Launched in 2020, DOC NYC’s 2024 Documentary New Leaders annual program honors figures in the American documentary industry whose work to date and potential for leadership brings greater inclusion and equity to the field. The initiative has been co-presented by A&E IndieFilms for all five years.
Documentary New Leaders are selected from an open application process, in which candidates from across the field are invited to apply for the honor directly or be nominated by a peer. Following this open call for applications, DOC NYC’s selection committee reviews applications and nominations to recognize the accomplishments of rising talents who have created positive change in the documentary industry, and who are poised to bring the industry into a more inspiring future.
The New Leaders cohort is intended to represent a range of work and lived experiences and may come from any field within the documentary industry, including sales, funding, marketing, distribution, advocacy, or community organizing. Applicants may be based in any country but must have demonstrated experience and influence with the North American documentary industry. Each New Leader cohort receives an opportunity to gather live during the fall festival, as well as regular online meetings throughout the year. For questions about the program, email DOC NYC’s Director of Industry and Education at Malikkah@docnyc.net.
The 2024 list of 12 honorees (see below) reflects a broad range of experiences, including roles in distribution, education, community engagement, funding, social impact, and organizing. While several honorees are filmmakers, this program highlights the cohort’s leadership in roles that shape industry practices and culture.
Please note: The Documentary New leaders program will be temporarily paused for 2025 and will return in 2026.
Class of 2024
Supporting the indie in documentary and forging pathways forward for authentic, nuanced storytelling in an everchanging content landscape.
With deep roots in production, development, and management, Keri Archer Brown oversees and manages ITVS’ various open call funding initiatives and team while also informing content strategy and implementation. In addition, Keri identifies projects and talent for potential ITVS support and co-production, maintains a portfolio of development projects, and supports business development and institutional strategies.
Cultivating new approaches to documentary filmmaking and culture work that center labor, ethics, and community, while constantly challenging the status quo.
Hansen Bursic is an award-winning filmmaker, journalist, programmer, and founder of Hansen Bursic Film. In both his career as a storyteller and culture worker, his work is dedicated to challenging the status quo with an emphasis on recalibrating our cultural focus towards narratives of working class and historically excluded communities, especially in the Rust Belt and Appalachia.
Developing new spaces and opportunities for Indigenous creativity, storytelling, and social justice initiatives to shine within the film industry.
Amber Morning Star Byars (Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma) is a multimedia artist, lawyer, and Indigenous rights activist. Passionate about storytelling, Amber enjoys navigating the intersection of art and law working as a producer, impact producer, and cultural advisor in documentary film. She has worked with a variety of names in the industry such as AMC, XTR, Nat Geo, and more.
Cultivating and nurturing a multigenerational community of AAPI documentary workers.
Cindy Choung is Co-Director of the Asian American Documentary Network (A-Doc). Alongside fellow Co-Director Pallavi Somusetty, she works to advance A-Doc’s mission to advocate for AAPI documentary filmmakers’ vital presence in the industry. In addition to their work at A-Doc, Cindy is currently Consulting Producer for Emily Hong’s ABOVE AND BELOW THE GROUND and Morgan Hulquist’s INVADERS.
Championing films, programs, collaborations, and creative communities that place diverse stories, people, power, and social change front and center.
Nivedita Das is a producer, impact and nonprofit strategist, and Co-Executive Director of Brown Girls Doc Mafia. Her work employs participatory approaches to disrupting inequity, centering care, building sustainable livelihoods, and forging creative and professional development opportunities for the BGDM community. She previously led social change programs across the education, tech, art, and culture sectors for global organizations and governments.
Carving spaces for creative disruption and experimentation in documentary film production and audience development, in order to nurture curiosity and inspire new forms of artistic expression and engagement.
Creative producer and cultural strategist with 15+ years venturing across the documentary spectrum. Co-founder and director of the Ambulante Film Festival from 2005-2016, co-conspirator and producer at No Ficción (A Cop Movie, Midnight Family), and most recently, sparker of Fiasco, a studio devoted to developing projects that uphold the free, serendipitous, and collaborative nature of filmmaking.
Building community as a way to preserve the heart, truth, and power in the genre we hold dear.
Stephanie Jenkins has been making historical documentaries for fifteen years, primarily as an archival producer and producer with Ken Burns. She has also contributed research to multiple outlets including The New York Times Op-Docs “ENCORE” series. She is a Co-Founder of the Archival Producers Alliance, and is working to put standards in place around generative AI use in documentaries.
Supporting and uplifting impactful documentary films through intention, collaboration, education, and community building.
Cecilia has worked for over a decade in development for nonprofit organizations, including NGOs at the United Nations. She has a number of producing and impact-producing credits on films focusing on critical social impact issues. She is an adjunct at NYU, teaching courses on social impact producing. She is a recipient of NYU’s Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Faculty Award.
Amplifying documentary films to ignite movements, engage diverse communities, and drive change through transformative campaigns that bridge entertainment and advocacy.
Juliette Richey, COO of Picture Motion, has over 15 years of experience in production and entertainment marketing. She has led 100+ social impact campaigns for films like the Oscar-winning Summer of Soul and the Emmy-winning Girls State, mobilizing communities through storytelling. Her work at Picture Motion bridges entertainment and social change, creating campaigns that drive lasting impact and advocacy.
Building spaces for filmmakers to share knowledge, redistribute power, and build community through the lens of film impact.
Florencia Varela’s work lies at the intersection of learning, social impact, and film. She currently leads Peace is Loud’s filmmaker workshops, through its Collective Lens program, and previously produced impact campaigns using documentaries as tools for transformative change. Florencia is on the board of The Future of Film is Female and the advisory committee for the Global Impact Producers Alliance.