Robb Montgomery

Heading to Washington to be a film student for two days this week. American University and the Center for Social Media are hosting a two day documentary filmmakers workshop.

Here’s the schedule.

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 12th

4:30 Registration opens
5:30 Introduction by School of Communication’s Dean Larry Kirkman
5:50 Mini-keynote: George Stoney on ethics in social-issue film
6:15 Keynote: Gordon Quinn and the ethics of Cinema Verite
7:30 Reception

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 13TH

9:00 Registration, coffee/bagels, and demos
10:00 Welcome and Logistics
10:15 Panel: Money and Mission

An in-depth look at the issue of funding social issue media, and how to meet the demands of funders while also fulfilling the ethical needs of your mission. Featuring:

Danny Alpert, Executive Producer of See3 and Kindling Group
Julie Goldman, founder of Cactus Three Films
Alyce Myatt, Executive Director of Grantmakers in Film + Electronic Media
Sheila Leddy, Executive Director of the Fledgling Fund

11:45 Announcements/Shout-outs

11:50 Birds of a Feather Lunch

Birds of a Feather lunch is a way to sign up for a theme or issue you would like to discuss before the conference, network online with people with similar interests, and meet for lunch to discuss that topic. You can sign up for your BOF group or create a new one on our networking site.
1:15 Raffle

1:30 Panel: Outreach and Connection

This panel will focus on the various ways that outreach and audience connection can be incorporated into social-issue media, and provide new approaches in measuring impact. Featuring:

Andrew Mer of Snagfilms
Almudena Carracedo and Robert Bahar, film makers of Made in LA
Scott Kirsner, author of CinemaTech
Maia L. Ermita, Director of Festival and Outreach at Arts Engine
Wendy Levy, Director of Creative Programming of the Bay Area Video Coalition

3:00 Networking Break

3:30 Panel: Art, Ethics and Mission

What happens when you make a beautiful film about a dark subject? This panel will take a look at how to marry the ethics of media making with the aesthetic choices required to make powerful art. Featuring:

Sean Fine and Andrea Nix Fine, film makers of War Dance
Cara Mertes, Director of the Sundance Documentary Film Program
Thomas Allen Harris, Director of Chimpanzee Productions
Sky Sitney, Programming Director of SILVERDOCS

5:00 Reception