The Real Story –
Documentary Filmmaking

This panel explores how documentary production differs from fiction filmmaking in terms of scripting, financing, budgeting, editing, and particularly in terms of finding a compelling story to tell. The panelists discuss how they work with reality as the raw material for their stories and how they work to construct this material into a film that will engage an audience's attention.

Shooting the Story –
The Production Process

This panel is dedicated to the complicated process of production. The strategies, approaches, and problems of taking a film from conception to completion was the focus of this discussion, ranging from the challenges of financing, budgeting, and story development (through the logistics of casting, crew, locations, and scheduling), to the variety of techniques used to direct the actors, the camera, the set, and the project itself.

Getting the Story Out – Distribution, Exhibition, and Film Festivals

This panel covered perhaps the most important aspect of cinematic storytelling: getting the work seen. Beginning with the fundamentals of distribution, our panelists explored the various ways films are brought to the public's attention. Given the connection to the CIFF, particular attention was devoted to the central role of film festivals in the filmmakers' quests to have their stories seen and heard. Strategies for successful submission of a film to festivals were a primary focus of this panel.