Documentary films have become the conscience of the nation, providing a deeper study of contemporary, and often unnoticed, social issues. By using the unique medium of film, Documentarians are able to cultivate a more compelling and fruitful discussion by mixing strongly-driven narratives with vivid imagery.

In recognition of the rising importance of documentaries to public dialogue, the Martha’s Vineyard Film Society is proud to announce its twelfth annual Documentary Week from July 27-31, 2026.

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BEHIND THE LINES

Wednesday, July 29 7:30pm

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Followed by a Q&A with film director and writer John B. Benitz and book author Andrew Carroll, subject of the film.

Historian Andrew Carroll travels the world to find and preserve letters written during times of war. The film is based on Carroll’s New York Times best-selling book of the same name, and was selected as a finalist for the 2024 Ken Burns Prize for Film.

Behind the Lines is narrated by Annette Bening and features performances by Laura Dern, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Michael C. Hall, Gary Cole, Rachel Bloom, Dewanda Wise, Paul Walter Hauser, Wes Studi, among others.

John B. Benitz is a writer, director, and producer of both stage and screen. His film Children of the Struggle, starring civil rights icon Dick Gregory was shown in film festivals across the country, on PBS, and is seen in high schools and colleges nationwide. It was also recognized by the NAACP Film Commission for its “true and poignant portrayal of the fight for black voting rights.” He was a consulting producer for the indie film hit, MFA seen on Netflix and has directed theatre at such venues as the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Los Angeles, The Kennedy Center, Martha’s Vineyard Performing Arts Center and LaMama. 

Behind the Lines was one of six finalists of the coveted Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film, which recognizes exemplary documentary films that tell compelling stories about American history. In addition, the film won Best Documentary at the Croatia International Film Festival and he was nominated as Best Director at the Woodstock International Film Festival.

He is a full professor at Chapman University in California where he teaches acting.

Andrew Carroll is the author of several New York Times bestsellers, including Letters of a Nation, War Letters, and Behind the Lines.

He edited the critically acclaimed anthology Operation Homecoming: Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Home Front, in the Words of U.S. Troops and Their Families, and the book inspired the Oscar-nominated and Emmy-award-winning film, “Operation Homecoming.”

He is the founder of the Legacy Project, an all-volunteer initiative that seeks out war-related correspondences from every conflict in U.S. history, from the Revolution to the present day, to honor the legacy and sacrifices of this nation’s troops, veterans, and their loved ones. He has helped to preserve hundreds of thousands of letters and emails, and the number keeps growing.

To find these correspondences, he has traveled to all 50 U.S. states and more than 40 countries, including two—at the time—active war zones, in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Andrew Carroll has received, among other accolades, the Daughters of the American Revolution’s “Medal of Honor”; “The Order of Saint Maurice,” bestowed by the National Infantryman’s Association; and the “Chairman’s Medal” from the National Endowment for the Arts, the highest award given by the chairman of the NEA.

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PETER ASHER: EVERYWHERE MAN

Thursday, July 30 7:30pm

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Followed by a discussion with the filmmakers Dan Geller and Dayna Goldfine

Peter Asher’s extraordinary life has intersected with some of the greatest artists and musical moments of the last six decades. A child actor who became a pop star and then a manager and producer to the likes of James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt, he is a Zelig-like figure who remains a vital creative force to this day. Featuring interviews with Paul McCartney, Carole King, and many more.

“If you’re a devotee of Swinging London of the ’60s or the Sunset Strip folk rock scene of the ’70s, Asher is already an icon. But even if you’re not, his integrality to countless pop culture narratives beggars belief, because he has, indeed, lived many lives both in the spotlight and immediately adjacent. The pleasure of Everywhere Man is that every time you think you’ve seen the wildest piece of Peter Asher adjacency, the next chapter proves you wrong.” — The Hollywood Reporter

“A nostalgic ride of what it once meant to be a real rockstar… Filmmakers Dayne Goldfine and Daniel Geller were not afraid to bedazzle their new documentary, Peter Asher: Everywhere Man, with as much talent as possible.” — RogerEbert.com