The Southern Documentary Convening is an annual three-day conference for first-time, emerging and experienced documentary makers taking place this year in Durham, NC. Attendees will benefit from workshops, panel discussions, and networking opportunities with industry professionals. The event aims to provide both practical skills and artistic growth through personal connections and relevant discussions.
The Southern Documentary Convening is hosted with the support of the National Endowment for the Arts.
June 5- 7, 2026
Durham, NC
Interested in Volunteering?
Meet our industry partners that will be at the Industry Roundtable event!
Keeping it Short: The Future of Short-Form Documentary Distribution
Ainè Henderson, is the Series Producer of the award-winning documentary series Independent Lens and a Supervising Producer at ITVS. Ainè’s expertise spans documentary production, story consultation, program development, digital & public media distribution, as well as reality television. Her versatile background illuminates her commitment to captivating storytelling and amplifying complex lived experiences, diverse voices and creative production. Formerly, she was the series producer of the award-winning documentary series, Truly CA: Our State, Our Stories from KQED.
Keeping it Short: The Future of Short-Form Documentary Distribution
Alexandra Garcia is the Executive Producer of Op-Docs, The New York Times’s Oscar-winning platform for short documentaries. Previously, she was a director/producer for The New York Times whose films include “Dominic Fike: At First,” “The Forger,” “Your Train is Delayed” and “The Siege of Culiacán.” She has won three News and Documentary Emmy awards for her directing and producing work (and earned twelve nominations.) Her films have screened in film festivals worldwide.
Safety, Free Expression, and Access in Uncertain Times
Andrew Harrison Brown is a filmmaker, producer, and editor whose work focuses on humanitarian and environmental stories across sub-Saharan Africa. He produced and edited the award-winning documentaries KIFARU and When Lambs Become Lions, and currently serves as a feature documentary programmer for the Slamdance Film Festival.
Activism, Meet Doc: At The Intersection of Social Justice Organizing and Documentary Filmmaking
Bree Newsome Bass is an artist, filmmaker, and global activist best known for removing the Confederate flag from the South Carolina State House grounds in 2015 following the Charleston church massacre. A Charlotte, North Carolina native and award-winning filmmaker, she continues to advocate for racial justice, liberation, and social change through activism, public speaking, and art.
SDF Student Doc Pitch Judge
Bryan Reklis has been working with Carrboro Film Fest for almost 10 years and is in his second year as Festival Director. Carrboro Film Fest is southern film festival that seeks to celebrate and interrogate southern culture through film. CFF is excited to celebrate its 20th festival in January of 2026.
Keeping it Short: The Future of Short-Form Documentary Distribution
Carol Paik is an Emmy-winning Korean American Creative Director and Producer with over 15 years of experience in creating entertainment marketing and branded content for major networks including Discovery, TLC, NPR, National Geographic, and PBS. She began her career on HBO’s K Street and has since contributed to acclaimed projects like HBO Max’s Take Out with Lisa Ling and the Peabody-winning Philly D.A. Currently, she serves as an Executive Producer at Shoes Off Media and as a mentor for Asians in Advertising.
Safety, Free Expression, and Access in Uncertain Times
Christalyn Hampton is an award-winning director and producer known for emotionally driven, culturally significant storytelling. Her work includes the HBO Max film The Devil Is Busy, the Peabody Award-winning The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks, and the PBS series She Was First.
Beyond the Screen: Creating Immersive Experiences for Documentary Audiences
Christopher Everett is an independent filmmaker, curator, and Artistic Director at the Southern Documentary Fund whose work centers Black history, culture, and social justice. He is the founder of Speller Street Films and director of WILMINGTON ON FIRE, and is currently developing new projects while leading the multimedia company 3 Chambers, which explores the intersections of hip-hop, martial arts, gaming, and anime culture.
Beyond the Screen: Creating Immersive Experiences for Documentary Audiences
Dan Brawley is the Executive Director of the Cucalorus Film Foundation, where he oversees film festivals, artist support programs, and the community cinema Jengo’s Playhouse. Under his leadership, the Cucalorus Film Festival has earned national recognition from MovieMaker Magazine, and he previously served as President of the Film Festival Alliance.
Fundraising for Your Documentary w/ Darcy McKinnon
Darcy McKinnon produces documentaries; her most recent release is Suzannah Herbert’s Natchez, Best Documentary at Tribeca 2025, distributed in 2026 by Oscilloscope and Independent Lens. Other credits include Turnaround, A King Like Me, Roleplay, Commuted, Algiers, America, Under G-d, Look at Me! XXXTENTACION and The Neutral Ground.
Keeping it Short: The Future of Short-Form Documentary Distribution
Deidra Peaches is a Diné filmmaker, cinematographer, editor, and writer whose work highlights Indigenous stories, communities, and environmental issues. Her films and productions have screened internationally, including at Sundance, and she is the founder of DLP Productions LLC and co-founder of Paper Rocket Productions.
Safety, Free Expression, and Access in Uncertain Times
Dominic Asmall Willsdon is the Executive Director of the International Documentary Association, where he supports and advocates for documentary filmmakers around the world. Previously, he held leadership and curatorial roles at institutions including the Institute for Contemporary Art at Virginia Commonwealth University, Tate Modern, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
EDIT VERZUS: Two editors enter. One timeline survives.
D.L. Anderson is a documentary director, cinematographer, and creative producer at Vittles Films whose work focuses on community-centered storytelling. Their projects include FARMER/VETERAN (PBS Independent Lens), STAY PRAYED UP, and THE DECIDERS: RED, WHITEVILLE AND BLUE, and they are currently developing GERMAN SOUL, a live documentary project exploring the history of Southern soul food through musician Justin Robinson’s ancestry and curiosity.
SDF Student Doc Pitch Judge
Eileen Meyer is an Emmy Award-winning and Oscar-nominated documentary editor whose work spans acclaimed nonfiction films and series for Netflix, HBO, PBS, and National Geographic. She is known for crafting emotionally rich stories and mentoring emerging nonfiction filmmakers through programs like the Sundance Edit Labs.
The Rise of Native Media Sovereignty -Presented by Vision Maker Media
Elise Beers Aachix̂ Qağaduug is an Aleut/Unangan filmmaker, dancer, and choreographer whose work blends contemporary Indigenous storytelling with dance and visual media. She has edited award-winning documentaries and screendance projects, including SETTLE, and is dedicated to bringing contemporary Indigenous stories to the screen.
Beyond the Screen: Creating Immersive Experiences for Documentary Audiences
James Mieczkowski is an award-winning producer as well as an experienced podcast producer and host of PBS North Carolina’s broadcast show Shaped By Sound. Since 2021, he has worked with PBS North Carolina as a development producer, overseeing the acquisition and development of local films, including the Emmy-winning titles Shadow of a Wheel and Ten to Try: Trails.
The Rise of Native Media Sovereignty -Presented by Vision Maker Media
Jeffrey Kodaseet Jr. is an Indigenous documentary filmmaker based in Seattle whose work centers underrepresented voices through character-driven storytelling. His debut documentary won Best Student Film at the Seattle Indie Film Festival and was nominated for Best Short Documentary at the Chilliwack Independent Film Festival.
The Rise of Native Media Sovereignty -Presented by Vision Maker Media
Mark D. Williams is an award-winning Choctaw filmmaker and founder of Digital Feather Media whose documentaries spotlight Indigenous athletes and Tribal traditions. Known for acclaimed films including Shiloh, The Journey of Tiak Hikiya Ohoyo, and Carly Buckets, he continues to elevate Native stories through sports-centered nonfiction filmmaking.
Activism, Meet Doc: At The Intersection of Social Justice Organizing and Documentary Filmmaking
Mavis Gragg is an attorney and entrepreneur whose work focuses on heirs’ property, generational land ownership, and community empowerment. Founder of The Gragg Law Firm and co-founder of HeirShares and the Heirs’ Property Practitioner Network, she also uses documentary film as a tool for impact and advocacy around family land justice.
Activism, Meet Doc: At The Intersection of Social Justice Organizing and Documentary Filmmaking
Molly Murphy is the Director of Partnerships and Innovation at Working Films, where she develops campaigns and partnerships that use film to drive social change. Her work centers care-focused and trauma-informed storytelling practices, and she is an active leader in regional and national initiatives supporting equity in independent media.
Activism, Meet Doc: At The Intersection of Social Justice Organizing and Documentary Filmmaking
Natalie Bullock Brown is the director of the Documentary Accountability Working Group, a collective advancing accountable storytelling practices in documentary filmmaking. She is also a producer and filmmaker whose work explores care, aging, and Black women’s experiences, and has contributed to projects with filmmakers including Byron Hurt, Ken Burns, and Resita Cox.
Keeping it Short: The Future of Short-Form Documentary Distribution
Nick Price serves as the series producer for PBS’s Reel South, overseeing programming, production, and daily operations. Originally from Birmingham, Alabama, his documentary and curatorial work has earned a Peabody Award, an International Documentary Association Award, and recognition as a 2023 Current Magazine Rising Star.
Beyond the Screen: Creating Immersive Experiences for Documentary Audiences
Rachel Raney is a veteran nonfiction filmmaker and public media producer whose work has spanned PBS, public radio, and independent documentary production. She directed the feature documentary Livermore, created the long-running series Truly CA for KQED, and later served as Executive Director of the Southern Documentary Fund and Executive Producer of Reel South at PBS North Carolina.
Safety, Free Expression, and Access in Uncertain Times
Rahi (they/them) is a queer Muslim femme storyteller, cultural organizer, and filmmaker from Bangladesh whose work centers migration and gender justice through storytelling, collective care, and community healing, shaped by 18 years of living undocumented in the United States. Their upcoming feature documentary, Dhupshikha, follows their mother’s fight for autonomy through poetry and art within an abusive marriage, while their broader work continues to create spaces for queer, migrant, and gender-oppressed communities to heal, connect, and reclaim freedom through storytelling.
SDF Student Doc Pitch Judge
Resita Cox is an Emmy-winning filmmaker whose work explores environmental justice, resilience, and hidden Black histories within Southern Black communities. Her debut film, Freedom Hill, premiered nationally on PBS in 2024, and she is currently developing her first feature, Basketball Heaven, with support from the Sundance Institute and PBS through ITVS Open Call.
Keeping it Short: The Future of Short-Form Documentary Distribution
Rish Aggarwal is the Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Kinema, a global streaming and screening platform focused on community-driven film distribution. Before launching Kinema, he worked in startup investment at Human Ventures and led strategic fintech projects at Transactis prior to its acquisition by Mastercard.
EDIT VERZUS: Two editors enter. One timeline survives.
Saleem Reshamwala is a Durham-based filmmaker and journalist whose work has earned an Emmy nomination from his time at The New York Times and Best Music Video honors at the Hip Hop Film Festival. He has hosted TED’s Far Flung podcast and documented hip hop culture across countries including Morocco, Senegal, Ethiopia, Fiji, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The Southern Documentary Convening is a three-day conference for first-time, emerging and experienced documentary makers taking place annually in Durham, NC. Attendees will benefit from workshops, panel discussions, screenings and networking opportunities with industry professionals. The event aims to provide both practical skills and artistic growth through personal connections and relevant discussions.
The convening will take place June 5 – 7, 2026 in Durham, NC. You can get passes via Eventbrite here.
Passes went on sale on February 16, 2026! Buy here.
For those interested in volunteering for the Southern Documentary Convening, please contact info@southerndocumentaryfund.org.
All venues are accessible. Email info@southerndocumentaryfund.org for accessibility accommodations, questions or feedback. We will respond promptly and work with you on your request.
Public parking is available on South Dillard Street down the block from The Fruit.
Additionally, parking is free across the street from The Fruit on weekends and after 6:00 PM on Fridays.
Do not park in The Fruit parking lot, those spaces are reserved for SDF and The Fruit employees.
**Please pay attention to posted parking signs and restrictions.**
Our programming is unfolding right now. We will release it as soon as we can.
There are tons of things to do in Durham! Please click HERE to find out more.
If you are interested in becoming a Southern Documentary Convening Sponsor?
Please feel free to reach out to Artistic Director, Chris Everett, at Chris@southerndocumentaryfund.org
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Get ready for another 3 days of learning, networking and good genuine Southern community fun!
This Giving Tuesday, join Southern Documentary Fund in reaching our $5,000 goal to support Southern filmmakers. Your gift amplifies diverse voices, fuels powerful storytelling, and ensures Southern stories continue to be told.
