International Documentary Association (IDA), founded in 1982, is a non-profit 501(c)(3) that promotes nonfiction filmmakers, and is dedicated to increasing public awareness for the documentary genre. Their major program areas are: Advocacy, Filmmaker Services, Education, and Public Programs and Events. Based in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

, the IDA has approximately 2,000 members in 53 countries, providing a forum for supporters and suppliers of documentary filmmaking.

Advocacy

The IDA advocates for, protects and advances the legal rights of documentary filmmakers. IDA has a long history of making the case for documentary filmmaking as a vital art form, and seeking ways to ensure that the artists who make documentaries receive appropriate funding. Most recently, IDA has been vocal in confronting the non-fiction film industry, to include promoting net neutrality efforts, lobbying for the development of strong public policies for the arts, lobbying for the appropriation of increased public funding for the arts, promoting fair use practice, and protecting the first amendment rights of filmmakers.

Filmmaker services

IDA provides services, tools and information for documentarians. Filmmaker services include IDA Membership, Fiscal Sponsorship, the Pare Lorentz Documentary Fund, ''Documentary'' magazine, and their website, ''Documentary.org''.

Membership

IDA Membership provides members with benefits and opportunities, by promoting the documentary genre and the ability to engage with other IDA members. IDA Members have opportunities to network with and learn from nonfiction filmmakers, and also have access to the online Membership Directory. IDA Members are eligible to receive special invites to events including film screenings, workshops and networking opportunities; and are also eligible to vote for the annual IDA Documentary Awards in the Best Feature and Best Short categories.

Fiscal sponsorship

IDA's Fiscal Sponsorship Program allows documentary films in production to receive donations and grants. Fiscal sponsorship is a formal arrangement in which a 501(c)(3) public charity, such as the IDA, agrees to sponsor a project that furthers our mission, for the purpose of fundraising through grants and donations. This alternative to starting a unique nonprofit allows one to seek grants and solicit tax-deductible donations for a documentary, with the oversight, support and endorsement of IDA. Over the years, this program has helped raise funds for titles such as '' Spellbound'', ''

Trouble the Water ''Trouble the Water'' is a 2008 documentary film produced and directed by Tia Lessin and Carl Deal. The film centers on a young couple surviving Hurricane Katrina, and facing their own troubled past during the storm's aftermath. It features mus ...

'', ''World According to Sesame Street'', '' For the Bible Tells Me So'', '' Dear Zachary'', ''

A Small Act ''A Small Act'' is a documentary film produced by Harambee Media and HBO and directed by Jennifer Arnold. The documentary chronicles Chris Mburu's search for his benefactor, whose sponsorship allowed him to continue secondary school in Kenya. He ...

'', ''

Garbage Dreams ''Garbage Dreams'' is a 2009 feature length documentary film produced and directed by Mai Iskander. Filmed over the course of four years, ''Garbage Dreams'' follows three teenage boys growing up in Egypt's garbage village. ''Garbage Dreams'' air ...

'', ''

The Man on Lincoln's Nose ''The Man on Lincoln's Nose'' is a 2000 American short documentary film directed by Daniel Raim about Hollywood art director Robert F. Boyle. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Short. The title is derived from the Al ...

'', ''Speaking In Strings'', ''

The Invisible War ''The Invisible War'' is a 2012 American documentary film written and directed by Kirby Dick and produced by Amy Ziering and Tanner King Barklow about sexual assault in the United States military. It premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, ...

'', and '' Fruits of Labor''.

Pare Lorentz Documentary Fund

The Pare Lorentz Documentary Fund will provide annual production grants totaling $94,000 to be used in the creation of original, independent documentary films that illuminate pressing issues in the United States. Grants are made to up to 5 projects that tell a compelling story and focus on one of

Pare Lorentz Pare Lorentz (December 11, 1905 – March 4, 1992) was an American filmmaker known for his film work about the New Deal. Born Leonard MacTaggart Lorentz in Clarksburg, West Virginia he was educated at Buckhannon-Upshur High School#History, Buck ...

's central concerns—the appropriate use of the natural environment, justice for all or the illumination of pressing social problems. The fund supports full-length documentary films that reflect the spirit and nature of Pare Lorentz's work, exhibiting objective research, artful storytelling, strong visual style, high production values, artistic writing, outstanding music composition, as well as skilful direction, camerawork and editing. The Pare Lorentz Documentary Fund is made possible by

The New York Community Trust The New York Community Trust (The Trust) is a community foundation that serves New York City's five boroughs, Long Island, and Westchester County. The Trust administers more than 2,200 charitable funds. Established in 1924, The Trust is one of the ...

. In 2012, five films were recipients of the 2012 Pare Lorentz Documentary Fund Grants, including After Tiller, Citizen Corp, Four Walls Around Me, The New Black, and Remote Area Medical.

''Documentary'' magazine

''Documentary'' magazine is a quarterly publication that offers information to keep readers on track with the industry. The magazine has an international readership that includes over 20,000 readers. Circulation includes the 2,000 members of IDA, over 200 libraries, newsstand sales in Los Angeles, New York, and major cities throughout the US and Canada. The magazine features profiles of leading filmmakers like

Michael Apted Michael David Apted (10 February 1941 – 7 January 2021) was an English television and film director and producer. Apted began working in television and directed the ''Up (film series), Up'' documentary series from 1970 to 2019). He later di ...

Errol Morris Errol Mark Morris (born February 5, 1948) is an American film director known for documentaries that interrogate the epistemology of their subjects, and the invention of the Interrotron. In 2003, his '' The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Li ...

Michael Moore Michael Francis Moore is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and author. Moore's work frequently addresses various Social issue, social, political, and economic topics. He first became publicly known for his award-winning debut ...

Albert Maysles Albert Maysles (November 26, 1926 – March 5, 2015) and his brother David Maysles (January 10, 1931 – January 3, 1987; ) were an American documentary filmmaking team known for their work in the Direct Cinema style. Their best-known films in ...

and

Werner Herzog Werner Herzog (; né Stipetić; born 5 September 1942) is a German filmmaker, actor, opera director, and author. Regarded as a pioneer of New German Cinema, his films often feature ambitious protagonists with impossible dreams, people with unusu ...

, among others. It also covers major international film/video festivals with an emphasis on documentaries and distribution, and the latest on production and new technology, trends and recent broadcast developments.

Education

Doc U

Doc U is a series of hands-on educational seminars and workshops for aspiring and experienced documentary filmmakers, taught by artists and industry experts. Participants receive vital training and insight on various topics including fundraising; distribution; marketing; business tactics; and much more. Panelists from past Doc U events include

Ondi Timoner Ondi Doane Timoner is an American filmmaker and the founder and chief executive officer of Interloper Films, a production company located in Pasadena, California. Timoner is a two-time recipient of the Sundance Film Festival's Grand Jury Pr ...

Fenton Bailey World of Wonder Productions (WOW) is an American production company founded in 1991 by filmmakers Randy Barbato and Fenton Bailey. Based in Los Angeles, California, the company specializes in Television documentary, documentary television and Doc ...

R.J. Cutler R. J. Cutler (born 1962) is an American filmmaker, documentarian, television producer and theater director. His work includes the documentary films ''The War Room'', '' A Perfect Candidate'', ''Thin'', ''The September Issue'', ''The World Accord ...

Harry Shearer Harry Julius Shearer (born December 23, 1943) is an American actor, comedian, musician, radio host, writer, and producer. Born in Los Angeles, California, Shearer began his career as a child actor. From 1969 to 1976, Shearer was a member of The ...

Kirby Dick Kirby Bryan Dick (born August 23, 1952) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and editor best known for directing documentary films. He received Academy Award nominations for Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, Best Docume ...

Roger Ross Williams Roger Ross Williams (born September 16, 1962) is an American director, producer and writer and the first African American director to win an Academy Award (Oscar), with his short film '' Music by Prudence''; this film won the Academy Award for B ...

Joe Berlinger Joseph Berlinger (born October 30, 1961) is an American documentary filmmaker and producer. Particularly focused on true crime documentaries, Berlinger's films and docu-series draw attention to social justice issues in the US and abroad in such ...

Freida Lee Mock Freida Lee Mock is an American filmmaker, director, screenwriter and producer. She is a co-founder of the American Film Foundation with Terry Sanders. Her documentary, '' Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision'' (1994) won an Academy Award for Best Fea ...

Mitchell Block Mitchell W. Block (June 5, 1950 – May 30, 2024) was an American filmmaker, primarily a producer of documentary films. Block was the executive producer of the 2000 short documentary film '' Big Mama'', which won Best Documentary (Short Subjec ...

, Michael C. Donaldson and more.

Doc U Online

Launched in January 2013 with support from The Harnisch Foundation and Lekha Singh, Doc U Online brings the International Documentary Association's series of educational seminars and workshops for aspiring and experienced documentary filmmakers to IDA members across the globe. Taught by artists and industry experts, participants receive vital information and insight on various topics including licensing and copyright law, business tactics, documentary production, and the changing landscape and opportunities in documentary filmmaking.

Doc U On The Road

Doc U On The Road brings IDA's signature educational and outreach program to filmmakers outside of Los Angeles, made possible with special support from The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Doc U On The Road partners with organisations such as

American University The American University (AU or American) is a Private university, private University charter#Federal, federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Its main campus spans 90-acres (36 ha) on Ward Circle, in the Spri ...

's Center for Social Media, The Documentary Center,

Docs in Progress Docs in Progress is a film organization based in the Washington, D.C., area which showcases and incubates works in progress by up-and-coming and established documentary filmmakers. History Docs in Progress is a 501(c)(3) non-profit arts organiza ...

, '' POV'', the

Paley Center for Media The Paley Center for Media, formerly the Museum of Television & Radio (MT&R) and the Museum of Broadcasting, founded in 1975 by William S. Paley, is an American cultural institution in New York City with a branch office in Los Angeles. It is de ...

, the

San Francisco Film Society SFFILM, formerly known as The San Francisco Film Society, is a nonprofit arts organization located in San Francisco, California, that presents year-round programs and events in film exhibition, media education, and filmmaker services. The San Fra ...

and Women in Film & Video, and has offered programs in Boston, New York, San Francisco, and Washington DC. Topics for Doc U On The Road are selected from a survey of IDA members in each city.

Public programs and events

IDA Documentary Awards

The IDA Documentary Awards is an annual event that recognises and honours outstanding documentary films and filmmakers. The awards ceremony recognises significant achievements in documentary filmmaking in several categories, including Best Feature, Best Short, Best Limited Series, Best Continuing Series, and several creative categories. The annual IDA Documentary Awards Gala is the world's most prestigious award event solely dedicated to documentary film. For almost three decades, IDA has produced this annual celebration to recognise the most groundbreaking documentary films of the year. In addition to honouring both individuals and organisations for outstanding achievements in documentary filmmaking and contributions to the field, the IDA Documentary Awards also recognise the year's best documentary productions. Past hosts of the IDA Documentary Awards include

Penn Jillette Penn Fraser Jillette (born March 5, 1955) is an American Magic (illusion), magician, actor, comedian, musician, inventor, television presenter, and author, best known for his work with fellow magician Teller (magician), Teller as half of the t ...

(2012);

Tiffany Shlain Tiffany Shlain (born April 8, 1970) is an American filmmaker, artist, and author. Described by the public radio program '' On Being'' as "an internet pioneer", Shlain is the co-founder of the Webby Awards and the founder of the International Ac ...

Eddie Schmidt Eddie Schmidt (born August 29, 1970) is an American director, showrunner, producer, writer, commentator and satirist. He is perhaps best known for producing several feature documentaries that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, including ''Val ...

, and

Josh Fox Josh Fox is an American film Film director, director, playwright, hippy, and environmental activist, best known for his Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, Oscar-nominated, Emmy-winning 2010 documentary, ''Gasland''. He is the founder a ...

(2011),

Morgan Spurlock Morgan Valentine Spurlock (November 7, 1970 – May 23, 2024) was an American documentary filmmaker, writer, and television producer. He directed 23 films and was the producer of nearly 70 films throughout his career. Spurlock received acclaim f ...

(2010), and

Ira Glass Ira Jeffrey Glass (; born March 3, 1959) is an American public radio personality. He is the host and producer of the radio and television series '' This American Life'' and has participated in other NPR programs, including ''Morning Edition'', ...

(2009), among others.

DocuDay

DocuDay is IDA's annual screening of the year's best documentary films, Oscar® nominated shorts and features and Independent Spirit Award winners. This event increases public awareness and appreciation for non-fiction films, and takes place in both New York City and Los Angeles.

IDA Documentary Screening Series

The IDA Documentary Screening Series brings some of the year's best documentary films to the IDA community and members of industry guilds and organizations. A moderated Q&A with filmmakers follows the screenings. in 2022, " Navalny", the story of

Alexei Navalny Alexei Anatolyevich Navalny (, ; 4 June 197616 February 2024) was a Russian Opposition to Vladimir Putin in Russia, opposition leader, anti-corruption in Russia, corruption activist and political prisoner. He founded the Anti-Corruption Found ...

, was screene

References

{{Authority control Non-profit organizations based in California Organizations established in 1982 Organizations based in Los Angeles Documentary film organizations 501(c)(3) organizations