Participants for this training are selected based on their project's current needs and their availability to attend in person. Space is limited, but IDA members interested in attending can fill out this interest form by Monday, May 11, 2026. If you need more time to decide or figure out travel plans, please indicate your interest by emailing artistservices@documentary.org.
Nonfiction filmmakers continue to be the lifeline for stories that would otherwise go untold, thanks to their bravery and perseverance in uncovering the truth. As we face growing authoritarian influence over media and information all across the world, we must support filmmakers in continuing to make impactful work ー work that is responsibly made and protected from threats of censorship. For this reason, International Documentary Association (IDA) is once again partnering with the Journalism Protection Initiative (JPI) to host a Safety Planning workshop for documentary filmmakers on May 29 at the Golden Globes Foundation in Los Angeles.
The session will be led by Kate Parkinson, the Risk & Safety Manager at the Journalism Protection Initiative, who has worked as a foreign correspondent and documentary producer. She brings firsthand experience of the physical, digital, legal, and psychological risks journalists face. That perspective now shapes her work at the Journalism Protection Initiative, where she helps strengthen safety and resilience across journalism education and practice. Kate will be joined by representatives from other organizations working in the safety protocol space, including the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, the Global Center for Journalism and Trauma, and the Freedom of the Press Foundation.
While keeping the needs of nonfiction filmmakers top of mind, the intensive full-day program will provide resources for safety planning and go deep on the four specific aspects of safety: physical, digital, psychological, and legal. With hands-on exercises and plenty of time for peer connections, we anticipate a mix of mid-career filmmakers who can share their experience and those who are emerging in the space and just beginning to manage the challenge of working in an environment of heightened risk.
The program begins at 8:30 a.m. PT with coffee and snacks for the early risers. The training starts promptly at 9 a.m. and ends by 6 p.m., with many breaks throughout. Lunch is provided, and a reception will follow at the end of the day.
In partnership with:
