Posted by Larry Gleeson
103 Films From 28 Countries
Including Three World Premieres and 11 Spotlight Screenings
Will Screen June 14–18 in Washington, DC, and Silver Spring, MD
Tickets to AFI DOCS 2017, happening June 14–18, 2017, in Washington, DC, and Silver Spring, MD, are now available to the public. Highlights from this year’s lineup include AN INCONVENIENT SEQUEL: TRUTH TO POWER; CITY OF GHOSTS; THE REAGAN SHOW; WHITNEY. “CAN I BE ME”; to name a few.
Get tickets here
“The 2017 slate of films reflects AFI DOCS’ mission to celebrate powerfully told stories and the people at the heart of them,” said Michael Lumpkin, Director, AFI DOCS. “Documentaries continue to play an important role in our country regardless of partisan lines. No matter your background, these human stories have the power to inform and inspire. We look forward to another year of dynamic nonfiction cinema.”
As previously announced, AT&T — the Presenting Sponsor of AFI DOCS — will host the Opening Night East Coast premiere screening of ICARUS (DIR Bryan Fogel). The festival’s Closing Night Screening will be YEAR OF THE SCAB (DIR John Dorsey). Both films will be screened at the Newseum, the festival’s Official Gala Screening Partner.
The 15th edition of AFI DOCS will showcase 103 films representing 28 countries — including three world premieres, two international premieres, three North American premieres, seven U.S. premieres and five East Coast premieres.
This year’s program includes 11 Spotlight Screenings, a selection of some of the most anticipated documentaries of the year: the world premiere of ATOMIC HOMEFRONT (DIR Rebecca Cammisa), DOLORES (DIR Peter Bratt), AN INCONVENIENT SEQUEL: TRUTH TO POWER (DIRS Bonni Cohen, Jon Shenk), the U.S. premiere of MAMA COLONEL (DIR Dieudo Hamadi), the international premiere of MOSQUITO (DIR Su Rynard), NEW CHEFS ON THE BLOCK (DIR Dustin Harrison-Atlas), THE REAGAN SHOW (DIRS Pacho Velez, Sierra Pettengill), the U.S. premiere of RECRUITING FOR JIHAD (DIRS Adel Khan Farooq, Ulrik Imtiaz Rolfsen), RUMBLE: THE INDIANS WHO ROCKED THE WORLD (DIRS Catherine Bainbridge, Alfonso Maiorana), the world premiere of TOUGH GUYS (DIRS Henry Roosevelt, W.B. Zullo) and WHITNEY. “CAN I BE ME” (DIRS Nick Broomfield, Rudi Dolezal). The festival will also feature nine virtual reality films in this year’s program as part of the VR Showcase.
Newly announced films from notable documentarians include ACORN AND THE FIRESTORM (Oscar® nominee Samuel Pollard), CITY OF GHOSTS (Oscar® nominee Matthew Heineman), I AM EVIDENCE (Oscar® nominee Trish Adlesic, Emmy® winner Geeta Gandbhir) and TAKE EVERY WAVE: THE LIFE OF LAIRD HAMILTON (Oscar® nominee Rory Kennedy).
AFI DOCS also will offer special programs for festival filmmakers and audiences as a way to connect with industry and policy leaders, including the AFI DOCS Forum, open to documentary professionals and to festivalgoers, and the Impact Lab, a two-day intensive program designed for filmmakers to create broader social and political change through the power of story and film. More information about these programs will be announced soon.
In addition, AFI DOCS will host the VR Showcase, inviting audiences to participate in immersive virtual reality experiences that represent the cutting edge of documentary storytelling.
Audience Awards will be bestowed upon films based on the results of ballots cast by festival attendees. The winners of the Audience Awards for Best Feature and Best Short will be announced on Monday, June 19.
Tickets to AFI DOCS 2017 are now available exclusively to AFI members, and will be available to the public starting on May 15. Passes are now on sale to both members (at a discounted rate) and the public at AFI.com/afidocs. To become an AFI member click here.
