Hoboken Docs Film Festival

Hoboken is a city of firsts. Where baseball began. Where America's Cup was born. A place that has inspired innovators, artists, musicians, and authors for generations. It's also where some of America's toughest working-class families built their lives on "The Docks" - that legendary waterfront immortalized in Elia Kazan's "On The Waterfront," a film so authentic it could pass for a documentary about Hoboken's hardscrabble past.

The Hoboken Docs Film Festival - a celebration of documentary filmmaking that honors both our city's documentary-worthy character and the art form that captures truth in all its raw, unvarnished glory.

Following in the Footsteps of Giants:
The documentary tradition runs deep. Legends like the Maysles Brothers, Robert Wise, Werner Herzog, and Barbara Kopple all started somewhere - with a camera, a story, and the courage to show the world something it needed to see. They understood that the most powerful stories aren't scripted; they're lived.

We're Looking for You:
Are you an emerging documentary filmmaker with a powerful voice?
Are you unafraid to show us the world through your unique lens?
Do you have a story that demands to be told?

The Hoboken Docs Film Festival is seeking honest, compelling documentaries that capture the human experience in all its complexity. We want films that do what the best documentaries have always done - reveal truth, spark conversation, and remind us of our shared humanity.

What We're Seeking:
Emerging voices ready to make their mark
Powerful storytelling that moves and challenges audiences
Authentic perspectives that show us something new
Fearless filmmaking that doesn't shy away from difficult truths
Stories that matter - whether intimate portraits or sweeping social examinations

Festival Details
Date: June 20th, 2026
Location: Antique Loft in Hoboken, New Jersey
Format: Live screening of finalist films to audience, followed by awards ceremony and celebration

Just as Hoboken has always been a launching pad for greatness, we want The Hoboken Docs Film Festival to be the place where the next generation of documentary legends gets their start.

Submit Your Film
The waterfront may have changed, but the spirit of Hoboken remains the same - authentic, uncompromising, and real. If your documentary embodies that spirit, we want to see it.

Don’t just make films. Make firsts.

Note: AI-generated films are not eligible for submission.