41st IDA Documentary Awards: Contested Spaces

The 41st IDA Documentary Awards brought together nominees, honorees, peers in the field, and industry leaders over a three-day event. On Friday, December 5, 2025, ahead of its awards presentation the following day, IDA returned to its former home at the LA Center Studios, a landmark space for film production, to host a series of free panels and conversations with this year’s nominees, honorees, and members of the documentary community.  The aim of this daylong gathering was to share ideas about how to move forward together as a community in these challenging times.

Hosted by Kirby Dick and Marjan Safinia, on behalf of the IDA’s Advocacy Advisory Committee, “Contested Spaces” was the closing discussion panel on Friday, December 5.  Nominated filmmakers, IDA Board members, experts, and industry leaders discussed media mergers (specifically in light of the proposed Netflix acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery— read the IDA statement here), the path ahead for public media, the pressures on journalism and free speech in an era of rising authoritarianism, and the consequences of media consolidation.

Watch the recorded panel here, where we take stock of some of the most urgent challenges facing our field, and explore how collective action can help protect independent film and free expression.