U.S. Documentary Competition

16 world-premiere documentaries that illuminate the ideas, people, and events that shape the present day.
99%—The Occupy Wall Street Collaborative Film

In 2011, seemingly overnight, Occupy captured the imagination of our nation—and the world. The sweeping story of the birth of a movement, 99%—The Occupy Wall Street Collaborative… »

After Tiller

Since the assassination of Dr. George Tiller in Kansas in 2009, only four doctors in the United States continue to perform third-trimester abortions. These physicians, all… »

American Promise

In 1999, filmmakers Joe Brewster and Michèle Stephenson turned the camera on themselves and began filming their five-year-old son, Idris, and his best friend, Seun, as they… »

Blackfish

Many of us have experienced the excitement and awe of watching 8,000-pound orcas, or “killer whales,” soar out of the water and fly through the air at sea parks, as if… »

Blood Brother

The unmistakable power of love is celebrated in this story of one man’s decision to move to India and restart his life among the dispossessed. “Rocky Anna,” as the… »

Citizen Koch

The Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision in 2010 lifted a century-long ban on restricted corporate election spending, unleashing a new era of unbridled special-interest… »

Cutie and the Boxer

Zachary Heinzerling’s remarkable debut is an indelible portrait of art, companionship, and the 40-year love story between Ushio and Noriko Shinohara, two Japanese artists… »

Dirty Wars

It’s the dirty little secret of the War on Terror: all bets are off, and almost anything goes. We have fundamentally changed the rules of the game and the rules of engagement.… »

Gideon’s Army

Our lives no longer belong to us alone; they belong to all those who need us desperately.—Elie WieselIn 1963, the landmark Supreme Court decision Gideon v. Wainwright guaranteed… »