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dedicated to the theatrical exhibition of nonfiction cinema

Festival 2026

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Cinema 1

10:00–12:00
Shifting Baselines Where the Rio Grande meets the sea, the rockets of SpaceX are launched; astronomers gaze skyward, hawkers shill their wares and environmentalists survey the damage. Welcome to Boca Chica, USA.
1:00–3:00
We Were The Scenery The story of Hoa Thi Le and Hue Nguyen Che, who, in 1975, after fleeing the Vietnam War by boat and docking in the Philippines, were utilized as background extras in the filming of Apocalypse Now.
Hair, Paper, Water… Born in a cave and now in her old age, a Rục woman navigates memory and daily life, passing on her disappearing language to her grandchildren.
4:00–6:00
Alone Aloné Watts, a young woman in New Orleans, contemplates marrying her boyfriend, who has been incarcerated for a year and is still awaiting sentencing. What…
America Garrett Bradley’s film America opens with a headshot of actor Bert Williams, followed by production stills of the actor in blackface. The images transition to…
The Cruise Bennett Miller’s dizzying character study of Timothy “Speed” Levitch, a double-decker tour bus guide in New York City, gives way to a broader meditation on…
7:30–9:30
No Mean City Two workmen and an apprentice drive through Belfast at night, replacing old sodium streetlights with LED. Beneath their glow, the city grapples with change, as progress marches on
Once you shall be one of those who lived long ago In a small mining town in the north part of Sweden we witness a melancholic, humorous and sometimes absurd last epoch of a place. Personal stories of farewell, change, and the impermanence of life unfold above one of the world’s largest underground iron ore mines.

Cinema 2

Fletcher

10:30–12:30
Seized When the small town of Marion, Kansas, is thrust into the international spotlight after a police raid on the Marion County Record and the death of its 98-year-old co-owner, a fierce debate ignites about the abuse of power, journalistic ethics, local journalism, and the United States Constitution.
1:30–3:30
Steal This Story, Please! Amy Goodman takes on soldiers, politicians, and corporate media in a fearless pursuit of truth.
4:30–6:30
To Hold a Mountain In the remote highlands of Montenegro, a shepherd mother and daughter proudly defend their ancestral mountain from the threat of becoming a NATO military training ground, stirring memories of the violence that shattered their family.
8:00–10:00

OPENING NIGHT FILM

The Oldest Person in the World A decade-long global odyssey chronicles the ever-changing record holders of the title of oldest person alive. What begins as a portrait of longevity becomes a poignant meditation on the passage of time, the randomness of fate and the joy and profound human experience of being alive.
Last Minute Line Only

Cinema 3

2:00–4:00
Gideon’s Army This remarkable film—a powerful testament to what it means to dedicate one’s life to the service of others—follows three young public defenders as they wrestle with massive caseloads and overwhelming student loans in order to ensure the rights of the accused.
5:00–7:00
BENITA In this deeply intimate and haunting documentary, Alan Berliner posthumously collaborates with his friend and colleague, experimental New York City filmmaker Benita Raphan, who died by suicide during the COVID-19 pandemic. The film is an unflinching, lyrical, and ultimately moving study of an artist’s mind, offering profound insights into the intersections of mental health, creativity, loneliness, and human resilience.

Cinema 4

Elsewhere

10:00–12:00

Durham Armory

Opening Night Party

ticket required

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Cinema 1

10:00–12:00
Mother Lidia Mother Lidia is an immersive and unsettling portrait of Lidia Fuentes, a Chilean healer with a divine gift for breaking curses. In her home, we see her receiving patients seeking to be cured of ailments with dark origins. Between exorcisms and moments of daily life, a universe is revealed where a complex balance exists between the magical and the earthly.
Singing Wings Through the intertwined destinies of a wounded stork and an elderly Kurdish woman, whose daughter contemplates migrating to the UK, Singing Wings weaves a poetic parallel between animal and human migration.
1:00–3:00
KITE Panos, now grown, returns to a childhood ritual—flying a kite with his father, a tradition marking the start of Lent in Greece. But memories are never simple. Sounds and images, fragments of the past, weave together to reconstruct their bond. A documentary about the fragile father-son relationship and the restless power of memory.
Buckskin An experimental portrait of the filmmaker’s grandfather, Carroll B. Williams Jr., a ground-breaking African-American forester, that reflects on his work and legacy in the twilight of his life.
Gatorville As childhood memories are made and fade in the same instant, siblings Lily and Bodhi diverge at the dawn of life beyond their home, a Colorado alligator sanctuary. Their bond, forged by the exotic nature of their remote landscape, begins to change as Lily enters her teenage years. Bodhi contemplates friendship and family beyond his reptilian counterparts.
The Grandfather Puzzle When a puzzle-obsessed grandfather refuses to discuss his past, his granddaughter travels to photograph the Hungarian castle where he grew up and turn it into a puzzle. What starts as a simple mission becomes a deeper exploration of displacement and home.
Last Minute Line Only
4:00–6:00
The silence of pomegranates In a coastal town in Calabria, southern Italy, a woman who prefers to remain anonymous breaks the silence surrounding the issue of abortion in the region.
Food for Everyone: Deities, Nature and Humans On an equal footing, voices enter into dialogue with nature. They speak of sustenance, emotional bonds and of how there is no future without a past.
Ideas of Order A collision between the macro-collapse of ecosystems and the minutiae of cellular colonies, in a story about entropy, unrestrained growth, waltzing mice, earlier-onset cancers, programmed death, and the bacteria that made Earth rich in oxygen—opening up space for life today.
7:00–9:00
American Doctor When three American doctors–Palestinian, Jewish, and Zoroastrian–enter Gaza to save lives, they find themselves caught between medicine and politics, risking everything to expose the truth.
Last Minute Line Only

Cinema 2

11:00–1:00
The Cool World The Cool World centers on Duke Curtis, a member of the Harlem youth gang the Royal Pythons, who believes that finally owning a gun will…
Last Minute Line Only
5:00–7:00
Shorts 1 The four films in this program offer poignant reflections on the power of familial connection. KITE Buckskin Gatorville The Grandfather Puzzle
Last Minute Line Only
8:00–10:00
Shorts 2 The silence of pomegranates Food for Everyone: Deities, Nature and Humans Mother Lidia Failure Is a River of Mine
Last Minute Line Only

Fletcher

11:00–1:00
Kikuyu Land In Kenya’s tea highlands, one man’s claim to his family’s stolen land sets Mr. Mungai against a multinational giant. His fight draws a local news producer into a battle that exposes buried histories, family secrets, and the unfinished business of colonial power.
2:00–4:00
The Way I See It For nearly two decades, Pete Souza had a front-row seat on history as Chief Official White House Photographer for both Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama.…
5:00–7:00
Remake For forty years, Ross McElwee has made documentaries which blend autobiography and cultural observation. When his son Adrian died suddenly, the footage he had filmed of his son became something else entirely: a reckoning with what the camera captured, and what it could not. REMAKE traces the fragile bond the camera created between a father and son, and what remains of it now.
8:00–10:00
The Last First: Winter K2 The Last First: Winter K2 takes us to the icy heights and unpredictable weather of K2 and reveals a surprising and layered story—one of strategy and determination, class and caste, money and power—all under life and death circumstances.

Cinema 3

10:30–12:30
Ask E. Jean The thrilling and adventurous life of beloved advice columnist and gonzo journalist E. Jean Carroll, the only woman to beat Trump in court. Twice.
Last Minute Line Only
1:30–3:30
BAEA In the dead of winter, at a wildlife rescue center on the pacific coast of so-called Canada, a team of rehabbers treat Bald Eagles suffering from lead poisoning so that they can be released back to their environment.
The Lake An environmental nuclear bomb looms in Utah. Two intrepid scientists and a political insider race the clock to save their home from unprecedented catastrophe.
4:30–6:30
A Bisbee ’17 Short Film (no. 2 of 6) This seven-minute film directed by Robert Greene sources unused material from his feature film Bisbee ’17 to deconstruct the circumstances around the two deaths that…
Punishment Park Set during the Nixon administration, Punishment Park depicts a dystopian parallel reality in which detained political dissidents face an obscene decision. After being convicted of…
7:30–9:30
Barbara Forever An archive-driven exploration of the life, work, and legacy of iconic, pioneering lesbian filmmaker Barbara Hammer.

Cinema 4

2:30–4:30
There Are No Words Over 40 years ago, filmmaker Min Sook Lee’s mother died by suicide. Using her camera, Lee explores long-held silences, unstable memories and unforgettable truths, attempting to understand what happened.
5:30–7:30
Whispers in May In the remote Liangshan Mountains, 14-year-old Qihuo and her friends set out to find a skirt for her rite of passage. What begins as a small quest drifts into a suspended space of childhood, where time slows and the world is vast.
8:30–10:30
Luther: Never Too Much Few icons can be identified by their first name alone. Dawn Porter’s engaging film Luther: Never Too Much pays homage to one such rare figure…

FREE SCREENING

Last Minute Line Only

Elsewhere

12:30–1:30

The Durham Hotel

EXTREMELY RICH THEATER This conversation with Robert Greene, curator of the 2026 Thematic Program Extremely Rich Theater: Staging, Performance, and Elasticity in American Nonfiction Film will expand on the ideas behind his selections for the program. How can staged scenes and constructed performances lead a viewer to recognize more deeply what is real and/or true? Panelist: Robert Greene (filmmaker and curator, Full Frame 2026 Thematic Program)

no ticket required

3:30–4:30

The Durham Hotel

FILMMAKER VS. FILMMAKER: ONLY ONE SHALL SURVIVE Now that we have your attention, Full Frame veterans Jameka Autry and Amir Bar-Lev invite you to join them in resisting the documentary “Hunger Games” and cultivating unity and power in our community. Fashioned as more town hall than panel, together we will explore how to support each other in during these changing times in the documentary industry. Please bring your best filmmaking tips to share. There will be prizes. Panelists: Jameka Autry (Time and…

no ticket required

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Cinema 1

10:00–12:00
A Fox Under a Pink Moon A subtly textured self-portrait of Soraya—an Afghan free-spirited 16-year-old artist in Iran who has been trying for five years to make her way to Europe—who chillingly captures everything on her phone while pouring all her fears and worries into extraordinary works of art.
Last Minute Line Only
1:00–3:00
Life Without Dreams Jessica Bardsley’s Life Without Dreams contemplates the intersections between insomnia, the natural world, and the unrelenting pace and pressures of a capitalist society. Through voice-overs…
Not a Pretty Picture As a high school student, Martha Coolidge was raped by a classmate while they were on a date with friends in New York City. Years…
4:00–6:00
Still Standing After the Los Angeles wildfires leave thousands of homes contaminated with toxic ash, residents face an impossible choice: should they risk their health to return home?
The Cloud Factory “The Cloud Factory” is an cinematic exploration of the sky above the Rhenish coal mining region, where emission-enriched air masses ascend into the atmosphere to transform the climate. What can these human-made clouds tell us about our future? And what kind of castles can we build in this air?
an open field One of two Boeing airplane crashes six years ago, caused by a software failure, killed 157 people, including my brother Max. I travel with my father to the crash site in search of something tangible in our grief. Here, we met people for whom mourning is a profound part of their culture - a humanity contrasting with the manufacturer’s calculated stance.
7:00–9:00
La Tierra del Valor (The Home of the Brave) During a summer of grief and fear brought on by immigration raids in Los Angeles, one small act of bravery gives a community hope.
American Pachuco: The Legend of Luis Valdez Against political resistance and industry skepticism, Luis Valdez pushes Chicano storytelling from the fields to the film screen with Zoot Suit and La Bamba, crafting iconic works that challenge, celebrate, and expand America’s story.

Cinema 2

11:00–1:00
Life of an American Fireman Released in 1903, Edwin S. Porter’s Life of an American Fireman is one of the earliest American films. The groundbreaking silent short portrays a firehouse…
Kid Auto Races at Venice At a “baby-cart” race in Venice, California, in 1914, vehicles speed down city streets while packed crowds line the curbs. Charlie Chaplin makes his appearance…
Man of Aran Robert Flaherty spent nearly two years recording life on the Aran Islands, three remote landmasses off the western coast of Ireland. Here, islanders brace for…
Last Minute Line Only
2:00–4:00
Shorts 3 This program centers protagonists as they measure personal choice against external pressure. We Were the Scenery No Mean City BAEA La Tierra del Valor (The…
Last Minute Line Only
5:00–8:00
The Rehearsal So what exactly does it mean to be prepared? Commissioned to make a comedy show but troubled by a serious problem, Nathan Fielder combines the…

FREE SCREENING

Last Minute Line Only

Fletcher

11:00–1:00
Soul Patrol Based on Ed Emanuel’s 2003 Vietnam War memoir, director J.M. Harper’s film reflects on that conflict’s first Black special ops team—a long-range reconnaissance patrol in…
2:00–4:00
Cookie Queens It’s Girl Scout Cookie season, and four tenacious girls strive to be a top-selling “Cookie Queen,” navigating an $800 million business in which innocence and ambition collide.
5:00–7:00
Nuisance Bear A polar bear is forced to navigate a human world of tourists, wildlife officers, and hunters as its ancient migration collides with modern life. When a sacred predator is branded a nuisance, it becomes unclear who truly belongs in this shared landscape.
8:00–10:00
When A Witness Recants In 1983, a 14-year-old boy was shot in the hallway of Harlem Park Junior High in Baltimore. Three 16-yearolds were convicted of the murder, despite…

Cinema 3

10:00–12:00
Bree Wayy: Promise Witness Remembrance 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.
Trapped Doctor Willie Parker drives state-to-state to see patients at abortion clinics where red tape is obstructing medical practice. Targeted Regulation of Abortion Providers, so-called TRAP…
1:30–3:30
The Great Experiment The Great Experiment reflects on this nation once dubbed "the last great experiment in democracy," by documenting one four-year period of political upheaval from 2017 to 2020 to create a deeply affecting portrait of our nation and its people.
4:30–6:30
True North This propulsive cinematic confrontation of Canada’s anti-Black racism explores the pivotal, yet often overlooked, Canadian civil rights movement. Filmmaker Michèle Stephenson artfully weaves a haunting…
7:30–9:30

SPECIAL PRESENTATION

Procession Procession documents a collaborative filmmaking project where six survivors of sexual abuse at the hands of Catholic clergy confront their trauma by creating films about…

Cinema 4

11:30–1:30
Joybubbles A boy discovers he can control the global telephone system by whistling a magic tone. Born blind and yearning for connection, his early obsession with the telephone sparks a subculture that shapes the future of hacking and technology.
Last Minute Line Only
2:30–4:30
Failure Is a River of Mine Mari is a former rural midwife, Maricielo is a hairdresser, and Iker is a six-year-old boy. Though they appear to share little in common, a gossamer web quietly binds their lives through heartbreak, failure, and unexpected moments of respite.
Jaripeo Jaripeo journeys to Michoacán’s hypermasculine rodeos. What starts as a celebration of tradition descends into the subconscious of memory, queer desire, and longing—a reckoning with the wounds and beauty of a home left behind.
5:30–7:30
Militantropos Militantropos captures the human condition through the fractured realities of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The film pieces together everyday lives transformed by war—those who flee, those who lose everything, and those who stay to resist and fight—tracing both the instinct to survive and the need for closeness.
8:30–10:30
We Are Pat We Are Pat is a tale of obsession, transness and how art ages over time told through the thickspectacles of the 1990s cult character Pat from Saturday Night Live.

Elsewhere

12:30–1:30

The Durham Hotel

SHAPING THE NARRATIVE: CRITICS, CULTURE, AND THE POWER OF THE PRESS In this age of social media and digital culture, how does earned press coverage and criticism shape awareness around a documentary and serve to amplify its message or influence its awards trajectory? This panel explores the power of cultural conversation and the evolving role of editors and critics in advancing engagement with and recognition for documentary films.   Panelists: Sam Adams (writer and senior editor, Slate), Katey Rich (awards editor, The Ankler), and Alissa Wilkinson (movie critic, The New York Times)…

no ticket required

3:30–4:30

The Durham Hotel

SEARCHING FOR TRUTH: A DISCUSSION WITH DAWN PORTER Full Frame Tribute recipient Dawn Porter reflects on her illustrious career and the incredible individuals she has captured in her films. This one-on-one conversation will explore her experience documenting the American judicial system, how her interview process unfolds in real time, and the myriad ways she approaches archival footage and translating history for the screen.   Panelist: Dawn Porter (When a Witness Recants) Moderator: Sadie Tillery (Festival co-director and artistic director, Full Frame)

no ticket required

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Cinema 1

10:00–12:00
Concepto de Ciudadano In Concepto de Ciudadano, a man recounts his journey crossing the border with his mother as a three-year-old and growing up in Los Angeles. After…
Ghosts of Sugar Land In Ghosts of Sugar Land, a circle of friends in Texas reflects on their relationship with a man they refer to as “Mark.” The film…
Bushman With Bushman, director David Schickele intended to make a narrative film based on the experiences of his friend Paul Eyam Nzie Okpokam, who had come…
1:30–3:30
A Child of My Own The profound desire to become a mother and the pressure from her surroundings drive Alejandra to fake a pregnancy. What begins as a simple lie turns into a complex charade to sustain for months before a hopeful husband and family. It unleashes a media scandal that won't allow her to continue lying.
4:30–6:30
Sunday Encore 2: FOOD FOR EVERYONE: DEITIES, NATURE AND HUMANS / FAILURE IS A RIVER OF MINE / A FOX UNDER A PINK MOON  FOOD FOR EVERYONE: DEITIES, NATURE AND HUMANS FAILURE IS A RIVER OF MINE A FOX UNDER A PINK MOON

Cinema 2

11:00–1:00
Shorts 4 This compilation of films documents the tragic and enduring imprint of manmade disasters on both the environment and the people they have harmed. Still Standing…
Last Minute Line Only

Fletcher

11:00–1:00
The Bend in the River Following and filming friends for nearly fifty years, The Bend in the River is an exploration of the inexorable flow of aging and the unfinished project of living.
2:30–4:30
Time and Water Facing the death of his country’s glaciers and the loss of his beloved grandparents, Icelandic writer Andri Snær Magnason turns his archives into a time capsule to hold what is slipping away — family, memory, time and water.
5:30–7:30

FREE CLOSING NIGHT FILM

I Was Born This Way When Archbishop Carl Bean sang the 1977 disco hit and gay anthem “I Was Born This Way,” it was just the start of his mission to create positive change in the world. He went on to found the Minority AIDS Project and the world’s first LGBTQ+ church for people of color.

Cinema 3

10:30–12:30
The Lady Bird Diaries 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.

FREE SCREENING

2:00–4:00
Sunday Encore 1: STILL STANDING / THE GRANDFATHER PUZZLE / SINGING WINGS  STILL STANDING THE GRANDFATHER PUZZLE SINGING WINGS
5:00–7:00
Sunday Encore 3: American Doctor American Doctor

Elsewhere

11:30–1:00

Durham Armory

Awards Barbecue

ticket required