The Wexner Center for the Arts is about to hand its screen over to non-fiction for the better part of the month. Unorthodocs, the center's annual documentary film festival, returns for its tenth edition from October 22 to 30, and it keeps to a format that rewards showing up in person: all the films run on a single screen, often with the directors there to talk about them afterward. It's an intimate way to catch some of the year's boldest nonfiction, and a good excuse to spend a few nights in a dark room with a curated program.
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The lineup leans heavily on premieres. 'First They Came for My College', Patrick Bresnan's 2026 film, gets its Ohio premiere with Bresnan in person, and 'The Oldest Person in the World' by Sam Green also makes its Ohio debut. Green is known for his 'live documentaries', where he narrates while musicians perform the soundtrack live, so that one is worth catching in the room rather than on a screen at home. 'Aanikoobijigan', about Michigan repatriation specialists, and 'Non-Aligned Newsreels: Fragments from the Debris', a live performance piece by Mila Turajlić, both have their Ohio premieres here, and both are free to the public. 'Barbara Forever', a portrait of the late feminist filmmaker Barbara Jean Hammer co-produced by Kristen Stewart, and 'Once Upon a Time in Harlem', about a 1972 gathering of Harlem Renaissance luminaries, both make their Columbus premieres.
The rest of the program fills in around those. 'When a Witness Recants' follows the lasting effects of a grave injustice; 'American Doctor' brings home messages from Gaza hospitals; 'Do You Love Me' is a personal journey through Lebanon's audiovisual memory; and 'Everybody to Kenmure Street' covers a Scottish community's collective action to stop deportation. For something older, 'The Other Side of Everything' looks at Serbia's turbulent history through a dissident mother's experiences. And if you're short on time, the 'Unorthodocs Shorts' program, which includes 'Love is the Drug' and the Ohio premiere of 'A Derailment', is free for everyone.
It's worth knowing that Unorthodocs isn't standing alone. It's part of the 2026 FotoFocus Biennial: The Long View, a month-long celebration of photography and lens-based art that runs from October 1 all the way to January 23, with 74 exhibitions across 65 venues around the region. The theme, 'The Long View', takes in time and perspective in photography and film, and the whole thing nods toward the 250th anniversary of the United States. The festival also comes with a precursor series, 'Classic American Docs', which opened on September 13 with 'Harlan County USA'.
On the practical side, a festival pass is $45 for the general public, $36 for Wex members and adults 55 and older, and $18 for students. Individual tickets are $12 for the general public, $8 for members, $9 for those 55 and up, and $6 for students with a valid ID. A pass covers all talks and screenings, gives you access to a passholder lounge, and throws in a free drink ticket for the reception on Saturday, October 24 at 6 pm. Advance pass sales for members opened on August 22, and general sales began on September 4.
Published Date
20 October 2026
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