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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Empowering underestimated filmmakers with the clarity and confidence to complete their films, connect with audiences, and find their unique path. Lucy Mukerjee (they/she) is a queer non-binary British-Indian community builder and cultural worker, dedicated to elevating the careers of underestimated storytellers. In 2023, Lucy became the Director of the Documentary Lab fellowship at Firelight Media, […]
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 […]
Breaking down barriers for filmmakers who face gender bias through mentorship, creative collaboration, and business strategy support. Elaisha Stokes is an award-winning filmmaker, educator, and Senior Program Manager at Chicken & Egg Films, overseeing the Chicken & Egg Award and the Research & Development grants. Previously she was the Senior Producer for CBS Original Documentaries, […]
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 […]
Bruce Shapiro is Executive Director of the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma, a project of Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism encouraging innovative reporting on violence, conflict and tragedy worldwide. An award-winning reporter on human rights, criminal justice and politics, Shapiro is a contributing editor at The Nation and U.S. correspondent for Late Night […]