Los Angeles, CA (February 1, 2023) –– International Documentary Association (IDA) announced that Orwa Nyrabia, Syrian filmmaker, activist, and Artistic Director of IDFA (International Documentary Festival Amsterdam) and Chris Albert, Executive Vice President, Marketing and Communications for National Geographic Content and Disney Branded Television, joined the organization’s Board of Directors. Orwa Nyrabia and Chris Albert join the IDA board of directors of 10 members including Grace Lee (Co-President), Chris Pérez (Co-President), Amir Shahkhalili (Secretary), Marcia Smith (Treasurer), Hallee
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Nowhere is the commercialization of the nonfiction field seemingly more apparent than at the Sundance Film Festival. With entertaining documentaries this year on Michael J. Fox, Little Richard, the Indigo Girls, Brooke Shields, Stephen Curry, and Judy Blume, this year’s festival could easily be framed as the further mainstreaming of the documentary form, packaged into recognizable names and formulas by the likes of Apple, Amazon, Netflix, CNN, Showtime, and Hulu. And yet, there were also some countervailing trends. Despite a perceived “rocky” market for independent docs looking for buyers (as
IDA is proud to announce the renewal of partnership with Getty Images and new benefits for IDA members! As home to the largest privately owned archive in the world, with over 300 million editorial and creative photos, over 11 million video clips, and a full selection of music tracks and sound effects, Getty Images provides an unparalleled and comprehensive look into the past—whether you’re seeking something familiar or something unique. Getty Images is an invaluable resource whether you are a seasoned filmmaker or have just started! As part of this membership, IDA members receive the following
During my 15 years in prison, numerous filmmakers and media professionals entered the facilities where I was housed with the intention of telling the stories of the people inside. Some hoped to shed light into dark spaces that our society has created; others hoped to fulfill the appetites of mainstream audiences desiring the thrill of the sensational. During my time inside, I observed an outside film crew producing a big budget film involving incarcerated people as their central participants. The directors and producers earned the trust of the incarcerated participants by approaching those
Afton Quast Saler is a documentary and narrative fiction filmmaker, writer, and performer, who is committed to disability and mental health advocacy through the arts. She started her professional career in the arts at 13 years old, touring as an actress in Europe and regional theaters across the country. After training at the T. Schreiber Studio Conservatory in New York City, where she would begin writing short plays, she began to discover the purest reflection of herself in a passion for writing, directing, and creating her own work. Afton’s writing has since won awards in screenwriting
Dear Readers, After 22 ½ years as Editor of Documentary magazine, I have decided to step down. On September 10, 2001, I was on a flight from Boston to Los Angeles, having visited my wife that weekend, who was attending the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard. She wanted me to stay an extra day, and leave the next morning–September 11. She was disappointed that I didn’t honor her wishes. And then the same plane I had taken the previous day was flown into the World Trade Center. In my long tenure as editor, I often think about 9/11. I think about those who were on the plane I might have
IDA management voluntarily recognized Documentary Workers United (DWU), the labor organization formed by IDA bargaining unit employees as part of the Communication Workers of America (CWA Local 9003). The Union and IDA management began negotiating a comprehensive Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
At first glance, the story of the landmark 1961 desegregation case Taylor vs. Board of Education, which originated in New Rochelle, New York, might not seem like obvious material for a white, Los Angeles-based theater director-writer-actor to tackle for her feature doc debut. But then, Arden Teresa Lewis happens to be a native of New Rochelle—once dubbed the "Little Rock of the North”—and her childhood was shaped by a diverse community whose grassroots demand for change had led all the way to the US Supreme Court.
Jasmín Mara López is a Mexican-American filmmaker living between Los Angeles and New Orleans. Born in the U.S. with familial roots in México, her childhood was affected by issues experienced on both sides of the U.S.- México border. This instilled in her a strong passion for immigrant rights, youth empowerment, and social change. Jasmín founded Project Luz, workshops which taught Mexican youth to document stories from within their community. Her audio documentary Deadly Divide: Migrant Death on the Border received the Society of Professional Journalists’ Excellence in Journalism Award. Most
BY Kristal Sotomayor & Eddie Hustleby