Southern Documentary Fund

Beyond the Shot List: Finding Your Documentary's Look (webinar)
2024-09-04 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Halifax) | NC
Beyond the Shot List: Finding Your Documentary’s Look
Join us for an interactive webinar featuring award-winning director and cinematographer, Andrew H. Brown, renowned for his film “Between the Rains” which clinched the Best Cinematography award at Tribeca Festival 2023. Nominated again in 2024 for the IDA Award for Best Cinematography, Andrew will delve into his unique process of discovering the visual aesthetic for his documentary films. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain valuable cinematography insights and tips.

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SDF Presents: HOW TO SUE THE KLAN at BEYOND: The Cary Film Festival
2024-09-05 19:00 - 20:00 | THE CARY THEATER, 122 E. Chatham St., Cary, NC, 27511, United States
SDF Presents: HOW TO SUE THE KLAN at BEYOND: The Cary Film Festival
How to Sue the Klan is the story of how five Black women from Chattanooga used legal ingenuity to take on the Ku Klux Klan in a historic 1982 civil case, fighting to hold them accountable for their crimes and bring justice to their community. Their victory set a legal precedent that continues to inspire the ongoing fight against organized hate.
The screening will be followed by a 30 min post film conversation with the filmmaker and a reception in Brew Coffee Bar.

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Look Different (Meetup for Triangle Documentary Filmmakers)
2024-10-03 19:30 - 21:30 | Queen Street Magic Boat, 406 N. Queen Street, Durham, North Carolina, 27703
Look Different (Meetup for Triangle Documentary Filmmakers)
Date / Time: October 3rd | 7:30 PM – 9:30 PM (EST)
Location: Queen Street Magic Boat (406 N. Queen St, Durham, 27703)
Join us for Look Different, a quarterly meetup for Triangle documentary filmmakers, on Thursday, October 3rd at Queen Street Magic Boat in Durham, NC. The local documentary scene feels a little fragmented lately. Let’s get together and try to fix that. There will be screenings, discussion, and snacks.
Hosted by: Saleem Reshamwala & D.L. Anderson
Sponsored by: Southern Documentary Fund
Free to attend

Negotiating Contracts for Independent Documentary Producers (webinar)
2024-10-11 12:00 - 13:00 | NC
Negotiating Contracts for Independent Documentary Producers (webinar)
Date / Time: October 11th | 12 PM – 1 PM (EST)
In this webinar, we’ll talk about the latest set of guidelines from the Documentary Producers Alliance on Negotiating Contracts for Independent Documentary Producers. Independent documentary producers face a variety of complicated challenges, including how to make a living from their work. So, volunteer members of the Documentary Producers Alliance came together over the course of two years to develop this set of best practices as a resource for work-for-hire doc producers to be better equipped to navigate the doc landscape, which lacks clear rules around sustainable working conditions and compensation for producers. The guidelines are a tool for independent documentary producers as they consider and define working relationships with rights holders. They are the first of their kind, including a recommended rate table for producers, what terms producers should consider within a contract, and a glossary of key terms and phrases.
This webinar is presented by J.R. Hardman, Board Member of the Documentary Producers Alliance.

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Podcasting: Past, Present, Future (webinar)
2024-10-25 12:00 - 13:30 | NC
Podcasting: Past, Present, Future (webinar)
Date / Time: October 25th | 12 PM – 1:30 PM (EST)
Are you an audio creator who is trying to navigate the current podcasting landscape and wondering where and how you might fit in? The industry is generating a lot of headlines and discussion about what’s next and possible amid financial ups and downs, market saturation, and growing corporate influence. In this session, Stephanie Kuo (VP of Content, PRX) provides an overview of the stakes, trends and players in the world of podcasting as well as what it takes to produce a desirable, feasible and viable podcast in 2024 and beyond.
This webinar is presented by Stephanie Kuo, Vice President of Content at PRX

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Kinema Screening: Wilmington on Fire
2025-02-20 19:00 - 21:30 | NC
Join us for a powerful screening of Wilmington on Fire, a compelling documentary by director Christopher Everett that explores the untold history of the 1898 Wilmington Massacre—one of the most harrowing yet overlooked events in American history.
Before Tulsa, before Rosewood—there was Wilmington. In 1898, Wilmington, North Carolina, was the state’s largest city, home to a majority Black population, a thriving Black middle class, and a biracial Republican-Populist fusion government. On November 10, 1898, an armed mob of white supremacists, backed by the Democratic Party, carried out a violent coup, massacring African Americans and forcing thousands to flee, permanently reshaping the city’s future.
Through rare photographs, original research, and testimonies from historians and descendants, Wilmington on Fire uncovers a pivotal moment that changed the trajectory of the post-Reconstruction South. This must-see documentary not only revisits a buried chapter of history but also examines its lasting impact today.

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Writing Your Own Grant Applications
2025-02-26 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual
Writing Your Own Grant Applications
Date/Time: February 26th | 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM (EST)
Starting your own documentary film project can feel overwhelming, but crafting a strong grant application and pitch materials is an essential step to get you on the right path. In this webinar, documentary filmmaker Robie Flores will share the valuable lessons she’s learned from applying for funding and how she used feedback from both successful and unsuccessful rounds to refine her approach and strengthen her voice as an emerging director.
This Webinar is presented by Robie Flores, Director.

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Music Cue Sheets
2025-03-26 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual
Music Cue Sheets
Date/Time: March 26 | 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM (EST)
Music cue sheets may seem like an administrative task, but they can have a significant impact on your projects and revenue. Poorly managed cue sheets can lead to legal complications, lost income, and unnecessary stress.
Join Director and Producer Gerald K. Barclay in this webinar for a detailed guide on the critical role cue sheets play, the benefits they offer and the overview of other music licensing options you should know about
This Webinar is presented by Gerald Barclay, Director and Producer.

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Kinema Screening: You Gave Me a Song
2025-04-16 19:00 - 21:30 | Virtual Screening
Kinema Screening: You Gave Me a Song

Kinema Screening: You Gave Me a Song
Date: April 16, 2025
Location: Kinema Virtual Screening
Join us for a special virtual screening of You Gave Me a Song, an intimate portrait of 84-year-old old-time music pioneer Alice Gerrard. This heartfelt documentary traces Alice’s lifelong journey preserving and performing traditional music. Through a blend of candid rehearsals, archival recordings, and personal reflections, the film captures her enduring spirit and the powerful legacy she continues to inspire.
Get your tickets now to experience the story of a woman who shaped American roots music and still sings with soul!

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Mentorship Webinar: Animation In Documentary
2025-04-23 12:00 - 13:30 | Virtual
Often, documentary films rely solely on talking heads, verité footage, and archival to tell a story. One of the most compelling ways to improve the visual recipe, to break up the standard visuals of documentary, is to incorporate animation into your film. This webinar will cover animation styles, budgets, methods for building illustrations and visual ideas, storyboarding, DIY animation, when to use animation, when not to use animation, and more.

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Kinema Screening: Bloom
2025-05-15 19:00 - 21:30 | Virtual Screening
Bloom
May 15, 202
Virtual Screening
7:00PM (EST)
Join us for the virtual Kinema Screening of Bloom followed by a Q&A with directors Allison Rieff and Elizabeth Miller-Derstine!
About the film:
Journey with three couples and the doulas they partner with to achieve a safe and confident birth experience. Bloom, a feature-length documentary explores the work doulas are doing to fill gaps in the medical system. Doulas partner with expectant parents to assist them in advocating for themselves during pregnancy and birth. Having an educated advocate by one’s side during birth can not only safeguard against trauma but, quite literally be the difference between life and death, notably for BIPOC birthing parents. Following an ensemble cast of doulas and birthing parents, the feature-length film encompasses a breadth of experiences and challenges of giving birth at this moment. Stories about challenges in gynecological care are making headlines right now for important reasons. Those stories do need to be told and the public needs to understand those consequences. But while those stories are about how America makes it harder for people who need gynecological care to receive that care, this story is about the people who are making healthcare access an easier and positive experience.

Mentorship Webinar: Ideation and Aesthetics: Creating Documentary Films for Ya Folks
2025-05-28 12:00 | Virtural Webinar
Join us for an engaging and transformative workshop designed to empower filmmakers and storytellers who are passionate about representing and uplifting their communities through the art of cinema. “Ideation and Aesthetics: Creating Documentary Films for Ya Folks” invites participants to explore the intersection of creative ideation and visual storytelling, focusing on how film can serve as a powerful medium for cultural expression and community representation in a time where your unique voice is needed!

Mentorship Webinar: Shared Visions: The Director-Cinematographer Collaboration
2025-06-25 12:00 | Virtural Webinar
The collaboration between a director and cinematographer sits at the heart of great visual storytelling – but how do we develop these important relationships? Join award-winning cinematographer and director Sarah Hennigan for a conversation about establishing new creative collaborations and how to go about cultivating a shared vision for your project.

Maker After Dark Series: Darcy McKinnon
2025-07-17 19:00 - 20:30 | Virtual
Maker After Dark with Darcy McKinnonJuly 17, 2025 | 7:00 PM EST
Join us for an unforgettable evening of honest conversation and creative insight with acclaimed documentary producer Darcy McKinnon as part of our Maker After Dark Series. This exclusive, after-hours gathering invites you into a space where the stories behind the work take center stage—raw, real, and deeply Southern.
Seats are limited. Come ready for meaningful dialogue and rare behind-the-scenes reflections.
This is a members only event click HERE to learn more.

Mentorship Webinar: INNERviewing: Heart-Forward Storytelling Approach and Practice Broken Down into 4 Simple Steps
2025-07-23 12:00 - 13:30 | Virtural Webinar
NNERviewing: Heart-Forward Storytelling Approach and Practice Broken Down into 4 Simple Steps

Wil Weldon has two decades of experience interviewing people for video production. This seminar will dive into his approach of interviewing subjects, which he calls “Heart-Forward Storytelling.” The basics of the approach, how to apply it to a variety of situations, and a few examples, as well as time for questions. The focus is for interviewers to shift how they conduct interviews in a way that will transform results in multiple aspects of the interview.

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Southern Documentary Fund Grant Info Session 1
2025-07-29 13:00 - 14:00 | Virtural Webinar
SDF Production Grant Info Session

SDF is hosting two grant information sessions. Each session will give an overview of SDF’s Production Grant, eligibility requirements, and tips for writing a successful application. Attendees will also have an opportunity to ask questions about the grant process. Information sessions will take place on Monday, July 29,1pm EST and Wednesday, August 13, 1pm EST via Zoom, and recorded sessions will be made available

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Southern Documentary Fund Grant Info Session 2
2025-08-13 13:00 - 14:00 | Virtural Webinar
Southern Documentary Fund Info Session 2

SDF is hosting two grant information sessions. Each session will give an overview of SDF’s Production Grant, eligibility requirements, and tips for writing a successful application. Attendees will also have an opportunity to ask questions about the grant process. Information sessions will take place on Monday, July 29,1pm EST and Wednesday, August 13, 1pm EST via Zoom, and recorded sessions will be made available.

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Kinema Screening: Refuge
2025-08-21 19:00 - 21:30 | Virtual Screening
Refuge
August 21, 2025
Virtual Screening
7:00PM (EST)
Join us for the virtual Kinema Screening of Refuge followed by a Q&A with Erin Bernhardt and Din Blankenship who are both directors and producers of the film!
About the film:
REFUGE is an award-winning feature-length documentary that follows a leader in a white nationalist hate group who finds healing from the people he once hated – a Muslim heart doctor and his town of refugees. Chris is a husband and father, a veteran, and until recently, a leader in the KKK. He started hating Muslims when the planes hit the Twin Towers on 9/11, but is forced to confront his hate when he receives a text from Muslim refugee, Heval.
REFUGE is set in the most diverse square mile in America – Clarkston, Georgia – and follows a Syrian Kurd, a former Klansman, and a town of refugees who seek belonging in an increasingly polarized and isolated America. Ultimately, REFUGE uncovers what is possible when we leave the security of our tribes and what is at stake for our country if we don’t.

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SDF Resource Webinar: The Ethics Resource Library with the Documentary Producers Alliance
2025-08-27 12:00 - 13:30 | Virtural Webinar
The Ethics resource library

On August 27 at 12PM ET, the Southern Documentary Fund is partnering with the Documentary Producers Alliance to introduce the Ethics Resource Library—a living, evolving tool designed to help filmmakers navigate the complex ethical questions that arise throughout the creative process.
Developed by DPA’s Ethics Subcommittee, the library offers curated, topic-based resources—from articles and toolkits to videos and keynote talks—designed to meet our industry’s changing needs around consent, representation, authorship, and more.
This webinar will explore how the library was created, why it matters now, and how you can use it in your own practice.

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Kinema Screening: Elephant 6
2025-09-18 19:00 - 23:00 | Virtural Webinar
Elephant 6

Join Southern Documentary Fund for a special virtual screening of Elephant 6 on September 18 at 7:00 PM (EST).
This vibrant documentary captures the rise of the Elephant 6 Recording Company—a visionary collective of musicians including Neutral Milk Hotel, The Apples in Stereo, The Olivia Tremor Control, and more. With rare archival footage and intimate interviews, the film explores how a group of friends from small-town America created some of the most influential sounds in indie rock, reshaping the musical landscape for generations to come.
After the screening, stay for a live conversation with co-director Chad Stockfleth, who will share behind-the-scenes insights on making the film and reflect on the enduring legacy of the Elephant 6 movement.

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Kinema Screening: Mama Bears
2025-09-18 19:00 - 23:00 | Virtural Webinar
Mama Bears

Join us on November 20 at 7:00 PM EST for a special virtual screening of Mama Bears, directed and produced by Daresha Kyi. This powerful documentary follows the extraordinary journey of Christian mothers who risk their personal, political, and spiritual lives to support and affirm their LGBTQ+ children. Fierce in their love and unwavering in their faith, these women form a growing movement that is transforming families, communities, and the church itself.
Experience this moving story of courage, conviction, and unconditional love from the comfort of your home.

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Mentorship Webinar: Finding Your Creative Voice in Times of Crisis
2025-09-24 12:00 - 13:30 | Virtural Webinar
Finding Your Creative Voice in Times of Crisis

In a time of uncertainty for the documentary field, this webinar offers Southern filmmakers practical tips, creative methods, and encouragement. Learn strategies to navigate challenges, sustain your projects, and stay grounded in your storytelling. Join documentary filmmaker Pilar Timpane for a focused, supportive session designed to strengthen your work and community.

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SDF Presents: The Last Partera
2025-10-01 19:00 - 21:00 | Nickelodeon Theatre, 1607 Main Street, Columbia, SC, 29201, United States
SDF Presents: The Last Partera

Doña Miriam Elizondo has lived nearly a century, ushering countless lives into the world as the last traditional Costa Rican midwife in her region. At nearly 100 years old, she reflects on her life with both humor and wisdom — blessing mothers with a Catholic cross, teasing her protégés, and offering frank advice on love and death.
The Last Partera is more than a documentary — it’s a portrait of a woman whose influence inspires a new generation to fight for stronger, women-centered healthcare, even at the foot of an active volcano.

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Mentorship Webinar: Film Festival Strategies for Documentary Filmmakers
2025-10-22 12:00 - 13:30 | Virtural Webinar
Film Festival Strategies for Documentary Filmmakers

Choosing the right festivals can shape your documentary’s success. Join documentary filmmaker Colleen Thurston as she shares tips on selecting festivals, planning submissions, and maximizing your film’s impact on the festival circuit.

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Mentorship Webinar: BEING RESOURCEFUL
2025-11-19 12:00 - 13:30 | Virtural Webinar
BEING RESOURCEFUL

Documentary filmmaker and podcast host, Eli Yetter-Bowman walks you through the process of making a living in the industry. Eli has led the North Carolina based documentary company, Ethereal Films, for almost a decade raising nearly $1M in funding for various projects. In this webinar they cover all aspects of how to be resourceful: making due with little and getting more to do more. Advice for producing, pitching, and marketing plus a crash course on getting resources for your project, especially at the beginning.

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Kinema Screening: Mama Bears
2025-11-20 19:00 - 22:00 | NC
Mama Bears takes us inside the world of conservative, Christian mothers who find themselves at a crossroads when their children come out as LGBTQ+. Faced with an impossible choice between their church and their kids, these women choose love—and in doing so, transform into some of the fiercest advocates for equality.
Their stories are raw, tender, and deeply human. They remind us that change often begins at home, and that the courage to embrace your child fully can ripple out to change entire communities.
On Wednesday, November 20 at 7:00 PM (EST), join us for this unforgettable virtual screening and stay afterward for a conversation with director and producer Daresha Kyi, who will share what it took to bring these stories to the screen.
Buy tickets HERE.

Buy Tickets Here

Giving Tuesday: Monday Break with Emily Harrold
2025-12-01 12:00 - 13:00 | NC
Join us this Giving Tuesday for a live conversation with filmmaker Emily Harrold on December 1, 2025 at 12:00PM on Southern Documentary Fund’s Instagram page. We’ll talk about Southern storytelling, creative process, and why supporting documentary makers matters now more than ever. This mid-day chat is a chance to hear directly from a Southern filmmaker shaping the landscape of nonfiction work. Tune in, bring your questions, and learn how your Giving Tuesday support helps stories like Emily’s thrive.

Maker After Dark: Tom Hansell
2025-12-18 19:00 - 21:30 | NC
You are invited to join us for a special Maker After Dark session with filmmaker, author, and educator Tom Hansell on Thursday, December 18 at 7:00 PM ET.
This evening gathering brings our community together to slow down, learn from one another, and hear directly from Southern makers about the craft and care that shape their work. Tom will share insights from his decades of documentary practice focused on coalfield communities in Appalachia and the environmental, social, and cultural stories that define the region.
This is a members only event. Learn more about memberships here.

Directing for Impact with Resita Cox
2026-01-21 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtural Webinar
As funding and distribution opportunities shrink, independent documentary filmmakers must rethink sustainability. This workshop explores impact-driven filmmaking as a pathway to long-term artistic stability, community transformation, and systemic change.
Led by impact producer and director Resita Cox, the session reframes impact campaigns as a core part of the filmmaking process—not an afterthought. Using the Freedom Hill Youth Media Camp as a case study, participants will learn how prioritizing community contribution over profit can build equitable models that pay filmmakers, remove barriers for underserved communities, and create lasting impact.
This webinar will be in partnership with the Duke Center for Documentary Studies.
This is a FREE webinar, you can register HERE.

Screening: Beyond the Belt: The Legend of Karriem Abdallah
2026-02-07 16:30 - 21:00 | THE CARY THEATER, 122 E. Chatham St., Cary, NC, 27511, United States
Join us for a powerful screening of Beyond the Belt: The Legend of Karriem AbdAllah, a moving portrait of Al-Mu’assis Karriem AbdAllah, the Newark-born martial arts innovator who became the first American to create his own system.
The film traces AbdAllah’s extraordinary journey—from making history in the world’s first televised MMA match during the “Thriller in Manila” scorecard to building a legacy rooted in pride, discipline, and empowerment within the Black community.
Through rare archival footage and intimate personal stories, Beyond the Belt reveals how his vision and relentless drive reshaped martial arts and inspired generations far beyond the mat.
Following the screening, stay for a filmmaker Q&A to dive deeper into the making of the film, its historical significance, and AbdAllah’s enduring impact.

Date | February 7, 2026
Doors Open | 4:30PM
Film Begins | 5:00PM
Location | 122 E. Chatham St. Cary, NC 27511
