Documentary Courses and Events - Registration Closing Soon!
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.