Full Frame Reveals 2026 Festival Lineup: 13 Premieres and This Year’s Must-See Documentaries
Full Frame Documentary Film Festival Unveils 2026 Lineup Featuring World Premieres
The Full Frame Documentary Film Festival in Durham, North Carolina, has announced its 2026 program, which includes over a dozen world premieres alongside award-winning films from around the globe. The festival is scheduled to take place from April 16 to 19 in downtown Durham.
The event will kick off with Sam Green’s The Oldest Person in the World, a reflective documentary that explores the public’s fascination with the currently recognized oldest person alive. As the festival draws to a close, I Was Born This Way, directed by Daniel Junge and Sam Pollard, will serve as the closing film. This documentary chronicles the life of Archbishop Carl Bean, whose 1977 disco hit not only inspired Lady Gaga’s song of the same name but also led him to establish the Unity Fellowship Church Movement and the Minority AIDS Project in 1985. Both Junge and Pollard are expected to attend in support of their film.
The festival program represents more than 30 countries, with films in the NEW DOCS section eligible for $50,000 in prizes, to be announced at the annual Awards Barbecue on April 19. Fifteen films will screen in the Invited Program, including the opening and closing films.
“I am enormously proud of this year’s lineup of new films, and I am grateful to the filmmakers for allowing Full Frame to be a part of celebrating their incredible work,” said Sadie Tillery, Co-Director and Artistic Director of the Full Frame Festival. “These films take us around the world, reflect deeply personal relationships, and reveal nuanced perspectives. There is grace and tenacity on display at every turn.”
Notable figures will also contribute to the festival’s thematic programming. Acclaimed filmmaker Robert Greene is curating a 15-film Thematic Program titled “Extremely Rich Theater: Staging, Performance, and Elasticity in American Nonfiction Film.” Moreover, celebrated director Dawn Porter will receive the 2026 Full Frame Tribute, with the titles of her showcased films to be announced shortly.
This year’s Full Frame Edition promises a rich and diverse experience, offering audiences unique stories that challenge, celebrate, and expand our understanding of the human experience.
