DOC NYC 2024 Awards: ‘Yalla Parkour,’ ‘Stone Mountain,’ and More Among Winners

The 2024 DOC NYC festival has unveiled its winners.

The critically acclaimed festival, which is the largest documentary festival in the U.S., marked one of its most successful in-person editions yet, with more than 20,000 viewers having watched films over nine days in New York alongside more than 1,500 filmmaker and industry guests participating in screenings and panels.

The juries for each respective award, along with the coveted Audience Award, had tough competition among this year’s festival.

Among eight international features, Areeb Zuaiter’s feature debut “Yalla Parkour” was selected as the winner. “Yalla Parkour” had its world premiere at the festival, and centers on young parkour athletes in Gaza who practice the sport on a “conflict-scarred” landscape.

“The jury was unanimous in its choice for best international documentary,” the DOC NYC international jury, consisting of “Bobi Wine: The People’s President” filmmaker Moses Bwayo, “Little Richard: I Am Everything” director Lisa Cortes, and Maxim Pozdorovkin, said. “‘Yalla Parkour’ is a stunning cinematic achievement. Exuberant and heartbreaking, filled with youthful dreams and their shattering against a cruel reality, director Areeb Zuaiter’s film pierces the soul.”

The statement continued, “To watch Ahmed Matar and his parkour crew transform Gaza ruins into sites of athletic excellence is to witness the human spirit soar in the face of unspeakable horror. The beautiful cinematography is enhanced by brilliant editorial choices that weave personal loss and a global tragedy into an original work of art. A powerful and urgent tribute to the dignity and resilience of the Palestinian people in the face of annihilation.”

A special jury mention went to Hind Meddeb’s “Sudan, Remember Us,” which made its U.S. premiere.

“In an increasingly totalitarian world, stories that capture the spirit of resistance cannot be ignored,” the jury said. “‘Sudan, Remember Us’ is a beautifully crafted story which captures the Sundanese uprising led by creative Sudanese youth who use poetry, art, and their voices to demand freedom. We recognize director Hind Meddeb’s courageous dedication in bringing this powerful story to the world.”

For the U.S. competition, the Grand Jury prize was awarded to “Stone Mountain,” which is directed by Daniel Kaufman.

“With ‘Stone Mountain,’ Daniel Kaufman crafts a Faulkner-esque portrait of the community surrounding Stone Mountain Park in Georgia, home to the world’s largest bas-relief sculpture: a Confederate memorial carving,” the jury, including directors Ramin Bahrani, J.M. Harper, and Judith Mizrachy, said. “Kaufman’s constantly roaming camera eavesdrops on a community with deep racial divides. Seemingly without judgment, Kaufman weaves a complex tapestry of a community — and of a nation. This evocative work establishes Kaufman’s distinct and assured cinematic voice.”

“Black Snow,” directed by Alina Simone, was given a special mention.

“Art Spiegelman: Disaster is My Muse” was awarded the top prize for the festival’s Metropolis competition, which is dedicated to stories about New Yorkers and New York City. Molly Bernstein and Philip Dolin co-direct “Disaster is My Muse” about the famed cartoonist.

“We hope this deserving award can provide a platform to discuss the countless ways Spiegelman’s beautiful, haunting work continues to resonate today,” the jury statement reads.

Debra Granik’s series “Conbody vs. Everybody” was given a special mention.

The Kaleidoscope competition, which showcases essayistic and formally adventurous documentaries, awarded “The Falling Sky” the Grand Jury prize. “G – 21 Scenes from Gottsunda” was given a special mention.

The Audience Award for the 2024 festival was bestowed upon “Slumlord Millionaire,” which is directed by Steph Ching and Ellen Martinez. The documentary had its world premiere at the festival, and tells the David-vs.-Goliath story about housing injustice in NYC, following renters battling powerful developers and unscrupulous landlords as they resist relentless gentrification across the boroughs.

Check out the additional awards below. The 2025 DOC NYC festival will take place from November 12 through 30. 

Audience Award Runners-Up (in alphabetical order): 

“All God’s Children,” directed by Ondi Timoner, produced by Ondi Timoner, David Turner, Anthony Ervolino. (World Premiere) 

“Death & Taxes,” directed by Justin Shein, Robert Edwards, produced by Yael Melamede, Justin Shein, Robert Edwards. (World Premiere) 

“Drop Dead City – New York on the Brink in 1975,” directed and produced by Peter Yost, Michael Rohatyn. (World Premiere)

“Man From Pretentia,” directed by Chih Husan Liang, produced by Penny Arcade, Steve Zehenter, Chris Bongirne, Chih Husan Liang, Joe Duva. (World Premiere) 

“Nature of the Crime,” directed by Ricki Stern, Jesse Sweet, produced by Ricki Stern, Jesse Sweet, Seth Keal. (World Premiere)

“The Sing Sing Chronicles,” directed by Dawn Porter, produced by Lauren Capps, Sadie Bass. (World Premiere) 

SHORT FILM AWARDS

Grand Jury Prize: “Qotzuñi: People of the Lake”, directed/produced by Gastón Zilberman and Michael Salama. (North American Premiere)

Jurors’ statement: “A deeply moving and immeasurably significant cinematic masterpiece set in the Bolivian Altiplano and its Uru indigenous community, whose lives were once inextricably linked to the rhythms of Lake Poopó. The unimaginable has become reality — this vital water source has disappeared, leaving the population to face profound cultural and economic consequences. “Qotzuñi: People of the Lake” is a powerful tribute to their resilience, their way of life, and the urgent global crisis of climate change and environmental exploitation.”

The 2024 winning short film qualifies for consideration in the Documentary Short Subject category of the annual Academy Awards without the standard theatrical run (provided the film otherwise complies with the Academy rules).

Special Mention: “51st State”, directed/produced by Hannah Rosenzweig, produced by Liat Z. Rubin, Ray Whitehouse. (NYC Premiere)

Jurors’ statement: “A compelling exposé on the ongoing struggle of Washington, D.C. residents, who are subject to federal taxes yet denied representation in Congress. The eye-opening “51st State” sheds light on the harsh reality of disenfranchisement faced by over 700,000 Americans, making a powerful case for statehood as an overdue step toward equality. It’s a must-watch for anyone who believes in true democracy and the right to representation.”

Special Mention: “Death by Numbers”, directed by Kim A. Snyder, produced by Janique L. Robillard, Kim A. Snyder, Maria Cuomo Cole. (NYC Premiere)

Jurors’ statement: “In 2018, Sam Fuentes was shot in her Parkland, Fla., classroom and has since spent years trying to make sense of the events – the loss of life, the unending trauma and anger, and questions of whether our legal system can help bring healing and a sense of justice. Through Sam’s personal writings, and her facing the shooter in the courtroom during his sentencing, “Death by Numbers” takes us well beyond statistics around school shootings and reframes a most horrific aspect of American life with complexity and heart.”

DOC NYC U Competition

DOC NYC U features 12 short documentaries from students across the five boroughs. This year’s program featured finalists from Brooklyn College, City University of New York, Fashion Institute of Technology, Hunter College, The New School, New York Film Academy, New York University, Pratt Institute, and the School of Visual Arts. Films selected for the DOC NYC U Competition qualify for the annual Student Academy Awards^®, provided the film otherwise complies with the Academy’s rules. 

This year’s competition was adjudicated by Faridah Gbadamosi, veteran film programmer currently serving as senior programmer at Tribeca Festival. 

DOC NYC U Award: “Find Me”, directed/produced by Hsi Cheng. (School of Visual Arts) 

Faridah Gbadamosi’s statement on the selection of “Find Me” for the 2024 DOC NYC U Award: “Making use of excellent archival footage, interviews and vérité, this film with grace and care tells the story of a young woman trying to find her biological family. Adeptly showcasing the circumstances of both the young woman’s journey and of those who participated in the adoption, “Find Me” provides a unique take on the topic.”

Subject Matter

DOC NYC partnered with Subject Matter to present a $20,000 grant from Subject Matter to “Homegrown,” directed by Michael Premo, to support the film’s audience outreach and impact efforts, along with a corresponding grant of $20,000 to The 22nd Century Initiative, a nonprofit organization that is working to end political violence. 

AJH Films

The AJH Filmmakers Fund supports emerging filmmakers committed to social impact with mentorship, infrastructure support, and investment opportunities. This year, the fund awarded a $5,000 grant to the winner of DOC NYC PRO’s Pitch Day, in addition to a $500 honorarium for each finalist. The grand prize went to Èlia Gasull Balada and Matteo Norzi for their project “The Hummingbird Paints Fragrant Songs,” a work-in-progress chronicling the journey of an Indigenous artist from the Peruvian Amazon who breaks into the contemporary art scene in her seventies.

Andrew Berends Film Foundation

The 2024 Andrew Berends Film Fellowship awards a $10,000 grant and a year-long mentorship with an industry expert to a filmmaker who embodies Andrew’s spirit of intrepid storytelling. This year’s recipient is David Estrada for his project “To Die for a Soul,” a work-in-progress praised for its boldness and emotional depth, presented at the DOC NYC PRO’s Pitch Day.