Beyond the Hustle: Building Sustainable Careers Member Only

Documentary filmmakers are often told to be resilient. But what does it actually take to build a creative life that is both artistically fulfilling and economically sustainable? As funding models shift, distribution pathways evolve, and traditional industry support becomes scarce, filmmakers are increasingly developing multifaceted career portfolios that extend beyond filmmaking alone. This conversation explores the tools, mindsets, and strategies that help documentary professionals create long-term stability. Topics include financial literacy, investing, entrepreneurship, identifying transferable skills, expanding professional networks, building career assets, and navigating opportunities across adjacent industries.

Featuring filmmakers and creative leaders redefining sustainability in practice, this panel examines how we can move beyond survival mode and toward careers that generate not only income, but also agency, resilience, and the freedom to pursue meaningful creative work. Beyond practical skills, the conversation will also explore the learning and unlearning required to navigate family expectations, cultural norms around financial security, and the challenges of pursuing creative entrepreneurship as a first-generation immigrant or trailblazer within one's community. Together, we'll explore a fundamental question facing the documentary field today: How do we build careers that sustain the artist as much as the art?

Co-presented by Brown Girls Doc Mafia
Moderator: Haydée Souffrant (Kartemquin)
Panelists: Kitty Hu, Lailanie Gadia, and Princess Hairston

July 23, 2026, Los Angeles