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Covering the latest quick bites from IDA and the world of documentary.

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A picture of a person with light skin from chin down moving their hands. Another light skinned hand holding a microphone is facing this person.
6 Tips for Documentary Filmmakers on How to Better Serve Participants with Gender-Based Trauma
It is no secret that documentary filmmaking has a complicated legacy when it comes to supporting the survivors of gender-based violence. Even with the best intentions, many filmmakers fall into...
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David Kato, a Black man with a bald head sits in front of a yellow house. His mother, Lydia Mulumba Nalongo, an older Black woman sits behind him eating. A still from 'Call Me Kutchu,' courtesy of the filmmakers.
LGBTQ Documentaries that Take a Deeper Look at Coming Out
The act of “coming out” as a member of the LGBTQ community is often the defining moment of films about queer and trans people. Yet many of these films still struggle to capture the nuances of this...
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Animated image of Amin, an Afghan man with a dark beard and short hair. He islieing on a patterned rug. From Jonas Poher Rasmussen’s documentary ‘Flee.’ Image courtesy of TIFF.
Essential Doc Reads: Week of October 4, 2021
Essential Doc Reads is our curated selection of recent features and important news items about the documentary form and its processes, from around the internet, as well as from the Documentary...
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Notebook with the text Sep 15-Oct 15 Hispanic Heritage Month written in black text.
Documentaries to Watch for National Hispanic Heritage Month
Between September and October 15, we celebrate the culture and contributions of the vast and diverse Hispanic communities that call the US their home, while honoring their stories. These stories of...
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Two female laundry workers are wearing floral aprons and standing against a wooden wall. From Lynne Sachs’ ‘The Washing Society.’ Courtesy of The Criterion Channel.
Screen Time: Week of September 27, 2021
Screen Time is your curated weekly guide to excellent documentaries and nonfiction programs that you can watch at home. At IDA, we deeply mourn the passing of Melvin Van Peebles, the “the godfather of...
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A pair of headphones hanging from a microphone with a pop filter attached to it.
Documentaries to Listen to for International Podcast Day: Recounting History
International Podcast Day is just around the corner! With more and more people tuning in to podcasts every year—especially as COVID-19 has kept us all at home for perhaps longer than we’d hoped—many...
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Chavela Vargas is a queer Latin American singer with grey hair. She is wearing a white shirt and is smiling. She is surrounded by trees and shrubs. Image from Catherine Gund and Daresha Kyi’s ‘Chavela.’ Courtesy of Alicia Elena Pérez Duarte, Aubin Pictures.
Screen Time: Week of September 20, 2021
Screen Time is your curated weekly guide to excellent documentaries and nonfiction programs that you can watch at home. To continue our celebration of documentaries around Hispanic heritage, we wanted...
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Mexican-American woman smiling with dark hair, wearing a black and white polka dot dress and teal earrings.
IDA Member Spotlight: Iliana Sosa
Iliana Sosa is a documentary and narrative fiction filmmaker based in Austin, Texas. Her documentary short An Uncertain Future premiered at the 2018 SXSW Film Festival, where it won a Jury Award for...
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Singer Alanis Morissette, a white woman with long black hair, is performing on stage against a blue lit background; she is holding a microphone, and her eyes are closed, From Alison Kaynman’s ‘Jagged.’ Courtesy of TIFF.
Essential Doc Reads: Week of September 13, 2021
Essential Doc Reads is our curated selection of recent features and important news items about the documentary form and its processes, from around the internet, as well as from the Documentary...
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Muhammad Ali, a Black boxer, on a visit to his old grammar school in Louisville, KY, in 1977. He is surrounded by young Black children who are hugging him. From ‘Muhammad Ali,’ a four-part documentary from Ken Burns, Sarah Burns and David McMahon. Photo by Michael Gaffney. Courtesy of PBS.
Screen Time: Week of September 13, 2021
Screen Time is your curated weekly guide to excellent documentaries and nonfiction programs that you can watch at home. Maya Cade, who works as an Audience Strategist at The Criterion Collection, has...
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