DocuWest Film Fest 2026 brings four days of documentaries to Denver

From a Weird Al-inspired burlesque troupe to the activists protecting access to abortion clinics, the 17th annual DocuWest Documentary Film Festival centeres an eclectic collection of nonfiction stories in Denver this November.

Running Nov. 12-15 at the Sie FilmCenter, the four-day DocuWest Film Fest features five documentary features and two shorts programs exploring civil rights, immigration, music, LGBTQ+ history, reproductive rights and more. Organized by the Denver Documentary Society, this year’s festival operates under the theme “Curated for Conversation,” with filmmaker discussions and receptions accompanying select screenings.

The festival opens Thursday, Nov. 12, with “Tight & Nerdy,” a documentary following a burlesque troupe whose performances are set to the music of Weird Al Yankovic. Directors Jeff Nucera and Jon Ruane will participate in a post-screening Q&A, and a reception beginning at 5:30 p.m. is included with admission.

Friday’s Civil Rights Night presentation, “Who’s the We?,” follows Minneapolis pastor and activist Doug Pagitt on a 66-day bicycle journey along the U.S.-Mexico border and Gulf Coast, documenting encounters with migrants, humanitarian workers and communities divided over immigration.

Saturday’s lineup shifts between several subjects, beginning with the five-film shorts program “Mirrors.” It continues with “The Last Critic,” a portrait of longtime music journalist Robert Christgau, and “Join the Club,” which examines the queer history of marijuana legalization through the activism of Dennis Peron during the AIDS epidemic.

The festival concludes Sunday, Nov. 15, with another shorts collection, “Truth and Consequences,” followed by Human Shield, which chronicles three abortion clinic escort leaders navigating growing threats to reproductive rights in the years leading up to the fall of Roe v. Wade.

All screenings take place at the Sie FilmCenter, 2510 E. Colfax Ave. in Denver, Colo. Browse the interactive schedule below to explore each day’s films, screening times and special events.