2025 Filmmaker Forum

Sunday, October 12

10:00 AM – 10:10 AM – Welcome

10:10 AM – 10:55 AM – Session 1: Voices from the Public Media Frontier
In the wake of the cancellation of NEA and NEH grants and the funding reduction for public media, the Forum begins by hearing from a broad range of those directly impacted by the cutbacks. A cross section of public media stakeholders, including filmmakers, local public television stations, national organizations and broadcasters will comment on the challenges they are facing related to the sustainability of the work they are doing, how they are meeting the moment, and their plans for the future.

Moderator: Chris Hastings, President & CEO, WXXI Public Media

Participants:
Maya Chupkov, Filmmaker & Media and Democracy Program Manager, Common Cause California
Resita Heavenly Cox, Filmmaker
Ranell Shubert, Executive Director, Disability Media Alliance
Savannah Winchester, Producer, Animation, Storycorps
Tom Hansell + Ouida Washington, Indie Media Arts South (IMAS)
Don Young, Executive Director, Center for Asian American Media (CAAM)

11:00 AM – 11:30 AM Breakout Groups
Location: Conference Room B, Cypress Room
Forum attendees participate in breakout groups to discuss the issues raised in Session 1.

11:45 AM – 12:00 PM Report Outs from Breakout Groups

12:15 PM – 1:00 PM – Session 2: Filmmakers Talk It Out
A conversation among filmmakers posing critical questions about the current state of nonfiction filmmaking and the role of public media

Moderator: Jax Deluca, Interim Director, Future Film Coalition

Panelists:
Chris Everett, Artistic Director, Southern Documentary Fund
Grace Lee, Independent Filmmaker and Co-Creator, Viewers Like Us podcast
Angela Tucker, Director, The Inquisitor
Sisa Bueno, Director/Producer, For Venida, For Kalief

1:00 PM – 1:45 PM Lunch

2:00 PM – 2:40 PM Meetings
A combination of curated and informal meetings and roundtables in which filmmakers, public media-related organizations, stations, and funders meet within and between cohorts.

2:45 PM – 4:00 PM Session 3: Works in Progress Showcase
Three filmmakers based in or with roots in the U.S. South/Mid-South present their works in progress and receive feedback from the audience. Co-presented with Indie Media Arts South (IMAS).

Moderator: Weenta Girmay, Regional Initiatives Coordinator, Firelight Media

Participants:
Forgotten Songs by Joseph Pelegreen
Mississippi Mercedes by Hanna Miller
From Kudzu, co-directed/co-produced by Melanie Dang Ho, Hope Davison, and Nash Consing

4:00 PM – 4:45 PM: Reception
Location: Conference Room B at the Arlington

Monday, October 13

7:30AM – 8:45 AM Breakfast

9:00 AM – 9:05 AM Welcome/Opening Remarks

9:05 AM – 10:00 AM – Session 4: The Opportunities for Nonfiction Mediamakers in an Evolving Public and Commercial Ecosystem

Part 1: Tom Davison (Vice President, Growth, American Public Television) and James Mieczkowski (Program Development Producer) discuss the opportunities that have existed for independent producers working within public media and what opportunities producers can expect to find going forward.

Moderator: Wendy Llinas, Senior Director, Programming & Development, PBS

Part 2: A conversation about the current commercial documentary landscape with Sara Archambault, Program Director, Shorenstein Center’s Documentary Film in the Public Interest; and filmmakers Grace Lee, Darcy McKinnon, and Bernardo Ruiz.

10:15 AM – 11:15 AM Session 5: Responding to the Moment: Filmmaker-Focused Organizations and the Future of Funding / Distribution
Representatives of Firelight Media, American Documentary/POV and the National Multicultural Alliance discuss how they are adapting to the new realities of the public and commercial media landscape and how they envision continuing to serve filmmakers.

Moderator: Bernardo Ruiz, Filmmaker and 2024 Documentary Film Fellow at Harvard’s Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy

Panelists:
Opal Bennett, Senior Producer, POV + Executive Producer, POV Shorts
Francene Blythe-Lewis, President & CEO, Vision Maker Media
Denise Greene, Director of Programs, Black Public Media
Monika Navarro, Director of Firelight Media’s William Greaves Production Fund
Luis Ortiz, Managing Director, Latino Public Broadcasting
Don Young, Executive Director, Center for Asian American Media

11:30 AM – 12:15 PM Session 6: Public Television Stations Talk it Out
A panel of public media stations discuss how they are adapting to the changing public media landscape.

Moderator: Courtney Pledger, Producer/ Executive Producer (Southern Storytellers, State of the Art, Armed Only with a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud)

Panelists:
Don Godish, Director of National Content/Regional Operations, SCETV
Becky Magura, President and CEO, Nashville PBS
Linda Midgett, Executive Producer, Louisiana Public Broadcasting
Nick Price, Series Producer, Reel South
Sara Robertson, Chief Content Officer, Austin PBS

12:15 PM – 1:00 PM Lunch

1:00 PM – 1:30 PM Session 7: Documentary Films & the Public Good
A conversation between Lauren Pabst, Senior Program Officer for Journalism and Media at the MacArthur Foundation; and Paola Mottura, Director, Film Fund, Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program; discussing what funding opportunities for independent documentaries can — and should — exist when these films are seen as a public good.

Moderator: Paola Mottura, Director, Film Fund, Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program

1:45 PM – 3:00 PM Industry + Filmmaker Roundtable Meetings
Location: Conference Room B

3:30 PM – 4:00 PM Press Play Hot Springs Kick Off
Location: Conference Room C

For the remainder of Monday afternoon, Forum partner Press Play Hot Springs has planned a robust program of panels, breakouts and networking opportunities. Presented by Video Consortium, a local-first, global nonprofit that supports nonfiction video creators to inform and inspire audiences everywhere, Press Play Hot Springs is part of the national Press Play tour which is designed to turn innovative ideas into action, by and for local media.

In the Press Play Hot Springs opening session, media makers of all kinds (journalists, filmmakers, creators, students, and more) come together to kick off this collaborative afternoon of solutions-focused conversations about making meaningful media for and in the South. “Ideas in Action” wall included!

4:00 – 4:45 PM Collaborative Breakout Sessions
What’s working in Southern storytelling? What’s not? Creatives break into topic-specific groups to answer fundamental questions that are driving the industry towards the future.

4:45 – 5:00 PM Pause for Sharing
Group facilitators share with all attendees what they discussed and developed, focusing on practical solutions.

5:00 – 5:45 PM Session 8: Pressing Play on the Future: Storytelling at the Crossroads of Journalism, Documentary Film, and Creation
While drawing on topics from the “Ideas in Action” wall and just-discussed potential solutions, we highlight the afternoon’s core ideas through a collaborative panel of diverse media backgrounds.

Moderator: Sky Dylan-Robbins –Founder and Executive Director, The Video Consortium

Participants:
Claret Alcala Filmmaker, Photographer, Claret Alcala Photography LLC
Chris Bell Davis Content Studio Director, mshp.si & Digital Storyteller
Molly Murphy Executive Director, Partnerships and Innovation, Working Films
Beth Reed Editor, The Sentinel-Record

5:45 PM – 6:45 PM Press Play Happy Hour
Press Play Hot Springs and Forum participants keep the conversation going over refreshments and noshes.

Tuesday, October 14

7:30 AM – 8:45 AM Breakfast

9:00 AM – 9:05 AM Introduction

9:05 AM – 9:50 AM Session 9: Where are the Southern Accents?
In an industry where gatekeepers and decision makers are often concentrated in coastal cities, Southern filmmakers navigate unique challenges in bringing authentic regional stories to national and international audiences. This conversation brings together documentary makers, producers, and industry professionals to share stories about the dynamics they face being “the only Southerners in the room.”

Moderator: Zuri Obi, Film Curator/Director/Cinematographer/Editor (Florida native)

Participants:
Resita Heavenly Cox, Filmmaker (North Carolina native)
Crystal Good, Producer, Journalist, Writer-Poet, Publisher & Founder of Black By God (7th generation West Virginia native)
Hanna Miller, Documentary Director + DP, Terrible Creek Productions (Mississippi native)
Andy Sarjahani, Filmmaker, Wild Hogs & Saffron (Arkansas native)
Ashley York, Filmmaker, Tig, Hillbilly, Louder Than Guns + Co-founder of Hazeltime (Kentucky native)

10:00 AM – 10:45 AM Session 10: Picking Up the Pieces: Filmmakers Confront New Distribution Realities
A bracing conversation about the uphill climb faced by filmmakers when it comes to distribution in today’s uncertain marketplace — and the creative solutions that they are devising to get their work seen.

Moderator: Emily Best, Founder and CEO Seed and Spark + Film Forward

Panelists:
Caryn Capotosto, Museum & Crane Producer, We Are Pat
Suzannah Herbert, Director, Natchez
Lance Kramer, Producer, Holding Liat
Darcy MacKinnon, Producer, Natchez
Erin Williams-Weir, Producer, Never Get Busted!

11:00 AM – 11:45 AM Session 11: All About the Audience
From YouTube to targeted outreach campaigns, understanding and engaging audiences has never been more critical for nonfiction creators. This panel explores strategies behind building—and sustaining—audience connection across platforms. Learn how various stakeholders are reaching viewers where they are and cultivating communities around their work.

Moderator: Michael E. Tang, Director, PBS Plus

Panelists:
Bethiael Alemayoh, Content Project Manager, Austin PBS
Sarah Childress, Director of Strategy & Operations, PBS Nashville
Savannah Winchester, Producer, Animation, Storycorps
Gabriella Garcia-Pardo, Producer, Backside
Hannah Merchant, Assistant Director of National Content, SCETV

11:45 AM – 12:00 PM Closing Thoughts

Confirmed Forum Participants:

Andy Sarjahani, Director/Cinematographer, Wild Hogs & Saffron (Arkansas native)

Angela Tucker – Director, The Inquisitor

Ashley York – Filmmaker (Tig, Hillbilly, Louder Than Guns) + Co-founder of Hazeltime (Kentucky native)

Becky Magura – President and CEO, Nashville PBS

Bethiael Alemayoh – Content Project Manager, Austin PBS

Bernardo Ruiz – Filmmaker, Quiet Pictures; 2024 Documentary Film Fellow at Harvard’s Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy

Caryn Capotosto – Museum & Crane, Producer, We Are Pat

Charles Eric White — Producer, Arkansas PBS

Chris Everett – Artistic Director, Southern Documentary Fund

Chris Hastings – President & CEO, WXXI Public Media

Clint Jukkala – Executive Director, Southern Documentary Fund

Crystal Good, Producer, Journalist, Writer-Poet, Publisher & Founder of Black By God (7th generation West Virginia native)

Corey Womack, Producer, Arkansas PBS

Courtney Pledger – Producer/ Executive Producer (Southern Storytellers, State of the Art, Armed Only with a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud)

Darcy McKinnon – Gusto Moving Pictures, Producer, Natchez

Denise Greene – Director of Programs, Black Public Media (BPM)

Don Godish – Director of National Content/Regional Operations, SCETV

Don Young – Executive Director, Center for Asian American Media (CAAM)

Emily Best – Founder and CEO, Seed and Spark + Film Forward

Erin Williams-Weir – Producer, Never Get Busted!

Francene Blythe-Lewis – President & CEO, Vision Maker Media

Gabriella Garcia-Pardo, Producer, Backside

Gentry Kirby, Senior Director & Producer ESPN Films/30 for 30

Grace Lee – Independent Filmmaker and Co-Creator, Viewers Like Us podcast

Hanna Miller – Terrible Creek Productions (Mississippi native)

Hannah Merchant – Assistant Director of National Content, SCETV

Iaja Rogers — Producer, Arkansas PBS

James Mieczkowski, Program Development Producer

Jax Deluca – Interim Director, Future Film Coalition (FFC)

Kathryn Rodenmeyer – Director of Television, Mississippi Public Broadcasting (MPB)

Kate Pearson – Sr. Managing Director, Programming & Acquisitions, Maryland Public Television

Kevin Clark — Producer, Arkansas PBS

Lauren Pabst – Senior Program Officer for Journalism and Media, MacArthur Foundation

Linda Midgett – Executive Producer, Louisiana Public Broadcasting

Luis Ortiz – Managing Director, Latino Public Broadcasting (LPB)

Maggie Andrews — Producer, Arkansas PBS

Maggie Piazza Carroll – Manager, Press Play Tour, The Video Consortium

Marquis Daisy, Television Producer, ESPN

Maya Chupkov – Filmmaker & Media and Democracy Program Manager, Common Cause California

Micheal Ferrara — Producer, Arkansas PBS

Michael E. Tang – Director, PBS Plus

Molly Murphy –Director of Partnerships and Innovation, Working Films

Monika Navarro – Director of Firelight Media’s William Greaves Production Fund

Nick Price – Series Producer, Reel South

Opal H. Bennett – Senior Producer, POV + Executive Producer, POV Shorts

Ouida Washington – Indie Media Arts South (IMAS)

Paola Mottura – Director, Film Fund, Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program

Paul Olivett – Philanthropic Investments Officer, The Moving Picture Institute

Resita Heavenly Cox, Filmmaker (North Carolina native)

Risé Sanders-Weir — Filmmaker/Journalist/Curator, Documentary Producers Alliance

Sajni Kumpuris – Director of Education & Production, Arkansas PBS

Sandy Malcolm, Senior Vice President of Content, Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB)

Sara Archambault — Program Director, Shorenstein Center’s Documentary Film in the Public Interest

Sara Childress – Director of Strategy & Operations, Nashville PBS

Sara Robertson – Chief Content Officer, Austin PBS

Savannah Winchester — Producer, Animation, Storycorps

Sisa Bueno – Director/Producer, For Venida, For Kalief

Sky Dylan-Robbins –Founder and Executive Director, The Video Consortium

Suzannah Herbert – Director, Natchez

Terrell Case — Producer, Arkansas PBS

Tom Davison – Vice President, Growth, American Public Television

Tom Hansell – Indie Media Arts South (IMAS)

Tracy Prince – Producer, Arkansas PBS

Weenta Girmay – Regional Initiatives Coordinator, Firelight Media

Wendy Llinas – Senior Director, Programming & Development, PBS

Zuri Obi, Film Curator/Director/Cinematographer/Editor (Florida native)

Accessibility

The Filmmaker Forum strives to be a welcoming and inclusive environment for all individuals. Please contact us if you need any accommodations to make registration more accessible and to let us know accessibility needs for the forum itself. We will make our best efforts to ensure accessibility, there may be some limitations.

Want to partner with us?

As we go about planning the Forum, we are actively engaged in conversations with film festivals and documentary support organizations, both regional and national, to share ideas and explore partnership opportunities. Please reach out! To talk about partnering with the Forum, please email us at Filmmakerforum@hsdfi.org.

How to Reach Us

If you have questions about eligibility / registration, please email Filmmakerforum@hsdfi.org.

To talk about partnering with the Forum, please email Forum Producer Ashley York at: ashley@hsdfi.org.