2026 Full Frame Tribute

Dawn Porter, whose documentary films frequently center trailblazers, leaders, and activists, will be honored with the Full Frame Tribute in 2026. The Full Frame Tribute celebrates filmmakers whose body of work exemplifies exceptional storytelling and impact.

“Many of the people that I’ve been able to work with in telling their stories have done really extraordinary things,” said Porter. “Most are ordinary people who decide to make a sacrifice or do something really hard for the benefit of others. I’m curious about those people—about the better part of humanity. I’m really interested in people who see a problem or an injustice and try to fix it.”

A former lawyer turned filmmaker, Porter made her directorial debut with Gideon’s Army, which followed three young Southern public defenders and opened the 2013 Full Frame Documentary Film Festival. Porter has since directed more than a dozen acclaimed documentaries, including Trapped, which screened at Full Frame in 2016 and examined abortion clinic regulation in the South; John Lewis: Good Trouble, chronicling the life and legacy of the civil rights leader and U.S. Representative; and The Sing Sing Chronicles, which won an Emmy Award for Best Documentary. Her feature Luther: Never Too Much was Full Frame’s Closing Night Film in 2024.

Porter has won numerous other awards for her work, including a second Emmy, a Peabody Award, the Independent Spirit Award, the Ridenhour Prize, and the American Bar Association’s Silver Gavel Award.

“I am drawn to documentary for the ways the form highlights the experiences of everyday people. Whether unveiling acts of greatness or seemingly small decisions, Dawn Porter’s films capture the essence of the people at the center of the story. They are vivid accounts of who we are witnessing on screen, not only what they have achieved,” said Full Frame Festival Co-Director Sadie Tillery. “We are honored to celebrate Dawn and her exceptional work with the 2026 Full Frame Tribute, and we look forward to welcoming her back to Durham this spring.”

In honor of Porter’s contributions to the documentary art form, a curated selection of her films will be showcased at the 28^th annual Full Frame Documentary Film Festival. The festival will be held April 16-19, 2026, in downtown Durham, NC. Porter will attend and take part in discussions around the screenings. Specific titles and guests will be announced closer to the festival.

Headlines

“Dawn Porter to Receive Full Frame Documentary Film Festival’s 2026 Tribute Award” – Addie Morfoot for Variety

2026 Full Frame Tribute Lineup

Bree Wayy: Promise Witness Remembrance / (Director: Dawn Porter)
Dawn Porter’s uplifting short film examines how the art world responded to the death of Breonna Taylor by using art not only as a form of protest, but as a space to heal.

Gideon’s Army / (Director: Dawn Porter)
Gideon’s Army follows three young, committed public defenders who are dedicated to working for the people society would rather forget. Long hours, low pay, and staggering caseloads are so common that even the most committed often give up.

The Lady Bird Diaries / (Director: Dawn Porter) FREE SCREENING
The Lady Bird Diaries is a groundbreaking documentary film about one of the most influential and least understood First Ladies in history, Lady Bird Johnson, told in her own words from 123 hours of her riveting audio diaries.

Luther: Never Too Much / (Director: Dawn Porter) FREE SCREENING
Luther: Never Too Much chronicles the story of a vocal virtuoso. Using a wealth of rarely seen archives, Luther Vandross tells his own story with assistance from his closest friends and musical collaborators including Mariah Carey, Dionne Warwick, Valerie Simpson, and Roberta Flack. The film relives the many stunning moments of Luther’s musical career, while exploring his unrequited love life, health struggles, and a lifelong battle to earn the respect his music deserved.
 
Trapped / (Director: Dawn Porter)
The story of reproductive health care providers in the South struggling against controversial new regulations.

When A Witness Recants / (Director: Dawn Porter)
In 1983, author Ta-Nehisi Coates learned that a 14-year-old boy was murdered in his Baltimore middle school. Upon revisiting the case, he uncovers the truth: three innocent teenagers were wrongfully convicted and spent 36 years in prison—creating a lasting impact on the accused, the witnesses, and their community. 

The Way I See It / (Director: Dawn Porter)
Pete Souza captures historic and intimate moments as a photographer for President Barack Obama and President Ronald Reagan. The Way I See It traces Souza’s journey from a man with top secret clearance and total access to the President, whose job description meant he was required to be invisible, to a man who has turned his focus on the present day and who uses his art as commentary to help us understand where we are now as a country and what we might be missing.

Past Recipients

2025: Jean Tsien

2024: Nancy Buirski and D. A. Pennebaker

2019: Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert

2018: Jehane Noujaim