. This episode takes him to Milwaukee. (USA Network)

Island Windjammers (1956) – A short documentary in the Sportscope franchise about the annual Out Island Regatta in the Bahamas. (TCM)

Glimpses of Australia (1939) – A short documentary installment of James A. FitzPatrick’s TravelTalks travelogue franchise that explores Sydney and Melbourne. (TCM)

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

Murder at the Motel Season 2, Episode 4: “Fallbrook Inn” – The latest episode of this true-crime docuseries involves the murder of a Military reservist. (A&E)

Murder on Trial Season 1, Episode 4: “Daytona Beach Serial Killer” – The latest episode of this true-crime series involves women found dead on Daytona Beach. (A&E)

The Propaganda Game (2015) – A documentary showing the reality of North Korean life. (Film Movement Plus)

The Shepherd and the Bear (2024) – A documentary feature about a shepherd whose flock is threatened by bears. (In Theaters)

The Unbelievable with Dan Aykroyd Season 3, Episode 3: “Shocking Missions” – The latest installment of a docuseries about mysterious and bizarre people and things. (History)

Vantara: Sanctuary Stories Season 1, Episode 3 – The latest installment of a six-part docuseries on the world’s largest wildlife rescue and rehabilitation facility, in India. (Animal Planet)

Zodiac Killer Project (2025) – A meta-textual true-crime documentary about an abandoned documentary on the Zodiac Killer. Read our review of Zodiac Killer Project. (In Theaters)

Saturday, November 22, 2025

Accident, Suicide, or Murder Season 6, Episode 1: “A Man and His Balloon” – The latest episode of this true-crime series involves a 71-year-old man shot dead in a field. (Oxygen True Crime)

Austin City Limits Season 51, Episode 8: “Role Model; MJ Lenderman & The Wind” – The latest installment of a music docuseries based in Austin, Texas. (PBS)

Lucky Dog: Down Under Season 1, Episode 8: “Martin & Wolfie” – The latest installment of a docuseries in the Lucky Dog franchise starring animal trainer Brandon McMillan as he works in Australia. (CBS)

Lucky Dog: Reunions Season 3, Episode 8: “Magnolia Reunion” – The latest installment of a docuseries starring animal trainer Brandon McMillan as he revisits past clients. (CBS)

The Power of Film Part 3 – The third episode of this docuseries on cinematic storytelling is titled “The Power of Character Relationships” and is focused on character dynamics. (TCM)

Toronto Airport: Uncovered Season 1, Episodes 1 & 2: “Frozen Frontline” & “Seconds From Disaster” – The first two installments of a docuseries that offers a behind-the-scenes look at the Toronto Pearson Airport. (National Geographic)

Victory Quiz (1942) – A short film quizzing the audience on U.S. involvement in World War II. (TCM)

Sunday, November 23, 2025

Chris Hemsworth: A Road Trip to Remember (2025) – A documentary special following the titular actor and his father, who was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.(National Geographic)

For King + Country: No Turning Back (2025) – A documentary about the titular Christian pop duo. (Wonder Project)

In the Eye of the Storm Season 3, Episode 4: “Nebraska Super Outbreak” – The latest installment of a docuseries about natural disasters involves a tornado outbreak that struck the Central Plains in April 2024. (Discovery Channel)

Killer Grannies Season 1, Episode 3: “Granny’s Addiction” – The latest installment of a true-crime series hosted by June Squibb about elderly woman killers. (Oxygen)

Killer Relationship with Faith Jenkins Season 4, Episode 3: “Fighting for Her Life” – The latest installment of a true-crime docuseries about romances gone tragically wrong. This episode involves the killing of a pregnant woman. (Oxygen)

Martin Scorsese Presents: The Saints Season 2, Episode 2: “Peter” – The latest episode of this docuseries exploring the lives and sacrifices of historical saints focuses on Saint Peter. (Fox Nation)

Snapped: Behind Bars Season 3, Episode 3: “Coty Martinez” – The latest installment of a true-crime docuseries featuring interviews with murderers who appeared on the show Snapped. (Oxygen)

Monday, November 24, 2025

24 Hour Alert (1955) – An Oscar-nominated short docudrama about the importance of air defense. (TCM)

Bring Them Home (2024) – A documentary feature about the effort to bring wild buffalo back to the Blackfeet Reservation. (PBS)

Chris Hemsworth: A Road Trip to Remember (2025) – A documentary special following the titular actor and his father, who was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. (Disney+)

Missing: Dead or Alive? Season 2 – The return of the true-crime docuseries about missing person cases. (Netflix)

Tuesday, November 25, 2025

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

Air Maine (2009) – A medium-length documentary offering an aerial view of the state of Maine. (Blu-ray)

The Beatles Anthology (1995-1996, 2025) – An update of a 1990s docuseries about the titular band. (Disney+)

Brillo Box (3¢ Off) (2016) – A short documentary about the auctioning of one of Andy Warhol’s Brillo Box sculptures. Read our review of Brillo Box (3¢ Off). (DVD)

Caterpillar (2023) – A documentary about a man who travels to India to permanently change his eye color. Read our review of Caterpillar. *NONFICS PICK* (VOD)

The Cinema: A Brief History (2013) – A medium-length documentary on the evolution of film. (DVD and Blu-ray)

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

High on Maine (1996) – A short documentary offering an aerial view of the state of Maine. (Blu-ray)

In the Room (2025) – A documentary feature about five Afghan women who reclaimed their homeland. (National Film Board)

Luv Ya, Bum! (2025) – A feature documentary narrated by Dennis Quaid about the titular coach of the Houston Oilers in the 1970s. (VOD)

MGM Parade Show #31 (1956) – This installment of the Hollywood-focused docuseries showcases the later films of Greta Garbo. (TCM)

Monk in Pieces (2025) – A documentary feature about composer and performer Meredith Monk. (DVD and Blu-ray)

Mysteries Unearthed with Danny Trejo Season 2, Episode 3: “Shady Secrets” – The latest installment of a docuseries exploring hidden worlds. (History)

Northwoods Survival Season 2, Episode 5: “Winter Works” – The latest installment of a docuseries that follows young Canadian homesteaders living in remote landscapes. (National Geographic)

On the Edge (2023) – A documentary feature about a psychiatrist at a state hospital in Paris. (OVID)

Over Acadia (2006) – A short documentary offering an aerial view of Maine’s Acadia National Park. (Blu-ray)

Over Acadia: Autumn (2009) – A short documentary offering an aerial view of Maine’s Acadia National Park in the fall. (Blu-ray)

Over Downeast Maine (2009) – A short documentary offering an aerial view of parts of Maine. (Blu-ray)

Over the Coast of Maine (2020) – A short documentary offering an aerial view of Maine’s coast. (Blu-ray)

Over the Lighthouses of Maine (2020) – A short documentary offering an aerial view of Maine’s lighthouses. (Blu-ray)

Over the North of Maine (2009) – A short documentary offering an aerial view of Northern Maine. (Blu-ray)

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

The Shuffle (2025) – A short documentary about the making of the 1985 Chicago Bears’ “Super Bowl Shuffle” rap video. (HBO Max)

Skull World (2013) – A documentary feature about cardboard-based combat. (Blu-ray)

Striptease: The Greatest Exotic Dancers of All Time (2004) – A medium-length documentary about famous exotic dancers from the late 19th century through the first half of the 20th century. (DVD)

Super Bowl Champions: The 2024 Philadelphia Eagles (2025) – A documentary covering the Eagles’ 2024 season. (DVD and Blu-ray)

Taboo: The Beginning of Erotic Cinema (2004) – A documentary feature covering a history of the first 50 years of adult films. (DVD)

Three Idiots in Kenya (2025) – A travel docuseries starring Lee Soo Geun, Eun Ji Won, and Kyu Hyun. (Netflix)

Until the Light Takes Us (2008) – A documentary feature about black metal music in Norway in the 1990s. (DVD and Blu-ray)

Who Hired the Hitman? Season 1, Episode 4: “A Hard Man to Kill” – The latest installment of a six-part true-crime docuseries about murder-for-hire plots. (Investigation Discovery)

Wildflower (2020) – A documentary feature about a young woman caring for her parents. (DVD)

Wednesday, November 26, 2025

About Face Season 1, Episode 5: “Mystery of the Eyelid”- The latest episode of a series that follows surgeons specializing in facial reconstruction. (TLC)

Edna (2021) – A medium-length documentary about a woman living in ruins on the edge of the Transbrasiliana highway. (OVID)

Expedition Unknown Season 16, Episode 4: “The Nazis’ Lost Super Sub” – The latest installment of a docuseries that follows an archaeologist looking for lost artifacts. (Discovery Channel)

Fugitives Caught on Tape Season 2, Episodes 15 & 16 – The latest installments of a docuseries following law enforcement in their pursuit of fugitives. (A&E)

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

Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age (2025) – The third season of a VFX-driven docuseries narrated by Tom Hiddleston about life in the prehistoric world. (Apple TV)

The Rocky Mountain Mortician Murder (2025) – A three-part true-crime docuseries about the killing of a mortician in Colorado. (ID: Investigation Discovery)

Sportsmen at Work (1957) – A short documentary showcasing a New York State Conservation camp. (TCM)

Sunday Ball (2015) – A documentary feature about the “favela league” of soccer teams in Rio de Janeiro. (OVID)

Teenage Wasteland (2025) – A documentary feature by Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine about high school students uncovering a conspiracy in their town. Note: Teenage Wasteland premiered at Sundance under the title Midletown. *NONFICS PICK* (In Theaters)

Thursday, November 27, 2025

Happy Thanksgiving!

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Sneak Peek At What’s Coming Soon

11/28 – Benita – A documentary by Alan Berliner (Nobody’s Business) about the late filmmaker Benita Raphan. (In Theaters)

12/1 – Song of My City – An archival documentary depicting New York City in the 1970s through movie clips. (HBO Max)

12/3 – Peaches Goes Bananas – A documentary feature following the musician known as Peaches over 17 years. Watch the new trailer for the film below. (In Theaters)

12/4 – It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley – A Critics Choice-nominated biographical documentary by Amy Berg (Janis: Little Girl Lost) about the titular musician. Read our review of It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley. *NONFICS PICK* (HBO and HBO Max)

12/5 – The New Yorker at 100 – A documentary feature by Marshall Curry (Street Fight) narrated by Julianne Moore about the titular magazine. (Netflix)

12/19 – Cover-Up – A documentary feature by Laura Poitras and Mark Obenhaus about reporter Seymour Hersh. *NONFICS PICK* (In Theaters)

12/25 – Happy and You Know It – A documentary feature by Penny Lane (Listening to Kenny G) about children’s music. (HBO and HBO Max)

1/1 – I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not – A biographical documentary by Marina Zenovich (Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind) profiling the titular actor. Watch the new trailer for the film below. (CNN)