Full Frame, Duke's documentary film festival, returns to downtown Durham April 1-4, 2027. Passes and prices are announced in the fall. Venues and tips.

Last checked Oct. 12, 2026. Facts come from the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, a program of Duke University’s Center for Documentary Studies. This page is updated for each year’s festival at the same address.

The 29th Full Frame Documentary Film Festival is Thursday, April 1, through Sunday, April 4, 2027, in downtown Durham, according to the festival’s passes and tickets page. Pass and ticket options, prices and on-sale dates for 2027 had not been posted when we checked; the festival says they will be announced in early fall.

Know before you go

  • When: Thursday, April 1, to Sunday, April 4, 2027
  • Where: downtown Durham, around the Durham Convention Center and Carolina Theatre on W. Morgan Street
  • Tickets: Duke University Box Office, online or 919-684-4444
  • Questions: fullframeinfo@duke.edu
  • Organizer: fullframefest.org

What Full Frame is

Full Frame is an annual international festival of nonfiction film. Each spring it brings filmmakers and audiences to downtown Durham for “a four-day, morning-to-midnight array of more than 60 films,” along with discussions and panels, the festival’s about page says. The screenings sit within a few city blocks, and many films are followed by a conversation with the filmmakers. Duke University is the presenting sponsor.

Last year’s festival, the 28th, ran Thursday, April 16, through Sunday, April 19, 2026, according to the festival’s 2026 schedule archive.

Passes and tickets

Every pass and ticket is sold through the Duke University Box Office, the festival says:

Prices for 2027 are not out yet. We will add them here when the festival posts them. Full Frame’s year-round supporters’ program, the 1998 Society, is separate from festival passes.

Venues

The festival’s general festival info page listed these venues for the 2026 festival. The 2027 venue list had not been posted.

  • Durham Convention Center, 301 W. Morgan St.: festival headquarters, with the festival box office, pass pickup and the merchandise shop.
  • Carolina Theatre, 309 W. Morgan St.: screenings in Fletcher Hall, which seats 1,000. Elevators serve every level.
  • Durham Armory, 220 Foster St.: the opening night party and the awards barbecue.
  • The Durham Hotel, 315 E. Chapel Hill St.: the free Speakeasy Conversations series, which holds about 100 people.

How seating works

From the festival’s seating policy:

  • Arrive 30 minutes before showtime, with or without a pass.
  • Pass holders on the Green Line are seated first, then the Blue Line. The Last Minute Line is seated about five to 10 minutes before showtime, first come, first served, if seats are left.
  • No seat saving and no late seating. Once seating ends, tickets are no longer valid.
  • Everyone leaves the theater after each screening.
  • Most documentaries are unrated, and some deal with difficult subjects. The festival asks viewers to read the film descriptions and use their own judgment.

Parking and access

Full Frame does not run its own parking. Downtown Durham’s city decks and lots are a short walk from the venues, and spaces for people with disabilities are next to the elevator in every city deck. The festival notes that a disability hangtag or plate does not exempt a car from parking fees. More accessible spaces are in the Durham Arts Council’s Manning Place lot.

Visitors with limited mobility can be dropped off on Foster Street in front of the Durham Marriott City Center’s main entrance. Accessible seating is available at every screening venue; tell the venue manager on duty when you arrive. Assistive listening devices are available on request in limited numbers, and an ID may be needed to borrow one.

For filmmakers

Full Frame is taking entries for 2027, according to its call for entries. Short and feature documentaries finished after Jan. 1, 2026, are eligible. The late deadline runs to 11 p.m. ET Sunday, Nov. 15, 2026, with fees of $90 for features and $70 for shorts; student fees are $50 and $30. Fee waiver requests close Nov. 1. Filmmakers will be told by March 1, 2027.

For more films and shows downtown, see our things to do in Durham guide.

Frequently asked questions

When is the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival in 2027?

The 29th Full Frame Documentary Film Festival is Thursday, April 1, through Sunday, April 4, 2027, in downtown Durham. The 2026 festival ran April 16-19.

How much are Full Frame passes and tickets?

Full Frame says pass and ticket options, prices and on-sale dates for 2027 will be announced in early fall. All sales go through the Duke University Box Office, 919-684-4444.

Where is Full Frame held?

Within a few blocks of downtown Durham. At the 2026 festival, the Durham Convention Center at 301 W. Morgan St. was festival headquarters and the Carolina Theatre at 309 W. Morgan St. was a main screening venue.

How early should I get to a Full Frame screening?

Full Frame asks every ticket holder to arrive 30 minutes before showtime. There is no late seating, and seat saving is not allowed.

When is the deadline to submit a film to Full Frame 2027?

The final deadline is Sunday, Nov. 15, 2026, at 11 p.m. ET. Filmmakers will hear by March 1, 2027.