DOC NYC's Only In New York

ONLY IN NEW YORK is DOC NYC’s filmmaker and industry meetings program for documentary film teams with works-in-progress features or series. It is co-presented by Showtime Documentary Films. Part of DOC NYC PRO, the festival’s industry and educational program, Only In New York (OINY) presents an opportunity for filmmakers with works-in-progress to take meetings with industry figures from the fields of distribution, financing, publicity, marketing, social impact, and more. Now in its 6th year, OINY aims to curate the most promising documentaries of the future for industry consideration, and select projects from a competitive pool of online submissions. In 2021, OINY is envisioned as taking place in-person in New York City, but pending public health directives pertaining to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it may take place virtually, should in-person gatherings prove unsafe. Firm plans for the event’s format—in-person or online—will be finalized before teams are notified of their status. Film teams invited to participate will have approximately two weeks to accept or decline the invitation. Whether online or in-person, filmmakers selected for OINY will participate in virtual meetings with industry figures from the fields of distribution, philanthropic funding, financing, PR, marketing, social impact, festival programming, and more. Past industry representatives have included Amazon Studios, Blue Ice Docs, A&E, Chicken & Egg Pictures, Cinetic Media, Disney+, Endeavor Content, Firelight Media, HBO, IFC Films, Hulu, Impact Partners, Kickstarter, National Geographic, Netflix, NBC News Studios, Participant, Showtime Documentary, Sony Pictures Classics, Submarine Entertainment, Sundance Institute, The New York Times, Topic Studios, Vice Media, and others. Projects selected for OINY will also be eligible to apply for participation in Pitch Perfect, a pitching event that provides a nurturing environment for filmmakers to present works-in-progress to influential industry figures. Applications to this program are limited to those projects that have already been selected for OINY. OINY is open to ALL documentary filmmakers, regardless of their geographic location or that of their subjects or topics; it is not limited to New York-based filmmakers or themes. Should you have any questions about OINY, please first review this entire page for answers to common issues. If you still need assistance, please email caitlin@docnyc.net. NOTE: OINY is not intended for films that are intending to make their public screening debut at DOC NYC in November 2021. Film teams that wish to have their films considered for DOC NYC’s festival line up should submit their projects at the main DOC NYC submission page (https://filmfreeway.com/DOCNYC). Works selected to participate in OINY do not screen publicly. Late-stage projects that are already scheduled to debut soon after December 2021 are still eligible for consideration in OINY, as long as they are not yet locked projects and would benefit from industry connections and feedback. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS Submissions are open to nonfiction works-in-progress features or series proposals in any genre or style. Submitted works-in-progress must be on track to be completed within one year of DOC NYC 2021, with at least 30% of their budget already in place. Projects will be selected based on their creative potential, ability to engage an audience, and potential for success in the marketplace. The representation, authorship, and positionality of the project’s lead creative team will also be considered. To participate in meetings during DOC NYC 2021, accepted project teams must purchase a festival pass, and will be provided with a discounted rate.