The Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame (LIMEHOF) Music Documentary Film Festival has been named the 2026 “Best Film Festival on Long Island” in the Four Leaf Best of Long Island competition, a major recognition for the event following its inaugural year.
Held at LIMEHOF’s Stony Brook location, the festival launched in 2025 as the first and only film festival in the United States dedicated exclusively to music documentaries. Organizers say the honor reflects the strong response from audiences, filmmakers and the music community during the festival’s first run.
“Winning ‘Best Film Festival’ in our very first year is incredibly moving,” said Tom Needham, executive director of the LIMEHOF Music Documentary Film Festival. “It speaks to how deeply music and its stories matter to audiences here on Long Island and beyond.”
The inaugural festival, held Aug. 8–10, 2025, featured 24 documentary films celebrating musicians, music history and cultural movements across multiple genres, including classical, hip-hop and rock. Screenings were accompanied by live music performances and appearances by filmmakers and musicians.
Featured selections included Building the Beatles, To My Rescue: It Was the S1W’s (A Public Enemy Story), Hung Up on a Dream: The Zombies Documentary, Hello! My Name is Blotto, and Cat’s in the Cradle 50th Anniversary: The Song That Changed Our Lives.
Several filmmakers received awards during the closing ceremony. Broadway actor and director Will Chase won Best Short Film for The Guggenheim Grotto Back in Ireland. Janol Ture’s To My Rescue: It Was the S1W’s earned the Audience Award for Best Feature and the Social Impact Award, while S.A. Baron’s Harry Chapin documentary Cat’s in the Cradle 50th Anniversary received the Best Feature Film award.
Artistic Director Wendy Feinberg said the recognition highlights the work of the festival’s team and participating filmmakers from Long Island and around the world.
The second annual LIMEHOF Music Documentary Film Festival is scheduled for Sept. 25–27, 2026, in Stony Brook, with submissions currently being accepted.