Doc Edge

What Doc Edge does

Doc Edge is a not-for-profit charitable trust (Charity #CC54892) founded in 2005 and headquartered in Auckland, New Zealand. The organization operates New Zealand's Academy Awards-qualifying international documentary festival, now in its 21st year (Festival 2026). It runs an annual hybrid festival combining in-cinema screenings across Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch with a nationwide Virtual Cinema streaming platform, complemented by year-round industry, education, and immersive programming.

The organization serves four stakeholder groups: general documentary audiences, domestic and international filmmakers, students and educators, and industry professionals (producers, funders, buyers, distributors). Its product portfolio consists of Doc Edge Festival (75 films and 12 immersive projects in 2026), Doc Edge Awards (Oscar-qualifying categories for NZ and International features/shorts, plus emerging filmmaker and tertiary categories), Doc Edge Industry (Forum, Pitch, Market strands), Doc Edge Schools (Student Short Documentary Competition and year-round Virtual Classroom for Years 5 to Tertiary), Doc Edge Immersive (VR/AR/MR experiences), and Virtual Cinema (nationwide streaming). Underlying technology comprises a Virtual Cinema streaming platform and a Virtual Classroom digital education platform; ticket sales are transacted through the Ferve Tickets platform. The organization is led by Co-founders Alex Lee (Director/Trustee) and Dan Shanan (Executive Director/Trustee), governed by a Board of Trustees chaired by Matthew Metcalfe.

Revenue flows from four streams: transaction-based ticket sales for screenings and education platform access; an annual subscription membership programme ($65 full membership, $55 concession, GST inclusive); advertising and sponsorship with estimated reach of 100,000+ via print and digital festival programme; and grants and funding from government bodies (NZ On Air, NZ Film Commission, Auckland Council, Wellington City Council) and cultural/philanthropic sources (Foundation North, Raye Freedman Foundation, Lion Foundation, Embassy of France, Institut Francais, University of Canterbury, Grand Millennium Auckland, Pacific Island Communication, RNZ). Operational scale is small at 1-10 employees plus seasonal interns.

Name

Doc Edge

Legal name

Doc Edge

Website

https://docedge.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Doc Edge is a New Zealand not-for-profit charitable trust operating the country's Oscar-qualifying international documentary festival, running in-cinema screenings across Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch, plus a nationwide Virtual Cinema platform and year-round education and industry programming.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Documentary Film Festival & Cultural Arts Programming

NAICS

Motion Picture Theaters (except Drive-Ins) (512131), Motion Picture and Video Exhibition (51213)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture Theaters (7830)

akta.pro primary industry

Alternative Content Exhibition (Live Broadcasts, Concert Films, Sports, Opera) (MPADAKAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Children’s & Youth Educational Entertainment (Edutainment) (EDAGALAK), Virtual Training, Workshops & Masterclasses (Interactive Sessions) (MPAGAOAJ), Interactive Multimedia Learning Content (Video, Audio, Interactive Lessons) (EDAFACAG)

Keywords

• Documentary film festival
• Documentary screenings
• Documentary awards
• Immersive storytelling
• Documentary education

Headquarters

HQ city

Auckland

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Individual screening tickets for in-cinema and virtual screenings across the festival period and year-round Virtual Classroom platform.
2. Membership Programme: Annual membership offering lowest guaranteed ticket prices, special invitations, exclusive giveaways, and festival booklet delivery. Full membership $65, Concession $55 (GST inclusive).
3. Advertising & Sponsorship: Advertising opportunities in print and digital festival programme with estimated reach of 100,000+. Corporate sponsorship from partners across government, cultural institutions, and private sector.
4. Grants & Funding: Funding from government bodies including NZ On Air, NZ Film Commission, Auckland Council, Wellington City Council, Foundation North, and cultural partners including embassies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Doc Edge operates an annual hybrid documentary film festival featuring in-cinema screenings across Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch alongside a nationwide Virtual Cinema streaming platform, supported by Oscar-qualifying awards, an industry programme (Forum, Pitch, Market), an immersive VR/AR/MR exhibition, and a year-round Doc Edge Schools education programme with Virtual Classroom access for Years 5 to Tertiary students.

Product overview

Doc Edge operates as a multi-component documentary festival organization offering a unified platform centered around documentary storytelling. The core offering consists of the Doc Edge Festival (the main in-cinema and virtual documentary film festival), Doc Edge Awards (Oscar-qualifying awards ceremony), Doc Edge Industry (professional development and networking), Doc Edge Immersive (VR/AR digital storytelling), Doc Edge Schools (educational programs), and Virtual Cinema (nationwide streaming). These components work together to serve filmmakers, audiences, students, and industry professionals across New Zealand.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Doc Edge Industry: Industry programme bringing together filmmakers, producers, funders, buyers, distributors, and decision makers with strands: Forum, Pitch, and Market.
• Doc Edge Awards
• Doc Edge Immersive
• Doc Edge Schools
• Doc Edge Virtual Cinema

Products and services

• Doc Edge Festival New Zealand's Academy Awards qualifying international documentary festival featuring in-cinema screenings across Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch, plus nationwide Virtual Cinema streaming. The festival showcases documentary films and immersive projects and hosts industry events, targeted at documentary filmmakers, general audiences, and industry professionals.
• Doc Edge Awards Annual awards ceremony recognizing excellence in documentary filmmaking with Oscar-qualifying categories for Best New Zealand and Best International short and feature films, plus emerging filmmaker, tertiary film, and legacy awards. Winners of the Best NZ/International short and feature categories are eligible for Academy Awards consideration, alongside cash and in-kind prizes, targeted at documentary filmmakers.
• Doc Edge Industry Industry programme comprising three strands: Forum for networking and professional development, Pitch for filmmaker project presentations, and Market connecting finished films with buyers and festival programmers, targeted at documentary producers, funders, buyers, distributors, and decision-makers in the Asia Pacific documentary sector.
• Doc Edge Immersive Showcase of cutting-edge digital storytelling featuring virtual, augmented, and mixed reality experiences, run as part of the World Press Photo & Doc Edge Immersive Exhibition at Smith & Caughey Auckland, targeted at festival audiences and immersive content creators.
• Doc Edge Schools Education programme connecting young people with documentary filmmaking, including the Student Short Documentary Competition and the year-round Virtual Classroom offering curated documentaries and educational resources for Years 5 to Tertiary students, targeted at NZ schools, tertiary institutions, students, and educators.
• Virtual Cinema Nationwide online streaming platform enabling audiences across New Zealand to access documentary films and immersive content during the festival period (27 July – 10 August) and year-round via the Virtual Classroom education platform, targeted at NZ consumers unable to attend in-cinema screenings.
• Doc Edge Membership Programme Annual membership programme providing lowest guaranteed ticket prices, special invitations, exclusive giveaways, and festival booklet delivery within New Zealand. Full Membership is $65 NZD; Concession Membership is $55 NZD for students, Gold Card holders, and Community Card holders. All prices GST inclusive; non-refundable credit card processing fee applies; membership is non-transferable and limited to one ticket per session at member rate, targeted at regular festival attendees and documentary enthusiasts in NZ.

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• Embassy of FrancemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerFrench diplomatic mission supporting French documentary content and cultural exchange at the festival.
• Institut FrancaismajorGTM or Marketing PartnerFrench cultural institute promoting French language and culture, supporting French documentary programming.
• University of CanterburymajorGTM or Marketing PartnerTertiary education institution supporting Screen Canterbury and festival operations in Christchurch.
• Grand Millennium AucklandmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerLuxury hotel venue hosting Awards Night and industry events during the Auckland festival.
• The Capitol CinemacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHistoric Auckland cinema serving as primary venue for festival screenings and events.
• The Roxy CinemacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIconic Wellington cinema hosting Wellington festival screenings.
• Smith & CaugheycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrestigious Auckland department store hosting World Press Photo and Doc Edge Immersive Exhibition.
• Jack Mann TheatrecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUniversity of Canterbury venue hosting Christchurch festival screenings.
• Park Road Post ProductionminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPost-production facility sponsoring Best International Short award.
• Pacific Islander in CommunicationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunding body supporting Pacific Islander documentary content, credited as co-production partner for Unlikely Kin.
• RNZ (Radio New Zealand)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublic broadcaster supporting documentary content, credited as co-production partner for Unlikely Kin.
• South Seas Film SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTertiary film school with student winning Best Tertiary Film award.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Doc NYC: Doc NYC is the largest documentary festival in the United States, featuring theatrical screenings, an industry conference, and education programmes. Directly comparable to Doc Edge's festival + industry + schools structure.
• Sydney Film Festival: Sydney Film Festival is the leading Australian film festival featuring documentary and fiction programming with in-cinema screenings and industry events. Comparable to Doc Edge as an Asia Pacific regional film festival with similar audience and industry programming.
• Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival: Hot Docs is a leading international documentary festival with theatrical screenings, industry programmes, and year-round education initiatives. Most directly comparable to Doc Edge as a national-level documentary festival with curated programming, filmmaker support services, and educational outreach.
• New Zealand International Film Festival: NZIFF is New Zealand's largest film festival featuring international and NZ films across multiple cities. The most direct domestic peer to Doc Edge, sharing NZ geography, theatrical venues, and audiences, though NZIFF covers fiction and documentary rather than specializing in documentary.
• Sheffield DocFest: Sheffield DocFest is a UK-based documentary festival featuring theatrical screenings, an industry marketplace, and pitching sessions. Highly comparable business model to Doc Edge with film exhibition, industry programming, and filmmaker development.
• True/False Film Festival: True/False is a US documentary festival known for curated programming and filmmaker Q&As. Comparable to Doc Edge as a curated documentary festival focused on theatrical exhibition and filmmaker engagement.
• Melbourne International Film Festival: MIFF is Australia's largest film festival featuring documentary, fiction, and shorts programming with industry events. Comparable to Doc Edge as a regional festival in the Asia Pacific with hybrid theatrical and online exhibition components.

Broad incumbents

• Sundance Film Festival: Sundance is the most prominent US independent film festival featuring significant documentary programming alongside fiction films. Comparable to Doc Edge as a leading international film festival, though Sundance operates at much larger scale and broader scope.
• IDFA (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam): IDFA is one of the world's largest documentary festivals with industry forums, pitching markets, and an extensive educational programme. Comparable to Doc Edge as a documentary festival with industry, awards, and education components, though at much greater scale.

Emerging players

• World Press Photo: World Press Photo is a global photojournalism organization with annual exhibitions, including a co-presented immersive exhibition with Doc Edge. Comparable as a documentary/nonfiction storytelling brand with annual exhibition programming.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCAfE77WkwaYQfnfV3oMuFdw
• Facebookfacebook.com/DocumentaryEdge
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/doc-edge
• Instagraminstagram.com/docedgefest

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Doc Edge