Elaine McMillion Sheldon to Deliver Keynote at the 2025 Southern Documentary Convening
June 6–8, 2025 | Durham, NC
Southern Documentary Fund is proud to announce that Elaine McMillion Sheldon will be the keynote speaker for the 2025 Southern Documentary Convening, taking place June 6–8 in Durham, North Carolina.
An Academy Award-nominated, Emmy and Peabody Award-winning filmmaker, Sheldon is known for her deep, compassionate storytelling that brings attention to underrepresented communities in Appalachia and the American South. Her body of work includes Heroin(e) and Recovery Boys—two acclaimed Netflix Original Documentaries that explore the opioid crisis—as well as Tutwiler, a poignant look at motherhood behind bars, and her most recent Sundance-premiering documentary, King Coal.
This year, Sheldon’s keynote—titled “Beyond the Frame: Reimagining Southern Stories Through Cinema”—will invite attendees to reimagine the possibilities of Southern storytelling. Elaine McMillion Sheldon explores the power of storytelling in shaping the future of Appalachia and the South. Through personal reflection and the evolution of her work—including Heroin(e), Recovery Boys, and King Coal—she examines the complexities of place, the role of documentary filmmakers as both observers and participants, and the need to move beyond despair toward imagination.
This keynote challenges Southern storytellers to document not just what is, but what could be—to grieve, to celebrate, and most importantly, to dream.
As both an artist and educator, Sheldon brings a rare blend of vision and vulnerability to her work. She is currently an Assistant Professor at the University of Tennessee’s School of Art, where she mentors the next generation of filmmakers and change-makers.
The Southern Documentary Convening is a three-day gathering that offers workshops, conversations, and networking for documentary filmmakers working in and about the American South. With Elaine McMillion Sheldon opening the convening, attendees can expect to be inspired, challenged, and emboldened to tell stories that honor both the complexity and the potential of our region.
