New Zealand’s Oscar-qualifying Doc Edge Festival, which celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2025, has officially launched its 2025 programme.
Running from 25 June to 24 August in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, the docfest will present 32 world premieres and 20 international premieres. “Tackling themes of community, resilience, and the universal power of human connection, these films are bold, raw, and resonant—reflecting the festival’s 20-year legacy of fearless storytelling,” organisers write.
Films are presented across eight themed sections: The Art of Storytelling, Being Oneself, The Edge of Impact, Facing the Edge, In Truth We Trust, Tides of Change, International Shorts and New Zealand Shorts.
Dan Shanan, Director of Doc Edge, comments: “Doc Edge’s 20th anniversary is not just about celebrating the past—it’s about pushing the boundaries of what documentary can achieve. This year’s festival is a celebration of bold storytelling, with films that challenge, inspire, and ultimately transform how we see the world.”
WORLD PREMIERES (features)
- BEFORE THE MOON FALLS Dir. Kimberlee Bassford | USA | 2025 | 99 mins. An intimate portrait of pioneering Samoan writer Sia Figiel, whose rise to international acclaim is shadowed by her struggles with bipolar disorder, childhood trauma, and personal demons. A shocking murder brings her complex journey to a tragic end.
- CARROUSEL Dir. Pascal Messaoudi | France | 2025 | 84 mins. Our existence is full of paradoxes. In France’s most polluted region, a small industrial town thrives amidst heavy industry. People swim, fish, dance, and celebrate life, despite the constant noise of trucks, furnaces, and super tankers. At the town’s entrance, Natalie’s food truck has stood for thirty years.
- CLICK THE LINK BELOW Dir. Audun Amundsen | Norway | 2025 | 1034 mins. Exposing the murky world of online money-making gurus, where lavish lifestyles clash with broken dreams and shattered promises of wealth.
- THE DANCER Dir. Lacey Uhlemeyer | USA | 2025 | 90 mins. The story of Ahmad Joudeh, an LGBTQI+ Syrian-born dancer, who battles war and inner conflict to discover the true meaning of home through dance.
- DEVILS ON HORSES Dir. Edward Sampson | New Zealand | 2025 | 85 mins. Exploring the deep bond between soldiers and their horses in the harsh desert, showing how these animals provided comfort, security, and emotional stability during the horrors of war.
- FOOD DELIVERY Dir. Baby Ruth Villarama | Philippines | 2025 | 85 mins. Documenting the Filipino fishermen, Coast Guard, and Navy as they deliver food to communities in the contested West Philippine Sea while defending their livelihoods and national sovereignty.
- MANA MOANA MANA TANGATA Dirs. Toby Mills, Julian Arahanga | New Zealand | 90 mins | 2025. In this compelling film, the battle to save Māori fishing rights unfolds as a powerful tale of resilience and determination.
- MIGHTY INDEED Dir. Vanessa Wells | New Zealand | 2025 | 90 mins. A character-driven film set in Antarctica, blending stunning wildlife and scenery while addressing climate change with wit and warmth. It follows three women over four decades as they push the boundaries of science.
- NO TEARS ON THE FIELD Dir. Lisa Burd | New Zealand | 2025 | 90 min | Set in Taranaki, the film follows four young women chasing big rugby dreams, capturing the grit, heart, and camaraderie of grassroots women’s sport.
- OS BARCOS Dir. Vincent Boujon | France | 2025 | 86 mins. In a former Brazilian fishing village, the restaurant terrace of Mônica’s eatery has become a trendy spot thanks to influencers. But behind this perfect image, the residents struggle to survive amid rising tourism and wealth disparity.
- A QUIET LOVE Dir. Garry Keane | Ireland | 2025 | 95 min. Three Deaf couples share the stories of how they met and fell in love. Together, these cinematic love letters weave a rich tapestry of Deaf experience over a period of 70 years.
- SHAYNI IN THE SKY Dir. Gabriel Garton | New Zealand, USA | 80 mins | 2024. A BASE jumper from New Zealand returns to the Norwegian mountain where her husband died in a tragic accident. She carries his ashes, their baby, and their memories on her life-changing journey.
- THREE DAYS IN FEBRUARY Dir. Serena Stevenson | New Zealand | 74 min | 2025. Set against the vibrant backdrop of the Splore festival, this is a cinematic celebration of human connection through an intimate and often playful lens.
INTERNATIONAL PREMIERES (features)
- FATAL WATCH Dirs. Mark Benjamin, Katie Carpenter | USA | 2025 | 88 min. The film, set on the high seas exposes the largely unseen world of fisheries observers, whose warnings about illegal fishing practices have resulted in fatal consequences for those sounding the alarm.
- IN WAVES AND WAR Dirs. Jon Shenk, Bonni Cohen | USA | 2024 | 108 min. Three Navy SEALs find themselves at the cutting-edge of a different frontline: a lifesaving psychedelic therapy that brings healing to a community in urgent need.
- THE LAST DIVE Dir. Cody Sheehy | USA | 2025 | 88 min. A man with a troubled past finds an unlikely friendship with a manta ray, forming a quiet, redemptive bond in the depths of the ocean.
- NEVER GET BUSTED! Dirs. David Anthony Ngo, Stephen McCallum | USA, Australia, Philippines | 2025 | 105 min. He was a highly decorated Texas narcotics officer until he turned on the police force by busting crooked cops and teaching drug users how to hide their stash.
- NUMAKAGE PUBLIC POOL Dir. Shingo Ota | Japan | 2025 | 84 min. After more than 50 years, a community grieves the loss of its beloved swimming pool as it faces demolition to make way for urban development.
- THE POOL Dir. Ian Darling | Australia | 2024 | 95 min. A spectacular cinematic portrait of the iconic Bondi Icebergs – the pool and the people who cherish it.
- THE PROMISE Dir. Daan Veldhuizen | Netherlands | 2025 | 115 min. A forgotten promise by the Netherlands for the independence of the Indigenous people of West Papua, has turned into the world’s most neglected genocide.
- STRANGE JOURNEY: THE STORY OF ROCKY HORROR Dir. Linus O’Brien | USA | 90 mins | 2025. A deep dive into the origins and enduring impact of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, a cult film that continues to resonate with audiences and pop culture.
- VIVIEN’S WILD RIDE Dir. Vivien Hillgrove | USA | 2025 | 87 min. After a lifelong career in cinema, editor Vivien Hillgrove starts losing her sight, forcing her to reexamine past traumas and relationships, and to reinvent herself and her art.
- WILDBOY Dir. Toby Schmutzler | New Zealand, Germany | 2024 | 92 mins. Brando, a young Kiwi with ADHD, embarks on extraordinary adventures across untouched landscapes, seeking purpose and escape from societal norms.
- YUMI – THE WHOLE WORLD Dir. Felix Golenko | Germany | 2025 | 80 mins. Three courageous law students from the South Pacific fight for their homeland’s survival in the face of climate change and political threats.
- YURLU COUNTRY Dir. Yaara Bou Melhem | Australia | 2025 | 85 mins. An intimate portrait of an Aboriginal elder’s final year as he strives to preserve his culture and heal his homeland, scarred by the largest contaminated site in the Southern Hemisphere.
Doc Edge Industry will run June 30 to July 3 in Auckland, comprising a Pitch event, Forum and Market.
