🎬 Doc10 2026 was a record-setting and inspiring 10 days of cinema, conversations, and community — with our new Speak Truth series and special guests from Billie Jean King to Salman Rushdie. ✨
Take a look at some highlights from this year’s festival — and stay tuned for more exciting screenings and events in the months to come!
🎥: @cnichviews
Thrilled to announce the Doc10 Official Selections, featuring Midwest premieres of the best new documentaries from around the world!
Get tickets now at doc10.org
GIVE ME THE BALL! (Opening Night)
KNIFE: THE ATTEMPTED MURDER OF SALMAN RUSHDIE (Closing Night)
SOUL PATROL
COOKIE QUEENS
REMAKE
EVERYBODY TO KENMURE STREET
AMERICAN DOCTOR
A CHILD OF MY OWN
STEAL THIS STORY, PLEASE!
CLOSURE
PARALYZED BY HOPE: THE MARIA BAMFORD STORY
THE BADDEST SPEECHWRITER OF ALL
Announcing Speak Truth — a new program of Doc10.
Seven screenings bringing together powerful films, thought-provoking conversations, and dynamic civic dialogue & action exploring the most urgent issues of our time.
The lineup includes:
THE LIBRARIANS
THE LAST REPUBLICAN
SABBATH QUEEN
THE GRAB
NORMAN LEAR: JUST ANOTHER VERSION OF YOU
STEAL THIS STORY, PLEASE!
ICE UNDER WATCH: MEDIA & COMMUNITY RESISTANCE — a collection of short works by Chicago-based documentary filmmakers
Doc10 2026 may be over — but we’re got more programming ahead!
Stay tuned for more screenings of inspiring docs, and impactful conversations on key issues, in the months ahead!
Want to be the first to hear about upcoming events? Sign up for our newsletter at Doc10.org
Some more highlights from the amazing Doc10 2026:
🎬 An inspiring panel discussing THE BADDEST SPEECHWRITER OF ALL, with dir. Ben Proudfoot, Daniel Ash of The Field Foundation, Grammy-winning artist J. Ivy, political strategist Cornell Belcher, and speechwriter David Litt, moderated by Michael Strautmanis of the Obama Foundation
🎬 Two-time Oscar nominee Maite Alberdi in Q&A after A CHILD OF MY OWN
🎬 Legendary documentarian Ross McElwee joined us to discuss his latest personal masterpiece REMAKE
🎬 Illinois native J.M. Harper brought us the Chicago premiere of his Sundance-winner SOUL PATROL
Last Sunday, ICIRR joined the @wearecmp at their film festival, DOC10, for a sold out viewing and post-screening discussion of “ICE Under Watch”, a collection of short films chronicling the impact of Operation Midway Blitz.
@gofourthmedia showed three films, Marimar’s Story, Scott’s Story, and Eva’s Story, @truthanddocumentary showed two clips from a longer project titled Shouldering Sanctuary, and America’s Media Initiative showed an excerpt from their upcoming film EL SUENO.
Each film and excerpt shown had a powerful impact on the audience, and we’re grateful to have had the opportunity to table the night and participate in a post-screening panel on the continued fight against ICE. Together, we can build a world without ICE!
Thank you to all those that played a role in the making of this powerful evening, and thank you to the @davistheater for hosting the festival!
That’s officially a wrap on Doc10 2026!
Thanks to the amazing audiences who joined us for 10 days of inspiring documentary films at the @davistheater and @filmcenter — plus all the filmmakers, partner organizations, sponsors, volunteers, team members, and everyone who makes Doc10 possible!
Onward to more impactful documentary films!
📸: @veesanders
Celebrated novelist Salman Rushdie and Oscar-winning director Alex Gibney helped us close Doc10 2026 in style, screening their captivating new film KNIFE: THE ATTEMPTED MURDER OF SALMAN RUSHDIE and discussing it in Q&A, alongside Rachel Eliza Griffiths and Bethany McLean.
Comedian Maria Bamford and director Alysa Nahmias on how their films confront capitalism and offer lessons on modern work-life balance and girlhood. #Doc10 #mariabamford #cookiequeens #documentaryfilm
🎥: @cnichviews
We had a blast in Chicago this weekend with @billiejeanking at the Doc10 Film Festival!
Thank you @wearecmp for having us, and for honoring us with the Luminary Award 💛
Scroll to see our @cubs cameo !!🥎 Photo credit: vee sanders @veesanders
Thanks to everyone who joined us for our powerful screening of "ICE Under Watch" — seeing first-hand accounts that bring humanity and context to the injustices, hearing from filmmakers and activists, and connecting with local organizations about ways to fight back.
That's what Doc10 is all about: inspiring action, community, and change through nonfiction film.
📸: @taylortookthese
