I’ve been thinking about this poem a lot lately. In the context of our work in the Documentary Film Program at Sundance Institute, American poet Mary Oliver’s words underscore for me the human impulse to document the world around us. Films act as cultural documents that gain meaning with time, helping us understand our present and act as the bedrock for emerging new visions for our future. In uncertain times, the power of documentary storytelling is heightened; as our founder Robert Redford once said that in certain moments in history, “the drama of reality is as strong, if not stronger,” than fiction.

This is one of those historical moments. Every year in October we take a moment to reflect on the state of nonfiction storytelling and celebrate the power this art form holds. Now, 2025, collectively, we have experienced enormous heartache: through war and famine across the world, shuttering of institutions and critical support mechanisms in our industry, and even on a personal level, here at the Institute, with the passing of our founder. Feeling the weight of this grief, Oliver’s work comforts me and inspires me to keep going. 

This year we have seen the power of documentaries reflected in cultural extremes. The DFP-supported documentary No Other Land won the Best Documentary Oscar – a film that faced censorship in the U.S. and was also one of the highest grossing theatrical documentaries of the year. As the federal support for independent media contracts and voices are challenged, filmmakers are persevering, building their own distribution strategies to reach audiences who are hungry for authentic stories. 

Sabbath Queen, directed by Sandi DuBowski, follows Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie’s epic journey as the dynastic heir of 38 generations of Orthodox rabbis including the Chief Rabbis of Israel. He is torn between rejecting and embracing his destiny and becomes a drag-queen rebel, a queer bio-dad and the founder of Lab/Shul. Sabbath Queen has reached thousands through eventized theatrical screenings and provided inspiration for many artists. Artists aren’t waiting for industry interventions, they’re building their own networks and bringing their films directly to audiences. 

Despite threats to freedom of creative expression globally, documentary filmmakers are taking the call. These artists continue to make work, not only as an act of resistance to erasure but also in an effort to reclaim forgotten histories and move toward healing. With tremendous fortitude, determination, and heart, documentary filmmakers are actively seeking and, in the spirit of Oliver’s words, creating meaning from the tumult of our current reality. 

Just last month we announced support for 32 new films from 24 countries, most of which are being made by emerging filmmakers. These projects were selected from thousands of submissions in a rigorous review process. It’s been particularly moving to see personal documentaries and films that center complicated, ordinary people are finding their way.

Among a number of other themes and ideas, compelling perspectives on identity and legacy, exploring how we navigate complex histories to forge new paths forward. Other project highlights include the resilience found in ancestral and chosen family support systems, often revealing tender reconnections and the healing of inherited wounds; and the experiences of displaced and immigrant individuals, families, and communities in the United States and across the world and the universal search for belonging amid uncertain landscapes.

The beauty of documentary storytelling is that in attempting to reflect the world we live in, the form inherently defies genre and that’s what’s so incredible about being a part of nonfiction storytelling. At the Documentary Film Program, we know that it’s from within that multitude of voices that we begin to understand ourselves. We’re honored to be a part of these filmmakers’ journeys and are ready to walk into the next year of becoming and understanding together.