Emily Wanja, Megha Agrawal Sood, Julian Etienne + Vanessa Cuervo

 

Dear friends, 

 

After six years of visionary leadership, Megha Agrawal Sood has moved on from Doc Society and we want to take this moment to celebrate her. 🎉

 

We first met Megha when she was working at Exposure Labs leading impact programming on films including Chasing Ice, Chasing Coral, The Social Dilemma. Our teams went on to partner together on the first Climate Story Lab in New York in 2019. Interrogating the question - what would a cultural strategy look like to build sustained support for climate action across the globe?

 

The idea for the Climate Story Unit was born. A regranting pool to support production and impact campaigns for climate themed stories, an R&D space for experiments in impact and distribution, a network of locally organized climate story labs building regional ecosystems of climate allies. Megha joined Doc Society to lead the Unit in October 2020.

 

In May 2022 she became a co-executive director of the organisation. Joining five women Sandra Whipham, Maxyne Franklin, Shanida Scotland, Beadie Finzi and the late Jess Search, helping shepherd the organisation through the human and structural upheavals of the pandemic as we pivoted to being remote first.

 

Meanwhile, under her stewardship, the Climate Story Unit was growing into one of the largest systems-level interventions dedicated to climate and culture. In the first 5 years, granting $6.3M directly to storytellers, impact producers and cultural organisations around the world. Modeling the power of a justice centered practice where communities are at the heart of both storytelling and impact. The results have been extraordinary, a living framework that underpins the practice of Climate Story Unit going forward.

 

Megha now passes the baton to Emily Wanja and Julian Etienne, who are stepping into the role of co-leads of the Climate Story Unit. Originally from Kenya and Mexico, Wanja and Julian champion Global Majority storytellers and audiences. Both proudly consider themselves “propagandists of solidarity: passionate about expanding a tapestry of compelling stories and impact campaigns centering communities most affected by the climate emergency and making sure that those stories are accessible”. 

 

Our whole team is so excited to witness their leadership and the next chapter of the Climate Story Unit. We are announcing the launch of the Climate Storytelling Collaboratives while the next cycle of the Climate Story Fund is going live shortly. 

 

Friends, we have our sleeves rolled up and are looking forward to having our socks blown off by the powerful storytelling out there. 

 

Yours with love and rockets, team Doc Society 💚

PS. Today's track is “Algo está cambiando” by Bomba Estéreo + Amanecer. Band member Simón Mejía is a Climate Story Fund grantee, and this is the emblematic record that was recently re-released to mark its 10th anniversary. Hell yes.  

Six years after launching Climate Story Labs, we’ve learned that a just transition isn’t sparked by a single story, but by a thriving ecosystem. This insight has evolved into The Climate Storytelling Collaboratives, a new model where storytellers, movement organizers, and community distributors work together to build power in communities already leading. By leveraging everything from WhatsApp networks to cultural programming, we are moving beyond the screen to ensure local narratives drive real-world action on housing, food security, clean air, and territorial defense.

 

We are honored to be joined by partners across India, Kenya, Brazil, Ecuador, Colombia, and Mexico. This cohort includes The Frontliners (Instituto Querô, Instituto Procomum, and Instituto KondZilla), India’s The Locavore, Kenya’s Impact Frames (Tunga Media Afrika, Youth for SDGs Kenya, and Filmmakers Hangout), and the South by South Narratives collaborative (Nodo Sur, Mullu TV, and Ambulante A.C.). Together, these teams are building collaboration models designed to outlast the program itself, proving that when culture and movement work as one, they create an unstoppable force for change. Learn more about The Climate Storytelling Collaboratives here.

We’re amped to introduce our Visions du Réel 2026 delegates, five UK-based producers working across bold, internationally minded non-fiction storytelling. Supported by the BFI Doc Society Fund and the BFI National Lottery International Connections Fund.

 

This year’s cohort - Axel Haudiquet, Elhum Shakerifar, Isabelle Stead, Lucy Draper and Tina Gharavi - brings a wealth of experience spanning award-winning features, impact-led work and artist-driven projects. Together, their work reflects the depth and diversity of documentary today.

They will attend Visions du Réel from 19–23 April 2026, and we’re proud to support them as they take their projects onto an international stage. Read more about the delegates here.

Magilligan is world premiering in the International Competition at Visions du Réel this April. Directed by Ross McClean, the film follows Ryan through the final stretch of his sentence as he cares for a flock of sheep inside a Northern Irish prison. When the gates open, he steps back into an uncertain world and begins again, trying to build something steady from the one practice that has ever given him a sense of ground. Supported by the BFI Doc Society Fund, made possible with funding from the National Lottery. Grab your tickets!

Also coming to Nyon are To Hold a Mountain and Nuestra Tierra. If you’ll be at the festival, don’t miss your chance to see these films on the big screen! 

Steal This Story, Please! is now playing at NYC's IFC Center, expands to LA and San Francisco on April 17, before heading nationwide. Witness Amy Goodman take on armed soldiers and corporate media in this nine-time audience award-winning documentary by Oscar nominees Carl Deal and Tia Lessin. Catch Amy Goodman and the filmmakers in person for special Q&A sessions at select upcoming screenings. Check your local screenings and get your tickets here!

 

Who has the right to roam? Our Land, directed by Orban Wallace, opens up one of the most urgent questions shaping the English countryside today. With 92% of land and 97% of rivers in England legally inaccessible to the public, the film explores the tensions between access, inheritance, and care for the landscape. Supported by the BFI Doc Society Fund, made possible with funding from the National Lottery.

Join preview screenings from 15 April followed by Q&A debates with special guests, and in cinemas from 8 May. Book now, friends!

Hot Docs has announced their full festival lineup and we’re excited to share that 3 Doc Society-supported films will be making their way to Canada in April. If you’ll be in Toronto, don’t miss these stellar films and grab your tickets!

 

#WhileBlack (Canadian Premiere, Threshold Fund), dirs. Sidney Fussell, Jennifer Holness; prods. Ann Shin, Mariam Bastani, Sidney Fussell

 

Steal This Story, Please! (Canadian Premiere, Threshold Fund), dirs. & prods. Carl Deal, Tia Lessin; prods. Karen Ranucci, Diana Cohn, Caren Spruch

 

To Hold a Mountain (Canadian Premiere, Climate Story Fund), dirs. & prods. Biljana Tutorov, Petar Glomazic; prods. Quentin Laurent, Rok Bicek

The Climate Story Fund-supported Daughters of the Forest will make it’s NY premiere the first weekend of May as part of the Margaret Meade Film Festival. 

 

Dir. Otilia Portillo Padua; Prods. Paula Arroio, Elena Fortes & Otilia Portillo.  Hot off their world premiere at CPH:DOX and Winner of the Visions Audience Award at SXSW, this immersive journey into the forests of Mexico blends modern science with ancestral knowledge to evoke a world beyond human perception. Following two Indigenous mycologists exploring coexistence through mushrooms, the film is a clarion call for the integration of science and culture. This is the perfect chance to commune with the mycelium networks via the big screen!

The team behind Soulèvements (dir. Thomas Lacoste, prods. Julie Paratian, Lucie Corman) designed a strategic, staged impact campaign, beginning with a pre-release in key geographies to build word-of-mouth ahead of the nationwide theatrical launch in France. 

 

Since the film's release in February, it has drawn more than 70,000 viewers across 100 screenings accompanied by the director, with the support of 13 partners. Media coverage has ranged from the two most widely-read center-right newspapers to more conservative outlets, reflecting a meaningful shift in how the press frames members of the Earth Uprisings movement. The movement itself has also reported a rise in membership requests from screening attendees. Internationally, releases are being planned in Canada and Switzerland, with inbound interest from Germany, Spain, Belgium, and Greece. If you know of local contacts or organizations in any of those countries that the team should connect with, please don't hesitate to write to them directly!

What happens when film teams stop acting like solo acts and start moving like an ecosystem? We’ve been running distribution experiments on Kinema to find out. 

 

The result? A beautiful shift. We’ve learned that shared themes are enough to organize around, regardless of a film’s life cycle. By offering curated slates, we solve the "one-off event" headache for hosts and turn single screenings into a sustained community pulse. Check out the full case study to get more insights!

Across Latin America, climate storytellers were already doing the work, they just lacked the shared infrastructure to connect across borders. The Audio Climate Story Lab changed that, bridging rivers and cities to support nine regional projects and map over 115 podcast episodes. 

 

By moving from "content producers" to cultural agents, these makers are now shaping the public imagination around territory and justice. It’s a replicable model for how sound can fuel a collective response to the climate crisis. Friends, explore the Audio Climate Story Lab and watch the full video on our website.

Quite often when we work in the impact sector, we are not aware of the privilege we carry... GIPA’s latest provocation is quite provoking (pun intended). Akansha T. shares her personal experiences and her enlightenment around impact work and being aware of our intention or unintentional saviour complex. Enjoy the read, and please do share in the conversation here!

The Impact Field Guide is our living toolkit for filmmakers pushing for change. We’re thrilled to now feature DocA - a powerhouse Pan-African initiative building a self-reliant documentary ecosystem across the continent. 

 

They’ve also just launched the Real Reel Initiative, offering startup funding for high-octane campaigns that turn stories into public action. Explore the DocA resource, the guide, and suggest a resource!

There are some brilliant opportunities circulating across the field at the moment, from development funding to labs and festival calls. Dive in and explore what might be a fit for your project!

 

✨ Catapult Film Fund: Rough Cut Retreat
An immersive mentorship retreat for documentary teams with a feature-length rough cut, offering tailored feedback from industry mentors to help move projects toward festival-ready completion. Deadline: April 3 (Regular) / April 17 (Late). Apply now

 

✨ Catapult Development Grant
Early-stage development funding (up to $25,000) for documentary features or shorts with strong story access and a clear creative vision, supporting the creation of a fundraising sample to unlock production financing. Deadline: 20 April, 2026. Apply here

 

✨ Real Reel Impact Startup Grants
USD $10,000 grants supporting African directors and producers developing bold, audience-facing impact campaigns to expand the reach and influence of their documentary projects. Deadline: 13 April, 2026.

Apply here

 

✨ How to Create A Distribution and Marketing Strategy with Jon Reiss

A four-part virtual workshop with The D-Word covering audience strategy, outreach, release pathways, and budgeting for independent documentary distribution, with space for project-specific questions in the final session. Runs April 23–May 21. Doc Society community members receive $50 off with code docsociety50. Register here.

 

✨ Culture Hack Labs: Rhizome Fellowship
A fully funded fellowship supporting artists and practitioners working on narrative change and regenerative futures through experimental culture hack projects, with mentorship and peer learning across the programme. Deadline: 16 April, 2026. Register Here

 

✨ IDA Emergency Assistance
Rapid-response grants ($500–$5,000) for documentary filmmakers facing immediate physical danger or crisis situations, with decisions typically made within 24 hours. Deadline: Rolling. Get Help

 

✨ The Grierson Awards 2026
Open to UK and international documentaries first screened to a UK audience between 1 June 2025 and 31 May 2026, across 16 categories including Best Digital Documentary, Most Entertaining Documentary, and Best Constructed and Formatted Documentary Series. Deadline: Friday 22 May, 2026.

More info and apply here

 

✨ IDFA 2026: Call for Entries

Filmmakers and artists can now submit documentary films and new media projects for IDFA 2026. The festival welcomes international work across formats, with full details available on eligibility, regulations, FAQs, and submission routes via the entries portal. First deadline: 23 April, 2026. Enter your work now

 

✨ International Fund for Cultural Diversity (UNESCO)

Grants of up to USD $100,000 supporting projects that strengthen cultural and creative industries in the Global South, including initiatives that improve policy frameworks, build sector capacity, and expand access to diverse cultural expression. Open to public institutions, NGOs, and international NGOs working toward structural change in cultural ecosystems. Deadline: varies by national submission process. More info and apply here

🎉 News & Documentary Emmy Awards Nominees! A massive shout out to these visionary filmmakers and teams, who have brought this incredible work into the world! We are honored to have supported these projects!

 

⭐️Outstanding Business and Economic Doc
Driver (New Perspectives Fund)
dir. & prod. Nesa Azimi, prods. Nicolas Borel, Ines Hofmann Kanna

 

⭐️Best Documentary
Black Snow (Threshold Fund)
dir. & prod. Alina Simone, prod. Kirstine Barfod

 

⭐️Outstanding Direction: Documentary
Apocalypse in the Tropics (Threshold Fund)
dir. & prod. Petra Costa, prod. Alessandra Orofino

 

⭐️Outstanding Writing and Outstanding Music Composition
Bring Them Home/Aiskótáhkapiyaaya (Climate Story Fund)
dirs. Ivan MacDonald, Ivy MacDonald, Daniel Glick, prods. Daniel Glick, Ivan MacDonald, Sarah Clarke

 

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