Malikkah Rollins
Director of Industry and Education
Margie Ratliff
Producer
Martina Radwan
Filmmaker
Sonia Kennebeck
Filmmaker
Erika Dilday
Executive Director, American Documentary
Molly Murphy
DAWG Representative/Working Films
Lisa Leeman
Filmmaker/Professor
Stephanie Palumbo
Director of Film Impact and Innovation
Margie Ratliff
Producer
Margie Ratliff is a producer and key participant of Subject, where she examines her participation in the 2018 Netflix true-crime documentary, The Staircase. After receiving her MFA from Columbia College Chicago in documentary filmmaking, she has worked at companies such as The Gersh Agency and Imaginary Forces in Los Angeles. She is currently starting the non-profit, Documentary Participants Empowerment Alliance, to bring mental health, legal, counseling, advocacy, and mentorship resources to past, present, and future documentary participants. Margie is a globally based independent producer/director of documentary films, marathon runner, and passionate traveler of the world.
Martina Radwan
Filmmaker
Martina is a German/Syrian filmmaker and cinematographer, based in New York City. Her recent credits include Food and Country, Boys State, Inventing Tomorrow, The Final Year and Saving Face, the 2012 Academy Award and Emmy Winner for Short Documentary, which earned her an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Cinematography. Her directorial debut Spring in Awe won the Media Awareness Award at the Media That Matters Film Festival, as well as Best Editing Award at the Brooklyn Film Festival, both 2004. The film was also part of PBS’ New York Reel the same year. Her second film Aliens Among Us played theatrically at IDA’s DocuWeek and at numerous festivals in 2009.
Martina Radwan is a member of the Academy and BAFTA Documentary Branch.
Sonia Kennebeck
Filmmaker
Sonia Kennebeck is an independent filmmaker with 18 years of directing and producing experience. Her most recent feature documentary United States vs. Reality Winner premiered at SXSW 2021, and her documentary thriller Enemies of the State was selected for TIFF 2020.
Kennebeck’s first feature-length film National Bird premiered at Berlinale 2016, received the Ridenhour Documentary Film Prize and a 2018 Emmy-nomination for Outstanding Current Affairs Documentary.
Foreign Policy magazine recognized Kennebeck as one of 100 Leading Global Thinkers, she was selected as one of 25 New Faces of Independent Film by Filmmaker Magazine, and DOC NYC included her in the 40 Under 40 list of documentary filmmakers. She is the 2021 recipient of the Adrienne Shelly Excellence in Filmmaking Award.
Sonia Kennebeck is a first-generation college graduate who worked full-time while completing her master’s degree in international affairs at American University in Washington, D.C. She was born in Malacca, Malaysia.
Erika Dilday
Executive Director, American Documentary
Molly Murphy
Working Films
Leveraging the power of non-fiction film for social and environmental justice.
Molly Murphy (she/her) joined Working Films in 2001 and now serves as Director of Partnerships and Innovation. She has planned and directed impact campaigns, facilitated partnerships and coordinated coalitions centered on he use of documentaries to catalyze progress on the biggest issues of our time. Molly has designed and led dozens of trainings, for filmmakers and changemakers, focused on leveraging the power of film to make an impact. In her current role, she is responsible for Working Films’ external relations, forging connections in the documentary film industry and within social justice movements, and lifting up Working Films’ approach and learnings, while building with allies and accomplices to increase collective impact. Molly co-leads Working Films’ fundraising efforts and is part of the team of directors responsible for organizational and programmatic strategy and sustainability. Molly is a member of the Documentary Accountability Working Group (DAWG). She also serves on the board of Justice for My Sister (JFMS), a nonprofit collective that trains women of color, non-binary youth, and foster youth with a culturally-relevant and trauma-informed approach to tell stories through a gender equity and racial justice lens. In her spare time, you can find her dancing and singing to music, gardening, playing basketball with her son, and spending time with her friends and family on the coast of North Carolina.Lisa Leeman
Lisa Leeman believes that documentaries can change the world, one story at a time. Her films illuminate contemporary social issues through intimate character-driven stories that follow people at critical turning points. She is currently directing a follow-up to her groundbreaking first film, Metamorphosis (Sundance, Filmmakers Trophy; POV, 1990). Roger Ebert named Leeman’s One Lucky Elephant one of the best documentaries of 2011. Other credits include Awake; Crazy Wisdom; Out of Faith; and Who Needs Sleep (with Haskell Wexler). Lisa’s work has been supported by Sundance, Catapult, the Producers Guild, AFI, NEA, and the California Humanities Council. She co-chairs the Ethics Subcommittee of the Documentary Producers Alliance (DPA) and teaches Cinematic Ethics at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts. A tenured professor and a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, she leads workshops for the U.S. State Department’s American Film Showcase and Global Media Makers.
Stephanie Palumbo
Director of Film Impact and Innovation, Peace is Loud
Stephanie is an organizer, writer, and film producer leading strategic campaigns that use documentary films to build movement power. For more than 20 years, she has worked with grassroots movements to challenge systemic inequities, and joined Peace is Loud in 2016, where she oversees their documentary film impact campaigns and Collective Lens impact trainings, and develops strategies that integrate care into all aspects of documentary filmmaking. Her propensity for archival and story producing propelled her career, where she has worked with award-winning filmmakers including Michael Moore and Martin Scorsese, and spearheaded impact campaigns for groundbreaking documentaries including Knock Down the House, The Hunting Ground, and The Armor of Light. She is also a former assistant editor at O, the Oprah Magazine, and a freelance writer published in The Believer and Vulture, among other outlets.
Gray Areas: Navigating Ethical Dilemmas in Documentary Filmmaking
Weds., July 12 10am-4pm ET at the IFC Center, NYCLocation: IFC Center, NYC
As documentary filmmakers, it’s essential to understand your role and obligations towards the participants involved in your projects. In this interactive learning experience, we’ll explore the nuances and complexities of ethical responsibility in filmmaking. While there are often no concrete answers to ethical dilemmas, discussing case studies with other filmmakers will provide guidance as you wrestle with dilemmas from your own projects. Do you wonder about what responsibility documentary filmmakers have to their participants throughout the filmmaking process and beyond? Should filmmakers compensate participants? What if a filmmaker doubts the integrity of their protagonist? Join DOC NYC and Stephanie Palumbo from film impact non-profit Peace is Loud in an event geared towards doc filmmakers at all stages of their careers.
Filmmakers Margie Ratliff (Subject), Martina Radwan, (Tomorrow, Tomorrow, Tomorrow), and Sonia Kennebeck (Enemies of the State) will present one dilemma each during this day-long in person workshop. Erika Dilday, Executive Director of American Documentary, will provide an overview of the current state of ethics in documentary filmmaking. Two ethical frameworks will be presented to guide the conversations: Molly Murphy of the The Documentary Accountability Working Group will share their values-based framework and Lisa Leeman of the Documentary Producers Alliance and USC Film School will present a method of ethical inquiry from which to analyze the scenarios.
We ask guests to bring a compassionate and open mind as we explore these sensitive and complex case studies.
Each dilemma includes dedicated time where filmmakers, in small groups, discuss how they would navigate each scenario, and also a Q&A with the presenter. We will ask everyone to commit to a set of community agreements designed to create an environment of curiosity, kindness, and respect.
10:00 – 10:30 am
Welcome
Join Malikkah Rollins, Stephanie Palumbo and Erika Dilday as we open the workshop with a welcome, community agreements about how we’ll work together throughout the day, and an overview of ethics in the documentary industry.
Malikkah Rollins
Director of Industry and Education
As the new Director of Industry and Education at DOC/NYC, Malikkah will oversee a portfolio of projects including DOC NYC PRO, the festival’s line-up of educational courses and industry networking opportunities; Only In New York industry meetings for filmmakers with works-in-progress; and the 40 Under 40 list. Malikkah brings 15 years of experience in education, counseling, and professional development to the role. As a freelance doc producer, WIFV/DC board member, Sundance Collab Community Leader and D Word Ambassador, Malikkah’s passion is rooted in connecting people and building stronger, more collaborative film communities.
Erika Dilday
Executive Director, American Documentary
Erika Dilday
Executive Director, American Documentary
Stephanie Palumbo
Director of Film Impact and Innovation, Peace is Loud
Stephanie Palumbo
Director of Film Impact and Innovation, Peace is Loud
Stephanie is an organizer, writer, and film producer leading strategic campaigns that use documentary films to build movement power. For more than 20 years, she has worked with grassroots movements to challenge systemic inequities, and joined Peace is Loud in 2016, where she oversees their documentary film impact campaigns and Collective Lens impact trainings, and develops strategies that integrate care into all aspects of documentary filmmaking. Her propensity for archival and story producing propelled her career, where she has worked with award-winning filmmakers including Michael Moore and Martin Scorsese, and spearheaded impact campaigns for groundbreaking documentaries including Knock Down the House, The Hunting Ground, and The Armor of Light. She is also a former assistant editor at O, the Oprah Magazine, and a freelance writer published in The Believer and Vulture, among other outlets.
10:30 – 11:00 am
Ethical Frameworks Examples
Hear from Molly Murphy and Lisa Leeman as they present two ethical frameworks which will be used throughout the day to explore the dilemmas.
Molly Murphy
Working Films
Molly Murphy
Working Films
Leveraging the power of non-fiction film for social and environmental justice.
Molly Murphy (she/her) joined Working Films in 2001 and now serves as Director of Partnerships and Innovation. She has planned and directed impact campaigns, facilitated partnerships and coordinated coalitions centered on he use of documentaries to catalyze progress on the biggest issues of our time. Molly has designed and led dozens of trainings, for filmmakers and changemakers, focused on leveraging the power of film to make an impact. In her current role, she is responsible for Working Films’ external relations, forging connections in the documentary film industry and within social justice movements, and lifting up Working Films’ approach and learnings, while building with allies and accomplices to increase collective impact. Molly co-leads Working Films’ fundraising efforts and is part of the team of directors responsible for organizational and programmatic strategy and sustainability. Molly is a member of the Documentary Accountability Working Group (DAWG). She also serves on the board of Justice for My Sister (JFMS), a nonprofit collective that trains women of color, non-binary youth, and foster youth with a culturally-relevant and trauma-informed approach to tell stories through a gender equity and racial justice lens. In her spare time, you can find her dancing and singing to music, gardening, playing basketball with her son, and spending time with her friends and family on the coast of North Carolina.Lisa Leeman
Lisa Leeman believes that documentaries can change the world, one story at a time. Her films illuminate contemporary social issues through intimate character-driven stories that follow people at critical turning points. She is currently directing a follow-up to her groundbreaking first film, Metamorphosis (Sundance, Filmmakers Trophy; POV, 1990). Roger Ebert named Leeman’s One Lucky Elephant one of the best documentaries of 2011. Other credits include Awake; Crazy Wisdom; Out of Faith; and Who Needs Sleep (with Haskell Wexler). Lisa’s work has been supported by Sundance, Catapult, the Producers Guild, AFI, NEA, and the California Humanities Council. She co-chairs the Ethics Subcommittee of the Documentary Producers Alliance (DPA) and teaches Cinematic Ethics at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts. A tenured professor and a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, she leads workshops for the U.S. State Department’s American Film Showcase and Global Media Makers.
11:00 am -12:00 pm
Collaborating, Editing and Duty of Care for Documentary Participants
In providing duty of care for participants with traumatic stories, how do we include their voice in the filmmaking and editing processes so as to reduce re-traumatizing them? What are the pros and cons of accepting their editorial input? Do we change the integrity of the story by inviting their contributions? Margie Ratliff will share her insight as both a producer (Subject) and protagonist (The Staircase, 2004).
Margie Ratliff
Producer
Margie Ratliff
Producer
Margie Ratliff is a producer and key participant of Subject, where she examines her participation in the 2018 Netflix true-crime documentary, The Staircase. After receiving her MFA from Columbia College Chicago in documentary filmmaking, she has worked at companies such as The Gersh Agency and Imaginary Forces in Los Angeles. She is currently starting the non-profit, Documentary Participants Empowerment Alliance, to bring mental health, legal, counseling, advocacy, and mentorship resources to past, present, and future documentary participants. Margie is a globally based independent producer/director of documentary films, marathon runner, and passionate traveler of the world.
12:15 – 1:25pm
Boundaries, Financial Compensation and Caretaking: Navigating a Filmmaker’s Multiple Roles
At what point does the filmmaker/participant relationship end… especially if caretaking, financial and otherwise, has been provided to the participants? If we feel the pull to help our participants, what potential consequences do we face? How do we know if we’ve gone too far in providing support? Veteran DP and director Martina Radwan (Tomorrow, Tomorrow, Tomorrow), faced these decisions while creating her multi year documentary.
Martina Radwan
Filmmaker
Martina Radwan
Filmmaker
Martina is a German/Syrian filmmaker and cinematographer, based in New York City. Her recent credits include Food and Country, Boys State, Inventing Tomorrow, The Final Year and Saving Face, the 2012 Academy Award and Emmy Winner for Short Documentary, which earned her an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Cinematography. Her directorial debut Spring in Awe won the Media Awareness Award at the Media That Matters Film Festival, as well as Best Editing Award at the Brooklyn Film Festival, both 2004. The film was also part of PBS’ New York Reel the same year. Her second film Aliens Among Us played theatrically at IDA’s DocuWeek and at numerous festivals in 2009.
Martina Radwan is a member of the Academy and BAFTA Documentary Branch.
2:30 – 3:30pm
Conflicting Testimonies: Finding the Truth in Complex Stories
How can filmmakers verify the stories of participants? What if their stories conflict or contradict other evidence? How do you deal with uncomfortable discoveries, ambiguity, or an elusive truth? This dilemma is about fact-checking stories and balancing responsibilities towards various participants and the audience. Respect and care for participants does not require unlimited trust. In fact, thorough research, verification, and reasonable doubt help to create truthful documentary films, which most participants support. Sonia Kennebeck will explore this complexity as experienced during production of Enemies of the State.
Sonia Kennebeck
Filmmaker
Sonia Kennebeck
Filmmaker
Sonia Kennebeck is an independent filmmaker with 18 years of directing and producing experience. Her most recent feature documentary United States vs. Reality Winner premiered at SXSW 2021, and her documentary thriller Enemies of the State was selected for TIFF 2020.
Kennebeck’s first feature-length film National Bird premiered at Berlinale 2016, received the Ridenhour Documentary Film Prize and a 2018 Emmy-nomination for Outstanding Current Affairs Documentary.
Foreign Policy magazine recognized Kennebeck as one of 100 Leading Global Thinkers, she was selected as one of 25 New Faces of Independent Film by Filmmaker Magazine, and DOC NYC included her in the 40 Under 40 list of documentary filmmakers. She is the 2021 recipient of the Adrienne Shelly Excellence in Filmmaking Award.
Sonia Kennebeck is a first-generation college graduate who worked full-time while completing her master’s degree in international affairs at American University in Washington, D.C. She was born in Malacca, Malaysia.
3:30 – 4:00 pm
Closing Reflection / Discussion and Next Steps
Malikkah and Stephanie will lead the audience through a reflection and next steps activity.
Malikkah Rollins
Director of Industry and Education
Malikkah Rollins
Director of Industry and Education
As the new Director of Industry and Education at DOC/NYC, Malikkah will oversee a portfolio of projects including DOC NYC PRO, the festival’s line-up of educational courses and industry networking opportunities; Only In New York industry meetings for filmmakers with works-in-progress; and the 40 Under 40 list. Malikkah brings 15 years of experience in education, counseling, and professional development to the role. As a freelance doc producer, WIFV/DC board member, Sundance Collab Community Leader and D Word Ambassador, Malikkah’s passion is rooted in connecting people and building stronger, more collaborative film communities.
Stephanie Palumbo
Director of Film Impact and Innovation, Peace is Loud
Stephanie Palumbo
Director of Film Impact and Innovation, Peace is Loud
Stephanie is an organizer, writer, and film producer leading strategic campaigns that use documentary films to build movement power. For more than 20 years, she has worked with grassroots movements to challenge systemic inequities, and joined Peace is Loud in 2016, where she oversees their documentary film impact campaigns and Collective Lens impact trainings, and develops strategies that integrate care into all aspects of documentary filmmaking. Her propensity for archival and story producing propelled her career, where she has worked with award-winning filmmakers including Michael Moore and Martin Scorsese, and spearheaded impact campaigns for groundbreaking documentaries including Knock Down the House, The Hunting Ground, and The Armor of Light. She is also a former assistant editor at O, the Oprah Magazine, and a freelance writer published in The Believer and Vulture, among other outlets.
4:00 – 6:00 pm
Drinks and Conversation at Oppa Bistro
Join us for 1 free drink at Oppa after the event!
Each guest will receive 1 free popcorn or a drink during the workshop.
Early bird tickets to this event are $79 ($65 for IFC members) through June 29 and $99 ($80 for IFC members) after June 29. Tickets are non-refundable.
If you have questions about registration, please email ticketing@docnyc.net. For questions about accommodations and accessibility, including requests for live ASL interpretation, please email accessibility@docnyc.net.
DOC NYC PRO is co-presented by:
