Doc Society's
Impact Distribution Essentials
Are you working on an amazing documentary film and need some inspiration to plan your impact campaign? Would you like to talk through how COVID-19 is changing the distribution and impact landscape? Or perhaps you are keen to learn more about how to work with impact distribution strategies to create social change?
We are inviting 20 global Impact Producers and/ or social change strategists working with communications to join the Doc Society team for our Impact Distribution Essentials Lab from 14 - 17 June 2021. Join us for four virtual sessions of conversation and debate with fellow IP’s from around the world who are working at the intersection of storytelling and impact.
Applications are open now and we would love to hear from you whether it's your first campaign or your fifth; whether you are working with a short film, a TV series or feature doc; from inside a production company, as a freelancer or working with film from within a NGO. During the 4-day participatory gathering, we will share ideas and resources, pour over case studies and dissect effective strategies for using independent documentary film as a tool for social or environmental change.
In the context of new politics and social movements defining 2021 as well as the shadow of the ongoing global pandemic - never has the work of Impact Producers been more urgent and more useful. Let’s do this work smarter, together.
There is no fee to apply nor to participate in the Lab. Instead, we would like to support you to be able to take part with a small contribution towards your time.
The Impact Distribution Essentials Lab is made possible with the generous support of:
Successful applicants will be informed by 31st May 2021.
“Doc Society bring a rare combination of expertise, positive energy and a nurturing, enabling attitude to the field of documentary distribution and impact. The Impact Lab couldn't be more necessary for a field that is dangerously moving into formatted, commercially friendly reality television style big screen content.”
Elhum Shakerifar, Producer & Impact Producer at Postcode Films (UK)
“One of the biggest values of the lab for me was to be connected to a bigger community of wise, fierce, effective people who are experimenting with different models. There was a strong foundation of sharing a number and variety of excellent models to use as a reference for thinking about / building impact campaigns - but also for having resources / people who built those campaigns, who we can each connect to to drill in further in the future.”
Anya Rous, Resource Generation (USA)
“Doc Society is the absolute proof that there is no compromise to be made between art and impact. It is the fixed point that will move the documentary world, and they have evidence to show for it. Their passion is only second to their expertise, and if you're looking for the single organization that can bridge the gap between masterful filmmaking and strategic campaigning, look no further.”
John Senior, Advocacy & Campaigns Officer at Crisis Action (France)
For further information on our Impact Labs visit https://goodpitch.org/about/#labs, check out the Impact Field Guide or contact Nicole van Schaik, Director of Development at Doc Society: nicole@docsociety.org.
Doc Society is a non-profit founded in the UK in 2005, committed to enabling great documentaries and connecting them to audiences globally.
We have 24 team members, the majority headquartered in the UK with further cells in the USA, Australia and the Netherlands.
Our mission is to bring people together to unleash the transformational power of independent documentary film. We support artist-driven film with social purpose and help to create a more connected and sustainable media ecosystem globally.
A commitment to anti-racism, economic equity and climate justice is embedded in and informs all we do.
We work with independent storytellers, impact producers and journalists in 37 countries, whilst helping to build the capacity of a network of peer cultural organisations, connecting Europe to India to East Africa, South East Asia and Latin America.
Our programme activity is centered around initiatives which improve the documentary and media ecosystem globally, such as Good Pitch, Climate Story Lab, Impact Field Guide, Safe+Secure, Doc Impact Hi5.