Join moderator, Marjan Safinia, and other friends of IDA for a special evening with filmmaker, Ross Kauffman. Learn about the fascinating journey of "Born into Brothels" from concept to screen to Oscar; discuss challenges, tips, and advice for shooting in foreign countries, co-directing, the value of mentors, making the move from documentary into narrative and the evolution of a career that starts with an Oscar for your first film.
Educational Seminars
Our year-round series of seminars, panels and workshops focusing on the art, craft and business of documentary filmmaking. Become an IDA member to access previous seminars online.
Join us for a special evening with filmmaker and activist, Robert Greenwald at his Brave New Films offices and studio space. Peek inside their operation. Learn about breakthrough techniques for building an audience, fundraising, and distributing your documentary.
Join Emmy®-winning filmmaker Lindsey Dryden and filmmaker & writer Kyla Harris in a workshop on Disability Justice, disabled-led creativity, and accessibility in the film and TV industry.
The panel discussion will delve into the differences between television/broadcast content and international festival documentaries and how funding works in these different spaces around the world. What does it mean to have broadcast partners versus festival partners? Does one offer more creative freedom than the other? How can we negotiate the drawbacks and best use the opportunities these different forms offer? The conversation will examine broadcasters' priorities and ways they evaluate content that might drive them to co-produce, buy, or broadcast certain films instead of others.
Immersive media vibrates embodiment. It allows the viewer to dissolve into dimensional narratives, making experiences and bodies pliable. The introduction of VR, AR, and interactive exhibitions into practice has given nonfiction media makers new tools to tell expanded narratives. In turn, these same tools, with their capacity to innovate, strengthen the need for accessible storytelling. The disabled community, in particular, calls for a radical restructuring of pre-existing frameworks, from inclusive asset libraries to cripped (accessible) workflows and haptics.
Join Ranell Shubert, IDA Nonfiction Access Initiative (NAI) Funds Program Manager, and Keisha Knight, Director of Funds and Advocacy, to discuss the NAI program and launch of the NAI Nonfiction Media Makers with Disabilities Survey. Ranell and Keisha will present information about the survey, discuss how it was developed, and answer any questions.
Location: Hybrid, virtual on Zoom or in-person at IDA Office in Los Angeles In today’s rapidly evolving political and technological landscape, a legal doctrine as established as fair use, which remains as crucial to documentary filmmakers as the day it was introduced, is not safe from change. As a
Join Emmy®-winning filmmaker Lindsey Dryden and filmmaker & writer Kyla Harris in a workshop on Disability Justice, disabled-led creativity, and accessibility in the film and TV industry.
Can film advance and energize Black Women’s Wellness? If so, how?
Does the language of mergers and corporate media consolidation leave you confused or unsure of how it may impact you and what you can do about it? To understand more, join this free community teach-in hosted by IDA and Future Film Coalition.