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Photo by Dara Messinger

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Filmmakers of For Ahkeem. Photo by Jessica Lee

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Attendees of DocuClub NY: Cooked. Photo by Dara Messinger

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Photo by Dara Messinger

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Attendees of DocuClub NY: Afterwawrd taking notes. Photo by Dara Messinger

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Nathan Fitch and Bryan Chang of Island Solider. Photo by Nabin Park


About the Program

Founded by Susan Kaplan in 1993, DocuClub is a works-in-progress screening series offering the public and members of the documentary film community a first look at new projects. Filmmakers and creators have the opportunity to showcase their rough cut and consult feedback from their peers and audience.
 

Why DocuClub

For many, DocuClub is the first opportunity for a filmmaker to share their work-in-progress in an intimate setting with a general audience at a critical moment in their process. Presented in partnership with regional film organizations, selected filmmakers are paired with seasoned story/editing consultants to help them integrate audience feedback into their film.

In 2023, DocuClub will be holding in-person screenings. Due to the ongoing limitations of the COVID-19 pandemic, we will continue to monitor public health and safety guidelines and adjust if necessary.

Our partner organizations for 2023 are:

  • DCTV in New York City
  • Film Independent in Los Angeles
  • Hawai’i Women in Filmmaking in Honolulu
  • Sisters in Cinema in Chicago
     

Project Submissions

Applications for the 2023 season are now open. We are currently only accepting submissions from Los Angeles and New York-based filmmakers.

See guidelines

For questions on participating in DocuClub please email docuclub@documentary.org.

If you need accessibility assistance in the application process, please email access@documentary.org.


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A middle-aged woman with very short hair dressed in traditional Samoan warrior clothes and holding a club near her face and standing at the edge of a lake with mountains in the distance.
Please join the International Documentary Association and Hawaiʻi Women in Filmmaking on Wednesday, October 6 for the DocuClub HI virtual work-in-progress screening of the feature film I of the Water: The Unwritten Life of Sia Figiel. Following the screening, we will be joined by Director/Producer
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BW digital drawing of a Black toddler playing with toy
New York, NY
Join IDA & DCTV for a work-in-progress screening of a documentary by Chuck Schultz & Judah-Lev Dickstein.
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TBC
Los Angeles, CA
In STRAY, a trio of canine outcasts roam the streets of Istanbul. Through their eyes and ears, we are shown an intimate portrait of the life of a city and its people.
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Los Angeles, CA
Please join the IDA & Film Independent on Mon. Feb. 24, for the first DocuClub LA of 2020 with a screening of the docuseries 'A Town Called Victoria'. Following the screening, we will be joined by director/producer, Li Lu, producer, Anthony Pedone, and editor Evita YuePu Zhou for a moderated discussion.
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New York, NY
Join IDA & DCTV for a work-in-progress screening of filmmaker Theresa Ortolani's 'SAUDADE: Name of the Father.'
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Los Angeles, CA
Join IDA and Film Independent on Mon. Sept 9, for a WIP screening & feedback session of 'Memphis.
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Los Angeles, CA
Join IDA and Film Independent on Monday, July 15, for a WIP screening of 'The Dilemma Of Desire'
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Los Angeles, CA
Join IDA and Film Independent on Monday, July 15, for a WIP screening of 'The Assassination & Mrs. Paine'
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New York, NY
A work-in-progress screening of filmmaker Judith Helfand's personal film, 'Love & Stuff' - Seven months after helping her terminally ill mother die in home-hospice, becomes a “new old” single mother at 50. Overnight, she’s pushed to deal with her “stuff”: 63 boxes of her parents’ heirlooms overwhelming her office-turned-future-baby’s room, the weight her mother had begged her to lose, and the reality of being a half-century older than her daughter.
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New York, NY
A work-in-progress screening of 'Two Gods' about a Muslim casket maker and body washer in Newark, NJ decides to bring two young men under his wing to teach them how to build caskets, wash bodies, and how to live better lives. Soon they all realize they must rely on each other to beat the streets and live to up the potential they’ve been fighting for.