The American Museum of Natural History's Margaret Mead Film Festival, occurring May 2-4, 2025, showcases documentary films that ask crucial questions and explore the crevices of culture across the human and non-human world. The festival has evolved to reflect the varying incarnations of storytelling, technology, and the growing awareness of other communities near and far. As anthropology has become increasingly self-reflective, so has the Mead. The Margaret Mead Film Festival seeks to connect cultures and communities globally, creating empathy and understanding through documentary, experimental films, animation, hybrid works, and more.
The Margaret Mead Film Festival aims to share stories and engage communities around them through visual media, fostering empathy, inclusion, and heightened awareness through the film shown. Every year thousands of filmmakers, scholars and moviegoers converge for three thrilling days of screenings, conversations, and opportunities to connect.
The Margaret Mead Filmmaker Award recognizes documentary filmmakers who embody the spirit, energy, and innovation demonstrated by anthropologist Margaret Mead in her research, fieldwork, films, and writings. This award is given to a filmmaker whose feature-length documentary, at a minimum of sixty minutes, displays artistic excellence and originality of storytelling technique. The film must actively honor and accurately represent the communities, cultures, or events depicted, and center the voices depicted in the work. Filmmakers with works making their New York City premieres at the festival are eligible. Films that have premiered within the United States but outside of New York City are eligible for the Award.
The Audience Award is voted on by Margaret Mead Film Festival attendees. Films making their New York City premieres at the festival are eligible.
