Talking Docs at the Forum: A Primer for 2025’s Documentary Rich Schedule
The Film Independent Forum has always been a great resource for all types of filmmakers. As today’s filmmakers seem to move seamlessly between fiction, documentary, big screen and small screen, most or our sessions reflect that, by encompassing relevant issues across the board. However, today we want to highlight three amazing panels bringing to the foreground the rich world of documentary filmmaking.
Here’s a closer look at Here’s a closer look at some of the sessions of interest for the documentary filmmaker and fan in all of us.
New Wave: Filmmakers — Making Movies for Change
Friday 3:30pm (DGA 2)
Film has the ability to put the viewer into someone else’s reality. This is especially powerful in documentary, where it can bring light to social, environmental, and political issues and come from real people’s experience. The tricky part is achieving your goal of creating work that can bring about change, while sustaining the financial viability for you and the project. The New Wave: Filmmakers brings together three of the next generation of filmmakers who are doing both, with insights from Andrew Corkin (Producer, Rosemead, Pepsi Where’s My Jet?), Sam Mirpoorian (Director, Greener Pastures, Safe Place), and Shoshannah Stern (Director, Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore). The discussion will be Moderated by Rosalina Jowers (VP of Strategic Communications, Inside Projects).
Presented in partnership with SAGindie, Easterseals Disability Services, and Plot Shift Media.
Drawing a Line in the Sand: Documentary Ethics and Self-Care
Saturday 10:00 am (DGA 2)
Non-fiction filmmaking is… different. There are the participants that don’t just show up at a specific call time like actors do, there’s the reality of dealing with fast evolving situations and portraying real people while they’re navigating complex life events; and then, there’s the need to maintain a level head while working in physically and psychologically challenging conditions while making thoughtful ethical decisions under difficult circumstances. Filmmakers including Emma D. Miller (Director/Producer, What We Leave Behind, Mistress Dispeller) and Anayansi Prado (Director, Uvalde Mom), and moderator Steffie van Rhee (Producer, Earth to Michael) member of the Documentary Producers Alliance share insights into navigating ethical decisions and how you can take care of yourself in the process (hint: it’s more than just taking a spa day).
Documentary Case Studies: Exploring the Form with Lauren Greenfield
Saturday 3:15 pm (DGA 2)
Documentary has grown massively in popularity during the streaming era. With a good hook, a film can find a huge audience and become the talk of the water cooler. But a whole new documentary style has been burning up the ‘Most Watched’ section of your favorite streamer: the docu-series. Shows like 100 Foot Wave, Cheer and Welcome to Wrexham are so successful, they get renewed year after year, and series like Social Studies and Hollywood Black rack up the Spirit Award wins and nominations.
Few filmmakers have navigated the evolving documentary landscape as prolifically as Lauren Greenfield, whose acclaimed work spans feature documentaries like Thin and The Queen of Versailles, to her Emmy-nominated series Social Studies.
Greenfield will share what works for both non-fiction series and features: how they’re different, what to look for in participants, how to scale up a production, and how distribution acts differently in each case.
Moderated by Ryan White (Director, Come See Me in the Good Light, Good Night Oppy)
A Community for Storytellers
The action at the Forum isn’t just up on stage. Events like Industry Connect allow you to meet one-on-one with agents, casting directors, distributors, film festivals, funding organizations, production companies, and other industry professionals to bring your career or project to the next level.
What makes the Forum special is that it brings together the Film Independent community in person, and let’s them make their own magic. Whether you’re a documentarian or not, the community that comes together for the Forum is there for you to connect with, share your own knowledge and forge new relationships.
Passes are available now, with discounted rates for Film Independent Members. For full program details, visit filmindependent.org/forum.
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