Doc Chicago

Join us at Doc Chicago for an afternoon of informative panels, small group discussions, a case study, and opportunities to meet other documentary filmmakers. Doc Chicago is rooted in a spirit of mutual aid and we are so grateful to the many local filmmakers who are contributing their expertise and time as speakers, moderators, and volunteers this year! Much gratitude to the Chicago Film Office/DCASE for hosting us again at the beautiful Chicago Cultural Center! What's on the schedule? "Ask Me Anything" Circles Join our topic-driven version of “speed-dating”! Each corner of the room will have one or two experts who will engage in small group conversations about a specific topic (e.g. documentary producing or editing). This will be a fun way to meet new people while learning from accomplished filmmakers like Margaret Byrne (Beti Films), Donnie Seals Jr. (Digifé), Leslie Simmer, Judith McCray (Juneteenth Productions) and Risé Sanders-Weir, among others. Flash Presentations Interspersed throughout the afternoon, these brief presentations will cover topics ranging from archives to AI to the DPA's ethics resource library. Presenters will include Ashley Dequilla, Alexandra Halkin, Risé Sanders-Weir, among others. Case Study: You Don’t Know Chi What goes into producing a successful short form series? In this case study, we'll learn about You Don’t Know Chi, an Emmy Awards winning series created and hosted by Chicago historian Shermann “Dilla” Thomas, taking viewers on a journey through Chicago’s rich history and diverse neighborhoods. Directed by Eric D. Seals and Donnie Seals Jr. for their production company Digifé. Moderated by Cindy Martin. Panel 1: Documentary Storytelling and Media Activism Chicago became an unexpected epicenter of America’s immigration story – a sanctuary city in the crosshairs of the Trump Administration's immigration policy. While CBP and ICE were patrolling the city and suburbs to often times violently abduct immigrants, neighbors came together to protect one another. This panel will explore how documentary storytelling and media activism address this crisis, delving into issues of filmmaker safety, subject protection and care, and the pitfalls of social media. The panel features Arise Chicago organizer Jorge Mújica alongside award-winning photographer and documentary filmmaker Carlos Javier Ortiz and producer and Director of Americas Media Initiative, Alexandra Halkin, who will discuss their work-in-progress feature documentary El Sueño/The Dream. Moderated by Alex Morelli. Panel 2: DIY Distribution The speakers on this panel will share valuable experience about how they've approached educational distribution, setting up film tours, impact producing, and navigating the PBS system with their independent docs. Panelists will include filmmaker and New Day member Kyle Henry (Time Passages), veteran PBS producer Dan Protess (In Their Hands, From Rails to Trails), and Naomi Walker (Global Impact Producers Alliance). Moderated by producer Risé Sanders-Weir. Discussion: The Road Forward We’ll close out our day in small group discussions reflecting on the challenges our field faces, dreams and responsibilities we share, and actions we can take locally. We invite you to share the issues you face and bring your own ideas about the future of documentary to these conversations with other filmmakers. TIPS: If you enter the Cultural Center from the Randolph Street side, the Studio Theater is just a few steps from the entrance. Bring a refillable water bottle – a bottle refilling station is located on the first floor close to our meeting space. Find out what we do throughout the year and sign up for our mailing list at [hidden] More Info below.