Maggie Pisacane
Agent, WME
Funding (Nov. 15)
Dive deeper into the world of documentary film funding by joining a dynamic panel of prominent funding organizations and fellow filmmakers. This event is especially designed for filmmakers eager to navigate the funding landscape, uncover new opportunities, and gain real time exclusive insights.
In the Festival Lounge, the day starts with Breakfast hosted by community partner FWD-Doc (9-10AM) and ends with a Happy Hour (4:30-5:30PM) hosted by Frankfurt Kurnit for pass holders and other festival guests.
10:00-11:15AM
Brand Partnerships: Opportunities and Challenges
As brands play a growing role in documentaries, moving beyond traditional advertising to funding authentic narratives, they are reshaping filmmaking through financing and distribution. While this creates exciting opportunities, it’s important to recognize that brand partnerships aren’t a cure-all for funding, as they remain selective and may not suit every project. Moderated by Maggie Pisacane (WME), Jon Kamen (Radical Media), and filmmakers Samia Khan (Future Forward for Amazon’s The Climate Pledge) and Amber Fares (We Are Ayenda with WhatsApp) will explore how this shift is shaping documentary filmmaking and the challenges of aligning with brand objectives.
Maggie Pisacane
Agent, WME
Maggie Pisacane is a partner at WME and runs the agency’s Documentary Group. In her role, she focuses on premium non-fiction and documentary projects, representing renowned filmmakers and some of the most prolific production companies in the non fiction space.
Pisacane began her career as an associate at Sloss Eckhouse LawCo and transitioned to Frankfurt Kurnit where she became a partner, specializing in non-fiction television and documentaries, before joining WME as an agent and partner.
Jon Kamen
Chairman & CEO, RadicalMedia
Jon Kamen
Chairman & CEO, RadicalMedia
Jon Kamen, Chairman and CEO of RadicalMedia, has created one of the world’s leading producers of premium content across all media platforms. With over 175 film and television credits to his name, Jon’s artistic vision has been the force behind many Oscar®, Emmy®, Grammy® Golden Globe and Peabody Award®-winning and nominated titles. Kamen’s recent producer credits include Summer of Soul, the filmed versions of Emmy-winning Hamilton and American Utopia, as well as PBS’s American Portrait, Netflix’s Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich, and History Channel’s mini-series, GRANT. Kamen is a recipient of a Grammy, the 2018 IFP Gotham Awards, Mayor Bloomberg’s “Made in NY” Award and the Smithsonian’s National Design Award. He currently serves as a Vice Chair of the board of trustees for Rhode Island School of Design, The Museum of the Moving Image, and Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation.
Amber Fares
Director
Amber Fares
Director
Amber Fares is an award-winning documentary director and
cinematographer known for her compelling storytelling and ability to
bring under-represented narratives to the forefront. Her first foray
into branded content, We Are Ayenda (WhatsApp), made a splash in the
industry, earning five Cannes Lions awards, including the prestigious
Grand Prix, along with Best Director honors at the Sundance Brand
Storytelling conference, an AICP Award and D&AD Award.
Amber’s documentary debut, Speed Sisters (2015) about Palestinian
women race car drivers, captivated international audiences on
platforms like Netflix, Al Jazeera, and RAI. She has since directed a
diverse range of projects, including an episode of Gutsy (AppleTV,
2022), Reckoning with Laughter (AJ Witness/The New Yorker), and
co-directed Convergence: Courage Under Crisis (Netflix) and Supervising
Producer on America Inside Out with Katie Couric (National Geographic).
Samia Khan
Director
Samia Khan
Director
Samia Khan is an award-winning filmmaker, producer, and thought leader. She is a 2024 Sundance x Doris Duke Fellow and CAAM Fellow. She was recently named by Forbes Magazine and the World Economic Forum as one of the top filmmakers creating compelling character-driven films on climate change. As a commercial director, Samia has worked with brands, celebrities, political agencies, production studios, and publications to create films that inspire, entertain, and inform. Samia’s storytelling perspective is critically informed by her experiences as a Pakistani immigrant who grew up around the world. She speaks Urdu and Spanish and lives in the woods of the Hudson Valley.
11:30-12:45PM
Real Talk: Fundraising in the Current Documentary Landscape
DOC NYC New Leaders Jamie Dobie (Represent Justice), Kelsey Koenig (Impact Partners), Lailanie Gadia (Asian American Documentary Network), and Sarah Rachael Wainio (Documentary Producers Alliance) will share candid insights into the challenges and opportunities in fundraising for documentaries today, offering step-by-step guidance on developing an effective strategy. Learn how to identify potential funders, diversify funding sources, and build strong relationships. The session will include real-time guidance using a pre-selected audience member’s film as a case study. This panel involves audience engagement.
Jamie Dobie
Represent Justice
Jamie Dobie
Represent Justice
Bringing new funding into the documentary impact space, and advocating for fair impact distribution rights so we can serve the communities we are ultimately most accountable to as filmmakers—film participants and the movement ecosystems that our films exist in.
Jamie is the COO of Represent Justice, a nonprofit that builds narrative power for formerly incarcerated filmmakers, film participants, and activists. As a founding steering committee member of GIPA she is co-leading an effort to preserve impact-related exhibition rights in distribution deals. As a director/producer her work has screened at MoMA, Full Frame, and AFI DOCS, among other festivals.
Kelsey Koenig
Impact Partners
Kelsey Koenig
Impact Partners
Supporting doc filmmakers’ artistic visions through creative collaboration, business strategy, and bridging the gap between filmmakers and social impact investors.
Kelsey has worked in independent documentary for over a decade and is currently the VP of Production at Impact Partners, a fund that supports powerful documentary films addressing pressing social issues. Since joining IP, she has been involved with the development of 100+ projects and has spoken on panels about funding, distribution, and impact at industry events around the world.
Lailanie Gadia
Asian American Documentary Network (A-Doc)
Lailanie Gadia
Asian American Documentary Network (A-Doc)
Uplifting and empowering AANHPI filmmakers and storytellers to live out their creative pursuits through community, collaboration, and impact.
Raised on Guam, Lailanie Gadia is a Filipina American community builder, producer, and financial professional based in Los Angeles. Serving as the Asian American Documentary Network (A-Doc)’s Operations Director, Lailanie finds purpose in supporting and empowering underrepresented voices. She is an Associate Producer on Tadashi Nakamura’s Third Act, a 2022 LEAP Impact alum and graduated from Loyola Marymount University.
Sarah Rachael Wainio
Documentary Producers Alliance
Sarah Rachael Wainio
Documentary Producers Alliance
Sarah is a documentary producer and nonfiction television director whose credits include The Food Network, TLC, MTV, Netflix, and Max. She earned an MFA in Social Documentary Film from the School of Visual Arts. Sarah is Secretary of the board of the Documentary Producers Alliance and co-chairs the ethics subcommittee. She lives in NYC with her cats Theodora and Tovah.
Co-presented by Impact Partners
1:45-3:00PM
Film Financing Unveiled
Join experts Hayden Goldblatt and Sean Jefferson from Frankfurt Kurnit, a leading media and entertainment law firm and Lynnette Gryseels from The Film Collaborative, for a dynamic panel discussion on navigating the complexities of film financing. Panelists will share strategies for securing funding, from understanding various finance structures and identifying potential investors to leveraging tax incentives and negotiating favorable terms. Learn best practices for maintaining strong relationships with financiers and minimizing legal risks.
Lynnette Gryseels
Director of Development and Fiscal Sponsorship, The Film Collaborative
Lynnette Gryseels
Director of Development and Fiscal Sponsorship, The Film Collaborative
Lynnette Gryseels is the Director of Development and Fiscal Sponsorship at The Film Collaborative where she helps filmmakers tell thought-provoking stories that entertain, stimulate social change, and support their filmmaking aspirations. Lynnette assists filmmakers in learning their craft through project development and fundraising support. At The Film Collaborative, she developed and launched the Fiscal Sponsorship Program and regularly advises filmmakers on fundraising strategies and sources, audience development, and film distribution strategies as they relate to funding.
Sean Jefferson
Counsel, Entertainment Group at Frankfurt Kurnit
Sean Jefferson
Counsel, Entertainment Group at Frankfurt Kurnit
Sean Jefferson is Counsel in the Entertainment Group at Frankfurt Kurnit. Mr. Jefferson has wide-ranging experience in entertainment and media, representing financiers, production companies, producers, filmmakers, athletes, writers, and independent distributors. He has negotiated complex single picture and slate multi-party financings on behalf of producers and financiers. He has also represented producers in recent cutting-edge political documentaries. Mr. Jefferson is experienced in structuring and negotiating rights acquisition, content distribution, sales agreements both domestic and foreign, and co-production and financing agreements. Diverse Representation includes Mr. Jefferson in their “Ten to Watch in 2022” list as a standout attorney in the entertainment industry. Lawyers of Color included him in their 2022 Hot List. Variety included Mr. Jefferson in its Legal Impact Report (2021) and Up Next List of the Dealmakers Impact Report (2020). He is also recognized in Best Lawyers “Ones to Watch for Entertainment and Sports Law” (2021-2025).
Hayden Goldblatt
Partner and Co-Chair, Frankfurt Kurnit Entertainment Group
Hayden Goldblatt
Partner and Co-Chair, Frankfurt Kurnit Entertainment Group
Hayden Goldblatt is a partner and Co-Chair of the Frankfurt Kurnit Entertainment Group in New York, where he focuses on motion picture, television, and digital media work. Mr. Goldblatt has wide-ranging experience in all areas of entertainment and media law, representing producers, writers, directors, documentary filmmakers, financiers, lenders, and independent distributors. He has negotiated complex single picture and slate multi-party financings both on behalf of producers and financiers, as well as structured multi-million dollar film funds. He has also structured and negotiated content acquisition agreements and output deals for innovative digital distribution companies, and worked on numerous branded entertainment deals on behalf of brands and advertising agencies. Best Lawyers in America includes Mr. Goldblatt in the 2023 and 2024 rankings for Entertainment Law – Motion Pictures and Television, and Variety recognized him in its 2021 Dealmakers Impact Report and 2021 Legal Impact Report.
Co-presented by Frankfurt Kurnit.
3:15-4:30PM
Crossing Borders to Help Fund Your Film
Moderated by Dawn Bonder (DeNovo Initiative), this panel explores the potential of international co-productions as a dynamic avenue for film financing and expanding creative opportunities. Industry experts Heidi Kim Andersen (Danish Film Institute), Anna Godas (Dogwoof), and Jessica Edwards (Eno) will discuss how collaborating across borders not only opens up new funding sources but also allows filmmakers to tap into diverse markets, talent, and resources. Discover how international co-productions offer a strategic path for filmmakers looking to finance their projects and broaden their impact.
Heidi Kim Andersen
Danish Film Institute
Heidi Kim Andersen
Danish Film Institute
Heidi Kim Andersen is a Film Commissioner for Short and Documentary Films at the Danish Film Institute.
Dawn Bonder
The deNovo Initiative
Dawn Bonder
The deNovo Initiative
Dawn founded The deNovo Initiative to support storytellers who challenge our conceptions, opinions, and beliefs, propelling their stories as catalysts for building empathy and changing hearts and minds. She endeavors to identify storytellers focused on exposing systemic stupidity and identifying solutions focused on better outcomes for all.
Dawn has embraced storytelling as a powerful tool for developing and implementing change throughout her career. Recent credits include I Didn’t See You There (2022), Bad Axe (2022), Pay or Die (2023), The Eternal Memory (2023), Beyond Utopia (2023), Food and Country (2023), Richland (2023), Songs from the Hole (2024), Love Machina (2024), Agent of Happiness (2024) and The Debutantes (2024). Dawn received a BSBA from Boston University Questrom School of Business, summa cum laude, and a J.D. from New York University School of Law. A lover of people who make her laugh or think, Dawn has called Portland, Oregon home for 28 years.
Anna Godas
Dogwoof
Anna Godas
Dogwoof
Jessica Edwards
Founder, Film First
Jessica Edwards
Founder, Film First
Jessica Edwards has a broad background in the film industry as a director, producer, and publicist. She’s the founder of Film First, a production company that creates and distributes documentary features, shorts and new media projects including the award-winning Mavis! about soul and gospel pioneer Mavis Staples which won a Peabody in 2017. Edwards holds an MA in Media Studies from The New School in New York City and a BA in Cinema Studies from Concordia University in her native Canada. She lives and works in Brooklyn.
Co-presented by Screen Nova Scotia.
To experience the DOC NYC PRO lineup, purchase an individual PRO Day Pass (via the Buy Ticket button) to hone in on a specific subject, or benefit from discounted pricing when you purchase Multi-Day Pass Packs to an assortment of topics.
DOC NYC PRO is co-presented by:
