International Documentary Association (IDA) calls on the Iranian authorities to vacate the sentence imposed on filmmaker Jafar Panahi by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, to rescind the order confiscating his assets and the bans on his travel and social media use, and to overturn his earlier conviction for “propaganda against the system.” According to multiple published reports, the court has sentenced Panahi to five years and one month in prison, ordered the confiscation of all his assets, and banned him for two years from leaving Iran and using social media. The charges have not
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Emmy, Guggenheim, and Sundance Award–winning filmmaker, artist, and author, Michèle Stephenson, draws on her Haitian and Panamanian heritage to transform nonfiction storytelling. Through a Black Atlantic lens, she reimagines narratives of resistance and healing, weaving fiction, immersive, experimental, and hybrid forms that center a Black Radical tradition and the lived experiences of the Black diaspora. Her nonfiction films Going To Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project and Black Girls Play: The Story of Hand Games were both Oscar-shortlisted, with Going To Mars winning the Sundance Grand Jury
Honorees include the late Patricio Guzmán, Amy Goodman and Juan González of Democracy Now!, Maia Lekow and Christopher King, and Cannes Docs.
As of today, IDA Emergency Assistance is now a permanent program, supporting independent documentary filmmakers who face threats from governments and other political powers because of their work.
Honorees include the late Patricio Guzmán, Amy Goodman and Juan González of Democracy Now!, Maia Lekow and Christopher King, and Cannes Docs.
Jennifer Sofio Hall is an Emmy award-winning producer and dynamic leader in the production industry, known for her dedication to innovation and growth. Under her leadership, MakeMake emerged as a leading force in advertising and entertainment, designing industry-changing titles for television and film, from Game of Thrones to The Last of Us, and collaborating with some of advertising’s best creative talent, winning dozens of awards, including Cannes Lions, BAFTAs, and Emmys. About Industry Standard Industry Standard is a catalyst for professional growth and workforce diversification. In an
IDA calls on the Israeli government to withdraw its threats against filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor. We also call for an end to the public campaign of intimidation against them. Since NAZA won the Special Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival, senior Israeli officials have moved against its directors. The Culture Minister has accused them of treason and sought to revoke their citizenship. The Prime Minister has announced bills to revoke the citizenship of anyone who "slanders IDF soldiers" and to raise defamation damages twentyfold. This official rhetoric has been accompanied by a
On Monday, the twelve US state Attorneys General who sued to block the Paramount–Warner Bros. Discovery merger settled with Paramount. The Ellison family will take over Warner Bros. Discovery. On behalf of filmmakers, we are disappointed and angry that this has been allowed to happen. It is a bad deal for independent documentary film and journalism, and for a democracy that depends on both. The settlement is not a win. The consolidation stands, and Paramount’s commitments are weaker than they appear. The board meant to protect editorial independence at CNN and CBS will be appointed by the
Alysa Nahmias is an Emmy-winning filmmaker and founder of the Los Angeles-based production company AJNA. Alysa’s directing credits include Cookie Queens, which recently premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival and won the SXSW Festival Favorite Audience Award.
Rémi Grellety is a two-time Oscar-nominated producer whose work has been honored with an Emmy, a Peabody, a César, and a BAFTA. For 15 years, he produced Raoul Peck’s films at Velvet Film (Paris, New York), including I Am Not Your Negro (2016) and the HBO miniseries, Exterminate All the Brutes (2021). He then founded Warboys Films (Paris). In parallel, Grellety has supported emerging filmmakers and produced seven debut documentary films, including A Taste of Whale by Vincent Kelner (2022) and Garland Jeffreys: The King of Between by Claire Jeffreys (2023). His last productions include