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Documentary Filmmaking: Core Elements
Beginner to Intermediate
Instructor: Patrick Shen
You have an idea for a documentary film, but now you want an expert in the field to help guide you as you take the next step. In this eight-week self-paced course, you will learn how to move from concept through post-production with a documentary film. Along the way, you will develop a compelling proposal for potential funders of your project and get feedback on your work from a Sundance Collab Advisor.
Jan15
Spotlight
10:00AM - 11:00AM (PST)
Laura Poitras on Documenting Seymour Hersh in COVER-UP
With: Laura Poitras and Soheil Rezayazdi
Laura Poitras on Documenting Seymour Hersh in COVER-UP
January 15, 2026
10:00AM - 11:00AM (PST)
10:00AM - 11:00AM (PST)
With: Laura Poitras and Soheil Rezayazdi
Celebrated filmmaker Laura Poitras joins Sundance Collab for a live, online conversation about her explosive new documentary COVER-UP. This hour-long conversation will conclude with an audience Q&A, where attendees will have the opportunity to ask Poitras questions about her extraordinary new work. Don’t miss this chance to learn from Laura Poitras, an honoree of the Academy, BAFTA, DGA, Emmy, Peabody, and Independent Spirit Awards.
Recently Added Documentary Courses and Events
Event Recording
Inside the Edit with BIPOC Doc Editors: CUTTING THROUGH ROCKS
With: Mohammadreza Eyni and 2 more
Inside the Edit with BIPOC Doc Editors: CUTTING THROUGH ROCKS
With: Mohammadreza Eyni, Sara Khaki and Soheil Rezayazdi
Jan15
Spotlight
10:00AM - 11:00AM (PST)
Laura Poitras on Documenting Seymour Hersh in COVER-UP
With: Laura Poitras and Soheil Rezayazdi
Laura Poitras on Documenting Seymour Hersh in COVER-UP
January 15, 2026
10:00AM - 11:00AM (PST)
10:00AM - 11:00AM (PST)
With: Laura Poitras and Soheil Rezayazdi
Celebrated filmmaker Laura Poitras joins Sundance Collab for a live, online conversation about her explosive new documentary COVER-UP. This hour-long conversation will conclude with an audience Q&A, where attendees will have the opportunity to ask Poitras questions about her extraordinary new work. Don’t miss this chance to learn from Laura Poitras, an honoree of the Academy, BAFTA, DGA, Emmy, Peabody, and Independent Spirit Awards.
Spotlight
Spotlight: Sculpting Body-Cam Footage into Cinema with Geeta Gandbhir (THE PERFECT NEIGHBOR)
With: Geeta Gandbhir and Soheil Rezayazdi
Spotlight: Sculpting Body-Cam Footage into Cinema with Geeta Gandbhir (THE PERFECT NEIGHBOR)
With: Geeta Gandbhir and Soheil Rezayazdi
Master Class
Master Class: Creative Distribution and Impact for Independent Filmmakers
With: Pulkit Datta and Soheil Rezayazdi
Master Class: Creative Distribution and Impact for Independent Filmmakers
With: Pulkit Datta and Soheil Rezayazdi
Scripting and Pitching Your Documentary
Beginner to Intermediate
With: Mark Monroe and Xan Aranda
In this four-week course, Mark Monroe reveals the strategic art of shaping hundreds of hours of raw footage into compelling cinema. This course builds upon a previous Sundance Collab Master Class and features exclusive insights and conversations with established documentary storytellers Morgan Neville (Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, Piece By Piece), Geeta Gandbhir (The Perfect Neighbor), and Kavery Kaul (The Bengali).
Event Recording
Insider Session: Applying to the Sundance Institute Ignite Program
With: Samina Saifee and 3 more
Insider Session: Applying to the Sundance Institute Ignite Program
With: Samina Saifee, Kat Schulze, Toby Brooks and Katherine Street
Inside the Edit with BIPOC Doc Editors: SABBATH QUEEN
With: Sandi DuBowski, Francisco Bello, ACE, Jeremy Stulberg, ACE, Kyle Crichton, Meranda Yslas and Soheil Rezayazdi
Video
Profiles in Indie Distribution: Harnessing Data for Audience Discovery with Jolt and CAN'T LOOK AWAY
With: Matthew O’Neill and 2 more
Profiles in Indie Distribution: Harnessing Data for Audience Discovery with Jolt and CAN'T LOOK AWAY
With: Matthew O’Neill, Tara Hein-Phillips and Soheil Rezayazdi
Event Recording
Inside the Edit with BIPOC Doc Editors: PATRICE: THE MOVIE
With: Jenna A. Bush and 4 more
Inside the Edit with BIPOC Doc Editors: PATRICE: THE MOVIE
With: Jenna A. Bush, Ally Southwood-Smith, John Tarquinio, Ephraim Kirkwood and Soheil Rezayazdi
Spotlight
Spotlight: Documenting Digital Lives with Lauren Greenfield (SOCIAL STUDIES)
With: Lauren Greenfield and Soheil Rezayazdi
Spotlight: Documenting Digital Lives with Lauren Greenfield (SOCIAL STUDIES)
With: Lauren Greenfield and Soheil Rezayazdi
Advisor Studio
Advisor Studio: Navigating Generative AI with the Archival Producers Alliance Tool Kit
With: Briana Bierman and 2 more
Advisor Studio: Navigating Generative AI with the Archival Producers Alliance Tool Kit
With: Briana Bierman, Rachel Antell and Soheil Rezayazdi
Documentary Filmmaking: From Rough Cut to Fine Cut
Advanced
Take your documentary to the next level in this immersive eight-week online workshop designed for filmmakers ready to refine their films in post-production. Whether you're crafting a short, a feature, or a series, this course offers the rare opportunity to workshop your project with a seasoned filmmaker and a tight-knit group of fellow creatives—all focused on helping you break through creative roadblocks and uncover your film’s strongest form.
Master Class
Master Class: Integrating Accessibility and Inclusion into Filmmaking
With: Reid Davenport and 2 more
Master Class: Integrating Accessibility and Inclusion into Filmmaking
With: Reid Davenport, Day Al-Mohamed and Alison O'Daniel
Event Recording
Festival Spotlight 2025: A Conversation on Art, Love, and Legacy with COME SEE ME IN THE GOOD LIGHT
With: Jessica Hargrave and 2 more
Festival Spotlight 2025: A Conversation on Art, Love, and Legacy with COME SEE ME IN THE GOOD LIGHT
With: Jessica Hargrave, Ryan White and Katherine Street
Event Recording
Festival Spotlight 2025: Advocacy Meets AI with FREE LEONARD PELTIER
With: Jhane Myers and 3 more
Festival Spotlight 2025: Advocacy Meets AI with FREE LEONARD PELTIER
With: Jhane Myers, David France, Jesse Short Bull and Soheil Rezayazdi
Inside the Edit with BIPOC Doc Editors: SPERMWORLD
With: Daniel Garber, Emily Yue and Soheil Rezayazdi
Event Recording
Festival Spotlight 2025: The Art of True Crime with ZODIAC KILLER PROJECT
With: Charlie Shackleton and Katherine Street
Festival Spotlight 2025: The Art of True Crime with ZODIAC KILLER PROJECT
With: Charlie Shackleton and Katherine Street
Shaping Your Documentary Story in Post
Intermediate
Over the course of four weeks in this live, online course, you will gain the expertise you need to shape your story. You will analyze documentary scenes across genres and styles to learn how to create the world of your story, “write” your documentary, and elevate your film in post-production. The course will include case studies and interactive exercises to offer space to share and connect with other filmmakers in the course. Weekly assignments will include research exercises designed to deepen your understanding of the post-production process.
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Scripting and Pitching Your Documentary
Beginner to Intermediate
With: Mark Monroe and Xan Aranda
In this four-week course, Mark Monroe reveals the strategic art of shaping hundreds of hours of raw footage into compelling cinema. This course builds upon a previous Sundance Collab Master Class and features exclusive insights and conversations with established documentary storytellers Morgan Neville (Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, Piece By Piece), Geeta Gandbhir (The Perfect Neighbor), and Kavery Kaul (The Bengali).
Documentary Filmmaking: Core Elements
Beginner to Intermediate
Instructor: Patrick Shen
You have an idea for a documentary film, but now you want an expert in the field to help guide you as you take the next step. In this eight-week self-paced course, you will learn how to move from concept through post-production with a documentary film. Along the way, you will develop a compelling proposal for potential funders of your project and get feedback on your work from a Sundance Collab Advisor.
Spotlight
Laura Poitras on Documenting Seymour Hersh in COVER-UP
With: Laura Poitras and Soheil Rezayazdi
Laura Poitras on Documenting Seymour Hersh in COVER-UP
With: Laura Poitras and Soheil Rezayazdi
Celebrated filmmaker Laura Poitras joins Sundance Collab for a live, online conversation about her explosive new documentary COVER-UP. This hour-long conversation will conclude with an audience Q&A, where attendees will have the opportunity to ask Poitras questions about her extraordinary new work. Don’t miss this chance to learn from Laura Poitras, an honoree of the Academy, BAFTA, DGA, Emmy, Peabody, and Independent Spirit Awards.
Master Class
Master Class: Creating a Compelling Pitch Package with Producers Nina Yang Bongiovi (PASSING) & Larissa Rhodes (THE SOCIAL DILEMMA)
Instructor: Nina Yang Bongiovi and Larissa Rhodes
Master Class: Creating a Compelling Pitch Package with Producers Nina Yang Bongiovi (PASSING) & Larissa Rhodes (THE SOCIAL DILEMMA)
With: Nina Yang Bongiovi and Larissa Rhodes
Master Class
Master Class: Creative Distribution and Impact for Independent Filmmakers
With: Pulkit Datta and Soheil Rezayazdi
Master Class: Creative Distribution and Impact for Independent Filmmakers
With: Pulkit Datta and Soheil Rezayazdi
Master Class
Master Class: Documentary Editing Fundamentals with Jacob Bricca, ACE (MISSING IN BROOKS COUNTY)
Instructor: Jacob Bricca
Master Class: Documentary Editing Fundamentals with Jacob Bricca, ACE (MISSING IN BROOKS COUNTY)
Instructor: Jacob Bricca
Master Class
Master Class: Writing Your Documentary Script with Mark Monroe (ICARUS, THE COVE)
Instructor: Mark Monroe
Master Class: Writing Your Documentary Script with Mark Monroe (ICARUS, THE COVE)
Instructor: Mark Monroe
Master Class
Master Class: Finding and Negotiating Distribution for Your Film with Elsa Ramo
With: Elsa Ramo and Sean Pope
Master Class: Finding and Negotiating Distribution for Your Film with Elsa Ramo
With: Elsa Ramo and Sean Pope
Master Class
Master Class: Funding your Documentary with Caroline von Kuhn (LIKE THE WATER), Anna Godas (CEO of Dogwoof), Jessica Devaney (PRAY AWAY) and More
Panelist: Jessica Devaney and 3 more
Master Class: Funding your Documentary with Caroline von Kuhn (LIKE THE WATER), Anna Godas (CEO of Dogwoof), Jessica Devaney (PRAY AWAY) and More
With: Jessica Devaney, Carrie Lozano, Anna Godas and Noland Walker
Master Class
Master Class: Kirsten Johnson (CITIZENFOUR) on The Moving Image as a Relationship
With: Kirsten Johnson
Master Class: Kirsten Johnson (CITIZENFOUR) on The Moving Image as a Relationship
With: Kirsten Johnson
Spotlight
Spotlight: Creating Your Artistic Process with Morgan Neville (PIECE BY PIECE)
With: Morgan Neville and Katherine Street
Spotlight: Creating Your Artistic Process with Morgan Neville (PIECE BY PIECE)
With: Morgan Neville and Katherine Street
Advisor Studio
Advisor Studio: Navigating Generative AI with the Archival Producers Alliance Tool Kit
With: Briana Bierman and 2 more
Advisor Studio: Navigating Generative AI with the Archival Producers Alliance Tool Kit
With: Briana Bierman, Rachel Antell and Soheil Rezayazdi
Spotlight
Spotlight: Sculpting Body-Cam Footage into Cinema with Geeta Gandbhir (THE PERFECT NEIGHBOR)
With: Geeta Gandbhir and Soheil Rezayazdi
Spotlight: Sculpting Body-Cam Footage into Cinema with Geeta Gandbhir (THE PERFECT NEIGHBOR)
With: Geeta Gandbhir and Soheil Rezayazdi
Video
Pitching Your Project, Funding Your Work with Nina Yang Bongiovi (FRUITVALE STATION). Jim Cummings (THUNDER ROAD), & more
With: Nina Yang Bongiovi and 4 more
Pitching Your Project, Funding Your Work with Nina Yang Bongiovi (FRUITVALE STATION). Jim Cummings (THUNDER ROAD), & more
With: Nina Yang Bongiovi, Jim Cummings, Julie Goldman, Jordana Mollick and Dawn Porter
Master Class
Master Class: Doc Filmmaking: Finding and Shaping Your Story with Roger Ross Williams (GOD LOVES UGANDA)
Instructor: Roger Ross WIlliams
Master Class: Doc Filmmaking: Finding and Shaping Your Story with Roger Ross Williams (GOD LOVES UGANDA)
Instructor: Roger Ross WIlliams
Master Class
Master Class: Documentary Filmmaking: Navigating Truth and Ethics with Dawn Porter (JOHN LEWIS: GOOD TROUBLE)
Instructor: Dawn Porter
Event Recording
Insider Session: Submitting Your Feature Film to the Sundance Film Festival
With: Sudeep Sharma and 2 more
Insider Session: Submitting Your Feature Film to the Sundance Film Festival
With: Sudeep Sharma, Ana Souza and Katherine Street
Spotlight
Spotlight: Crafting Authentic Narratives in Documentary with Matthew Heineman
With: Matthew Heineman and Patty West
Spotlight: Crafting Authentic Narratives in Documentary with Matthew Heineman
With: Matthew Heineman and Patty West
Advisor Studio
Advisor Studio: Director Jamila Wignot & Producer Lauren DeFilippo (AILEY) on Prepping Your Documentary
Advisor: Jamila Wignot and Lauren DeFilippo
Advisor Studio: Director Jamila Wignot & Producer Lauren DeFilippo (AILEY) on Prepping Your Documentary
With: Jamila Wignot and Lauren DeFilippo
Video
Making Short Films with Mariama Diallo (HAIR WOLF), Bernardo Britto (GLOVE) & more
With: Mike Plante and 4 more
Making Short Films with Mariama Diallo (HAIR WOLF), Bernardo Britto (GLOVE) & more
With: Mike Plante, Mariama Diallo, Francisca Alegria, Anna Kerrigan and Bernardo Britto
Join Senior Short Film Programmer, Mike Plante and learn about the art and craft of making short films and strategizing for festival and distribution opportunities.
Event Recording
Documentary Storytelling with Care: Working with Vulnerable Protagonists & Sources with Robert Greene (PROCESSION), Daresha Kyi (MAMA BEARS), Daffodil Altan & Gisela Pérez de Acha (FRONTLINE)
With: Carrie Lozano and 4 more
Documentary Storytelling with Care: Working with Vulnerable Protagonists & Sources with Robert Greene (PROCESSION), Daresha Kyi (MAMA BEARS), Daffodil Altan & Gisela Pérez de Acha (FRONTLINE)
With: Carrie Lozano, Robert Greene, Daresha Kyi, Daffodil Altan and Gisela Pérez de Acha
Advisor Studio
Advisor Studio: Documentary Grant Writing with Tracie Holder
With: Tracie Holder and Katherine Street
Advisor Studio: Documentary Grant Writing with Tracie Holder
With: Tracie Holder and Katherine Street
Documentary Filmmaking: From Rough Cut to Fine Cut
Advanced
Take your documentary to the next level in this immersive eight-week online workshop designed for filmmakers ready to refine their films in post-production. Whether you're crafting a short, a feature, or a series, this course offers the rare opportunity to workshop your project with a seasoned filmmaker and a tight-knit group of fellow creatives—all focused on helping you break through creative roadblocks and uncover your film’s strongest form.
Shaping Your Documentary Story in Post
Intermediate
Over the course of four weeks in this live, online course, you will gain the expertise you need to shape your story. You will analyze documentary scenes across genres and styles to learn how to create the world of your story, “write” your documentary, and elevate your film in post-production. The course will include case studies and interactive exercises to offer space to share and connect with other filmmakers in the course. Weekly assignments will include research exercises designed to deepen your understanding of the post-production process.
Master Class
Master Class: Creating a Docuseries with Liz Garbus (WHAT HAPPENED MISS SIMONE?) and Dan Cogan (ICARUS)
Instructor: Liz Garbus and Dan Cogan
Master Class: Creating a Docuseries with Liz Garbus (WHAT HAPPENED MISS SIMONE?) and Dan Cogan (ICARUS)
With: Liz Garbus and Dan Cogan
Master Class
Master Class: Pitching for Success with with Jackie Miller (President of Bespoken)
Instructor: Jackie Miller
Master Class: Pitching for Success with with Jackie Miller (President of Bespoken)
Instructor: Jackie Miller
Master Class
Master Class: Integrating Accessibility and Inclusion into Filmmaking
With: Reid Davenport and 2 more
Master Class: Integrating Accessibility and Inclusion into Filmmaking
With: Reid Davenport, Day Al-Mohamed and Alison O'Daniel
Master Class
Master Class: Documentary Filmmaking with Jennifer Fox (THE TALE)
Instructor: Jennifer Fox
Master Class: Documentary Filmmaking with Jennifer Fox (THE TALE)
Instructor: Jennifer Fox
Master Class
Master Class: Social Activism Through Storytelling with Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk (AN INCONVENIENT SEQUEL: TRUTH TO POWER)
Co-Instructor: Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk
Master Class: Social Activism Through Storytelling with Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk (AN INCONVENIENT SEQUEL: TRUTH TO POWER)
With: Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk
At the heart of every successful social activist movement is a compelling story. This three-hour, live, online master class will delve into strategies for making media that moves the needle on social issues and galvanizes its audience to make change.
Event Recording
Insider Session: Submitting Your Short to the Sundance Film Festival
With: Mike Plante and Katherine Street
Insider Session: Submitting Your Short to the Sundance Film Festival
With: Mike Plante and Katherine Street
Advisor Studio
Advisor Studio: Pitching Your Documentary for Production Funding
With: Kavery Kaul and Erica Elson
Advisor Studio: Pitching Your Documentary for Production Funding
With: Kavery Kaul and Erica Elson
Event Recording
Festival Spotlight 2025: The Art of True Crime with ZODIAC KILLER PROJECT
With: Charlie Shackleton and Katherine Street
Festival Spotlight 2025: The Art of True Crime with ZODIAC KILLER PROJECT
With: Charlie Shackleton and Katherine Street
Event Recording
Festival Spotlight 2025: World Cinema Documentary Competition
With: Sara Khaki and 4 more
Festival Spotlight 2025: World Cinema Documentary Competition
With: Sara Khaki, Mohammadreza Eyni, Christopher King, Maia Lekow and Soheil Rezayazdi
Event Recording
Insider Session: Applying to the Sundance Documentary Fund
With: Dominic Davis and 2 more
Insider Session: Applying to the Sundance Documentary Fund
With: Dominic Davis, Evan Neff and Katherine Street
Presented by Adobe
Event Recording
Creative Approaches to Editing with Carla Gutierrez and David Teague (FRIDA) | Presented by Adobe
With: Carla Gutierrez and 2 more
Creative Approaches to Editing with Carla Gutierrez and David Teague (FRIDA) | Presented by Adobe
With: Carla Gutierrez, David Teague and Erica Elson
Insider Session: Applying to the Ignite Challenge
With: Toby Brooks and Erica Elson
Inside the Edit with BIPOC Doc Editors: SPERMWORLD
With: Daniel Garber, Emily Yue and Soheil Rezayazdi
Event Recording
Festival Spotlight 2025: Advocacy Meets AI with FREE LEONARD PELTIER
With: Jhane Myers and 3 more
Festival Spotlight 2025: Advocacy Meets AI with FREE LEONARD PELTIER
With: Jhane Myers, David France, Jesse Short Bull and Soheil Rezayazdi
Event Recording
Festival Spotlight 2025: A Conversation on Art, Love, and Legacy with COME SEE ME IN THE GOOD LIGHT
With: Jessica Hargrave and 2 more
Festival Spotlight 2025: A Conversation on Art, Love, and Legacy with COME SEE ME IN THE GOOD LIGHT
With: Jessica Hargrave, Ryan White and Katherine Street
Spotlight
Spotlight: Documenting Digital Lives with Lauren Greenfield (SOCIAL STUDIES)
With: Lauren Greenfield and Soheil Rezayazdi
Spotlight: Documenting Digital Lives with Lauren Greenfield (SOCIAL STUDIES)
With: Lauren Greenfield and Soheil Rezayazdi
Event Recording
Inside the Edit with BIPOC Doc Editors: PATRICE: THE MOVIE
With: Jenna A. Bush and 4 more
Inside the Edit with BIPOC Doc Editors: PATRICE: THE MOVIE
With: Jenna A. Bush, Ally Southwood-Smith, John Tarquinio, Ephraim Kirkwood and Soheil Rezayazdi
Video
Profiles in Indie Distribution: Harnessing Data for Audience Discovery with Jolt and CAN'T LOOK AWAY
With: Matthew O’Neill and 2 more
Profiles in Indie Distribution: Harnessing Data for Audience Discovery with Jolt and CAN'T LOOK AWAY
With: Matthew O’Neill, Tara Hein-Phillips and Soheil Rezayazdi
Inside the Edit with BIPOC Doc Editors: SABBATH QUEEN
With: Sandi DuBowski, Francisco Bello, ACE, Jeremy Stulberg, ACE, Kyle Crichton, Meranda Yslas and Soheil Rezayazdi
Event Recording
Insider Session: Applying to the Sundance Institute Ignite Program
With: Samina Saifee and 3 more
Insider Session: Applying to the Sundance Institute Ignite Program
With: Samina Saifee, Kat Schulze, Toby Brooks and Katherine Street
Spotlight
Spotlight: Change Through Storytelling: Reproductive Justice with Emma Pildes (THE JANES), Tia Lessin (THE JANES) and Martha Shane (AFTER TILLER)
With: Carrie Lozano and 3 more
Spotlight: Change Through Storytelling: Reproductive Justice with Emma Pildes (THE JANES), Tia Lessin (THE JANES) and Martha Shane (AFTER TILLER)
With: Carrie Lozano, Emma Pildes, Martha Shane and Tia Lessin
Spotlight: Conversation with Ava DuVernay: Art is Activism
With: Ava DuVernay
Spotlight
Spotlight: Creating Social Impact Through Storytelling with Jeff Orlowski and Larissa Rhodes (THE SOCIAL DILEMMA)
Advisor: Jeff Orlowski and Larissa Rhodes
Spotlight: Creating Social Impact Through Storytelling with Jeff Orlowski and Larissa Rhodes (THE SOCIAL DILEMMA)
With: Jeff Orlowski and Larissa Rhodes