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Doc Orgs Sue U.S. State Department & Department of Homeland Security
Last week, the Los Angeles Times published an op-ed by Simon Kilmurry, executive director of the International Documentary Association and former executive producer for POV. In the piece he explains a recent suit filed by IDA and Doc Society, with support from the Knight First Amendment Institute and the Brennan Center for Justice, arguing that new visa requirements are effectively limiting foreign filmmakers’ speech.
He identifies the undue burdens of one rule in particular, where visa applicants must disclose all social media accounts. Kilmurry argues this will have a chilling effect on filmmakers’ freedom of expression: “Compelling filmmakers and other visa applicants to expose their social media accounts to government scrutiny deters them from speaking out and connecting with others on social media.”
Open Letter from Undocumented Filmmakers Collective
Leading up to this weekend's IDA Awards, the Undocumented Filmmakers Collective released an open letter to reflect on unjust media practices in regards to telling stories of the undocumented community. Calling on the producers of Netflix's Living Undocumented series and the broader media industry, the collective writes: "What we need is genuine solidarity so that we can thrive by creating change from within our own communities — and in our case, creating media about us, for us, by us.
Thank you to everybody who donated on Giving Tuesday! We're close to raising our end-of-year goal with an opportunity to double your impact with a match from our generous donors. Help spread the word and support your favorite documentaries by making a tax-deductible contribution to American Documentary.
The Annual Storytellers’ Institute, sponsored by the John B. Moore Documentary Studies Collaborative (MDOCS), is a five-week residency for documentary makers. Apply by Dec. 15.
The Pentimenti Emerging Filmmakers Grant supports work by up-and-coming female, non-binary and/or LGBTQ voices. Apply by Dec. 31.
Stay updated on more resources and opportunities through the AmDoc website:
Major funding for POV is provided by PBS, The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts and the Wyncote Foundation. Additional funding comes from The John S. and James Knight Foundation, Nancy Blachman and David desJardins, Bertha Foundation, Reva & David Logan Foundation, Open Society Foundations, Sage Foundation, New York State Council on the Arts, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, Ann Tenenbaum and Thomas H. Lee and public television viewers. POV is presented by a consortium of public television stations, including KQED San Francisco, WGBH Boston and THIRTEEN in association with WNET.ORG.
