Many documentaries in the DC/DOX lineup are sure to factor in the next Oscar race:
- 2000 Meters to Andriivka, Ukrainian director Mstyslav Chernov’s follow up to the Oscar-winning 20 Days in Mariupol.
- The Perfect Neighbor, directed by Geeta Gandhir, winner of the prize for documentary directing at Sundance.
- Apocalypse in the Tropics, Brazilian filmmaker Petra Costa’s follow up to her Oscar-nominated The Edge of Democracy.
- Predators, David Osit’s expose on the NBC crime show To Catch a Predator.
- Come See Me in the Good Light, directed by Ryan White, which Apple TV+ recently acquired.
- River of Grass, director Sasha Wortzel’s “lyrical ode to the Florida Everglades.”
- Coexistence, My Ass!, director Amber Fares’s award-winning documentary about Israeli comedian Noam Shuster Eliassi, who advocates for complete equality between Palestinians and Israelis.
- Sally, the National Geographic documentary about the late astronaut Sally Ride, directed by Cristina Costantini.
- Seeds, directed by Brittany Shyne, winner of the Grand Jury Prize for U.S. Documentary at Sundance.
- Holding Liat, directed by Brandon Kramer, a film about a woman kidnapped in the October 7 Hamas sneak attack on Israel. It won the top prize for documentary at the Berlin Film Festival.
DC/DOX will screen Barbara Walters: Tell Me Everything, a film about the late pioneering newswoman, directed by Jackie Jesko. The documentary holds its world premiere just before DC/DOX at Tribeca Festival.
Among other intriguing titles are Deepfaking Sam Altman, a film about the OpenAI CEO. Director Adam Bhala Lough, frustrated in his attempts to interview the real Altman, chats with a digital facsimile of the tech mogul instead.
DC/DOX will host the world premieres of the shorts Coach, Edge Of Daybreak, La Orquesta, To Your Hands, And Vs. Goliath: Appalachia, the international premiere of the short A Color I Named Blue, the North American premiere of Lift Lady, and the U.S. premiere of Into The Dark.
In a statement, DC/DOX co-founder Jamie Shor commented, “As we gather in the nation’s capital for our third edition, DC/DOX kicks off another fantastic year in a city that’s as vital for documentary film as it is for politics, and this year’s slate is a powerful reminder that art and engagement do go hand in hand.”
DC/DOX 2025 PROGRAM
Signature Screenings
Opening Night Screening: Thursday, June 12
STEAL THIS STORY, PLEASE!: DIRS Carl Deal and Tia Lessin. PRODS Karen Ranucci, Tia Lessin, and Carl Deal. USA.
Amy Goodman’s personal story, her warm and radical spirit, and her utterly fearless reporting are interwoven with the monumental events she has covered over decades, spotlighting the critical role of journalism in shaping our understanding of truth—and in compelling action at a time when independent journalism is under attack.
World Premiere.
Centerpiece Screening: Friday, June 13
THE ALABAMA SOLUTION: DIRS Andrew Jarecki and Charlotte Kaufman. PRODS Andrew Jarecki and Charlotte Kaufman. USA.
Incarcerated men defy the odds to expose a cover-up in America’s deadliest prison system.
Courtesy of HBO.
Closing Night Screening: Saturday, June 14
BODYGUARD OF LIES: DIR Dan Krauss. PRODS Alex Gibney, Brad Hebert, Ahmad Sharifi, Darryl Frank, Justin Falvey, Susan Zirinsky, and Terence Wrong. USA.
Through shocking testimonies from government insiders, confidential documents, and private audio recordings from the highest level of the military, BODYGUARD OF LIES exposes the tangled web of deception fed to the American public by the U.S. government during its 20-year war in Afghanistan.
Courtesy of See It Now Studios / Paramount+.
Spotlight Screening: Sunday, June 15
STATE OF FIRSTS: DIR Chase Joynt. PRODS Jenna Kelly and Justin Lacob. USA.
A portrait of Sarah McBride’s historic run to become the first trans member of Congress, the backlash that ensues, and her fight for change amidst intensifying political extremism.
Features
2000 METERS TO ANDRIIVKA: DIR Mstyslav Chernov. PRODS Mstyslav Chernov, Michelle Mizner, and Raney Aronson-Rath. Ukraine.
Amid the failing counteroffensive, a journalist follows a Ukrainian platoon on their mission to traverse one mile of heavily fortified forest and liberate a strategic village from Russian occupation. But the farther they advance through their destroyed homeland, the more they realize that this war may never end.
Courtesy of PBS FRONTLINE, AP.
ANDY KAUFMAN IS ME: DIR Clay Tweel. PRODS Dwayne Johnson, Dany Garcia, Hiram Garcia, Brian Gewirtz, Ross Dinerstein, and Shannon E. Riggs. USA.
With never-before-heard audio tapes and unique insights from those within his inner circle, ANDY KAUFMAN IS ME offers a fascinating view inside the mind of enigmatic performer Andy Kaufman.
Courtesy of Fifth Season.
ANY PROBLEM IS NO PROBLEM: DIRS Alyssa Fedele and Zachary Fink. PRODS Robyn Kopp and Kate McLean. USA.
In a high-stakes race for the future of the internet, three visionary web3 startups battle for investment at Demo Day, hoping to secure their place in the tech world’s most prestigious incubator.
East Coast Premiere.
APOCALYPSE IN THE TROPICS: DIR Petra Costa. PRODS Petra Costa and Alessandra Orofino. Brazil.
When does a democracy end, and a theocracy begin? APOCALYPSE IN THE TROPICS investigates the increasingly powerful grip that faith leaders hold over politics in Brazil. Weaving past and present, it holds up an uncanny mirror to the rest of the world.
Courtesy of Netflix.
ARREST THE MIDWIFE: DIR Elaine Epstein. PROD Robin Hessman. USA.
The arrest of trusted midwives ignites an unexpected rebellion, as Amish and Mennonite women break from tradition and emerge as fierce political activists — joining the broader fight for reproductive justice.
Courtesy of ITVS.
BABY DOE: DIR Jessica Earnshaw. PROD Holly Meehl Chapman. USA.
After new forensic evidence emerges, a churchgoing mother of three in Ohio is arrested for murder decades after abandoning a child she says was stillborn.
BARBARA WALTERS TELL ME EVERYTHING: DIR Jackie Jesko. PRODS Marcella Steingart, Jackie Jesko, Sara Bernstein, and Meredith Kaulfers. USA.
In a career that reshaped American journalism, Barbara Walters’ bold and trailblazing journey is revealed in this raw and intimate documentary, exploring her remarkable legacy through her own words. Courtesy of ABC News.
COEXISTENCE, MY ASS!: DIR Amber Fares. PRODS Amber Fares, Rachel Leah Jones, and Valérie Montmartin. USA, France.
Shot over five tumultuous years, COEXISTENCE, MY ASS! follows Israeli activist-comedian Noam Shuster Eliassi as she creates a comedy show of the same name, tracing her personal, professional, and political journey alongside the region’s steady deterioration.
COME SEE ME IN THE GOOD LIGHT: DIR Ryan White. PRODS Jessica Hargrave, Ryan White, Tig Notaro, and Stef Willen. USA.
In this unexpectedly funny and joyful love story, poets Andrea Gibson and Megan Falley navigate life and mortality in the face of an incurable diagnosis.
CREEDE U.S.A.: DIR Kahane Corn Cooperman. PRODS Innbo Shim and Kahane Corn Cooperman. USA.
Creede, a remote Colorado mining town nestled at 9,000 feet, has no stoplight—yet it’s home to a thriving theater company. With a unique mix of miners, ranchers, and theater people among its 300 residents, Creede offers a striking reflection on the divisions—and surprising connections—shaping America today.
CUTTING THROUGH ROCKS: DIRS Sara Khaki and Mohammadreza Eyni. PRODS Sara Khaki and Mohammadreza Eyni. USA, Qatar, Chile, Germany, Iran, Netherlands, Canada.
As the first elected councilwoman of her Iranian village, Sara Shahverdi fights to break long-held patriarchal traditions by training teenage girls to ride motorcycles and working to end child marriages.
DEAR TOMORROW: DIR Kaspar Astrup Schröder. PRODS Maria Helga Stürup and Katrine A. Sahlstrøm. Denmark, Sweden, Japan.
In Japan, loneliness has turned into a national crisis, encouraging the government to create a Ministry of Loneliness. With the help of a volunteer chat service, compassionate connections, government initiatives, and even pet owls, they attempt to reclaim their lives from this very contemporary affliction.
DEEPFAKING SAM ALTMAN: DIR Adam Bhala Lough. PRODS Kevin Hart, Luke Kelly-Clyne, Bryan Smiley, and Harold Berón III. USA.
Director Adam Bhala Lough sets out to understand the technology and people at the center of AI. His quest sends him on a path towards OpenAI CEO, Sam Altman. When he can’t sit down with Altman, Adam travels to India to create an AI version of him to interview instead. Hartbeat partners with Vox Media Studios and Lough for this documentary based on reporting from New York Magazine.
Courtesy of Vox Media Studios.
EVEREST DARK: DIR Jereme Watt. PRODS Merit Jensen Carr, Michael Bodnarchuk, and Jereme Watt. Canada.
As the death toll on the world’s highest peak rises, one of Nepal’s most legendary climbers leads an elite team of Sherpas on a life-threatening mission to retrieve fallen climbers from Everest’s Death Zone.
North American Premiere.
FACING WAR: DIR Tommy Gulliksen. PRODS Anne Marte Blindheim and Danielle Turkov Wilson. Norway.
This epic documentary chronicles Jens Stoltenberg’s pivotal final year as NATO Secretary General during a period of unprecedented global tension. With remarkable behind-the-scenes access, the film captures Stoltenberg navigating the complex diplomatic landscape amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
U.S. Premiere.
FOLKTALES: DIRS Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady. PRODS Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady. USA.
On the precipice of adulthood, teenagers converge at a traditional folk high school in Arctic Norway. Dropped at the edge of the world, they must rely on only themselves, one another, and a loyal pack of sled dogs as they all grow in unexpected directions.
Courtesy of Magnolia Pictures.
HEIGHTENED SCRUTINY: DIR Sam Feder. PRODS Amy Scholder, Sam Feder, and Paola Mendoza. USA.
Amid the surge in anti-trans legislation that Chase Strangio battles in the courtroom, he must also fight against media bias, exposing how the narratives in the press influence public perception and the fight for transgender rights.
HOLDING LIAT: DIR Brandon Kramer. PRODS. Darren Aronofsky, Lance Kramer, Yoni Brook, Ari Handel, and Justin A. Gonçalves. USA.
After Liat Beinin Atzili is kidnapped on October 7th, her Israeli-American family faces their own conflicting perspectives to fight for her release and the future of the places they call home.
HOW DEEP IS YOUR LOVE: DIR Eleanor Mortimer. PROD Jacob Thomas. United Kingdom.
With deep-sea mining looming, biologists race to collect and name the undiscovered species of the abyss, the last wilderness on earth.
I WAS BORN THIS WAY: DIRS Daniel Junge and Sam Pollard. PRODS Wellington Love, Daniel Junge, and Jed Alan. USA.
When Archbishop Carl Bean sang the 1977 Motown hit and gay anthem “I Was Born This Way,” it was the start of his mission to change the world. I WAS BORN THIS WAY explores the life and legacy of Bean and his resounding message: “Love is for everyone.”
IMMUTABLE: DIRS Charlie Sadoff and Gabriel London. PRODS Keith M. Brown, Charlie Sadoff, and Gabriel London. USA.
In the shadow of power and privilege, students in the Washington Urban Debate League push themselves to become top-tier debaters, determined to change the course of their lives.
World Premiere.
Courtesy of PBS WETA. Screening as part of DC/FRAME.
IN WAVES AND WAR: DIRS Jon Shenk and Bonni Cohen. PRODS Jessica Anthony, Bonni Cohen, and Jon Shenk. USA.
Three Navy SEALs leave their tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan with treatment-resistant, unrelenting psychological pain. They find themselves at the cutting edge of a different frontline: a lifesaving psychedelic therapy that brings healing to a community in urgent need.
THE INQUISITOR: DIR Angela Lynn Tucker. PRODS Moira Griffin and Trevite Willis. USA.
