Screening: Beyond the Belt: The Legend of Karriem Abdallah
2026-02-07 16:30 - 21:00 (America/Halifax) | 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

Kinema Screening: Ghetto Children
2026-02-10 19:00 - 21:00 | Virtual Screening
In the 1990s and early 2000s, New Orleans was the epicenter of Southern rap, thanks to influential artists Juvenile, B.G., and Soulja Slim. While Juvenile maintains a thriving career, the other two faced tragic outcomes: Soulja Slim was murdered in 2003 just as his career was taking off, and B.G. was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison in 2012. Their sons—Young Juve, T.Y., and Lil’ Soulja Slim—met as teenagers and, inspired by their shared legacies, formed the group Ghetto Children, named after a Juvenile song. This documentary is an intimate portrait of Black boyhood transforming into manhood, shaped by their fathers’ legacies. The film explores how these young men strive to carve out their own identities in the music world, navigating the weight of generational expectations, the families they build, and the culture that surrounds them.

Directed by: Zac Manuel
Starring: Young Juve, T.Y., and Lil’ Soulja Slim
Buy Tickets Here: https://kinema.com/events/Ghetto–Children-jeylph

Screening: How To Sue The Klan
2026-02-18 18:30 - 21:00 | Nickelodeon Theatre, 1607 Main Street, Columbia, SC, 29201, United States
Join us for a powerful and timely screening of How to Sue the Klan, a gripping documentary that explores a landmark civil rights case and the courage of Black women who fought back against organized hate through the legal system.
This event offers an opportunity to engage with history, justice, and the enduring impact of community-led resistance. Attend for an evening of documentary storytelling that sparks conversation, reflection, and action.
There will be a virtual Q&A with director John Beder and lawyer, Randolph McLaughlin.

Mentorship Webinar: DIY: The Documentary Director as the Cinematographer
2026-02-25 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtural Webinar
When resources are limited, becoming the cinematographer of your own films can be a powerful creative advantage. In this webinar, filmmaker and cinematographer Andy Sarjahani breaks down the benefits of this approach and discusses how it has supported his filmmaking practice and independent career.
This event is free for Southern Documentary Fund members.

Mentorship Webinar: Ethical Filmmaking
2026-03-25 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtural Webinar
What does it truly mean to make films ethically? Join Emmy Award–winning producer and director Daresha Kyi for a powerful and timely conversation on embedding accountability, care, and justice into every stage of the filmmaking process.

This mentorship webinar is free for Southern Documentary Fund members.

Kinema Screening: Stay Prayed Up
2026-05-07 19:00 - 21:00 | Virtual Screening
Join us for a special Kinema screening of Stay Prayed Up, a moving portrait of faith, music, and community rooted in the American South. Centered on the powerful voice and spirit of Mother Lena Mae Perry and her gospel group, The Branchettes, the film captures a legacy of song that has uplifted generations. As Perry prepares for a long-awaited live recording, Stay Prayed Up offers an intimate look at devotion, friendship, and the enduring impact of Southern storytelling—on stage and beyond.

Mentorship Webinar: Crowdfunding to Build Independence with Seed&Spark
2026-05-27 12:00 - 13:30 | Virtural Webinar
Crowdfunding to Build Independence is Seed&Spark’s flagship class, and lays out the steps toward a successful crowdfunding campaign, as well as a career-long action plan most likely to create a lasting, flourishing, direct relationship with an audience.
Attendees learn how to find your audience, structure your crowdfunding campaign, pick the right goal and incentives, and much more.

Student Doc Pitch
2026-06-05 14:00 - 15:00 | The Fruit, 305 S Dillard St, Durham, NC, 27701, United States
Join us for our inaugural SDF Student Doc Pitch, where emerging filmmakers take the stage to present their documentary ideas to a panel of industry professionals. Students from colleges and universities across the South will pitch their projects, receive valuable feedback from experts, and compete for prizes that will help bring their stories to life. This event celebrates the next generation of Southern documentary storytellers and offers a first look at their stories in development.

Convening Check in & Opening Mixer
2026-06-05 15:00 - 17:30 | The Fruit, 305 S Dillard St, Durham, NC, 27701, United States
Join us for the Opening Mixer and Check-In as we kick off the 2026 Southern Documentary Convening with conversation, connection, and community. This casual gathering is a chance for makers, partners, and supporters to meet, settle in, and set the tone for a weekend rooted in Southern storytelling. We’ll welcome you with warmth, ease, and space to begin the Convening together.

EDIT VERZUS: Two editors enter. One timeline survives.
2026-06-05 18:00 - 19:30 | The Fruit, 305 S Dillard St, Durham, NC, 27701, United States
Two editors enter. One timeline survives.
On Friday, June 5 at The Fruit in Durham, LOOK DIFFERENT is hosting EDIT VERZUS — a live doc editing competition, and the closing event of the SDF Convening.
We need one filmmaker’s project to make it happen. That could be you.
Two post-production powerhouses will go head to head, cutting a live fundraising sizzle from the same footage. Up to five hours of your material, two very different cuts, and 40 minutes on the clock. There will be hype crews and color commentary elevating this unseen and under appreciated process to the main event. In the end the audience decides who wins.
What you get out of it:

Two finished fundraising sizzle, cut by a pro editor, that you can use
A room full of producers, directors, and funders seeing your work

Keynote Speaker: Christalyn Hampton
2026-06-06 09:00 - 09:30 | The Fruit, 305 S Dillard St, Durham, NC, 27701, United States
My Turn to Call ‘Action!’
After years working behind the scenes as a producer, what does it take to step into the director’s chair—especially as a Southern documentary filmmaker rooted in place, history, and community? This keynote explores the transition from supporting someone else’s vision to claiming your own voice, shaped by the cultural landscapes and lived experiences of the South. Passion may spark the journey, but it’s clarity of purpose and determination that carry it forward. For those called to create, lead, and tell stories grounded in truth, memory, and regional identity, this conversation speaks directly to you.

The Rise of Native Media Sovereignty (presented by Vision Maker Media)
2026-06-06 09:40 - 10:40 | The Fruit, 305 S Dillard St, Durham, NC, 27701, United States
For generations, Indigenous stories were told from the outside—shaped by voices that didn’t live them, and too often reduced to stereotypes. But that tide is turning. Today, Native filmmakers are reclaiming the lens, using documentary film to challenge old narratives and tell stories with truth and care. This shift is about more than representation—it’s about ownership, from development to screen to distribution.
In this panel, our storytellers reflect on their journeys and the importance of creating from within, so that when the world sees Indian Country, it sees it through Indigenous eyes.

Fundraising for Your Documentary w/ Darcy McKinnon
2026-06-06 11:00 - 12:00 | The Fruit, 305 S Dillard St, Durham, NC, 27701, United States
Feeling overwhelmed by the fundraising process? Not sure how best to get your film funded? This workshop will cover the basics of fundraising for documentary projects in an ever-changing landscape, including the types and impacts of different kinds of financial investments, setting up your legal and financial entity, how money is tied to distribution, and the development of funding materials. Participants will leave with an understanding of the doc industry landscape, and the tools to build a fundraising plan that matches their filmmaking goals.

Keeping it Short: The Future of Short-Form Documentary Distribution
2026-06-06 13:30 - 14:30 | The Fruit, 305 S Dillard St, Durham, NC, 27701, United States
Short-form documentaries are reshaping the nonfiction landscape—finding audiences across film festivals, public broadcasting, streaming platforms, and social media. This dynamic panel explores the evolving distribution ecosystem for short docs, from funding opportunities and strategic partnerships to vertical storytelling and platform-specific releases. Industry experts will share insights on reaching audiences, navigating festivals, leveraging digital platforms, and building sustainable pathways for short-form work in a rapidly changing media environment.

Beyond the Screen: Creating Immersive Experiences for Documentary Audiences
2026-06-06 14:45 - 15:45 | The Fruit, 305 S Dillard St, Durham, NC, 27701, United States
How can documentary filmmakers and curators turn a screening into a powerful live experience? This panel explores creative ways filmmakers and curators are designing immersive events—combining film, conversation, performance, and community engagement—to deepen audience connection with their stories. Panelists will also discuss strategies for funding these experiences, from grants and partnerships to ticketed events that can help generate support and raise funds for your documentary project.

Industry Roundtables
2026-06-06 16:00 - 17:45 | The Fruit, 305 S Dillard St, Durham, NC, 27701, United States
Connect directly with the people shaping the documentary landscape at the Industry Roundtables. In small-groups documentary makers have the opportunity to connect with leading partners within the filmmaking field. There will be chances to ask questions, share your work, and build meaningful connections that can move your project forward.

The Southern Lens Award Presentation
2026-06-06 19:00 - 19:15 | Durham Arts Council, 120 Morris St, Durham, NC, United States
To be presented annually at the Southern Documentary Convening, the Southern Documentary Fund Southern Lens Award honors documentary makers and supporters for their significant achievements and dedication to amplifying stories from the American South.
This award celebrates those who create, promote, and champion authentic Southern narratives—recognizing the important role they play in shaping a more inclusive, complex, and truthful understanding of the region. Whether through filmmaking, advocacy, mentorship, or community engagement, recipients of the Southern Lens Award are dedicated to uplifting the voices of Southern storytellers and ensuring their work reaches broader audiences.
This year, SDF is proud to honor Darcy McKinnon with the Southern Lens Award in recognition of her outstanding contributions to documentary storytelling and her continued commitment to supporting filmmakers and meaningful nonfiction work. Through her dedication to collaboration, mentorship, and impactful storytelling, Darcy has helped foster a stronger and more connected documentary community—uplifting stories that inspire dialogue, understanding, and change across the South and beyond.

SDF Presents Screening: Roleplay
2026-06-06 19:15 - 20:30 | The Fruit, 305 S Dillard St, Durham, NC, 27701, United States
Faced with rampant sexual violence on their college campus, a group of college students spend a year creating an immersive play from their real-life experiences. Building characters and scenes based on the sexual politics of their campus, the student actors confront hard truths. The film follows this process with a lyrical lens, blurring the lines between reality and performance, moving between verite of campus life and the confessional vulnerability of the rehearsal room.
Posing urgent questions about the toxic legacies imparted on the next generation, Roleplay explores the roles we play as we grow into who we are: how they hurt us, heal us, and shape who we become.

Southern Documentary Convening Reception
2026-06-06 20:30 - 22:00 | Durham Arts Council, 120 Morris St, Durham, NC, United States
Join us at the Durham Arts Council for an evening of celebration, conversation, and community as part of the 2026 Southern Documentary Convening. The Convening Reception will bring together filmmakers, industry leaders, artists, and supporters from across the South for a special gathering centered on the power of documentary storytelling. The evening will feature a post-screening conversation with filmmakers and special guests, offering audiences an opportunity to engage more deeply with the stories, creative process, and themes explored on screen, followed by the presentation of the Southern Lens Award to Darcy McKinnon in recognition of her outstanding contributions to documentary filmmaking and her continued dedication to supporting bold, authentic storytelling from the American South. Guests are invited to celebrate, connect, and continue the conversation alongside fellow attendees in a welcoming and vibrant community space in the heart of downtown Durham.

Activism, Meet Doc: At The Intersection of Social Justice Organizing and Documentary Filmmaking
2026-06-07 09:00 - 10:00 | The Fruit, 305 S Dillard St, Durham, NC, 27701, United States
Traditionally, documentary filmmakers have engaged organizers and activists for the impact campaigns they plan once a film about social justice is released. In this panel, the case will be made for collaboration with organizers and activists early on in the production process, including the benefits, challenges, and the potential for a transformative production experience that enriches the final product.

Safety, Free Expression, and Access in Uncertain Times
2026-06-07 10:15 - 11:15 | SC
At a moment when truth-telling is increasingly contested, this timely conversation explores the evolving balance between safety and free expression in documentary filmmaking. Bringing together filmmakers, advocates, and industry leaders, this panel will examine how the field can actively protect freedom of expression by providing direct support to filmmakers at risk due to the political, social, or cultural impact of their work. Panelists will also highlight the importance of sustained advocacy efforts to safeguard the rights and wellbeing of the documentary community at large. In addition, the discussion will address the shifting media landscape—specifically, how recent mergers among major studios and media conglomerates may affect documentary filmmakers’ access to critical news archives and source materials. As gatekeeping structures evolve, what does this mean for storytelling, accountability, and historical record?

Mentorship Webinar: How to Make Films at the End of the World with Resita Cox
2026-06-24 12:00 - 13:30 | Virtural Webinar
The current media landscape requires filmmakers and producers especially to reimagine how they assist in birthing critical stories at the end of the world—emphasizing self-actualization through storytelling while implementing unique spiritual producing practices that stand against the current status quo. This webinar explores how media makers must assume an important role in the creative process, exchanging industry standards for embodied practices used to build lasting, transformative relationships with the story, crew members and film participants, prioritizing relationship-building and impact along the way, not just at the conclusion of the journey.

Inside The South: Deborah Riley Draper on Romare Bearden: A Life in Collage
2026-07-23 12:00 - 12:30 | Virtual
Join Southern Documentary Fund for the inaugural Inside the South, a new virtual conversation series that takes audiences behind the scenes of Southern documentary filmmaking.
Each session features a filmmaker sharing clips from their work while discussing their creative process, collaborations, challenges, and the journey of bringing powerful Southern stories to the screen. Through candid conversations and exclusive behind-the-scenes insights, Inside the South offers filmmakers, documentary enthusiasts, and curious audiences an intimate look at the art of nonfiction storytelling and the voices shaping the South’s cinematic landscape.
Our first guest is award-winning filmmaker Deborah Riley Draper, who will discuss the making of her acclaimed documentary Romare Bearden: A Life in Collage. Draper will share how she brought the legendary artist’s story to life through archival research, visual storytelling, and creative collaboration, offering a rare glimpse into the filmmaking process behind the documentary.
Whether you’re an emerging filmmaker, a documentary lover, or simply passionate about Southern stories, join us for an inspiring conversation and audience Q&A.
Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/G-2SEmP4SmG3tZkNUsVq7g

Kinema Screening: Drowned Land
2026-08-13 19:00 - 21:00 | Virtual Screening
Join Southern Documentary Fund for a special Kinema screening of Drowned Land, a powerful documentary about the people fighting to protect Oklahoma’s Kiamichi River from decades of environmental exploitation. As new development projects threaten the river’s future, local water protectors work to preserve the lifeblood of their community while honoring the history of those already displaced by past decisions. Through personal stories and breathtaking landscapes, Drowned Land is a moving reminder of the importance of protecting the places, people, and histories that shape our communities. We hope you’ll watch with us and be part of the conversation.

Burnout, Exhaustion & Staying in the Industry
2026-08-26 12:00 - 13:30 | Virtual
Documentary filmmaking often asks people to give more than is sustainable. Join us for a candid conversation about burnout, boundaries, workload, and practical strategies for building a creative career that supports both your ambitions and your wellbeing.

Inside The South: Ricky Kelly on Humble In The Jungle
2026-09-24 12:00 - 12:30 | Virtual
Join us for the next Inside the South on Thursday, September 24 at 12:00 p.m. ET as filmmaker Ricky Kelly takes audiences behind the scenes of his documentary Humble in the Jungle. The film follows Mike “Mike Gee” Smalls, a former Hip Hop artist whose journey from music to the plumbing trade reveals a powerful story of reinvention, friendship, family, and community.
As both the film’s director and a fellow plumber, Kelly brings a deeply personal perspective to this exploration of race, class, working-class tradesmen of color, and the role that art, vocational work, and service play in shaping lives.
Kelly is the award-winning director of Black Beach/White Beach: A Tale of Two Beaches, which explored the racial history of Myrtle Beach through its two annual motorcycle rallies. During this virtual conversation, Kelly will discuss his creative process, documentary storytelling, and what it means to tell authentic Southern stories, followed by a live audience Q&A.

Southern Doc Fest
2026-10-10 00:00 - 23:59 | Durham Arts Council, 120 Morris St, Durham, NC, United States
Experience the stories shaping the South at Southern Doc Fest. Presented by Southern Documentary Fund, this inaugural one-day festival brings together powerful documentary films, engaging conversations with filmmakers, live performances, and a community passionate about authentic Southern storytelling. Spend the day discovering bold new voices, celebrating independent documentary filmmaking, and connecting with fellow film lovers from across the region. Join us in Durham on October 10 for a festival dedicated to the stories only the South can tell.

Reel South Shorts Block
2026-10-10 13:00 - 14:30 | Durham Arts Council, 120 Morris St, Durham, NC, United States
Experience the diversity of Southern storytelling through the Reel South Shorts Block, a curated collection of short documentaries presented in partnership with the acclaimed PBS series Reel South. Showcasing emerging and established filmmakers from across the region, these compelling films capture the people, places, and cultures that define the South through fresh perspectives and unforgettable storytelling.
From intimate personal portraits to timely explorations of community, history, and identity, the Reel South Shorts Block offers audiences the opportunity to discover a variety of voices and stories in a single screening. Whether you’re a longtime documentary fan or new to Southern cinema, this collection celebrates the creativity, resilience, and richness of the region one powerful story at a time.

Always Looking: Titus Brooks Heagins
2026-10-10 15:30 - 17:00 | Durham Arts Council, 120 Morris St, Durham, NC, United States
Always Looking, directed by Olympia Stone, offers an intimate portrait of photographer Titus Brooks Heagins, whose powerful images challenge viewers to confront the systemic neglect of marginalized communities. Through photographs that are both deeply humanizing and unflinchingly honest, Heagins documents the lives of people often pushed to society’s margins by poverty, race, and gender or sexual identity.
As the film explores Heagins’ artistic journey, it also examines the challenges of being a Black photographer telling stories from within marginalized communities and asks the timely question: Who has the right to tell whose story? Both a celebration of an extraordinary artist and a reflection on representation, Always Looking invites audiences to consider the power of documentary storytelling to foster empathy, visibility, and social change.

Humble In The Jungle
2026-10-10 18:30 - 20:30 | Durham Arts Council, 120 Morris St, Durham, NC, United States
Humble in the Jungle follows the remarkable journey of Mike “Mike Gee” Smalls, a rapper who rose to Hip Hop success before reinventing himself as a licensed plumber after relocating to North Carolina. Along the way, he forms an unlikely friendship with fellow plumber and filmmaker Ricky Kelly, whose passion for storytelling helps bring their shared experiences to the screen. Through their lives as tradesmen, artists, family men, and community leaders, the documentary explores themes of race, class, creativity, resilience, and the dignity of vocational work.
Following the screening, audiences are invited to stay for a special post-screening Q&A with filmmaker Ricky Kelly, offering an inside look at the making of the film and the stories behind it. The evening will conclude with a live performance by Mike G, bringing his music from the documentary to the stage for an unforgettable festival experience.
Director: Ricky Kelly
