Submitted by Peter B. Carzasty
Each September, the seaside hamlet of Newburyport comes alive, uniting filmmakers and audiences to celebrate this truly original American form of narrative storytelling. The 21st version of the NBPT DOCU FEST will feature 35 films from local, regional, national, and international filmmakers. Selected from a record-breaking number of entries, this year’s Festival offering spans a wide range of subject matters and topics, from intimate and introspective personal stories to the profound impact of global issues—all to be experienced over an immersive two-day, 48-hour period.
Tentpole Screenings & Highlighted Events
Opening Night / Friday, September 26 – 7:30 pm @ The Firehouse
Checkpoint Zoo – In the early days of the Ukraine-Russia war, the Feldman Ecopark found itself in the midst of the crossfire. Flanked on either side by the Ukrainian front and the Russian invaders, thousands of animals were trapped, with little food and water to survive. Against all odds, a courageous team of zookeepers and volunteers risked their lives to embark on a seemingly impossible mission: bring these innocent creatures to safety.
Mid-Festival Feature / Saturday, September 27 – 7:30 pm @ The Firehouse, Come See Me in the Good Light –Trying to contextualize a terminal cancer diagnosis brings heartbreak and heavy realization. Colorado Poet Laureate Andrea Gibson approaches their situation with honesty and art. Alongside their fellow poet partner, Megan Falley, Gibson works toward a big final performance, bringing their spoken word skills to life on another grim topic. The true beauty comes from within their relationship.
Closing Night / Sunday, September 28 – 7:30 pm @The Firehouse
Memories of Love Returned – On a spring day in 2002, filmmaker Nrtare Guma Mbaho Mwine’s car broke down in the small town of Mbirizi, Uganda. While waiting for the car’s repair, he stumbled upon a small photo studio, where he met the photographer, Kibaate Aloysius Ssalongo, and viewed his work from the last 50 years. This chance encounter evolved into a 22-year journey to document Kibaate’s life and legacy, and the profound impact it had on Ntare’s life and the lives of Kibaate’s entire community.
YES Award
FREE Event / Screening September 26, 2025 @ The Screening Room
The YES Award (Young Emerging Filmmakers Showcase), launched in 2021, serves as a new platform for showcasing the creativity and passion of emerging talents. In year one, only eight entries were received from the limited outreach to 16 local colleges and universities. Since it has grown to include over 45 submitted entries from more than 60 national colleges and universities, as well as two from countries abroad. Four of the five finalists hail from one of the eight nationally ranked film programs. A blind jury competition selects the winner of a $1000 first prize. The YES Award is more than just a competition—It’s a launching pad for the next generation of cinematic voices.
Short Film Blocks Consult program guild @www.nbptdocufest.org for locations, dates & times.
Our four short ‘themed’ blocks feature 14 films ranging from 9 to 48 minutes in length.
Block 1 – Substance
Four films focusing on the material world and the meanings it can hold.
Block 2 – Half the Sky
Three films highlighting a few of the myriad ways that women hold up ‘half the sky.”
Block 3 – Justice
Two films on the role of the prison system in the modern world and what it should be.
Block 4 – Devotion
Five films on how we dedicate our time and energy, and sometimes our entire lives to one cause.
Up Close and Personal – Meet the Filmmakers
Filmmakers’ Roundtable
FREE Event / Saturday, September 27 @ 5:30pm @ The Joy Nest @ the Tannery Complex
Filmmaker’s Work-In-Progress
FREE Event / Sunday, September 28 @ 10:30 am @ The Screening Room
TICKETING INFORMATION
Ticket pricing and Festival Passes are available through the Festival’s website. Please visit https://www.nbptdocufest.org.
