Worried your film’s marketing budget can’t make much of an impact? Think again! Daniel Kaplan, an award-winning digital marketing director from Fever Content (DOC NYC’s digital marketing agency through four consecutive festivals), shares his approach to building grassroots audiences for documentary features with an innovative marketing approach that has earned $1M+ box-office grosses and been written about in Forbes and IndieWire. In addition, Sylvia Desrochers (MPRM Communications) contributes key insights from her 20-year career working as a publicist with lauded filmmakers on countless theatrical and awards campaigns and with films that have launched at every major festival. Learn best practices for marketing your film on social media, tactically planning your digital ad strategy, getting meaningful press, and making the most of limited resources to amplify buzz around your film. You’ll come away with tangible next steps to design an effective marketing and PR campaign for your documentary, and the confidence that your project can find the audience it deserves.
All Winter 2024 PRO attendees are invited to wrap up the season with an exclusive peer-to-peer consulting session. Engage in small group consultations where filmmakers walk away with concrete insight into a current dilemma. It’s a unique opportunity for collaborative learning and meaningful exchanges. A follow-up email with joining details will be sent to all Winter 2024 PRO registrants.
Tickets are $19 ($14 for IFC Center members). Tickets are non-refundable.
All registrants may participate in the live session, and will also receive access to the recorded event, a written transcript, the chat transcript and a copy of the slide presentation (if available) after the livestream.
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.
Discover the power of using graphics and animation in documentary filmmaking. Animators and graphics designers Yasmin Mistry (Idesygn creative, LLC), Daniel Shepard (Being Mary Tyler Moore), Sean Donnelly (Stamped From The Beginning) and Julie Gratz (Kaleida Studios) guide us through the intricate process of integrating visual elements into your storytelling, delving into the distinctions between graphics and animation and helping you determine if animation will enhance your narrative. Fundamental topics such as stylistic, budgetary and scheduling concerns will be addressed. Gain valuable insights into how these techniques can enhance the storytelling impact of your documentary, empowering you to make informed choices that captivate your audience.
All Winter 2024 PRO attendees are invited to wrap up the season with an exclusive peer-to-peer consulting session. Engage in small group consultations where filmmakers walk away with concrete insight into a current dilemma. It’s a unique opportunity for collaborative learning and meaningful exchanges. A follow-up email with joining details will be sent to all winter 2024 registrants.
Tickets are $19 ($14 for IFC Center members). Tickets are non-refundable.
All registrants may participate in the live session, and will also receive access to the recorded event, a written transcript, the chat transcript and a copy of the slide presentation (if available) after the livestream.
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.
Dive into the heart of today’s documentary market in a dynamic conversation that reveals the essentials every filmmaker should understand, and why it matters. Discover actionable insights from Filmmaker Accelerator’s founder and director Lina Lyte Plioplyte (Periodical) on leveraging this knowledge for impactful pitches, audience building, and innovative strategies to get your film seen. An overview of the current landscape will be provided, sharing creative approaches to enhance your market positioning. Get inspiration from case studies about filmmakers who achieved success through novel approaches to promoting their work and building an audience.
All Winter 2024 PRO attendees are invited to wrap up the season with an exclusive peer-to-peer consulting session. Engage in small group consultations where filmmakers walk away with concrete insight into a current dilemma. It’s a unique opportunity for collaborative learning and meaningful exchanges. A follow-up email with joining details will be sent to all winter 2024 registrants.
Tickets are $19 ($14 for IFC Center members). Tickets are non-refundable.
All registrants may participate in the live session, and will also receive access to the recorded event, a written transcript, the chat transcript and a copy of the slide presentation (if available) after the livestream.
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.
Join us for an engaging exploration led by D Word Co-Host and filmmaker Erica Ginsberg, drawing from her insightful book, Creative Resilience. We’ll discuss innovative ways to navigate creative blocks, addressing common challenges like impostor syndrome, creative stagnation, and dealing with setbacks. Gain practical strategies for overcoming these hurdles and fostering a resilient creative mindset that empowers you to thrive in your filmmaking journey.
All Winter 2024 PRO attendees are invited to wrap up the season with an exclusive peer-to-peer consulting session. Engage in small group consultations where filmmakers walk away with concrete insight into a current dilemma. It’s a unique opportunity for collaborative learning and meaningful exchanges. A follow-up email with joining details will be sent to all winter 2024 registrants.
Tickets are $19 ($14 for IFC Center members). Tickets are non-refundable.
All registrants may participate in the live session, and will also receive access to the recorded event, a written transcript, the chat transcript and a copy of the slide presentation (if available) after the livestream.
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.
Save with a Season Pass, good for all 5 virtual PRO events scheduled for February 28-March 27, 2024!
DOC NYC PRO returns for Winter Season 2024 with a new line-up geared towards filmmakers and anyone interested in learning about the documentary industry. Embark on a multifaceted exploration spanning the spectrum of documentary filmmaking.
New Offer: All Winter 2024 PRO attendees are invited to wrap up the season with an exclusive peer-to-peer consulting session. Engage in small group consultations where filmmakers walk away with concrete insight into a current dilemma. It’s a unique opportunity for collaborative learning and meaningful exchanges.
The Winter 2024 Season consists of five events presented on Wednesdays, February 28-March 27, in self-contained, 75-minute online sessions. Attendees may purchase individual tickets or a discounted Winter 2024 season pass good for all five sessions (plus the special peer-to-peer consulting session).
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.
Accessibility
Live ASL interpretation and CART services are available upon request. To inquire about accessibility for any DOC NYC events, please email accessibility@docnyc.net.
Join therapists Jennifer Zelaya, LICSW and Carolyn Gartner, LCSW and filmmaker Amanda Mustard (Great Photo, Lovely Life) for an essential discussion on prioritizing the mental health of documentary participants. As filmmakers, it’s crucial to recognize participants’ symptoms related to depression, anxiety, and trauma throughout the filmmaking process. This panel will provide practical insights and guidelines on conducting interviews ethically, fostering a safe environment, and recognizing signs that someone requires support. Learn how to approach filmmaking with empathy, ensuring the well-being of both participants and your filmmaking team.
All Winter 2024 PRO attendees are invited to wrap up the season with an exclusive peer-to-peer consulting session. Engage in small group consultations where filmmakers walk away with concrete insight into a current dilemma. It’s a unique opportunity for collaborative learning and meaningful exchanges. A follow-up email with joining details will be sent to all winter 2024 registrants.
Tickets are $19 ($14 for IFC Center members). Tickets are non-refundable.
All registrants may participate in the live session, and will also receive access to the recorded event, a written transcript, the chat transcript and a copy of the slide presentation (if available) after the livestream.
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.
Case studies from prominent editors will elucidate the craft and help build your editor’s toolkit. Insider tips on how to craft scenes for maximum storytelling impact will also be highlighted. Special interactive panel exploring mental health care for documentary editors.
Editing Day is co-presented by:
In the Festival Lounge, the day starts with Breakfast (9-10AM) and ends with a Happy Hour (4:30-5:30PM) co-presented by Portrait Creative Network.
10-11:15AM
AI in the Edit Room: A Double-Edged Sword
Members of the Association of Cinema Editors Sabine Hoffman (Coded Bias), Rabab Haj Yahya (The Feeling of Being Watched), and generative AI expert Lucien Harriot (Mechanism Digital) showcase cutting-edge AI tools that are transforming documentary editing. Through live demonstrations, they’ll explore both the exciting possibilities and the potential downsides of this evolving technology. Along with Stephanie Jenkins (Archival Producers Alliance), the panel will weigh the pros and cons of AI in editing, discussing its impact on the craft and the ethical concerns it brings. Don’t miss this deep dive into how AI is reshaping the future of filmmaking.
Sabine Hoffman, ACE has edited award-winning fiction feature films for over 20 years for Rebecca Miller (Personal Velocity, The Ballad Of Jack And Rose, The Private Lives Of Pippa Lee, Maggie’s Plan, She Came To Me), Richard LaGravenese (The Last Five Years), Julie Taymor (The Glorias), Rebecca Hall (Passing), A.V. Rockwell (A Thousand And One), Roger Ross Williams (Cassandro) and Tony Goldwyn (Ezra). Sabine is also an editor on Pachinko and numerous documentary films including Academy Award-nominated Ferry Tales, Thomas Allan Harris’ The Twelve Disciples Of Nelson Mandela, Laura Poitras’ Terror Contagion and is the co-producer of Shalini Kantayya’s films Catching The Sun and Emmy-nominated Coded Bias. She serves as an adjunct at Columbia University, as a consultant and mentor to film making organizations such as the Gotham, Firelight Media, Reel Works and the Sundance Institute and is a member of AMPAS.
Stephanie Jenkins has over a decade of experience seeing documentary films from development to delivery. She has worked with Ken Burns and Florentine Films since 2010, on multiple projects including their eight-hour series Muhammad Ali (PBS, 2021), The Central Park Five (2012), Jackie Robinson (2015), and East Lake Meadows: A Public Housing Story (2020). She was a 2018 – 2019 Impact Partners Producing Fellow, and a member of multiple industry organizations, including the Documentary Producers Alliance, the PGA, and ATAS. In 2023, she co-founded the Archival Producers Alliance and is working with that group on putting guidelines in place around the use of generative AI materials in non-fiction films.
Rabab Haj Yahya (She/Her) is a Palestinian-American documentary editor based in New York. She is best known for The Feeling of Being Watched (Tribeca, 2018 | POV, 2019), which earned her the Best Editing Award at Woodstock Film Festival (2018), and the Critic’s Choice-nominated Speed Sisters (Hot Docs, 2015 | Netflix). More recently, she edited the Emmy-nominated Another Body, which received the Special Jury Award for Innovation in Storytelling at SXSW (2023), two episodes of the Emmy-Award Winning series Through Our Eyes (HBOMax, 2024), How We Get Free (HBOMax, 2023), The Legend of the Underground (Tribeca, 2021 | HBOMax), and the Emmy-nominated Apart (Hot Docs, 2021).
Rabab serves as a Sundance Institute Documentary Edit and Story Lab advisor (2023). She has also mentored for Brown Girls Doc Mafia, Chicken & Egg, and the Karen Schmeer Film Editing Fellowship (2022-2024). Fluent in English, Arabic, and Hebrew.
Lucien Harriot, President & VFX Supervisor of Mechanism Digital since 1996, has been producing award-winning visual effects, animation, and emerging media for film, TV, and marketing in New York City. Leveraging new technologies and advanced workflows including GenAI, the team at Mechanism enhances production value for professional entertainment and marketing storytellers. As a trailblazer in computer-generated imagery and visual effects, Lucien’s work spans feature films, episodic content, animation, medical education, and corporate communications. The studio has collected numerous awards by combining an expertise in animation and visual effects with clients’ deep understanding of brand, together we hold the key to the best solutions for each project.
11:30-12:45PM
Crafting the Cut with David Teague, Part I
This two-part session explores the art of editing in documentary film, using rough cuts and final scenes from veteran editor David Teague’s films including Frida, Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields, Life, Animated, and Cutie and the Boxer. We’ll examine the techniques that create powerful openings, maintain narrative flow, and shape memorable endings, revealing the editing choices that turn raw footage into compelling stories.
David Teague is an Emmy-winning documentary film editor, writer and producer. His work as an editor includes the Oscar-nominated and Emmy-winning Life Animated, the Oscar-nominated and Emmy-winning Cutie and the Boxer, the Independent Spirit-nominated The Departure, and the Oscar-winning Freeheld. He wrote and produced Stamped from the Beginning, based on the book by Dr. Ibram X. Kendi. Stamped was shortlisted for an Academy Award and David was nominated for an Emmy and a Writers Guild Award for his work on the film. He was the supervising editor for the Sundance-winning Frida and the Emmy-nominated Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields. He wrote the fiction film Cassandro with director Roger Ross Williams, starring Gael García Bernal, which premiered at Sundance 2023 and was nominated for a GLAAD award. David has served as an editing mentor with IFP/Gotham, Firelight, Tribeca, Brown Girls Doc Mafia, Catapult True/False Rough Cut Retreat, and the Sundance Institute.
1:45-3PM
Collaborative Filmmaking, Accessibility and Editing
Accessibility is key to inclusive storytelling. In this panel, we’ll explore how to work in collaboration with film participants throughout the editing process, how to incorporate feedback, and how to center accessibility as a cornerstone throughout. Director Alexis Neophytides (Fire Through Dry Grass) and director/producer Set Hernandez and protagonist/co-writer Pedro (Unseen) discuss their challenges with moderator Nefertiti Matos Olivares (Descriptive Video Works) and some of the ingenious solutions that arose during their own collaborative filmmaking processes.
Set Hernandez is a filmmaker and community organizer whose roots come from Bicol, Philippines. As a queer, undocumented immigrant, they dedicate their filmmaking to expand the portrayal of their communities on screen. Set’s past documentary work includes the award-winning short Cover/Age (2019) and impact producing for Call HerGanda (Tribeca, 2018). An alumnus of the Disruptors Fellowship, Set is also developing a TV comedy pilot and a feature-length screenplay. Since 2010, Set has been organizing around migrant justice issues, from deportation defense to healthcare access. They co-founded the Undocumented Filmmakers Collective which promotes equity for undocumented immigrants in the film industry. Set’s work has been supported by the Sundance Institute, NBCUniversal, Ford Foundation, Open Society Foundations, among others. In their past life, Set was a published linguistics researcher, focusing in the area of bilingualism. Above all, Set is the fruit of their family’s love and their community’s generosity.
Alexis Neophytides is a documentary filmmaker and educator based in New York City. Her work centers around community and how we find meaning in people and place. She is the co-creator/co-director/producer of Neighborhood Slice, a public television documentary series that tells the stories of longtime New Yorkers who’ve held onto their little corner of the city despite fast-growing gentrification. She produced and directed the series 9.99, for which she won a NY Emmy. Her first feature-length documentary, Dear Thirteen, explores coming of age in the modern world and premiered at DOC NYC in 2022. She is a Sundance Institute Documentary Film Grantee for her second feature, Fire Through Dry Grass, co-directed with Andres “Jay” Molina. Fire Through Dry Grass premiered at BlackStar in 2023, where it won the jury award for best feature documentary. It will be broadcast on POV/PBS in late 2023. Alexis holds a BA from Brown University and an MA in Media Studies from The New School.
I am a blind bilingual Latina deeply committed to ensuring that culture is a shared space for all, a fervent advocate for disability inclusion, and a lover of documentary films. In my role as Workflow Manager for Quality and Inclusion at Descriptive Video Works, I am dedicated to developing pathways and building frameworks for gainful employment of the blind and low vision community in the AD industry. A professional voice talent, you can hear my Audio Description narration in many independent films as well as on the Emmy-winning short My Disability Roadmap, Hot Docs Official Selection Unseen,, and Netflix’s Jennifer Lopez: Halftime. I am particularly passionate about creating culturally competent Audio Description. I am a member of the Social Audio Description Collective, co-host the Blind-Centered Audio Description Chat series, and I proudly run the Audio Description LinkedIn Group and the Audio Description X Community where all things AD are welcome.
3:15-4:30PM
Case Study: Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project
Embark on a journey through the heart of Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project in this captivating panel discussion. Explore the documentary’s intricate editing process and uncover the storytelling secrets that make this film a powerful narrative. Go behind the scenes with co-director and co-producer Joe Brewster, additional editor/consulting editor RegiAllen and moderator Adam Lingo (National Geographic) as they explore the challenges and creative choices that brought Nikki Giovanni’s remarkable journey to life on screen. Whether you’re a budding filmmaker, a fan of this documentary, or simply curious about the art of storytelling, this panel promises an illuminating exploration of the documentary’s editing process and narrative craft.
Joe Brewster is a Harvard-trained physician and an award-winning immersive and documentary filmmaker whose character-driven work challenges the audience to envision an equitable future. He is a Spirit Award and four-time Emmy nominee. Brewster, a two-time Sundance jury prize winner, resides in Brooklyn with his partner, Michèle Stephenson (and cat, Tama).
Regi Allen is a 2X Emmy® award-winning editor, producer, and media design artist. He is the creative director, editorial kingpin, and producer for the post-production collective Niceandcreative.
Regi has edited and produced various works and specials for MTV, Discovery Channel, ABC, HBO, BBC, IFC, ESPN, Investigation (ID), TLC, SyFy, Showtime, NATGEO, TV One, Facebook, Amazon, Netflix, Google and Disney, as well as several corporate and private companies. He has received two EMMY Awards for editing and multi-camera editing, one for Children’s Television Workshop’s Sesame Street and another for ABC World News Tonight with Peter Jennings/The Century. In addition, Mr. Allen has won numerous BDA and Telly Awards for editing.
Regi lives between Washington, DC, Panama City, Panama, and London, England. Niceandcreative. is a multicultural collective of editors, colorists, and mixers providing tons of post-production services. Regi was featured this past year as a featured editor and post-production designer for Rada Film Group’s Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project. The film premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival and won the U.S. Documentary Grand Jury Award.
Adam Lingo is currently a Lead Senior Editor at National Geographic. He is excited to work on projects that challenge and explore our shared humanity. His significant credits include the one hour special Black Travel Across America premiering February 6th for National Geographic, Frontline: The Healthcare Divide (nominated for 2022 Peabody & National Emmy), the PBS verité documentary series 180 Days: A Year Inside an American High School (2014 Peabody award), numerous large and small format videos for the opening of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (2016), the PBS Frontline: Blackout in Puerto Rico (2019 Loeb Award), Robert Rauschenberg: Inventive Genius for the PBS American Masters Series (1999), and Great Books: The Autobiography of Malcolm X for the Learning Channel (1999 national Emmy nomination).
To experience the DOC NYC PRO lineup, purchase an individual PRO Day Pass (via the Buy Ticket button) to hone in on a specific subject, or benefit from discounted pricing when you purchase Multi-Day Pass Packs to an assortment of topics.
Live Pitch presents an opportunity for 12 filmmaking teams with works-in-progress to present live pitches to industry figures from the fields of distribution, financing, production, and sales. The program aims to curate the most promising documentaries of the future for industry feedback. The 12 projects were selected from an online submissions process. Watch live pitches and discover how to make your best case to funders and other industry representatives.
Live Pitch Day is co-presented by:
In the festival lounge, the day starts with Breakfast (9-10AM) and ends with a Happy Hour (4:30-5:30PM) co-presented by MTV Documentary Films.
10-11:15AM
Live Pitch – Part 1
Moderator:Elise McCave (Kickstarter)
Industry Panelists: Kelsey Koenig (Impact Partners), Daniel Chalfen (Naked Edge Films/The deNovo Initiative), and Jon Bardin (Story Syndicate)
A Bird with a Knife, Directors: Winslow Crane-Murdoch and Cecilia Brown, Producer: Andrew Hinton. Examines the fifty-year mystery surrounding the mutilation of thousands of cattle across the American West.
Arrest the Midwife, Director: Elaine Epstein, Producer: Robin Hessman. The shocking arrest of three home birth midwives in upstate New York spurs the emergence of an unlikely group of activists.
Baseline, Director: John Sutter, Producer: Su Kim. A visual time capsule shot primarily in three locations on the frontlines of the climate crisis, and featuring the stories of three young people.
11:30-12:45
Live Pitch – Part 2
Moderator:Elise McCave (Kickstarter)
Industry Panelists: Kelsey Koenig (Impact Partners), Daniel Chalfen (Naked Edge Films/The deNovo Initiative), and Jon Bardin (Story Syndicate)
Carlebach Project (Untitled), Director: Simon Mendes, Producer: Heidi Reinberg. Shlomo Carlebach, “the Singing Rabbi,” ignited the spiritual landscape for legions of Jews. After his death, he’s accused of sexual abuse.
Coach Emily, Director: Pallavi Somusetty, Producer: Debra A. Wilson. As rock climbing coach Emily Taylor fearlessly trains a group of BIPOC kids to conquer the pervasive discrimination they face in the outdoors.
Fair Play, Director: Tina Charles, Producers: Veronique Bernard and Susan Kahn. A group of high school students from New York City’s South Bronx fight for equal access to sports and when they finally win, they decide to take on the entire education system.
1:45-3PM
Live Pitch – Part 3
Moderator:Elise McCave (Kickstarter)
Industry Panelists: Patricia Finneran (Story Matters), Poh Si Teng (ABC News Studios), and DaveSirulnick (Radical Media)
Give The Drummer Some, Director and Producer: Trevor Banks. A documentary about the life and influence of Clyde Stubblefield, the former drummer for James Brown.
In the End of the World, Director: Abraham Escobedo-Salas, Producer: Julie Freres. A journey to drug abuse and darkness, a dream for redemption, and a stable place to live.
Instrumental: The Elayne Jones Story, Co-directors: Julie Wyman and Grace Wang, Producer: Jameka Autry. The ground-breaking career of 94-year-old timpanist Elayne Jones, the first Black principal player in a major American orchestra.
3:15-4:30PM
Live Pitch – Part 4
Moderator:Elise McCave (Kickstarter)
Industry Panelists: Patricia Finneran (Story Matters), Poh Si Teng (ABC News Studios), and DaveSirulnick (Radical Media)
Sister Senators, Director and Producer: Emily Harrold. In South Carolina, the five women of the South Carolina Senate—Republicans, Democrats, and Independents—band together to fight against strict abortion bans.
The Long Rescue, Director: Jennifer Huang, Producer: Jethro Patalinghug. The Long Rescue follows Filipina teen sex trafficking survivors for nine years in an intimate journey of recovery.
The Song of the Hands, Director: Maria Valverde, Producer: Cristina Oliva. Renowned conductor Gustavo Dudamel embarks on a journey from LA to Venezuela with three deaf musicians to discover the power of music through silence.
To experience the DOC NYC PRO lineup, purchase an individual PRO Day Pass (via the Buy a Day Pass button above) to hone in on a specific subject, or benefit from discounted pricing when you purchase Multi-Day Pass Packs to an assortment of topics.
Join us for an enlightening day of panels featuring renowned producers and directors as they share their experiences, insights, and best practices in crafting compelling documentary films.
Producing and Directing Day is co-presented by:
In the Festival Lounge, the day starts with Breakfast (9-10AM) and ends with a Happy Hour (4:30-5:30PM).
11:30-12:45PM
Crafting the Cut with David Teague, Part I
This two-part session explores the art of editing in documentary film, using rough cuts and final scenes from veteran editor David Teague’s films including Frida, Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields, Life, Animated, and Cutie and the Boxer. We’ll examine the techniques that create powerful openings, maintain narrative flow, and shape memorable endings, revealing the editing choices that turn raw footage into compelling stories.
David Teague is an Emmy-winning documentary film editor, writer and producer. His work as an editor includes the Oscar-nominated and Emmy-winning Life Animated, the Oscar-nominated and Emmy-winning Cutie and the Boxer, the Independent Spirit-nominated The Departure, and the Oscar-winning Freeheld. He wrote and produced Stamped from the Beginning, based on the book by Dr. Ibram X. Kendi. Stamped was shortlisted for an Academy Award and David was nominated for an Emmy and a Writers Guild Award for his work on the film. He was the supervising editor for the Sundance-winning Frida and the Emmy-nominated Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields. He wrote the fiction film Cassandro with director Roger Ross Williams, starring Gael García Bernal, which premiered at Sundance 2023 and was nominated for a GLAAD award. David has served as an editing mentor with IFP/Gotham, Firelight, Tribeca, Brown Girls Doc Mafia, Catapult True/False Rough Cut Retreat, and the Sundance Institute.
Co-presented by 30 for 30 / ESPN Films
11:30-12:45PM
Documentary Ethics and the Law
Join attorneys Nicole Page and Daniel Ain from Reavis Page Jump LLP, founder of Multitude Films Jessica Devaney, and filmmakers Viridiana Lieberman (Carlos), Beth Aala (Uncharted, This is Brighton), and Nicholas Bruckman (Minted) for an enlightening panel discussion that delves deep into the ethical and legal considerations that underpin documentary filmmaking. Our panelists will provide valuable insights into essential topics, including crafting legally sound agreements with subjects, effectively managing the right to review cuts, fairly compensating participants, and the intricate process of ensuring anonymity when needed. Gain a comprehensive understanding of how to navigate the legal landscape while safeguarding the well-being and rights of your participants.
Head of the Media and Entertainment practice and Partner, Reavis Page Jump LLP
Nicole Page
Head of the Media and Entertainment practice and Partner, Reavis Page Jump LLP
Nicole Page is the Head of the Media and Entertainment practice and Partner at Reavis Page Jump LLP, where she represents film, television and podcast clients in connection with issues ranging from financing, rights acquisition, production, talent and distribution agreements, exploitation of ancillary rights, content licensing, fair use and clearance issues and an array of related matters. She also represents creative talent, athletes, and authors in their various endeavors and negotiates executive compensation deals for top talent at leading entertainment companies.
Daniel J. Ain is Counsel for Reavis Page Jump LLP, practicing primarily in the areas of entertainment and media law. Named to Realscreen’s Factual Under 40 list in 2024, Dan represents production companies and independent producers on a broad range of television, film and digital media projects across all stages of development and production. He also has experience representing writers, directors, actors and other talent in all aspects of their entertainment transactions. Daniel began his legal career representing corporate clients in the areas of finance, mergers and acquisitions, and executive compensation.
Jessica Devaney (she/her) is a Brooklyn-based producer and the founder and president of Multitude Films. Her latest films include Netflix Original PRAY AWAY in partnership with Ryan Murphy and Blumhouse, Oscar-shortlisted CALL CENTER BLUES (TOPIC), and APART, an episode of the Sesame Workshop series THROUGH OUR EYES (HBO Max). She also produced Sundance award-winning and IDA-nominated ALWAYS IN SEASON (Independent Lens 2020), Livingston Reporting award-winning THE FEELING OF BEING WATCHED (POV 2019) dubbed “a real-world conspiracy thriller” by Variety, and Peabody-nominated ROLL RED ROLL (POV, Netflix 2019). Additional credits include Critic’s Choice-nominated SPEED SISTERS (Netflix), American Psychological Association award-winning LOVE THE SINNER (Amazon), and CALL HER GANDA (POV). Her films have screened at top festivals including Sundance, SXSW, Tribeca, BlackStar, and Telluride. Jessica founded QueerDoc and the Queer Producers Network and was a Sundance Edit and Story Lab fellow, Women at Sundance fellow, and Sundance Creative Producing Lab advisor. She received DOC NYC and TOPIC’s inaugural 40 Under 40 Award and the 2019 Cinereach Producers Award.
Viridiana Lieberman edited the Emmy-winning features I Am Evidence and The Sentence, which won the 2018 Sundance Documentary Audience Award. Her solo directorial debut, Born To Play premiered on ESPN in 2020. She is currently the lead editor on a series for Netflix and Imagine Entertainment slated for 2021 and is based in Brooklyn, New York.
Nicholas Bruckman is an Emmy-nominated director and the founder and CEO of People’s Television, a production studio and creative agency that produces widely acclaimed independent films as well as video storytelling for the world’s leading brands, foundations, and social movements.
His feature documentary Not Going Quietly, executive produced by Mark and Jay Duplass and acquired by Hulu and Vice Media, premiered at the 2021 SXSW Film Festival where it won the Audience Award and Special Jury Prize, and was nominated for Best Documentary and Best Director of the year by the International Documentary Association.
He previously produced the narrative feature film Valley of Saints, which won the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival and was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award. His most recent feature documentary, Minted, premiered at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival.
Beth is a Filipina-American documentary filmmaker. She has won three Emmy awards and a Peabody Award for her documentary work at HBO. Beth recently directed and produced Uncharted with Alicia Keys and her organization, She is the Music that premiered at Tribeca Festival in June 2023. She also directed and produced This Is Brighton that premiered at the Newport Beach Film Festival in October 2023. Other directing credits include News and Doc Emmy nominated Made In Boise (AFI Docs 2019); Supermensch: The Legend Of Shep Gordon (Tiff 2013); as well as Rancher, Farmer, Fisherman (Sundance 2017).
Beth is member of A-DOC, Brown Girls Doc Mafia, Filipinx Filmmakers, and the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and is a Wyncote Fellow. She has been supported by ITVS, Chicken and Egg, NYSCA, WMM, was a Creative Capital and Firelight Media grant finalist. Beth’s work has been featured on HBO, PBS, MTV, Discovery and A&E.
Co-presented by Reavis Page Jump LLP
1:45-3PM
Reflecting on Trans Narratives in Documentaries
Join co-directors Kristen Lovell (The Stroll) and Zackary Drucker (Queenmaker, The Stroll), D Smith (Kokomo City), and filmmakers David Miller and Melinda Maerker (We Live Here: The Midwest) for an insightful panel discussion on the nuanced challenges and ethical considerations involved in accurately representing trans experiences on screen. From personal narratives to broader social contexts, our panelists will explore the complexities of crafting authentic and impactful trans stories.
Filmmaker D Smith burst onto the scene with her debut documentary feature Kokomo City which premiered at Sundance and was acquired & distributed by Magnolia Pictures earlier this year. D won the Audience Award in the NEXT section of the Sundance Film Festival, as well as the Adobe’s Innovator Prize. She also won the Audience Award in the Panorama Documentary section at the Berlin Film Festival. Smith is a two-time Grammy Award-nominated record producer, singer and songwriter who produced and is featured on “Shoot Me Down” from Lil Wayne’s 8x platinum album Tha Carter III. She also wrote and produced the #1 Billboard dance single “Love Yourself” by Billy Porter and made history with VH1’s Love & Hip Hop, as the first trans woman cast on a primetime unscripted series.
Zackary Drucker is an American multimedia artist, director, and producer who has dedicated her work to telling stories that expand our cultural understanding of difference. Her credits include directing the Hulu Original documentary Queenmaker: The Making of an It Girl; and co-directing the Sundance award-winning HBO original documentary film The Stroll and the HBO documentary series The Lady and the Dale. Drucker is an Emmy-nominated producer for the docuseries This Is Me, as well as a producer on Golden Globe and Emmy-winning Amazon original series Transparent. She is a producer on the science fiction film Biosphere, released by IFC Films. She has performed and exhibited her work internationally in museums, galleries, and film festivals including the Whitney Biennial 2014, MoMA PS1, Hammer Museum, Art Gallery of Ontario, MCA San Diego, and SF MoMA, among others. Drucker’s artwork is represented by Luis De Jesus Los Angeles. She is an alumnus of School of Visual Arts (BFA, 2005) and Cal Arts (MFA, 2007).
Kristen Lovell has been an advocate in the trans community for over 20 years. As an actress, she appeared in Random Acts of Flyness, and she was co-producer of the award-winning feature The Garden Left Behind. The Stroll is her directorial debut. Instagram: @kplgrams / Twitter: @kikilovell
David Clayton Miller recently produced the upcoming Hulu Originals documentary entitled We Live Here: The Midwest through his DCMDocumentary banner. He is also a professional photographer having shot for Dolce & Gabbana, the Hollywood Reporter, Entertainment Weekly, Architectural Digest and other fashion and media outlets. He previously produced two independent feature films, Defying Gravity and Em & Me. He is the father of three boys and lives in Los Angeles.
Melinda Maerker (she/her) has worked as a visual storyteller across media. Her current project (as director/co-producer) is the documentary, We Live Here: The Midwest–an authentic portrait of LGBTQ+ families in America’s heartland.
3:15-4:30PM
In Conversation with… Raoul Peck
Explore documentary storytelling with filmmaker Raoul Peck (Silver Dollar Road, I Am Not Your Negro and recipient of DOC NYC’s Visionary Tribute Lifetime Achievement Award in 2021) and moderator Omar Mullick (Flight/Risk). Hear about Peck’s creative process and career-defining experiences, from thought-provoking historical explorations to innovative storytelling approaches. Uncover insights behind his acclaimed works and gain valuable perspectives on art and documentary.
Raoul Peck was born in Haiti and educated in Congo, Brooklyn and France. His credits as a documentary director include Lumumba, Death of a Prophet; Fatal Assistance; the Oscar-nominated I Am Not Your Negro; and the four-part HBO Documentary Films’ groundbreaking series Exterminate all the Brutes. His directing credits in fiction films include Lumumba; Sometimes in April; Moloch Tropical; and The Young Karl Marx. His complex career includes an 18-month stint as Haiti’s Minister of Culture, two years teaching at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and nine years as the President of the French national film school La Fémis in Paris.
Omar Mullick is a New-York based writer and director. His work as a writer and cinematographer on the fiction film You Resemble Me led to a 78th Venice Biennale premiere and is set for a theatrical release across North America in October 2022. His screenplay, Cain and Abel, was accepted into both the Sundance Screenwriters Lab and Sundance Directors Lab the same year. In 2022, he directed and shot Flight Risk for Amazon Studios, currently in the top five of Amazon’s most streamed films. In 2021, Omar produced Three Songs For Benazir, the first Afghan directed film to be nominated for an Oscar in 2021 and later acquired by Netflix.
Omar is developing his new non-fiction feature film as a Concordia Studios Fellow.
Co-presented by Amazon MGM Studios
To experience the DOC NYC PRO lineup, purchase an individual PRO Day Pass (via the Buy Ticket button) to hone in on a specific subject, or benefit from discounted pricing when you purchase Multi-Day Pass Packs to an assortment of topics.
Accomplished cinematographers will illuminate their techniques for capturing breathtaking visuals, crafting scenes, enhancing storytelling through imagery, and navigating the unique challenges of filming real-life narratives.
Cinematography day is co-presented by:
In the Festival Lounge, the day starts with Breakfast (9-10AM) and ends with a Happy Hour (4:30-5:30PM) co-presented by 11th Hour Racing.
10-11:15AM
Stories from the Field
Award-winning and critically acclaimed National Geographic creates and delivers riveting stories and experiences in natural history, science, adventure, and exploration that inspire a deeper connection to the world. Join DP’s Pablo Durana (Arctic Ascent), Nathan Small (A Real Bug’s Life), Moses Bwayo (Bobi Wine: The People’s President), Kim Jeffries, (Incredible Animal Journeys), and Justine Evans (Queens) who will share stories from the field with moderator Liz Nord (NYU Production Lab) and explore their filmmaking tools and techniques.
Kimberly Jeffries, a Hawaii-based cinematographer and technical dive instructor, specializes in underwater cinematography with a focus on charismatic megafauna. Her recent credits include Emmy award-winning productions like Chasing Coral, World’s Biggest Great Whites, and Amazing Animal Adventures, where she tells compelling stories about our connection to nature.
Pablo Durana is a Colombian born, Canadian raised and Californian based Emmy® Award–winning cinematographer and adventure photographer. As an endurance athlete, he has extensive experience filming and operating in extreme conditions, from within the world’s deepest caves in Mexico, to the towering walls of Antarctica. For almost two decades Pablo has worked with the world’s top documentary filmmakers and adventure athletes, including Jimmy Chin and Alex Honnold. He also dives deep into life’s gritty side via the ShowTime series The Trade about human trafficking, the real cost of food via Netflix’s episodic Rotten, and the woman’s rights documentary short, Ascending Afghanistan. His work has also been featured on National Geographic, HBO, Discovery, RedBull and Vice. He recently completed his directorial debut feature documentary No Legs, All Heart.
Moses Bwayo is a Los Angeles-based filmmaker. Born and raised in Uganda, he was introduced to filmmaking by peeking through cracks in the walls of local bootleg movie theaters. Wrapped in the camerawork and storytelling of Hollywood’s martial arts films, Moses immediately fell in love with cinema. He graduated from Kampala University with a Bachelor of Arts in journalism and mass communication, earned a postgraduate diploma at Kampala Film School, and started working as a production sound recordist and cinematographer, shooting for ABC, BBC, and VICE News in Uganda. In 2017, he began work on Bobi Wine: The People’s President. Spending five harrowing years following Bobi Wine, a pop star turned politician who ran for president, opposing the 35-year Yoweri Museveni dictatorship. Moses was arrested, imprisoned, and shot in the face at close range while filming. Bobi Wine: The People’s President premiered at the Venice Film Festival in September 2022.
Justine Evans is a British cinematographer who’s career as an international wildlife film maker spans over 30 years. She has worked on major natural history productions for the BBC, Disney/National Geographic, Netflix to name a few. Her work has taken her all over the world from the tropical forest canopy to deep arctic crevasses, capturing iconic animal behaviour both day and night. Her most recent work has been for the BBC’s Planet Earth 3, which is due to be broadcast soon, and Disney’s Queens, which focuses on powerful female leadership in the natural world. She lives in the West of the UK with her husband and a big wolfdog called Callie.
Nathan Small comes from a photography background and made the leap to wildlife 5 years ago. Nathan is a self shooting producer/director specialising in teeny tiny things and showing people their fascinating lives. Nathan has worked on Tiny World for Apple TV, Planet Insect for Curiosity Stream, A Real Bug’s Life for Disney / NATGEO, and is currently working on Underdogs for Disney NATGEO.
Liz Nord is an Emmy-winning producer and documentary filmmaker who has created and shown work across the globe. She is Head of Programs and Creative Development at the NYU Production Lab, where she runs the Feature Film Development Studio. She recently served as Director of Content at Sundance, where she helped develop Sundance Collab into the premiere global learning destination for emerging filmmakers. Previously, she served as the Editor-in-Chief and Lead Producer at No Film School. Liz is also an advisor for several artist development programs including Latino Public Broadcasting’s Emerging Filmmaker Fellowship and the Jewish Writers’ Initiative. She has presented extensively on creative practice and the film and TV industry, notably at TEDx and SXSW.
11:30-12:45PM
From DP to Director
The natural progression from cinematography to directing is discussed in this panel led by Grace Remington with director/DPs Zac Manuel(Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero), Martina Radwan (Tomorrow, Tomorrow, Tomorrow), and Amitabh Joshi (Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah: The New Chief). Their expertise, rooted in practical experience, uniquely informs their directorial approach. Hear how the efficiency of DPs taking on both roles utilizes their inherent talents to enhance productions.
Martina is a German/Syrian filmmaker and cinematographer, based in New York City. Her recent credits include Food and Country, Boys State, Inventing Tomorrow, The Final Year and Saving Face, the 2012 Academy Award and Emmy Winner for Short Documentary, which earned her an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Cinematography. Her directorial debut Spring in Awe won the Media Awareness Award at the Media That Matters Film Festival, as well as Best Editing Award at the Brooklyn Film Festival, both 2004. The film was also part of PBS’ New York Reel the same year. Her second film Aliens Among Us played theatrically at IDA’s DocuWeek and at numerous festivals in 2009.
Martina Radwan is a member of the Academy and BAFTA Documentary Branch.
Zac Manuel is an Academy Award-nominated director and cinematographer from New Orleans, Louisiana. Zac’s work in documentary draws from complex legacies of Southern identity, with particular interest in the impacts of history and inheritance on Black communities. Zac uses his camera to create bridges of intimacy and transparency between himself and his films’ participants, with a collaborative and improvisational shooting style inspired by the movements and rhythms of jazz. Zac’s cinematography credits include Time, Academy Award nominee for Best Feature Documentary, Buckjumping and Descendant, which was released by Netflix. His directing credits include This Body, released on PBS, Nonstop, which was acquired by the Criterion Channel in 2022, and Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero. Zac is currently directing the feature documentary, Ghetto Children, produced by XTR.
Amitabh Joshi is a director. In 2020, he co-directed a short film for American Masters and Firelight Media for their new series, Masters in The Making, highlighting Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah, a Jazz musician. Amitabh served as co-producer on A Little Wisdom. This documentary feature had its US Premiere at the SXSW Film Festival in 2018. It was the winner of the 2018 Viewfinders Competition at DOC NYC. Amitabh was awarded the Center for Asian American Media Documentary Fund in 2014 for his first feature documentary, Tashi’s Turbine. The film has been screened at festivals worldwide and premiered on PBS’s WORLD Channel. It received a Special Jury Mention at the 2015 CAAMFest and won the BBVA Mountain Film Festival of Torelló 2016 Jury Prize. He also received the Shelley and Donald Rubin Foundation grant in 2013 and the Princess Grace Award in 2012. Amitabh has worked as a director and cinematographer for Art21. He has directed and produced documentaries around the world.
Grace Remington is a producer and director who has worked in documentary film and television in the United States, Mexico, and Peru. Her work has screened at the Sundance Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival, and HotDocs, among others, and has broadcast on POV, Netflix, and National Geographic.
Co-presented by SVA – MFA Social Documentary Film
11:30-12:45PM
Crafting the Cut with David Teague, Part I
This two-part session explores the art of editing in documentary film, using rough cuts and final scenes from veteran editor David Teague’s films including Frida, Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields, Life, Animated, and Cutie and the Boxer. We’ll examine the techniques that create powerful openings, maintain narrative flow, and shape memorable endings, revealing the editing choices that turn raw footage into compelling stories.
David Teague is an Emmy-winning documentary film editor, writer and producer. His work as an editor includes the Oscar-nominated and Emmy-winning Life Animated, the Oscar-nominated and Emmy-winning Cutie and the Boxer, the Independent Spirit-nominated The Departure, and the Oscar-winning Freeheld. He wrote and produced Stamped from the Beginning, based on the book by Dr. Ibram X. Kendi. Stamped was shortlisted for an Academy Award and David was nominated for an Emmy and a Writers Guild Award for his work on the film. He was the supervising editor for the Sundance-winning Frida and the Emmy-nominated Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields. He wrote the fiction film Cassandro with director Roger Ross Williams, starring Gael García Bernal, which premiered at Sundance 2023 and was nominated for a GLAAD award. David has served as an editing mentor with IFP/Gotham, Firelight, Tribeca, Brown Girls Doc Mafia, Catapult True/False Rough Cut Retreat, and the Sundance Institute.
Co-presented by Screen Nova Scotia
3:15-4:30PM
Capturing Sensitive Moments
Explore the art of documentary production planning through the lens of storytelling. Join director Dean Leslie (Shaped By Water), director Jennifer Huang and producer Jethro Patalinghug (The Long Rescue), and DP Justin Ervin (Is That Black Enough For You?!?) as they discuss their decision-making processes for crewing and equipment with moderator Grace Remington. Three distinctly sensitive scenarios will be presented: high-profile interviews, trauma survivor stories, and environmental impact stories. Discover how these experts translate their storytelling focus into tangible gear and crew choices.
Jennifer is directing her first feature documentary, The Long Rescue, and distributing her first short documentary, This Adventure Called California. Previously, she co-produced From Baghdad to the Bay and Standing on Sacred Ground, and at Lucasfilm, wrote and produced Harlem’s Hellfighters: Black Soldiers of World War I. Recent awards include Shifting Voices, Movies that Matter and Berkeley Film Foundation.
Jethro Patalinghug is a Filipino non-binary documentary filmmaker, visual artist, and activist. They were the featured visual artist for the 2023 Oaklash Drag Festival in Oakland, California which featured their sculptural works Disco Balling Heads, The Performer and Gabriela Rising. Their works were also featured in the 2022 Trans Aware Art Exhibition in San Francisco. Jethro was a fellow for the 2022 Film Independent’s CNN Docu-Series Intensive and DOCNY’s Storytelling Incubator.. Their first feature documentary film 50 Years of Fabulous was opening film at QDocs 2018 Film Festival and an official selection to Frameline42. Jethro was a fellow for BVAC’s National Media Maker 2016 for his documentary film #MyNameIs. Jethro is also known as the drag persona Virginia Please on TikTok and teaches indigenous, black and brown queer and trans representation. They serve as one of the Board of Directors for the GLBTQ+ Asian Pacific Alliance, Oaklash and EyeZen.
Justin Ervin is an award-winning writer, director and cinematographer of both scripted and non-scripted work. His work has appeared on notable platforms including Netflix, PBS, HBO and Hulu, and was Cinematographer on the EMMY-nominated, Netflix Original Documentary Is That Black Enough For You?!? which was also nominated for two NAACP Image Awards in 2023. Justin was the DP on 761st: The Original Black Panthers starring Morgan Freeman. His cinematography was featured in the Webby Award-winning video for the San Francisco Opera in summer of 2022. As a cinematographer, Justin continues to operate at the vanguard, creating at the intersection of documentary and narrative cinematography aesthetics. As a writer and director, he has won multiple awards including Best Documentary at Garden State Film Festival and The Audience Award at New Filmmakers LA and screened 2 years consecutive at the Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival. Justin is currently expanding his work as a director into television and feature films. As a photographer, his work has graced the cover of Harper’s Bazaar with spreads in Harper’s Bazaar, Elle magazine and others. Justin earned his MFA in social documentary filmmaking from SVA in NYC and has completed master courses at the prestigious American Society of Cinematographers.
South African filmmaker Dean Leslie might not be a household name, but chances are you’ve seen his work. From “Hollywood” film sets to guerrilla style documentary projects, in remote and rugged locations, his work has taken him to every continent. Specializing in leading small film crews in challenging environments, Dean has cultivated a career in producing world class documentary film through his strong all-round technical skill set. He has a background in VFX and is an award-winning Editor, Cinematographer, Director, Producer and Creative Director. He has produced a vast body of creative works and over the last decade, he has been chasing down the world’s foremost endurance athletes; Documenting the ways in which they interact with some of the world’s most stunning landscapes. He has been widely acknowledged for his influence in shaping the growth and progression of trail and mountain running around the globe through his documentary films.
Grace Remington is a producer and director who has worked in documentary film and television in the United States, Mexico, and Peru. Her work has screened at the Sundance Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival, and HotDocs, among others, and has broadcast on POV, Netflix, and National Geographic.
Co-presented by 11th Hour Racing
To experience the DOC NYC PRO lineup, purchase an individual PRO Day Pass (via the Buy Ticket button) to hone in on a specific subject, or benefit from discounted pricing when you purchase Multi-Day Pass Packs to an assortment of topics.
