Doc Edge Celebrates 20 Years with Over 40 International Guests and World Premieres

More than 40 international filmmakers, producers, and subjects are arriving in Aotearoa for the 20th anniversary of the Doc Edge Festival, with many of their films making world or international premieres. Visiting guests will participate in panels, public Q&As, and in-person media interviews across the festival’s three-city tour and online season.

“As we mark 20 years of Doc Edge, it’s incredibly powerful to welcome so many international storytellers to Aotearoa,” says Dan Shanan, Doc Edge Executive Director. “Their presence reflects the global strength of documentary and our shared belief in the power of real stories to move, challenge, and connect us all.”

This year’s programme spans stories from the heart of Samoa to the shores of Bondi and Tokyo, covering everything from climate justice and queer identity to online hustle culture, mental health, and the meaning of home.

Highlights from Visiting International Guests

A Quiet Love (Ireland) – Producers Anne Heffernan & Sean Herlihy (NZ: 1–5 July)
Intimate stories from Deaf couples in Irish Sign Language.
Before the Moon Falls (USA) – Director Kimberlee Bassford & Producer Linda Goldstein Knowlton (NZ: 24 June–20 July)
A portrait of Samoan novelist Sia Figiel and her struggles with mental illness.
Carrousel (France) – Director Pascal Messaoudi (NZ: 30 June–13 July)
A poetic look at life in a polluted Mediterranean town.
Food Delivery (Philippines) – Director Baby Ruth Villarama (NZ: 29 June)
A powerful, banned exposé on Filipino fishermen and territorial conflict.
Child of Dust (Czech Republic, Poland, Qatar, Sweden, Vietnam) – Director Weronika Mliczewska (NZ: TBC)
A Vietnamese man searches for his American GI father after the war.
Click the Link Below (Norway) – Director Audun Amundsen (NZ: 11–20 July)
A cautionary tale of online marketing and personal risk.
The Dancer (USA) – Cinematographer Alyssa Brocato (NZ: TBC)
A Syrian refugee returns to his homeland with dance as a form of healing.
Numakage Public Pool (Japan) – Director Shingo Ota & Producer Kyoko Takenaka (NZ: 29 June–4 July)
A moving reflection on community, memory, and a demolished Tokyo pool.
The Pool (Australia) – Producer Mary Macrae (NZ: 1–6 July)
A celebration of Bondi Icebergs and intergenerational community.
OCEANIA: Journey to the Center (USA) – Director Natalie Zimmerman & Co-Writer Tekinati Ruka (NZ: 1–18 July)
Climate justice and cultural survival on a threatened coral atoll.
Shayni in the Sky (NZ/Norway) – Director Gabriel Garton & Subject Shayni Couch (NZ: 30 June–14 July)
A mother’s path through grief and adventure after her husband’s death.
Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror (USA) – Director Linus O’Brien (NZ: from 25 June)
The definitive documentary on Rocky Horror’s global cult following.
Yurlu | Country (Australia) – Director Yaara Bou Melhem (NZ: TBC)
The battle for justice and culture against toxic contamination.
YUMI: The Whole World (Germany) – Director Felix Golenko (NZ: 2–6 July)
Three Pacific law students fight for climate justice on the world stage.
Alofa (Australia) – Director Rachel Lane (NZ: 29 June)
A former pastor reckons with faith, sexuality, and tradition.
Mother of Chooks (Australia) – Directors Jesse Samos Leaman & Maite Martin Samos (NZ: 29 June–13 July)
A grieving woman finds solace and local fame through her chickens.
Where is Home (India) – Director Lamtiar Simorangkir (NZ: 29 June–11 July)
A boy raised in prison adjusts to freedom.
Nothing is Impossible: The Primanavia Story (Fiji) – Director Caleb Young (NZ: TBC)
A Fijian choir’s determined journey to the World Choir Games.
Kapwa (USA/Philippines) – Co-Director Michaela Ternasky-Holland (NZ: TBC)
An interactive video installation exploring Filipino diasporic identity.

Doc Edge will also honour Ruby Chen as this year’s Doc Edge Superhero, recognising her outstanding global contribution to documentary filmmaking.

Other filmmakers and guests are arriving from Australia, Fiji, India, Sweden, Norway, and across the Pacific as the festival continues to grow its international reputation.