DOC NYC 2026: How to Get Into America's Biggest Documentary Festival, in Person or From Your Couch

A full documentary screening has its own kind of hush. When the lights come up, a fiction film lets you off the hook. A documentary doesn't. Then the director walks to the front of the room, sometimes with the person you just spent ninety minutes watching, and the audience finally gets to ask what it's been holding in. That moment is the reason to go to DOC NYC.

America's largest documentary festival returns for its 17th edition in person in Manhattan, November 11–19, 2026, then streams across the US through November 29. The organizers promise more than 200 films. The FAQ says the lineup will be announced in the second week of October. But one deadline is already ticking: the early-bird All Film Pass price ends October 17 at 11:59 p.m. ET.

What, When and Where

DOC NYC was co-founded by Thom Powers and Raphaela Neihausen and launched in 2010. It's also an awards-season bellwether: its annual Short List of features has a track record of predicting Oscar nominations. You don't need an industry badge for screenings. If you buy a ticket, you're in.

According to the FAQ, films screen at four venues:

• IFC Center, the main hub, at 323 Sixth Avenue at West 3rd Street
• Village East by Angelika, 181–189 Second Avenue
• SVA Theatre, 333 West 23rd Street
• The New School

The online festival streams only in the US and US territories, so visitors from abroad should plan on the theaters.

How to Get In, Step by Step

1. Sign up for the newsletter at docnyc.net. The festival calls it the best way to hear when the slate and single tickets go live.

2. Create a DOC NYC account. You need one to buy tickets and to stream. If you've bought tickets online from the IFC Center before, you already have one.

3. Decide on a pass by October 17. The All Film Pass covers every in-person screening November 11–19 and everything on the online platform through November 29. It also gets you into the Festival Lounge at Bar Veloce for daily breakfasts and happy hours (space permitting). It costs $699 through October 17, then $995.

4. Mostly streaming? Look at the Online Films Pass. It covers every film on the virtual platform from November 11 to 29. It's non-transferable and doesn't include theater screenings. Each film has its own streaming window. The 2026 price is shown at checkout; last year it was $250.

5. Buy single tickets once the slate drops. Use the "Buy Ticket" link on each film's page in the program. The festival hasn't posted 2026 prices yet. As a rough guide, here's what 2025 cost:

• Regular in-person screenings: $20 ($18 seniors and children, $16 IFC Center members)
• Opening Night, Closing Night and Centerpiece: $30
• Weekday shows before 5 p.m. and Short List encores: $13
• Online screenings: $13
• A ten-ticket pack for regular in-person shows: $170

Online purchases add a per-ticket service charge, except for IFC Center members buying member-priced tickets.

6. Or buy in person. From November 6 to 11, the IFC Center box office sells advance tickets daily, 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. During the festival, every venue's box office opens 30 minutes before its first show.

7. Sold out? Try Rush. When a show sells out, a Rush line forms at the venue an hour before showtime. Any tickets that free up are sold first come, first served.

Stay for the Q&A

Most in-person screenings end with a Q&A, and your film ticket covers it. Just stay in your seat after the credits. Online screenings have no Q&As, so if meeting the filmmakers matters to you, go to the theater. To see what one looks like, here's footage the festival posted from last year's Centerpiece screening:

Beyond the Screenings

• Visionaries Tribute, November 11, Gotham Hall: Alex Gibney (Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room, Going Clear) and sound recordist JT Takagi receive Lifetime Achievement honors. Stephen Maing and FRONTLINE's Raney Aronson-Rath also receive awards. To buy a seat or table, contact the producer through the tribute page.
• DOC NYC PRO: Daytime conference days at Village East, sold as full-day passes. Non-filmmakers should try Pitch Day on November 12, where eight works-in-progress get live feedback from an industry panel.
• Volunteer: The 2026 crew application is open for help with box offices, ticket scanning and hospitality.

Tips

• All sales are final. Refunds and exchanges aren't available. You can forward PDF tickets for in-person shows to a friend, but not streaming tickets.
• Mind the 48-hour clock. Once you press "Stream," you have 48 hours to finish (less if the film's window closes sooner). The stream locks to the internet connection you started on.
• Stream to your TV with DOC NYC apps for Apple TV, Roku, Android TV and Fire TV.
• Online films can sell out. Filmmakers cap the number of online tickets per film.
• Accessibility: Assistive listening devices are free in all theaters, no reservation needed. You can request ASL interpretation for Q&As at accessibility@docnyc.net.
• Book Short List shows early. Those are the docs everyone will be arguing about come Oscar season.

What to do this week: decide by October 17 whether you're a pass person. Everyone else, set a reminder for mid-October, when the 200-plus films finally get names.