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Master Class

Intensive sessions give filmmakers hands-on opportunities for skill development.


In this documentary grant writing workshop, IDA’s Program Officer, Dana Merwin will demystify the process and discuss authorship’s role in documentary projects with IDA grantees, Meena Nanji and Zippy Kimundu.

Join IDA and BADWest for a special evening Master Class with celebrated director Stanley Nelson. One of America’s most acclaimed filmmakers and a chronicler of the African-American experience.

Join us for an Extended Reality (XR) Master Class with VR editor and producer Jennifer Tiexiera. Learn how to utilize new technology to tell an experiential story and develop effective strategies for funding and distribution.

Join us for a revealing seminar breaking down the do’s and don'ts of grant writing.

Join us for a Master Class with Emmy award-winning journalist and the Vice President of Content at Wondery, George Lavender, exploring the different ways podcasts and audio documentaries use sound to create immersive and engaging stories.

Come to the IDA offices 10/27/18 to learn how to use graphic design and animation to enhance your film's visual grammar.

Join us for a very special double Master Class in New York! In the morning, attorneys Neil Rosini, Jake Levy, and Steven Beer of Franklin, Weinrib, Rudell & Vassallo will offer a 3-hour crash course on the legal basics that every maker of non-fiction productions should know. The afternoon workshop, led by filmmaker and archival researcher Sierra Pettengill, will provide practical advice and creative inspiration for nonfiction filmmakers interested in the potential of archival and “found” materials.

Join us for a special Master Class that will examine the career of the Academy Award-nominated filmmaking team, Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady, whose creative approach to the verite aesthetic continues to define their 19+ years of filmmaking.

Join us for an informative Fair Use Master Class with prominent entertainment attorney, Lisa Callif, including special film workshops to determine if fair use can be applied.

Join IDA and ITVS in San Francisco for a special Master Class with celebrated Director Dawn Porter on ethical obligations documentary filmmakers have to their subjects.