FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS
FESTIVAL NEWS: Our 2026 Award films salute outstanding directors, producers, and documentary pioneers. This year’s lineup brings audiences rich and diverse docs for 9 days, from December 3rd to December 11th. We welcome filmmakers, documentary film lovers, and local students to the historic villages of Southampton and Sag Harbor, New York for dozens of films, discussions, awards, cocktail receptions, and celebrations at the Bay Street Theater, the Sag Harbor Cinema, and the Southampton Playhouse. In these intimate, walkable settings, festival-goers enjoy the local area’s many shops, restaurants, galleries, and museums in between the screenings of outstanding new documentary films.
2026 AWARD FILMS
2026 Award Recipients
The Pennebaker Award for Career Achievement in Documentary Film. This year it goes to Abigail E. Disney, an Emmy-winning filmmaker, producer, philanthropist, and activist who turned to storytelling as an instrument of social change. Her directorial debut, The Armor of Light, won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Social Issue Documentary, and she created and executive produced the series Women, War & Peace. Through her funding programs, advocacy groups, and production companies, she has executive produced more than 100 independent documentaries. Her film The American Dream and Other Fairy Tales screens following the award presentation on Saturday, December 5th at Bay Street Theater.
Our prestigious Career Achievement Award, the PENNEBAKER, is named for one of the pioneers and innovators in the field, the late DA Pennebaker. The Award is sponsored by Regina K. Scully, Artemis Rising Foundation. Now Penny’s indomitable spirit will be with us as we award the PENNEBAKER to a documentary filmmaker whose exceptional body of work deserves acclaim.
The Art & Inspiration Award sponsored by the Tee & Charles Addams Foundation goes to Director Barry Avrich for our Opening Night film Darlene Love: I Know Where I’ve Been.
The Nancy Nagle Kelley Environmental Award goes to Director Penny Lane for her film Wild Inside.
The Impact Award goes to HBO Documentary Films, unwavering in its commitment to visionary storytelling and unparalleled in its dedication to nurturing independent filmmakers. The award will be presented at the screening of When A Witness Recants, directed by Dawn Porter.
The Veritas Award goes to Director Ava DuVernay for her film 14th, in a co-presentation with New York Women in Film and Television (NYWIFT).
The Human Rights Award goes to Director Barbara Kopple for her film Union Town, in a co-presentation with Sag Harbor Cinema.
2026 SPONSOR SUPPORTED PROGRAMS
The Tee & Charles Addams Foundation. Special recognition goes to the festival’s ELITE SPONSOR, whose support & belief in the power of the arts has enabled us to bring our audiences a rich program of non-fiction storytelling. With thanks for supporting The Art & Inspiration Award.
Regina K. Scully, Artemis Rising Foundation. Special thanks for supporting the prestigious Pennebaker Career Achievement Award.
Yaffa Foundation. In appreciation for their support of Young Voices, our important education program.
The Family of Nancy Nagle Kelley & Twomey Latham Shea Kelley Dubin & Quartararo honor a former Nature Conservancy Director with our important Environmental Award. We thank their generosity.
Silvercrest Asset Management Group. With thanks for sponsoring the Impact Award program.
Linda Koszalka, Managing Director, Investments of Wells Fargo Advisors. With thanks for sponsoring our Closing Night film.
Brown Harris Stevens. BHS has a long history with our festival for supporting the Audience Award. We thank them.