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Here's What Really Happened

No tweeting. No press. No industry. Filmmakers-only conversations revealing personal insights into the art and business of documentary filmmaking.


“Here’s What Really Happened” are signature sessions from IDA's biennial Getting Real Conference that began as a filmmaker-led solution to combat the lack of transparency that continues to plague the community. These intimate conversations allow filmmakers to speak openly about what actually happened in the production, sales and distribution life of a film. The rules are, everything said in the room, stays in the room. Our goal is to create a safe space for discussion that allows filmmakers to have frank, meaningful discussions without the influence of industry in the room. We believe that one of the greatest resources for a filmmaker is another filmmaker.

In building a more knowledgeable and transparent community together, IDA tours “Here’s What Really Happened” sessions to various festivals and conferences around the world. These private conversations have focused on security/surveillance, sales agents, festival strategies, fact-finding, ethics, work/family life balance, truth-seeking in production, and other themes.

Learn what really happened behind-the-scenes in an upcoming session. It’s personal, it’s intimate, let’s get into it.


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Budgeting and Scheduling 101 with Robert Bahar
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Due to high demand and to better accommodate our international IDA and community members, we’ve scheduled a second iteration of the Budgeting and Scheduling 101 workshop with Robert Bahar. If you missed the first session, don’t miss your chance to reserve a spot!
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Festival strategy workshop with Marielle Clentine
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Date: Thursday, February 20, 2025 Time: 10:00 am - 12:00 pm PT Location: Location: Virtual on Zoom and at the IDA Office, 3600 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 1810, Los Angeles, CA 90010 A very small number of film festivals seem to hold an enormous amount of sway over a film’s sales and distribution prospects
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Budgeting and Scheduling 101 with Robert Bahar
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IDAinsight: Budgeting and Scheduling 101 Workshop with Robert Bahar Please note that the number of registrants for this "IDA Insight: Budgeting and Scheduling 101 with Robert Bahar" session has reached the technical capacity of IDA's Zoom account. Attendance will be limited to 500 participants and
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A pink and blue flyer with the headshots of two musicians.
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When documentary filmmakers seek experimental forms of nonfiction storytelling, we often look to experimental films and moving image work. But there are other forms of documentary practice, such as in music. In this hybrid workshop, artists Claire Rousay and Lucy Liyou will talk through and
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Flyer for IDA Insight: Creating a Distribution Strategy in a Disrupted World with Jon Reiss President of 8 Above
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The “traditional” distribution landscape is in a state of disruption - often leaving independent filmmakers on their own to find new and creative solutions to ensure their films reach audiences in an impactful way. In this IDA Insight workshop, Jon Reiss will outline fundamental principles and real
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Climate Change Graphic
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Join us for a gathering at the IDA office in honor of the first annual LA Climate Week! We are thrilled to be in conversation with Indigenous climate justice activists about how they use media to weave together gender justice, racial justice, and climate justice.
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IDA Documentary Awards 2024 Call for Entries June 21 to August 5, 2024
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Call for Entries for the 2024 IDA Documentary Awards are open until August 5, 2024. Ask all of your questions about the application and process to our team during this YouTube live event.
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Working with Broadcasters: Getting Independent Film Voices heard flyer
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.
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Storytelling Our Way Filmmakers of Color Forge Their Path flyer
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?
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Amplifying “Small” Stories New wave of Creative Documentaries from India Flyer
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.