A documentary film is a movie that documents reality, avoiding elements of fiction, for the purpose of historic recording, observation, education, instruction or analytical enquiry. In a slightly different category called docu-fiction, some elements of fiction are integrated to make the documentary more interesting or influential. Modern digital social media like YouTube contributed to the growth of the documentary film genre and made the global distribution of these films easier, wider and faster.

NIV Documentaries are also progressive in nature, contributing to the overall good of the society, helping to improve the lot of the downtrodden and marginalized segments of the society. They are also journalistic works, creative expressions or aids for advocacy. They generally stand for justice, freedom of speech & travel, equality of opportunity, good governance and protection of the environment and natural resources.