A 90-minute workshop with Maya E. Rudolph, Vice President of Non-Fiction at Louverture Films.
Educational Seminars
Our year-round series of seminars, panels and workshops focusing on the art, craft and business of documentary filmmaking. Become an IDA member to access previous seminars online.
In recent years, “creative documentaries,” especially those from India, have soared to new heights globally, carving out a unique space in world cinema. What exactly are "creative documentaries," and how do they intersect with Indian and Western audiences? India has experienced a rise in successful documentaries, yet many of these projects are primarily made possible through support from Western funding bodies and institutions. This dynamic prompts reflection on the tenets by which decisions to fund these films are made.
In this panel, moderated by filmmaker Charlie Shackleton, representatives from an array of archives will discuss these challenging issues, while also highlighting the ways in which archives can serve the independent filmmaking community.
Don’t know what E&O insurance is? Seth Cohen and Bob Jellen from HUB International will start with a virtual 30-minute Zoom presentation on insurance for documentaries, during which all of the above questions will be answered.
Filmmakers of color often encounter pushback from the industry around how to tell our stories our way. We are nudged to sacrifice our vision, our creativity, and sometimes even the truth, in the name of commercial viability and mass audience appeal. How can we be supported to tell stories outside of the dominant gaze, if most formative spaces for international artists are trying to make a film “accessible” to a mass audience?
Join Emmy®-winning filmmaker Lindsey Dryden and filmmaker & writer Kyla Harris in a workshop on Disability Justice, disabled-led creativity, and accessibility in the film and TV industry.
In this panel, we will address standards for using AI in nonfiction filmmaking, how to disclose it to partners and audiences, and what documentary filmmakers need to consider before choosing to use AI in their productions.
The panel discussion will delve into the differences between television/broadcast content and international festival documentaries and how funding works in these different spaces around the world. What does it mean to have broadcast partners versus festival partners? Does one offer more creative freedom than the other? How can we negotiate the drawbacks and best use the opportunities these different forms offer? The conversation will examine broadcasters' priorities and ways they evaluate content that might drive them to co-produce, buy, or broadcast certain films instead of others.
Immersive media vibrates embodiment. It allows the viewer to dissolve into dimensional narratives, making experiences and bodies pliable. The introduction of VR, AR, and interactive exhibitions into practice has given nonfiction media makers new tools to tell expanded narratives. In turn, these same tools, with their capacity to innovate, strengthen the need for accessible storytelling. The disabled community, in particular, calls for a radical restructuring of pre-existing frameworks, from inclusive asset libraries to cripped (accessible) workflows and haptics.
Join Ranell Shubert, IDA Nonfiction Access Initiative (NAI) Funds Program Manager, and Keisha Knight, Director of Funds and Advocacy, to discuss the NAI program and launch of the NAI Nonfiction Media Makers with Disabilities Survey. Ranell and Keisha will present information about the survey, discuss how it was developed, and answer any questions.