This month, we have the great opportunity to highlight three rising stars and Northwestern University Documentary Media program graduate students
IDA Member Spotlight
Biljana Tutorov is a writer, director, and producer of feature and documentary films, video works, and performances focused on women-driven stories
Aaron Bear is an award-winning filmmaker whose work is defined by a rare combination of deeply empathetic storytelling and a relentless commitment to amplifying marginalized voices. His most recent documentary, Yes I Am: The Ric Weiland Story (2021), won the prestigious 2024 GLAAD Media Award, cementing his place as one of today’s most impactful and visionary documentarians. Known for his ability to capture the raw, unfiltered essence of his subjects, Aaron’s films go beyond surface-level narratives, delving into the humanity and complexity that often go unseen. Aaron’s career is marked by influential partnerships and creative leadership with having directed the 2016 groundbreaking Trans documentary Finding Kim and producing the upcoming 2025 short documentary Shelly's Leg - about the legacy of legendary and Seattle's very first gay bar.
Reed Martin is a documentary filmmaker from Carlsbad, California. While completing his BFA in Film & TV Production at USC, he directed A Hand to Hold, an award-winning documentary short aired on PBS SoCal.
Berry Hahn is a French-Malagasy sales agent, independent consultant, and international liaison. Previously, she was a film programmer and documentary
Asako Fujioka is an independent consultant and producer with a focus on strengthening the creative documentary genre in Asia. She has worked with the
Bircan is a documentary filmmaker working between Scotland and Turkey. After a period in journalism, she found her true passion in creative
Advik Beni is a South African filmmaker and curator currently based in Los Angeles. Through a practice steeped in South African traditions of orality, their work aims to create imagined spaces for marginalized people to express grief and trauma.
Rodolfo Castillo-Morales is a Mexican filmmaker and programmer. He has participated in several fiction and documentary short films, video art installations, feature and documentary series, and has photogpraphed documentaries with directors from Mexico, Spain, El Salvador and Serbia. He was the programmer of DocsMX and co-creator of Plataforma MX in Mexico City. Today he’s the Programming Director of the Guadalajara International Film Festival (FICG) and the FICG Cinematheque as well as General Coordinator of DocuLab: Documentary Laboratory. Currently, he is preparing two documentary features as director, writer, and Cinematographer.
Elahe is an award-winning filmmaker. Her films include 'The Doll' (Critics Choice Nominee, IDA Nominee, Student Academy Awards, Best International Short Hot Docs 2021), 'Can I Hug You?' (Sheffield Doc/Fest 2023, SIMA Awards Best Short 2024), and 'A Move' (Visions du Réel 2024 Best Youth Jury Short) which spanned over 50 festivals and competitions, reflects her prowess in storytelling and women's rights advocacy. Elahe's projects are supported by IDA, One World Media; awarded on forums such as Dok Leipzig Short-n-sweet; and broadcasted/streamed via platforms such as NPO, VPRO, DW, VG, etc.