In partnership with the Documentary Producer’s Alliance (DPA), Firelight Media‘s award-winning Beyond Resilience series will host a panel discussion exploring the critical but often unheard voices of underrepresented documentary producers. Discover how empowering these voices can address key gaps in the documentary industry, paving the way for a future that strengthens both the impact of independent producers and the industry at large.
Join moderator Geeta Gandbhir (Born in Synanon) alongside panelists Nicole Docta (The Dead Zone), Laurens Grant (Black in Space: Breaking the Color Barrier), and Robinder Uppal (Love in the Time of Fentanyl) for an informative and inspiring conversation about claiming space for underrepresented producers in nonfiction filmmaking, spotlighting the need for more films for us and by us, and exploring how these creatives are not only fitting into the industry but actively redefining it. The event will be introduced by Firelight Media’s own Monika Navarro.
With the growing demand for films and docuseries focused on communities of color and underrepresented groups, how are producers from these groups claiming power in an industry that has largely excluded them from the talent pipeline? What critical insights are studios, executives, and directors missing out on that underrepresented producers bring to tackling industry-wide issues—from ethical dilemmas to staffing to inclusivity? And how could these producers drive the industry toward a more equitable, thriving documentary ecosystem?
Accessibility Notice: This event will include live ASL interpretation and closed captions.
—
The Beyond Resilience Series is sponsored by Open Society Foundations. Beyond Resilience is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, the National Endowment for the Arts, and Field of Vision.
—
About the Documentary Producers Alliance (DPA)
Established in 2016, the Documentary Producers Alliance (DPA) is a diverse coalition of more than 500 international members, ranging from emerging to Academy Award-winning documentary producers. The DPA sets standards for inclusive, sustainable and equitable business practices based on research, collective experience and input from strategic partners, amplifying the voice of documentary producers worldwide, while educating the industry about producers’ essential role from development through financing, production and distribution.
About Firelight Media
Co-founded by filmmakers Stanley Nelson and Marcia Smith, Firelight Media is a nonprofit organization that supports the creation, distribution, and impact of documentary media by and about communities of color in all our vibrance and complexity. By providing filmmakers mentorship, funding, and creative development, we seek to advance the art of nonfiction storytelling to realize a more just and beautiful world.
