DOC NYC PRO announces its new Winter 2021 season, with ten weekly, 90-minute online classes on documentary production, cinematography, accessibility, funding, and distribution running January 14 – March 25.
Winter Season Pass: $150
Individual Classes: $19
All registrants can attend events live and/or in recorded format, and full event transcripts and resource materials are provided after each live session. Recordings are accessible indefinitely for all registrants.
Winter 2021 Season
All events start at 1:00pm ET
Thu Jan 14 – The Future of Festivals: Navigating Festivals in 2021
With Jeanelle Augustin (Camden Int’l Film Festival), Amir George (True/False Film Fest), and Marángeli Mejía Rabell (Philadelphia Latino Film Festival)
Tue Jan 19 – Documenting the ACLU In The Fight: A Case Study
With Dale Ho (ACLU); Eli Despres, Josh Kriegman, Elyse Steinberg and Kerry Washington (The Fight); and Thom Powers (DOC NYC)
Thu Jan 21 – In Real Time: Verité Cinematography for Docs
With Chris Renteria (St. Louis Superman), Jennifer Maytorena Taylor (For the Love of Rutland) and Hao Wu (76 Days)
Wed Jan 27 – Zoom & The Art of Pandemic Producing
With Ophelia Harutyunyan (Totally Under Control), Smriti Mundhra (St. Louis Superman) and Nanfu Wang (In The Same Breath)
Thu Feb 4 – Locked Off: Getting the Doc Interview
With Opal Bennett (DOC NYC), Judith Helfand (Love & Stuff), Jeff Orlowski (The Social Dilemma), Jehane Noujaim (The Vow) and Lauren Stowell (Tiger Woods: America’s Son)
Thu Feb 11 – The Future of Doc Accessibility: Best Practices for Film Exhibition, Education and Beyond Co-presented by FWD-Doc
With Cheryl Green (New Day Films), Andraéa LaVant (Crip Camp), Michelle Spitz (Woman of her Word), Amanda Upson (FWD-Doc) and Alysa Nahmias (FWD-Doc)
Thu Feb 25 – Bringing Your Doc to the World: Spotlight on International Sales
With Salma Abdalla (Autlook), Aleksandra Derewienko (CAT & Docs) and Philippa Kowarsky (Cinephil)
Thu Mar 11 – Beyond Project Funding: Fellowships and Mentorship for Doc Makers
With Monika Navarro (Firelight Media), Rodrigo Reyes (BAVC), Chi-hui Yang (Ford Foundation), Rahdi Taylor (Concordia Studios) and Debra Zimmerman (Women Make Movies)
Thu Mar 18 – Granted: Navigating Grant Funding for Docs
With Chloe Gbai (Field of Vision If/Then Shorts), Andrew Catauro (Perspective Fund) and David Weinstein (NEH).
Thu Mar 25 – Temperature Check: The Prognosis for Doc Distribution in 2021
With Arianna Bocco (IFC Films), Keith Ochwat (Show + Tell), Jihan Robinson (Freeform), and Maria Zuckerman (Topic Studios)
Accommodations & Accessibility
Accommodations including live ASL interpretation or CART are available upon request. To inquire about accommodations and accessibility for any of these events, please email accessibility@docnyc.net.
Gift Passes
If you are interested in purchasing a gift PRO Winter 2021 Season Pass, complete your purchase here.
Past Events
Recordings of past seasons’ DOC NYC PRO classes are available via our 2020 DOC NYC All Access Pass.
Winter 2021 Events
Documenting the ACLU In The Fight: A Case Study
Tue Jan 19, 1-2:30pm ET
Join DOC NYC PRO for a 90-minute panel on the making of the 2020 Magnolia Pictures and Topic Studios release The Fight, which chronicles the work of the American Civil Liberties Union in the Trump era. Panelists include producer Kerry Washington (Scandal), directors Elyse Steinberg, Josh Kriegman, and Eli Despres (the trio behind Couples Therapy and Weiner), and Director of ACLU‘s Voting Rights Project Dale Ho, whose work to protect the franchise is one of the film’s main threads. The event is moderated by DOC NYC Artistic Director Thom Powers.
The film team will discuss how the protests against the Muslim ban galvanized them to tell the story of the ACLU, how they secured rare access and navigated four complex storylines, and the ways the events captured in their film can help outline a path forward to protect voting and other rights still under threat post-Trump. The Fight was hailed as a “high-stakes thriller” by Indiewire and selected for the DOC NYC Short List. The panel discussion will include a 30-minute moderated Q&A.
Tickets for this event are $19, or get access to all ten events in DOC NYC PRO’s winter season by registering for the Winter 2021 Season Pass.
All registrants may participate in the live session, and will also receive access to the recorded event, a written transcript, and a copy of the slide presentation after the livestream. Tickets are non-refundable.
If you have questions about registration, please email ticketing@docnyc.net. For questions about accommodations and accessibility, including requests for live ASL interpretation, please email accessibility@docnyc.net.
Granted: Navigating Grant Funding for Docs
Thu Mar 18, 1-2:30pm ET
Join DOC NYC PRO for a 90-minute panel about grant funding opportunities for documentary filmmakers. Guests include David Weinstein, program officer specializing in documentary film funding at the National Endowment for the Humanities; Andrew Catauro, program officer overseeing direct film support at the Perspective Fund; Chloe Gbai of Field of Vision’s If/Then Shorts program, and others to be announced. The panel discussion will include a 30-minute moderated Q&A.
Tickets for this event are $19, or get access to all ten events in DOC NYC PRO’s winter season by registering for the Winter 2021 Season Pass.
All registrants may participate in the live session, and will also receive access to the recorded event, a written transcript, and a copy of the slide presentation after the livestream. Tickets are non-refundable.
If you have questions about registration, please email ticketing@docnyc.net. For questions about accommodations and accessibility, including requests for live ASL interpretation, please email accessibility@docnyc.net.
Temperature Check: The Prognosis for Doc Distribution in 2021
Thu Mar 25, 1-2:30pm ET
Join DOC NYC PRO for a 90-minute panel about the new directions in documentary, nonfiction and unscripted content distribution in 2021. Guests include Keith Ochwat, founder of the new virtual screening platform Show & Tell; Arianna Bocco, the new president of IFC Films; Jihan Robinson, newly named VP of Alternative Programming at Disney’s Freeform; and Maria Zuckerman, new EVP of Topic Studios. The panel discussion will include a 30-minute moderated Q&A.
Tickets for this event are $19, or get access to all ten events in DOC NYC PRO’s winter season by registering for the Winter 2021 Season Pass.
All registrants may participate in the live session, and will also receive access to the recorded event, a written transcript, and a copy of the slide presentation after the livestream. Tickets are non-refundable.
If you have questions about registration, please email ticketing@docnyc.net. For questions about accommodations and accessibility, including requests for live ASL interpretation, please email accessibility@docnyc.net.
Beyond Project Funding: Fellowships & Mentorships for Doc Filmmakers
Thu Mar 11, 1-2:30pm ET
Join DOC NYC PRO for a 90-minute panel about the organizations and programs that support filmmakers’ creative careers and professional development, beyond project-based funding–and the importance of such programs, particularly to women filmmakers, filmmakers of color, and other historically underfunded groups within the industry. Guests include Rodrigo Reyes, Co-Creative Director of the MediaMaker Fellowship at the Bay Area Video Coalition; Chi-hui Yang, Senior Program Officer at JustFilms, The Ford Foundation; Debra Zimmerman, founder of Women Make Movies; Monika Navarro, Senior Director of Artist Programs at Firelight Media; and Rahdi Taylor, EVP of Artists in Residence at Concordia Studio. Panelists will discuss the mentorship, fellowship and career development programs they offer under the umbrellas of their own organizations, and discuss the broader role of such programs in advancing the documentary field. The panel discussion will include a 30-minute moderated Q&A.
Tickets for this event are $19, or get access to all ten events in DOC NYC PRO’s winter season by registering for the Winter 2021 Season Pass.
All registrants may participate in the live session, and will also receive access to the recorded event, a written transcript, and a copy of the slide presentation after the livestream. Tickets are non-refundable.
If you have questions about registration, please email ticketing@docnyc.net. For questions about accommodations and accessibility, including requests for live ASL interpretation, please email accessibility@docnyc.net.
Zoom & The Art of Pandemic Producing
Wed Jan 27, 1-2:30pm ET
Join DOC NYC PRO for a 90-minute panel about producing–and bringing to market–documentary features and series during the Covid-19 pandemic. Guests include director and producer Ophelia Harutyunyan (Totally Under Control), Smriti Mundhra, (St. Louis Superman, Indian Matchmaking) and Nanfu Wang (In The Same Breath, One-Child Nation). Panelists will reflect on the challenges they faced–and innovations they tried–as they shot, produced, edited and brought projects to market in the last year. We’ll cover gear, remote directing and editing hacks, health and safety precautions, and ethical considerations. The panel discussion will include a 30-minute moderated Q&A.
Tickets for this event are $19, or get access to all ten events in DOC NYC PRO’s winter season by registering for the Winter 2021 Season Pass.
All registrants may participate in the live session, and will also receive access to the recorded event, a written transcript, and a copy of the slide presentation after the livestream. Tickets are non-refundable.
If you have questions about registration, please email ticketing@docnyc.net. For questions about accommodations and accessibility, including requests for live ASL interpretation, please email accessibility@docnyc.net.
The Future of Doc Accessibility: Best Practices in Exhibition, Education & Beyond
Thu Feb 11, 1-2:30pm ET
Join DOC NYC PRO for a 90-minute panel about increasing access to the documentary field for D/deaf and disabled filmmakers. In a conversation moderated by filmmaker and FWD-Doc Founding Member Alysa Nahmias, panelists discuss a range of best practices, from enhancing accommodations in cinemas and festivals, to optimizing access to online industry events, to navigating options for captioning and audio-description of films. Guests include Cheryl Green (New Day Films), Andraea LaVant (Crip Camp), Michelle Spitz (Woman of her Word), and Amanda Upson (FWD-Doc). The panel discussion will include a 30-minute moderated Q&A.
Tickets for this event are $19, or get access to all ten events in DOC NYC PRO’s winter season by registering for the Winter 2021 Season Pass.
All registrants may participate in the live session, and will also receive access to the recorded event, a written transcript, and a copy of the slide presentation after the livestream. Tickets are non-refundable.
If you have questions about registration, please email ticketing@docnyc.net. For questions about accommodations and accessibility, including requests for live ASL interpretation, please email accessibility@docnyc.net.
Locked Off: Getting the Doc Interview
Thu Feb 4, 1-2:30pm ET
Join DOC NYC PRO for a 90-minute panel about perfecting the documentary interview. Guests include Judith Helfand (Love & Stuff); Jeff Orlowski (The Social Dilemma); Jehane Noujaim (The Vow); and Lauren Stowell (Tiger Woods: America’s Son). In a conversation moderated by DOC NYC’s Opal H. Bennett, panelists will discuss their approaches to inviting interviewees, making film participants comfortable in diverse interview settings; setting an interview tone and format; and approaches to interview cinematography. The panel discussion will include a 30-minute moderated Q&A.
Tickets for this event are $19, or get access to all ten events in DOC NYC PRO’s winter season by registering for the Winter 2021 Season Pass.
All registrants may participate in the live session, and will also receive access to the recorded event, a written transcript, and a copy of the slide presentation after the livestream. Tickets are non-refundable.
If you have questions about registration, please email ticketing@docnyc.net. For questions about accommodations and accessibility, including requests for live ASL interpretation, please email accessibility@docnyc.net.
Bringing Your Doc to the World: International Sales
Thu Feb 25, 1-2:30pm ET
Join DOC NYC PRO for a 90-minute panel about the evolving viability of documentary films in the international marketplace. Guests include sales agents specializing in doc features, shorts and series, including Aleksandra Derewienko, head of sales and acquisitions at Paris-based CAT & Docs; Philippa Kowarsky, managing director of international sales at Cinephil, in Tel Aviv; and Salma Abdalla, CEO of Autlook in Vienna. Panelists will discuss recent successes, the prognosis for worldwide doc sales in 2021, and the impact of pandemic-related industry disruptions on sales to broadcasters, theatrical distributors, and streaming platforms. The panel discussion will include a 30-minute moderated Q&A.
Tickets for this event are $19, or get access to all ten events in DOC NYC PRO’s winter season by registering for the Winter 2021 Season Pass.
All registrants may participate in the live session, and will also receive access to the recorded event, a written transcript, and a copy of the slide presentation after the livestream. Tickets are non-refundable.
If you have questions about registration, please email ticketing@docnyc.net. For questions about accommodations and accessibility, including requests for live ASL interpretation, please email accessibility@docnyc.net.