The annual Doc Edge documentary film festival returns for the 17th year from 1 June – 10 July, with in-person screenings in Christchurch for the first time at Silky Otter from 15 – 26 June, in addition to a full online festival experience. Whether you want to get out and enjoy the festival experience with fellow film buffs in the cinema, or get cosy at home and watch a doco from the comfort of your couch, there’s something for everyone.

In Doc Edge’s unique Virtual Cinema, 17 feature-length films and all 39 shorts will be available to watch anytime from 1 June. Over the course of the festival, further films will be added after they have had their in-theatre screenings, with over 70 documentaries available to watch during the festival.

To see the full programme of films and a helpful “How to Watch” guide for the Virtual Cinema, simply visit the Doc Edge website now at docedge.nz

Here’s our top picks of the festival, with stories that will have you laughing, crying and gasping.

The Island In Me
Silky Otter: Fri 24 June, 4PM with Q&A and online from 18 Jun - 10 Jul
The Island in Me is an award-winning feature that takes the viewer to the remote atoll of Pukapuka in the Cook Islands, a unique place never before captured in film. With only four hundred inhabitants and ten metres above sea level, the atoll has stories to tell.

The Other Fellow
Silky Otter: Thu 23 June, 6PM with Q&A and online from 23 Jun - 10 Jul
An energetic exploration of male identity via the lives, personalities, and adventures of a diverse band of men, real men across the globe all sharing the same name – James Bond.

After the Rain
Silky Otter: Sat 25 June, 10.30AM and online from 20 Jun - 10 Jul
After an earthquake razed the Chinese city of Sichuan to the ground in 2008, more than 6,000 parents were encouraged to replace the children they lost and move on.

Still Working 9 To 5
Silky Otter: Sun 26 June, 3.30PM with Q&A and online from 26 Jun - 10 Jul
When the highest-grossing comedy 9 to 5 exploded on screens in 1980, the laughs hid a serious message about inequality in the workplace. Still Working 9 to 5 explores what has and has not changed for women over the last 40 years.

Off the Rails
Silky Otter: Sun 26 June, 5.30PM with Q&A and online from 25 Jun - 10 Jul
Rikke Brewer and best friend Aiden Knox are ‘failing’ working-class teenagers. They spend their time honing their gravity-defying parkour skills, hoping that millions of ‘likes’ will be their ticket out of boring Guildford, England.

Delikado
Silky Otter: Wed 22 June, 6PM with Q&A and online from 19 Jun - 10 Jul
Palawan appears to be an idyllic tropical island. Its powder-white beaches and lush forests have made it one of Asia’s hottest new tourist destinations. However, for a tiny network of environmental crusaders and vigilantes trying to protect its spectacular natural resources, it is more akin to a battlefield.

A-ha: The Movie
Silky Otter: Sat 25 June, 4.30PM and online from 26 Jun - 10 Jul
Follow one of Norway’s biggest bands in this story of great music, big ambitions, broken friendship – and maybe forgiveness.

Behind The Mask
Silky Otter: Sun 26 June, 10.30AM and online from 25 Jun - 10 Jul
One Kiwi doctor reveals the inside story of the global pandemic. A story that will make you realise the true cost of working on the frontline.