Returning for its 18th year, Doc Now 2026 brings together the next generation of documentary artists in a city-wide celebration of image, story, and critical inquiry. Showcasing the work of Master of Fine Arts candidates in Documentary Media at Toronto Metropolitan University, this student-run, non-profit festival transforms Toronto into a vibrant network of exhibitions and screenings throughout June.
Since the festival’s first edition in 2009, Doc Now has become a vital platform for emerging voices working across documentary forms. This year’s festival continues that legacy with an ambitious program of works by nine artists including: short films, photography exhibitions, and multimedia installations. Spanning galleries and screenings at venues across downtown Toronto –– including the Paradise Theatre, Beaver Hall Gallery, Whippersnapper Gallery, the Image Centre Student Gallery, Trinity Square Video, and Artspace TMU –– the festival invites audiences to engage with documentary, not just as a form but as an experience.
At its core, Doc Now 2026 is driven by a commitment to dialogue. The featured works explore a wide range of urgent and intimate themes, such as identity, family, diaspora, memory, women’s illness, longevity, wildlife conservation photography and the community impacts of a massive environmental cleanup. Rather than presenting fixed narratives, these works challenge conventional documentary approaches, blending personal storytelling with experimental and interdisciplinary techniques that invite reflection, participation, and conversation.
Doc Now 2026 runs from June 3 to June 30 with events throughout the month. There will be a special film screening on June 17 at the Paradise Theatre, doors open at 6pm and films start at 7pm sharp! The screening showcases five distinct cinematic visions: DocSam by Mary Margaret Powrie, Beyond the Frame by Toni Thomson, If a Flower Bloomed by Ethan Pogue, and short films from the exhibitions BAQĀ/بقا (The Unforgotten) by Mursal Mohammadi and Sparrows 麻雀 by Jessica Wu. The films range from four to sixty minutes in length and reflect various approaches in contemporary documentary storytelling.
The four multimedia exhibitions include: Jessica Wu’s Sparrows 麻雀, Kennedy Soong Bouchard’s Blueprints, Mursal Mohammadi’s BAQĀ/بقا (The Unforgotten) and Izabel Della Siepe’s SALVADORA. Each installation pushes the traditional boundaries of documentary form and weaves together various media, including video, images, archival materials and textiles.
The two photography exhibitions further expand the festival’s exploration of memory and identity. Works such as Meet in the Middle (Sresti u Sredini) by Amelia Sopta and Pananglagip by Jonathan Andrew B. Taala examine themes of memory, place, and identity through distinct visual perspectives.
Come see selections from everyone’s work in the group exhibition, In the Space Between, on June 5 from 6-9pm in Artspace TMU in Suite LL 106 at 401 Richmond St. West, then later join the Doc Now 2026 artists on June 5 from 6:30-9:30pm for the festival launch party in the garden courtyard.
Built by a close-knit cohort of nine MFA students, Doc Now 2026 is as much about community as it is about creation. While the logistics of planning and organizing a city-wide event can be demanding, the collective nature of the cohort transforms these challenges into a rewarding process: one where every member is working toward a shared vision. From concept to completion, the ability to shape the festival and ultimately present it to the public is both a rare and fulfilling experience.
Doc Now 2026 is a collective experience that celebrates the work of its student artists while fostering a supportive and inclusive environment. With an anticipated audience of over 5,000 attendees and outreach to more than 40,000+ members of the TMU community, Doc Now 2026 is both expansive and accessible, and all programming remains free. Visit the exhibitions and come see the films. Experience the works firsthand, and connect with the artists behind them. Step into spaces of reflection, engage with urgent and personal stories, and become part of the conversations that bring communities closer together.
For more information, follow @docnowfestival on Instagram and visit docnowfestival.ca for exhibition details and tickets for the film screening.
Photo credit: Amelia Sopta, May 2026. Details and tickets: docnowfestival.ca.