Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a pass to watch the sessions, or can I buy them individually?
Sessions are not available for individual purchase. You must purchase a pass in order to access the sessions and the conference as a whole.

Does my pass give me access to all virtual events?

Both the Virtual Together pass and the All Access pass grant attendees access to our virtual panels, discussions, and keynotes. We will have select closed sessions that are only available to select groups of people. All closed sessions will be noted as such on their individual event page.

Are sessions available to watch on the virtual platform after their scheduled time?

Yes! Most sessions will have a video playback on the conference platform for one month after. After that, the videos will be made available to IDA members in our video library.

Please note that all closed sessions and breakouts will take place live only, and recordings will not be available outside their scheduled times. These sessions will be marked “No Livestream” and “No Recorded Playback” on the conference schedule.

What are the in-person venues in LA?

The Conference will be held at the following venues throughout Little Tokyo:

Union Center for the Arts:
120 Judge John Aiso St, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Japanese American National Museum:
100 N Central Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Japanese American Cultural and Community Center:
244 San Pedro St, Los Angeles, CA 90012

Are all of them wheelchair accessible?

All venues have been screened for accessibility and ADA compliance. While we understand accessibility needs are deeply varied between each person, we will make accessibility contacts available with additional accessibility information.

Do your venues offer single stall restroom options?

Yes. Restrooms with stall options are available in all three venues. We have both gender-neutral and urinal-specific restrooms available for all participants. They will be marked accordingly at each venue.

What is the process for credentialing a support person?

Please email access@documentary.org with a request. We will inquire about the name of the mobility support person for identification purposes, and then we will provide an access code for registering for the conference.

Will all staff and volunteers undergo accessibility training?

Yes, all staff and volunteers will undergo accessibility training. We have an accessibility coordinator on staff who will be available by phone and email during the online portion of the event, and in person at each venue. We will also have dedicated access volunteers supporting programming at all three venues.

Testimonials From Past Getting Reals

“My experience was incredible. All of the staff and volunteers were kind and helpful. All of the filmmakers I met were so ready and willing to connect and share knowledge. There were many last-minute changes, but the email communication was clear and consistent, making it easier to navigate all the moving pieces. All in all, it was an incredible experience.” —Thanh Tran

Testimonials From Past Getting Reals

“I loved it. The quality of the curation was absolutely stellar, and attending was a communal event in the best sense: I really appreciate how you welcomed everyone from top-level industry insiders to film students (and all the rest of us in between) on an equal level. It felt democratic, accessible, inclusive. To be clear, I only attended the ‘live’ events, not the virtual ones, since I was there on-site. I really appreciated the variation in the programming, which had a clear theme, but which allowed for every talk to unfold on its own terms. In my experience, the talks felt genuine, honest, and ‘human’ in a way that some industry events do not manage to achieve. There was political commitment and a shared sense of cause, and I appreciate how it was made clear in text and talk that this was a forum in which everyone was encouraged to freely speak their mind and voice their opinion. I also really liked the ones about form and craft/art, as well as the one about using AI for concrete practices. For all those reasons, I find it hard to single out highlights, as Getting Real was so very rewarding as a complete experience. Also, it should be said that it was really great FUN too.”

—Mads K. Mikkelsen

“I loved connecting with the people there. The people were really great. I feel like I made some really organic connections, and it was also nice to reconnect in person with some folks that I had met virtually during the pandemic.”

—Anonymous