“Stone Mountain” and “Yalla Parkour” Win Top Prizes at 2024 DOC NYC
DOC NYC, the largest documentary film festival in the United States, unveiled its 2024 award winners on November 25. The winners span six juried competitions, the festival’s Audience Award, and additional grants and honors for emerging filmmakers. The festival runs online through December 1, showcasing more than 80 feature films, including 13 award-winning entries, and over 100 shorts.
Juried Awards: Feature Films
In the U.S. Competition, Daniel Kaufman’s Stone Mountain won the Grand Jury Prize. The film, a U.S. premiere, offers a nuanced look at Georgia's Stone Mountain Park and its community through an intimate, observational lens. Jurors praised Kaufman’s “Faulkner-esque portrait” of the racially divided community. A Special Mention went to Black Snow, directed by Alina Simone, which documents a Russian journalist’s courageous stand against environmental and political injustices.
In the International Competition, Areeb Zuaiter’s Yalla Parkour received the top prize. The documentary captures the defiant spirit of a Gaza parkour team transforming ruins into sites of resilience and artistry. The jury called it “a powerful tribute to the dignity and resilience of the Palestinian people.” Hind Meddeb’s Sudan, Remember Us received a Special Mention for its depiction of Sudanese youth fighting for freedom through art and activism.
Other Highlights
Eryk Rocha and Gabriela Carneiro da Cunha’s The Falling Sky won the Kaleidoscope Grand Jury Prize for its poetic exploration of the Yanomami people in the Brazilian Amazon. In Metropolis, focusing on New York stories, the top honor went to Art Spiegelman: Disaster is My Muse, a portrait of the cartoonist’s revolutionary storytelling.
The Audience Award went to Slumlord Millionaire, a poignant documentary about NYC renters battling housing injustices. Runners-up included All God’s Children by Ondi Timoner and Death & Taxes by Justin Shein and Robert Edwards, among others.
Short Films and Student Recognition
The Shorts Grand Jury Prize was awarded to Qotzuñi: People of the Lake by Gastón Zilberman and Michael Salama, which explores the plight of Bolivia’s Uru people after the disappearance of Lake Poopó. The DOC NYC U Competition recognized Hsi Cheng’s Find Me, which tells a heartfelt story of family reunification through archival footage and interviews.
Grants and Fellowships
Emerging filmmakers received notable support through the festival’s grants. Michael Premo’s Homegrown received a $20,000 impact grant, while David Estrada’s To Die for a Soul was awarded the Andrew Berends Film Fellowship for bold storytelling.
Complete List of DOC NYC 2024 Awards
Juried Awards: Feature Films
U.S. Competition
- Grand Jury Prize: Stone Mountain / Daniel Kaufman / USA
- Special Mention: Black Snow / Alina Simone / USA
International Competition
- Grand Jury Prize: Yalla Parkour / Areeb Zuaiter / Palestine
- Special Mention: Sudan, Remember Us / Hind Meddeb / Sudan
Kaleidoscope (Essayistic and Formally Adventurous Documentaries)
- Grand Jury Prize: The Falling Sky / Eryk Rocha, Gabriela Carneiro da Cunha / Brazil
- Special Mention: G – 21 Scenes from Gottsunda / Loran Batti / Sweden
Metropolis (New York Stories)
- Grand Jury Prize: Art Spiegelman: Disaster is My Muse / Molly Bernstein, Philip Dolin / USA
- Special Mention: Conbody vs. Everybody (Episodes 1 & 2) / Debra Granik / USA
Audience Awards
- Audience Award Winner: Slumlord Millionaire / Steph Ching, Ellen Martinez / USA
- Audience Award Runners-Up:
- All God’s Children / Ondi Timoner / USA
- Death & Taxes / Justin Shein, Robert Edwards / USA
- Drop Dead City – New York City on the Brink in 1975 / Peter Yost, Michael Rohatyn / USA
- Man From Pretentia / Chih Husan Liang / USA
- Nature of the Crime / Ricki Stern, Jesse Sweet / USA
- The Sing Sing Chronicles / Dawn Porter / USA
Short Film Awards
Shorts Competition
- Grand Jury Prize: Qotzuñi: People of the Lake / Gastón Zilberman, Michael Salama / Bolivia
- Special Mention: 51st State / Hannah Rosenzweig / USA
- Special Mention: Death by Numbers / Kim A. Snyder / USA
DOC NYC U Competition (Student Films)
- DOC NYC U Award: Find Me / Hsi Cheng
Special Grants and Fellowships
Subject Matter Grant
- Homegrown / Michael Premo – $20,000 for audience outreach and impact efforts.
AJH Filmmakers Fund
- Grand Prize: The Hummingbird Paints Fragrant Songs / Èlia Gasull Balada, Matteo Norzi – $5,000.
- Finalists: Each received a $500 honorarium.
Andrew Berends Film Fellowship
- Winner: To Die for a Soul / David Estrada – $10,000 and year-long mentorship.