The idiom to "make the weather" signifies an ability to make a difference, to exert influence or control, shaping power over a situation or a group.  This was the invitation and entreaty from Shoshana Zuboff - Scholar, Activist, Author of The Age of Surveillance Capitalism and Professor Emerita at Harvard Business School - who opened Doc Society’s Big Tech Narrative Initiative. Inspiring the assembled storytellers to think about the ways we can and must translate the impacts of Big Tech on our communities and collective futures.

 

"We must make our own weather, and your art can inspire us. Be part of this grand undertaking… As storytellers, journalists, and publishers, you have a mighty voice. You have a critical role to play in this still unfolding drama because your work can expose the hidden structures of power and abstract violence that define our everyday conditions. This is how we learn to resist habituation to that which is intolerable. Help us understand where we have wandered. Help us imagine a new path home.

 

Show us communities, families, neighborhoods. Show us alliances, not enemies. Show us inclusion, not exclusion. When they celebrate each time the machines beat the humans, it's your turn to exalt and extol what humans are, and what humans do. When they mock slow, you celebrate slow. When their vision of the future shows us how we do not want to live, then you help us imagine and articulate how we do want to live, how we all yearn to live. 

 

These distinctions are good news. They tell us that the harms we experience are not the inevitable product of technological necessity.  Anything made by people can be unmade and remade by people. 

 

It is wholly within the capabilities of the democratic order to abolish surveillance capitalism and free the digital from its iron cage in order to reimagine, to reinvent, and to reclaim our information civilization for a democratic future nourished by data, information, and knowledge. And you, my friends, you, can show us that future.” 

 

Rock on Shoshana. 

 

You can listen to or read the full keynote right here. 

And when you are ready - press play on this cheeky little playlist inspired by our beloved colleague Naomi Walker and read on for more good news, ideas and information to get us on track for 2025. 

 

Yours with love and solidarity,

team Doc Society

Image Credit: Harry Lawson 

OUR VERY BIG CONGRATULATIONS from the Doc Society BFI team to the following filmmakers, we cannot wait to see these projects come to life. 

 

Made of Truth Projects

Can’t Get You Out Of My Head - Director: Angela Clarke  Producer: Gannesh Rajah

Untitled - Director: Amber Akaunu   Producer: Honey Crespo

Finding You - Director: Fionnuala McCormack   Producer: Rosie McNally

Here to Stay - Director: Sheida Kiran    Producer: Lucy Draper

Life of Kai - Trans boy to man - Director: Fox Fisher   Producer: Just Pickles

Portrait of Girl / Girlhood - Director: Miranda Stern   Producer: Ashionye Ogene

RAP BABY - Director:  Daisy Ifama  Producer: Daisy Taylor

Right Hand to God, But There Eyes Were Watching Me - Director: Ufuoma Essi   

'S e Nis an t-Àm - Director: Andrew Black   Producer: Daniel Hughes

Sacred Kinship Anthem - Director: Evan Ifekoya   Producer: Ese Jade Onojeruo

School Reel (working title) - Director: Rabie Mustapha   Producer: Chris Kelly

Stepney Western - Director: Harry Lawson   Producer: Annie Flynn

The Labyrinth - Director: Gagandeep Chahal   Producers: Tolu Stedford, Lily Usher

The Walnut of Knowledge - Director: Niyaz Saghari    Producer: Xenia Glen

Tied Island - Director: Rebekah Lowri Llewelyn   Producer: Molly Mason 

Tŷ Unnos - Directors: Lily Tiger, Nina Maria  Producer: Rhys Jones

 

RAD Fund Projects

Rotimi, Becoming - Dir: Joseph a. Adesunloye

A View From The Edge  - Dir: Jodie Taylor, Prod: Chloe White 

Trouble In Paradise - Dir: Cassie Quarless 

Monument to the Vanquished Peasant: A People’s History of Enclosure - Dir: Leah Gordon

Labour & Love  - Dir: Lotje Sodderland, Prod: Helen Spooner

Freedom Dreaming  - Dir: Rhea Storr

Cripping Up  - Dir: Amy Crighton, Prod: Meg Fozzard

Electric Waves - Dir. Natalie Cubides-Brady, Prod: Jacob Swan Hyam

Fallout - Dir: Isaac Knights-Washbourn, Prod: Nadja Lapcevic

Time Pieces - Dir: Carol Salter

A Radical Duet - Dir: Onyeka Igwe, Prod: Fawzia Mahmood

Flesh and Flamingos  - Dir: Dominic Leclerc, Prod: Ameenah Ayub Allen; Co-Prod: Sarah Mavity

IT'S THAT TIME AGAIN - this year's call for applications for our Climate Story Fund will open on February 10, 2025. The Climate Story Fund provides grants of up to $125,000 for:

Completing production of nonfiction projects.

Piloting impact campaigns for nonfiction and fiction projects.

We’re seeking stories from anywhere in the world that highlight the interconnectedness of life and inspire climate action for a more inclusive, equitable, and resilient future. We’re looking for narratives that emotionally engage audiences and ignite visions of a world where environmental restoration aligns with social justice, political accountability, ethical migration policies, and responsible technology.

For details, grantee stories, and to assess your project’s fit, visit our website. 

CALLING ALL INTERESTED IMPACT CURIOUS FILMMAKERS: 

Keen on learning more about impact campaigns, what it means to create a campaign for your film and learn more about the role of an Impact Producer?

GIPA coordinators will present a free webinar on “What is an Impact campaign?”

RSVP is required for this virtual session; follow this link to register.

We’re thrilled to have these powerhouses with us:

Prash Naik  - Non-Executive Board Member – Doc Society Foundation Board

Prash is the former General Counsel for Channel 4 Television and a co-founder of the specialist media practice Creators Counsel through which he also acts as legal counsel to the Doc Society advising on their film slate.

 

Shireen Irani  - Non-Executive Board Member - Doc Society Foundation Board

Shireen is the founder of iProbono, an organisation enabling people to access their rights in pursuit of a just society. She works with activists, NGOs, foundations and filmmakers to strategize and implement programs, with a focus on South Asia.

 

Biswas - Trustee

K Biswas is a critic who has written about culture and politics for the New Statesman, New York Times, The Nation, Le Monde Diplomatique, and the Times Literary Supplement. He is the Editor of Representology: The Journal of Media and Diversity, Chair of the charity Heard, and Director of Resonance FM, Europe's most popular community radio station. A media theorist and long-standing expert on populism and the rise of the far right, he has worked with Doc Society on storytelling impact campaigns, facilitating conversations around climate and democracy, and organising parliamentary screenings.

 

Bob Alotta - Director

Bob Alotta is a movement strategist, radical philanthropist and non profit executive working at the intersection of creativity, human rights and technology.  Most recently, Bob served as Senior Vice President, Global Programs at Mozilla, where they led a grantmaking portfolio of over $20M annually spanning five continents. Bob also leads an international portfolio of award winning events, research, and fellowships centered on trustworthy AI and data agency. Their goal: to expand and diversify the infrastructure that allows like-minded activists to network, succeed, and operate at a level greater than the sum of their parts, so that technology may serve the public interest.

 

Barbara Truyen - Non-Executive Board Member - Doc Society Foundation Board

Within the Dutch public broadcaster VPRO’s documentary department, Barbara is currently innovating  international coproduction and strategic alliances for both Dutch documentary films and series that have international potential and international projects which are relevant to a Dutch audience. She is also the chairlady of the EBU documentary group.

 

Mathieu Lefevre - Non-Executive Board Member - Doc Society Foundation Board

Mathieu Lefevre is the co-founder and CEO of More in Common, a non-profit working to understand the forces driving us apart, find common ground and bring people together to tackle shared challenges. 

 

Sahar Driver - Director 

Sahar Driver, Co-Founder + Co-Executive Director of Color Congress, is a veteran documentary impact strategist, field builder, and researcher. Her career has focused on social and cultural transformation through nonfiction storytelling. In 2020 she authored the Ford Foundation commissioned report: Beyond Inclusion: The Critical Role of People of Color in the U.S. Documentary Ecosystem.

 

Yvette J. Alberdingk Thijm, who is on our Stichting Doc Society Board, has also joined the Doc Society Inc Board as a Director. 

Former Executive Director of WITNESS, Yvette is a  human rights leader and a systems thinker, who is an active collaborator in global activist communities and social justice organizations, working to positively transform our world and ecosystem. Her passion point and expertise live on the intersection of storytelling, technology, and human rights. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To read more on Doc Society’s board members and get to know everyone, head to our website. 

Hold tight - there’s a lot….. 

SHEFFIELD DOCFEST  MEETMARKET ENTRIES IS FAST APPROACHING 

The final deadline for project entries is 5 February 2025. Full entry guidelines and applications can be found here.

 

GOOD MEDIA PITCH WANTS YOUR STORIES. 

Germany’s first film and impact program - The Good Media Pitch - enters its 2nd year alongside the Dokumentale film festival. We are seeking projects that want to kick-start their impact campaign endeavors through our program! They can accommodate projects with a Berlin connection as well as 1 German and 1 international project. 

All info here, apply here. Deadline: January 31.

 

IDFA PROJECT SPACE IS OPEN FOR APPLICATIONS. 

Calling all first- or second-time directors, get your submissions in before their February 14th deadline. Check out the website for more info.

 

ENCOUNTERS 2025 FESTIVAL DATES AND SUBMISSION CALL ANNOUNCED

The brilliant Encounters South African International Documentary Film Festival is seeking documentary submissions before their deadline on Monday, 24 February, 2025. Head here to learn more and submit your work.

 

NEWFEST’S NEW VOICES 

One for US based emerging LGBTQIA+ filmmakers - NewFest’s New Voices Filmmaker Grant is currently accepting submissions through February 13, 2025. Learn more and apply here!

 

LYFTA SUBMISSIONS OPEN UNTIL FRIDAY 31ST JANUARY

Lyfta is an immersive learning platform that commissions and distributes short documentary films and 360° immersive content to young audiences in educational spaces. They are now inviting filmmakers to send them proposals for short documentaries in three key areas: health, food, and lifestyle choices, the basics of democracy and financial literacy. More info here.

 

GRIERSON DOCLAB: NEW ENTRANTS APPLICATION OPEN 

The Grierson DocLab: New Entrants is for UK-based 18-25 year olds with a passion for documentary and factual TV seeking knowledge, connections and work experience to launch their doc careers. Deadline to apply is Thursday 20 February, with a webinar to find out more taking place Wednesday 22 January.

 

DIANE WEYERMANN FELLOWSHIP APPLICATIONS - OPEN UNTIL FEB 3

Our friends at the Points North Institute are seeking applications for the Diane Weyermann Fellowship. The fellowship is an extraordinary opportunity to receive funding and bespoke mentorship aligned with Diane’s and CIFF’s values. The deadline is February 3 at 11:59pm EST. Learn more here. 

 

THIRD WORLD NEWSREEL PRODUCTION WORKSHOP 

Third World Newsreel is currently accepting applications for their Production Workshop, a 6-month course for emerging filmmakers to develop their storytelling skills. Applications are open until January 31st. Learn more here.

 

CATAPULT DEVELOPMENT GRANT NOW OPEN

The wonderful Catapult Film Fund has opened submissions for their Development Grant. Applications close February 12 at 5pm PT.

 

APPLICATIONS ARE NOW OPEN FOR THE 2025 JFI COMPLETION GRANTS! 

These grants from the Jewish Film Institute (@sfjewishfilm) provide crucial finishing funds to film projects that expand understanding of Jewish life, culture, and experiences worldwide. Submit your film by the early bird deadline (January 31) or the final deadline (February 21) - apply here. 

 

UFO SHORT FILM LAB OPEN FOR APPLICATIONS

Calling all early career filmmakers!! UFO is seeking submissions for their next Short Film Lab. Submit your application by February 10!

 

THE LONDON SCREENINGS BREAKTHROUGH STRAND 

Call for Applications is now open until Monday 17 March, 5pm. For more information and apply, click here.

CHECK OUT THE LATEST CASE STUDY FROM THE TEAM BEHIND THE TERRITORY. In celebration of three years since The Territory (Climate Story Fund) premiered at Sundance Film Festival, do yourself a favour and watch how this film smashes every impact metric you can think of - seriously, this one is epic. 

The award winning documentary, The Territory, provides an immersive on-the-ground look at the tireless fight of the Indigenous Uru-eu-wau-wau people against the encroaching deforestation brought by illegal settlers and an association of non-native farmers in the Brazilian Amazon. 

Check out the case study here. To watch the whole film, see it on Disney+

Director: Alex Pritz

Producers: Will N. Miller, Sigrid Jonsson Dyekjær, Darren Aronofsky, Gabriel Uchida, Lizzie Gillett

Executive Producer: Txai Suruí

Lead Impact Producers: Marianna Olinger, José Neto

Core Impact Partners: Kanindé, Jupaú, Documist, Think-Film, Picture Motion, National Geographic Documentary Films, Mídia Indigena, Reprodutora and Lema

Impact Case Study Video Producer: Sandra Tabares-Duque

HOSTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH RADIO SAVIA, WE’VE JUST KICKED OFF THE FIRST EVER AUDIO CLIMATE STORY LAB TO BE HELD LATIN AMERICA. In the Climate Story Unit we’ve learned so much from podcast and audio stories in the last few years, that it felt pretty organic to lean into the idea of a space focused specifically on audio storytellers, dreamed up by the brilliant team of Radio Savia (CSU grantee). We joined forces and last week we kicked off the first edition of an Audio Climate Story Lab! 

 

Through a collaborative approach, we seek to strengthen the network of Latin American podcasts and radio projects, fostering a supportive community that can amplify voices and actions around the climate crisis.

With a mix of virtual and in-person gatherings, we will be convening for the next three months with 6 powerful teams bringing a diversity of formats, stories and audiences: 

 

Orinoco Sin Fin (Colombia) - Listen | Website

Crossing the River (Latin America) - Listen | Websites: mothrights.org, chrgj.org, cerosetenta.uniandes.edu.co

Archipiélago (México) - Listen | Websites: cohesioncomunitaria.org, quesepanquesabemos.com

Guardians of the River (Colombia) - Listen | Youtube: Red Vivx | IG: redvivx

Volvámonos Verdes (Chile) - Listen | Website 

Atizando el Avispero (México) - Listen | Website

Relatos del Futuro (Colombia) - Listen | Website

 

Check out who will be in the room, including the great teams behind these podcasts! and if you have any ideas on how to make this community stronger or want to get involved in someway, please email vanessa@docsociety.org

And if you're wondering how podcasts can have impact campaigns, check out Radio Savia’s very own impact video. 

NOW IN HIGH SCHOOLS - Tunga Afrika is an on online platform integrates African films as a core learning resource in Africa’s education systems, in partnership with Climate Story Lab East Africa, The Kenya National Drama and Film Festival (KNDFF), launched the ‘Climate Storytelling Initiative’ for High schools and tertiary education at a workshop attended by over 2,500 teachers, which included drama and film patrons from learning institutions. 

 

This immersive program combines several activities that align science and storytelling to enhance deep climate conscious understanding that is change inspired.They include a climate storytelling short film competition, film production training and capacity bridging by industry professionals, Films screenings and establishment of an active network of academia stakeholders for climate inspired storytelling. The participants are invited to submit stories reflecting their unique life experiences, that combine community motivated solutions grounded in African realities and indigenous science. For the launch, Tunga Afrika also partnered with DOCUBOX (East Africa Documentary Film Fund) to showcase amazing climate themed stories in a session attended by 1,245 participants from the learning institutions. See more about this initiative on the  Tunga Afrika Platform. 

 

GRAND THEFT HAMLET IN US THEATRES FROM JAN 17TH - Ticket info here

GET YOUR BBC FOUR ON WITH YOUR FAT FRIEND - 10pm 28th Jan  UK Time.

THE FLATS IS COMING TO BERTHA DOCHOUSE IN LONDON.

A stellar lineup of films are hitting the awards session. Congratulations to all teams and nominations. We’re cheering you on!

Sundance Film Festival is in full flow this week and we’re so thrilled for 3 Doc Society supported films making their big debut up on the mountain. 

 

HOW TO BUILD A LIBRARY 

Dirs. & Prods. Maia Lekow, Christopher King

Two intrepid Nairobi women decide to transform what used to be a whites-only library until 1958 into a vibrant cultural hub. Along the way, they must navigate local politics, raise millions for the rebuild, and confront the lingering ghosts of Kenya’s colonial past.

World Premiere | World Cinema Documentary Competition 

 

SEEDS 

Dir. Brittany Shyne

Prod. Danielle Varga 

SEEDS is a portrait of centennial farmers in the geographical south. Using lyrical black and white imagery, this meditative film examines the decline of generational black farmers and the significance of owning land.

World Premiere | U.S. Documentary Competition 

 

THE LIBRARIANS 

Dir. Kim A. Snyder

Prods. Kim A. Snyder, Janique L. Robillard, Maria Cuomo Cole, Jana Edelbaum

As an unprecedented wave of book banning is sparked in Texas, Florida, and beyond, librarians under siege join forces as unlikely defenders fighting for intellectual freedom on the front lines of democracy.

World Premiere | Premieres Section

REMAINING NATIVE  WILL PREMIERE AT SXSW!

We’re so excited to share that Remaining Native will world premiere at SXSW in March! The film was supported by our Climate Story Fund and Threshold Fund. Congrats to the team! 

Directed by Paige Bethmann

Produced by Jessica Epstein, Paige Bethmann, Judd Ehrlich

Ku Stevens (17) is the solo runner at his high school with no coach. Living on the Yerington Paiute reservation in Northwest Nevada he needs more to be seen by his dream school, the University of Oregon. 

As Ku trains, unreconciled emotions unearth the memory of his great-grandfather, Frank Quinn. At 8 years old, Frank ran 50 miles across the desert to escape an Indian boarding school. Frank’s story becomes interwoven with Ku’s journey to run a collegiate qualifying time.

Will Ku outrun his history or will he learn to run in parallel with it to achieve his dreams?

We wanted to congratulate the teams behind BFI Doc Society supported The Taste of Mango and Grand Theft Hamlet on making the BAFTA longlists for Outstanding British Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer. 

We’re sending our biggest congratulations to this year’s Academy Award nominated docs. We are thrilled to see CSU Impact grantee Sugarcane nominated and also send huge kudos to team Queendom and team Hollywoodgate for making the Academy’s Best Documentary Award Shortlist. We see you! 

Sending our love to all films recognized by this year’s Cinema Eye Honors, and special congrats to two Doc Society supported winners 

• Spotlight: Black Snow - Dir. Alina Simone, Prod. Kirstine Barfod
• Unforgettables Honoree: Jenna Marvin, Queendom

And the GLAAD Awards Nominees are… 

We couldn’t be happier that Hummingbirds (Threshold Fund) has been nominated for Outstanding Documentary by the GLAAD Awards. Congrats to the whole team! 

Directors: Silvia Del Carmen Castaños, Estefanía “Beba” Contreras

Co-Directors/Producers: Miguel Drake-McLaughlin, Diane Ng, Ana Rodriguez-Falco, Jillian Schlesinger

Producers: Leslie Benavides, Rivkah Beth Medow

 

© 2023 Doc Society

 

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