Hot Springs Documentary Film Fest Announces 2025 Lineup of Top Awards Contenders

The 34th edition of the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival (HSDFF) in Arkansas, the longest-running nonfiction cinema festival in North America, is set to kick off on October 10, 2025 with a star-studded lineup. The festival has announced a slate packed with many of the year's top documentary awards contenders, from acclaimed filmmakers like Laura Poitras, Morgan Neville, and Chai Vasarhelyi.

The festival will open with a gala screening of Thomas Winston's "Lost Wolves of Yellowstone," which chronicles the audacious plan to reintroduce wolves to the famed national park. The centerpiece presentation will be the North American premiere of André Hörmann's "The Cowboy," a decade-long portrait of a young man pursuing his dream of becoming a Western cowboy.

Other highlights include the closing night film "Move Ya Body: The Birth Of House" by Elegance Bratton, which traces the roots of the iconic dance music genre. The festival will also feature a special work-in-progress screening of Jon Alpert's documentary short "The Raging Rabbi," as well as the first two episodes of Rebecca Miller's five-part series "Mr. Scorsese" about the legendary filmmaker.

In addition to the impressive feature film lineup, HSDFF will honor several acclaimed documentary filmmakers, including Geeta Gandbhir, who will receive the festival's Impact Award, and Jon Alpert, who will be presented with the Brent Renaud Career Achievement Award.