DOXA Industry is back!

DOXA is excited to bring our Industry program once again back to in-person venues, as we learn from leading documentary professionals, activists and academics.

DOXA’s 2023 Industry program kicks off on Saturday, May 6 at SFU’s Goldcorp Centre for the Arts, in the World Art Centre (149 West Hastings Street). First up at 12:00 PM is a Masterclass with Amy Miller, co-presented by DOC BC | YT | NWT. Miller, an award winning director, producer and activist, will present a special masterclass to celebrate the World Premiere of her latest feature, Manufacturing The Threat. We will examine her work in the documentary medium and the power of doc as a catalyst for social change and justice. Following this at 2:30 PM, we’re looking forward to a conversation with celebrated filmmaker and educator Katerina Cizek on collective authorship, after successful events in Amsterdam, Washington and New York. This discussion will explore co-creation in media-making, taking a page from the collectively authored book Collective Wisdom; what would alternatives to the idea of the solitary author, and its privileged status in top-down media, look like? In a wider conversation with local creators, this talk will challenge preconceived notions about artistic ownership and highlight co-creation as a practice grounded in equity and justice. The days sessions will wrap up with a mixer hosted by DOC BC | YT | NWT, at Clough Club (212 Abbott Street)—a great opportunity for filmmakers, colleagues and new friends to mingle.

Adjacent to the Industry program is a very special work-in-progress screening of Jason McNamara’s Norita, examining the life and revolutionary work of Nora Cortiñas, the most famous of the Madres of the Plaza de Mayo—Argentina’s movement of women fighting for justice amidst the country’s rampant political oppression. This film was chosen by DOXA guest curators Avi Lewis and Naomi Klein. Featuring entirely women participants, the film is a sweeping intergenerational story about the bonds of motherhood and the strength found in joining forces between young and old, offering a deeply moving defense of the right to reproductive freedoms. Norita is still in post-production, and so we are looking forward to offering the public a true immersion into the work, as guest curators and McNamara discuss the secrets of the film, anecdotes about its making and its political context. The event will take place at VIFF Centre on Sunday, May 7 at 5:00 PM.

On Monday, May 8 we return to SFU’s World Art Centre. At 1:00 PM, we’re excited to present a case study of Tiny and animated documentaries; we'll dive into the work of filmmakers Ritchie Hemphill and Ryan Haché as they discuss the creation of their short film Tiny and the power of animation in documentary storytelling. Then at 3:00 PM we’ll hear from DOXA Director of Programming Sarah Ouazzani in a talk called Alternative Forms of Distribution—how do you get your film seen? And how do you plan a successful release? This distribution panel will look at alternative forms of distribution (i.e. artist-run centres, documentary streaming platforms, independent distributors and co-ops) from across the country. Finally, we’re looking forward to a conversation with Terra Long at 5:00 PM, with a focus on her editing career, hand-processing practices, and her feature debut Feet in Water, Head on Fire, co-presented by Canadian Cinema Editors.

Most exciting to our 2023 festival year is the launch of the Kris Anderson Connexions Mentorship Program. The Kris Anderson Youth Connexions Forum, named after DOXA's founder, was an exciting part of DOXA’s programming from 2006 to 2013 and was designed to foster documentary filmmaking and storytelling skills in emerging filmmakers who face barriers in attaining their career goals. We intend to carry forward the original spirit and intent of the program, while continuing its evolution in meeting the matters of the day. The Kris Anderson Connexions Mentorship Program will facilitate one-on-one mentorship between an experienced documentary filmmaker and an emerging filmmaker. The program will create a space for participants to discuss their creative practice and their goals with a mentor who can speak to their specific needs, while also making space for peer mentorship and collaboration.

All DOXA Industry sessions are pay-what-you-can/sliding scale, and will include ASL interpretation onsite (excluding the work-in-progress screening of Norita). For more information, visit: www.doxafestival.ca/doxa-industry

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Committed to cultivating curiosity and critical thought, DOXA 2023 delivers some of the very best in contemporary documentary cinema over 11 days. DOXA Documentary Film Festival runs May 4-14, 2023, offering an exceptional selection of films, filmmaker Q+A’s and Industry events. Select films will be available to stream online after festival dates, between May 15 thru 24, unless otherwise specified. Online films are geo-blocked to Canada and virtual tickets will be limited. Select screenings will include live and pre-recorded filmmaker Q+As and extended discussions. Festival tickets and passes will be available starting Wednesday, April 5th; for details, check www.doxafestival.ca. For further information, call the DOXA office at 604.646.3200.

DOXA is presented by The Documentary Media Society, a Vancouver-based non-profit, charitable society. DOXA is presented on unceded xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) and Sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) territory.

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