The Ames Documentary Film Festival is a new annual celebration of nonfiction storytelling in Ames, Iowa. The inaugural festival will take place Sunday, September 27, 2026, at the Ames Public Library and will feature 11 short documentary films from Iowa, across the United States and around the world. The festival is organized in collaboration with the Ames Regional Economic Alliance, Octagon Center for the Arts and Ames Main Street and is presented in conjunction with the Octagon Art Festival.