Awards & Fellowships

Documentary Emmy Nominations

The Documentary Emmys spotlight bold, in-depth nonfiction storytelling and the artists pushing it forward. Winners will be announced May 28 in NYC.

✦ Alina Simone’s Black Snow: Best Documentary ✦ Brett Story and Stephen Maing’s Union: Best Documentary ✦ Contessa Gayles’ Songs from the Hole: Outstanding Arts and Culture Documentary, Outstanding Writing: Documentary, Outstanding Music Composition: Documentary, Outstanding Art Direction/Set Decoration/Scenic Design: Documentary ✦ Petra Costa’s Apocalypse in the Tropics: Outstanding Direction: Documentary ✦ (AlumNest) Laura Poitras and Mark Obenhaus’ Cover Up: Outstanding Investigative Documentary and Outstanding Editing: Documentary

Guadalajara International Film Festival

The festival was held in Guadalajara, Mexico, April 17–25.

✦ Gabriela Pena and Picho García’s Where the Silence is Heard: Feisal Award for Best Picture

SXSW

The festival’s 40th edition took place March 12–18.

✦ Dano Garcia’s Mickey won the Audience Award

Sundance Institute | Sandbox Fund

The Sundance Institute | Sandbox Fund is designed to nurture and fund ambitious documentary projects that blend science with storytelling, especially from diverse global voices.

✦ Anupama Srinivasan and Anirban Dutta received support for Metropolis (production) ✦ Sasha Wortzel received support for River of Grass (post-production)

Sundance Institute Cultural Impact Residency on Sundance Collab

This fellowship supports early-career filmmakers and writers creating socially impactful stories by providing mentorship and feedback, training and learning resources, and a creative community to collaborate with.

✦ Sara Christi will participate with Taxi Driver

Advisors for the 2026 fellowship include Laura Poitras, Yance Ford, Scott Z. Burns, Susanna Fogel, Reinaldo Marcus Green, Wanuri Kahiu, and Jennifer Kent.

Movies that Matter Festival

The festival uses cinema to advance human rights, social justice, and international dialogue, and was held in The Hague March 20–28.

✦ Sara Khaki and Mohammadreza Eyni’s Cutting Through Rocks: Activist Lens Award⁣ ✦ (AlumNest) Alisa Kovalenko’s Traces: Grand Jury Documentary Award⁣

Peabody Award Nominations The Peabody Awards are prestigious international honors for excellence in electronic media, including television, radio, podcasts, and digital storytelling. Winners will be announced May 31. ✦ (AlumNest) Geeta Gandbhir’s The Perfect Neighbor

Festivals & Screenings

Hot Docs

The festival takes place in Canada April 23–May 3.

Screenings: ✦ Biljana Tutorov and Petar Glomazić’s To Hold a Mountain ✦ Efraín Mojica and Rebecca Zweig’s Jaripeo ✦ (AlumNest) Tia Lessin and Carl Deal’s Steal This Story, Please! ✦ (AlumNest) Alisa Kovalenko and Marysia Nikitiuk’s Traces ✦ (AlumNest) Shalini Kantayya’s Love Apptually ✦ (AlumNest) Dawn Porter’s When a Witness Recants

Forum: ✦ Brit Fryer and Noah Schamus’ With Time ✦ Laurie Townshend’s Tallawah ✦ Mia Harvey’s Mid Wif

Plus: Welcome to the Nest, Meaghan and Ree Wright! Recipient of the Hot Docs–Chicken & Egg Special Pitch Forum Award.

Visions du Réel

The festival was held in Switzerland April 17–26.

Screenings: ✦ Biljana Tutorov and Petar Glomazić’s To Hold a Mountain ✦ Efraín Mojica and Rebecca Zweig’s Jaripeo ✦ Viv Li’s Two Mountains Weighing Down My Chest (International Feature Film Competition) ✦ (AlumNest) Maite Alberdi’s A child of my own ✦ (AlumNest) Laura Poitras and Mark Obenhaus’ Cover Up

International Feature Film Competition Jury ✦ Brett Story and Lina Soualem

Screenings: ✦ Barbara Attie, Janet Goldwater, and Mike Attie’s Hollywood Does Abortion (World Premiere) ✦ Cynthia Lowen’s Kids Like Me (World Premiere) ✦ Gabriela Díaz Arp’s Matitninó (World Premiere) ✦ Habiba Nosheen’s The Gymnasts of Fisherman Colony (World Premiere) ✦ Natalie Baszile and Hyacinth Parker’s Harvest (World Premiere) ✦ (AlumNest) Aurora Brachman’s When the Revolution Doesn’t Come