DOC TALKS

Mountainfilm’s DocTalks will take place at the Ah Haa School for the Arts in the Launchpad (third floor). Sessions will focus on career development and filmmaker support. Sessions will be hosted by various organizations, including Doc Society, The Redford Center, The New Yorker and The North Face.

DocTalk workshops are intended for filmmakers and festival guests. The public is welcome after festival guest passholders have been seated.

DOCTALK #1

FRIDAY, 5 PM

MEET THE MOUNTAINFILM JURIES PLUS INDUSTRY GUESTS

We’ve heard it a lot lately – the golden age of documentaries is dead. But before we succumb to the gloom and doom and the gnashing of teeth, let’s discuss a vision for the future. Our esteemed panelists will include a selection of this year’s jury along with industry guests as they discuss what’s on the horizon in the documentary landscape. They will also offer filmmaker advocacy tips, including how to build relationships with collaborators and decisionmakers in the industry.

Followed by a reception on the Ah Haa Sky Deck hosted by Exposure Labs (festival guest passholders only).

DOCTALK #2

SATURDAY, 10 AM

THE REDFORD CENTER: STORYTELLING STRATEGIES FOR CLIMATE SOLUTIONS

Electric cars, reusable water bottles and straws, and solar panels. What do these things have in common? They’re some of the most popular environmental solutions presented to us, yet our collective imagination seems to start and stop with these possibilities. We know it’s going to take a lot more than short-term fixes and commercial efforts to tackle the larger issues facing our planet. It’s time to move beyond and reimagine our future. This begins with the stories we tell ourselves and each other. Join us for a discussion exploring film’s ability to revolutionize the way we approach the climate crisis. From redefining sustainability, addressing environmental injustice and barriers to access, and mobilizing collective action, you’ll learn about key narrative strategies that transform storytelling impact.

Panelists: Jill Tidman, Megha Agrawal Sood, Hannah Hearn, Jeff OrlowskiYang and Tracy Rector

Hosted by The Redford Center

DOCTALK #3

SATURDAY, 5 PM

FILMMAKER CREATIVE WORKSHOP THE NORTH FACE PRESENTS: HOW AN OUTDOOR FILM IS MADE

Kaki Orr and Rob Wassmer of The North Face will walk through the creation of a film through the lens of an outdoor brand. In describing their process, they will touch on storytelling ethos, creative intent, production management and distribution — all in hopes of providing lessons and conversation around modern-day branded content creation.

Hosted by The North Face

DOCTALK #4

SUNDAY, 10 AM

DOC SHORTS 101

With

THE NEW YORKER

Short documentaries have found a powerful home on legacy journalism platforms. The New Yorker’s mission is to create impactful films with a deep sense of purpose, and it has built its programming around that commitment. The team at The New Yorker joins DocTalks to share how it collaborates with established and emerging filmmakers to further expand its vision and elevate the magazine’s award-winning series, The New Yorker Documentary.

Panelists: Daniel Lombroso and Melissa Fajardo

Hosted by The New Yorker

DOCTALK #5

SUNDAY, 5 PM

SOAPBOX FOR THE FUTURE

(OF

DOCUMENTARY FILM)

As the independent storytelling field continues to face an onslaught of challenges, let’s take a moment to come together as a community to envision the future we all need and deserve. Join Doc Society’s Megha Agrawal Sood, Mountainfilm Guest Director Bill McKibben, and a group of storytellers and industry leaders, including dream hampton, Opal Bennett and Brian Newman. Together we will collectively imagine a better future for documentary film, for makers and audiences alike.

Hosted by Doc Society