There’s something about an underdog. Perhaps because watching grit and determination reminds us of our own ability to shape our life story. That revelation can creep up on us while watching civilians (and Mike White) stranded on Fiji, as in Survivor 50 , or while listening to a podcast about the 17-year-old Somali runner Samia Yusuf Omar chasing an Olympic dream. At this year's Fest, we're keeping our eye on the prize with these titles.
CVNT
TV
Marni is doing her best: She's sober, she's scrappy, and she would do anything for her baby daughter Mila. So when a surprise daycare bill hits and every door slams shut, she finds her solution in the most unexpected Craigslist ad she's ever seen.
Directed by Nicole Higgins | Featuring Nicole Higgins, Will Madden, Ben Weaver, David Brown, and Mila Higgins
Get Tickets
White Belt
Shorts/Documentary
On the eve of her first major Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tournament, former supermodel Monika "Jac" Jagaciak — once the face of global fashion — reveals her extraordinary transformation as she trades runways for grappling mats, confronting her past and reclaiming her life through the discipline of combat sport.
Directed by Branislav Jankic | Featuring Monika "Jac" Jagaciak and Gregor Gracie
Get Tickets
Dear England
TV
Based on the Olivier Award-winning play, Dear England charts the game-changing rebirth of England's national game, football, at the hands of an unlikely disruptor — one haunted by his own failure — against the backdrop of unprecedented political, social, and cultural turmoil.
After the screening: a conversation with Joseph Fiennes and executive producer and writer James Graham.
Directed by Rupert Goold and Paul Whittington | Featuring Joseph Fiennes, Jodie Whittaker, Jason Watkins, Francis Lovehall, Edem-Ita Duke, Will Antenbring, and Josh Barrow
Get Tickets
The Gymnasts of Fisherman Colony
Documentary Competition
The birth of a gymnastics team in Pakistan provides an inspiring spark of light for a small group of girls on the margins. The Gymnasts of Fisherman Colony is a lyrical coming-of-age journey as these girls turn their team into a small rebellion.
Directed by Habiba Nosheen | Featuring Tahera Hasan, Anwara, Sonia, and Kiran
Get Tickets
Panther Pat
Shorts/Documentary
In 1970, Pat Palinkas became the first woman to play professional football when she stepped onto the field for the Orlando Panthers. A schoolteacher with no playbook and everything to prove, she shocked the nation with her appearance and was quickly forgotten.
Directed by Ashley Brandon | Featuring Patricia Palinkas
Get Tickets
The Dark Knot at the Center
Shorts/Documentary
Drawing from an archive of letters written in the 1960s, the film reimagines women's clandestine journeys from across the United States to Mexican border towns to access underground abortion care.
Directed by Inês Pedrosa e Melo
Get Tickets
The Fastest Girl in Somalia
Official Selections/Podcast
This narrative series tells Samia's extraordinary story of resilience, ambition, and the perilous intersection of sport, war, and migration. Reported and narrated by journalist Teresa Krug, who knew Samia personally, the series blends first-hand accounts, archival Olympic audio, and original reporting to uncover both the promise and the costs of chasing the Olympic dream.
Directed by Teresa Krug
Get Tickets
NIO KO BOKK (This Belongs to All of Us)
Shorts/Documentary
NIO KO BOKK follows Pape and Seydi, two young men who find purpose and community in the ocean, choosing a different path than the perilous journeys many peers take in search of opportunity abroad. Through their story, the film explores how belonging at home can be as powerful as the promise of elsewhere.
Directed by David Clancy | Featuring Pape Fodé and Baye Seydi
Get Tickets
The Haunting of Pennhurst
Escape From Tribeca/Feature Documentary
Once a notorious institution for people with disabilities, Pennhurst finally closed after decades of abuse in 1987. Now those doors are reopening, as a group of disabled performers reframe the narrative around the site's harmful history — as a haunted house.
Get Tickets
Cookie, Love
Shorts/Documentary
Part love story, part an American-in-Paris portrait, Cookie, Love centers on Taiwanese-American baker Jean Hwang Carrant and her cookie store in Paris, France.
Directed by Sari Arambulo
Get Tickets
Survivor 50th Season Anniversary Panel
TV
Join fan favorite players, along with unique guests, for a deep dive into the lore and legacy of the grand-daddy of all reality TV shows, Survivor . Cirie Fields, Rob Cesternino, Kyle Fraser, Kamilla Karthigesu, Teeny Chirichillo, and Jonathan Penner, will present specially curated clips and unpack the show's extraordinary cultural impact and enduring legacy.
Get Tickets
I Think About Killing You
Shorts/Narrative
Crew team captain Dani is plagued by invasive fantasies of killing her abusive coach. When the coach pushes the team too far, Dani must choose whether or not to act on her fantasies of violence.
Directed by Ran Ran Wang | Featuring Bridget Regan, Tiana Le, Charlie Morgan Patton, and Miya Kodama
Get Tickets
Run in Beauty
Shorts/Documentary
Alex Staten, a Diné woman disconnected from her roots, trains for the Western States 100 while guided by her grandmother — reclaiming identity, ceremony, and belonging as she learns to run in beauty.
Directed by Devin Whetstone
Get Tickets
Árru
Viewpoints/Feature Narrative
When a proposed copper mine threatens the land and livelihood of reindeer herder Maia and her Sámi community, the arrival of a politically powerful uncle brings up long-buried trauma in this lyrical musical-drama.
Directed by Elle Sofe Sara | Featuring Sara Marielle Gaup Beaska, Mikkel Gaup, Simon Marainen, and Ayla Nutti
Get Tickets
Theatre of Dreams
Shorts/Documentary
Set during Qatar 2022, Theatre of Dreams follows the captain of Qatar's first women's football team as she reflects on courage, defiance, and the lasting personal cost of breaking cultural taboos.
Directed by Fatma Al-Ghanim | Featuring Fatma Al-Ghanim
Get Tickets
La Lucha de Lucía
Shorts/Narrative
After another defeat in the ring, a teenage wrestler must challenge her family's traditions and fight to prove herself in the world of Lucha Libre.
Directed by Maria Sofia Hernandez | Featuring Valeria Casillas, Mario Tadeo, Renee Ortiz, and Michelle Barraza
Get Tickets
We have over 150 selections to explore at this year's Festival — from films and podcasts to talks and TV and more. Explore the full Festival Program Guide here .