Taking place October 6-11, the 17th edition of the Chagrin Documentary Film Festival will be held at walkable locations throughout the Village of Chagrin Falls, Ohio.
“We are proud to offer a stage for exceptional filmmakers to tell stories that spark curiosity, cultivate empathy, and ignite meaningful conversations.”— Executive Director Morgan CrawfordCHAGRIN FALLS, OH, UNITED STATES, August 5, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — The 17th Chagrin Documentary Film Festival (CDFF), scheduled for October 6-11 at easily accessible venues across the scenic century-old Village of Chagrin Falls, Ohio, has confirmed the selection of 75 films for its 2026 program. Executive Director Morgan Crawford stated, “We are proud to offer a stage for exceptional filmmakers to tell stories that spark curiosity, cultivate empathy, and ignite meaningful conversations.”
Each year, CDFF presents the finest documentary films to over 8,000 live audience members and 20,000 viewers through on-demand streaming, contributing more than $1 million in economic activity to the surrounding area.
The 2026 Festival kicks off on October 6th with the Midwest Premiere of the gripping documentary “Hanging by a Wire,” directed by Mohammed Ali Naqvi.
The selected films for 2026 include:
America 250 Documentaries
By George directed by H. Paul Moon; Defending Debate directed by Tim Silfies; A House United directed by Joseph Sim; I'm Goin' Home directed by Skip Church; The Lorraine directed by Sam Pollard.
Emerging Filmmakers :
Don't Be Prey directed by Jeff Tseng; Micronations directed by Joe Kowalski.
Human Spirit Documentaries:
Brailled It directed by David Grabias, Brendon Schulze, Salome Cummins, Christopher Morgan, Isaiah Gauthier; BrainStorm directed by Bonnie Waltch; Figaro Up, Figaro Down directed by Javid Soriano; Old Man Walking Club directed by Michael Connelly; The Seeds of Peace directed by David-Paul B. Hedberg; Sing the World Better directed by Lian Morrison, Wanda Nolan.
International Documentaries:
Alex’s Group directed by Yonatan Nir; Among Neighbors directed by Yoav Potash; Colors of White Rock directed by Khoroldorj Choijoovanchig; Diyora. A Gentle Way directed by Sardor Kazi; Genocide 2.0: Artsakh Ethnic Cleansing directed by Bared Maronian; Hanging by a Wire directed by Mohammed Ali Naqvi; Land of Canaan directed by Maggie Lemere; Out at Six directed by Livi Kessel; The Secret Reading Club of Kabul directed by Shakiba Adil, Elina Hirvonen.
Ohio Stories Documentaries:
The Bulldogs directed by Noah Dixon, Ori Segev; Crime & Parody directed by Will Thwaites; Lagerland directed by Michael Suglio.
US Documentaries:
Becoming Wild directed by Jane B. Pittman; Behind the Beard: Making Santa Real directed by Brandon Rice; Bob and David Climb Machu Picchu directed by Michael Lahaie; Carl Sagan: We are Made of Star Stuff directed by Nanette Burstein; Kamal's directed by Nich L. Perez; Kratom: Side Effects May Include directed by The Neese Twins; Occupational Hazard: The First Coral Reefers directed by John H. Cunningham; Poverty Trap directed by Michael Matheson Miller.
Spotlight Documentaries:
The Big Cheese directed by Sara Joe Wolansky; Cookie Queens directed by Alysa Nahmias; Kings of Venice directed by Sveinn Ingimundarson, S.D. Saltarelli; Megmarandi (Heritage) directed by Réka Pigniczky; The Object of the Game directed by Matt Waldeck.
Local Short Documentaries:
Coventry P.E.A.C.E. Park: A New Beginning by Kara White; Guice Mann – The Chaos Leprechaun Wizard by Matthew Harris; Making Music From Monsters by Mark Andrew Hamer; Printing What's Possible: The Chuck Hull Story by Andrew Blike; Stack by Randolph Buffington; Tina's at the End of the World by Nicole Rossa; Twins Fest by Kate Bennis.
Short Documentaries :
Being Bublé by Dan Perlman; Body of Work by Cassidy Rast, Odin Wadleigh; Born Secret by Riley Fitchpatrick; The Boys and the Bees by Arielle C. Knight; Couture to the Max by Dori Berinstein; Diminishing Returns by Colin Whitman; Echoes of the Escalante by Hank Leukart; Fenceline: Shadows Over the River Parish by Samuel George; Forcefield of Love by Liz Moskowitz, Riley Engemoen; Lady Chief by Broms; La Esperanza by Javier Cruz-Ginez; Like Father by Jared Callahan; Making Awareness by Susan Wasserman; The Master Lives On by Brian Ducoffe, Justin Milhouse; More Than Honey by Joe Porter; North Star by Bryn Silverman; Oh Whale by Winslow Crane-Murdoch; Screw Lucy by Mary Pilon; Shades of Violet by Samuel G Lasko; The Spirit We Move With by Andrew Maguire; Sundays by Ashley Gerst; Thank You For Listening by Gene Gallerano, Bob Ray; Vita 2.0 by Vita Stoikova.
Student Documentaries
From the Sound to the Sea by Olivia Jackson; How We Roll by Anthony Ciancio; Medicine by Ruth Beatrice Furman; Moon Dreams by Joella Shearer; Sincerely, Sage Jo by Jacob Wilkins.
View the 2026 festival lineup here! For more information, festival memberships, or volunteer opportunities, visit chagrinfilmfest.org
Morgan Crawford
Chagrin Documentary Film Festival
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