Keynote Conversation with Errol Morris

The Academy Award-winning The Fog of War filmmaker will speak about his extensive achievements in documentaries, and explain the evolution of his creative vision and filmmaking process.

Truth Seeker Award Presentation and Q&A with Stanley Nelson

Stanley Nelson will be presented with the Variety and Rolling Stone Truth Seeker Award. A MacArthur “Genius” Fellow, Peabody Award recipient and Emmy Award winner, Nelson is one of the most decorated documentary filmmakers in the industry, whose riveting, research-driven narratives reexamine familiar and forgotten portraits of American history. His upcoming feature-length film Attica, from Showtime Documentary Films, will follow the 1971 prison rebellion in Attica, NY, which remains the country’s deadliest prison uprising.

The Vocabulary of Verité: How to Construct the Language of Documentaries

What does "truth" mean when you're editing, directing and constructing a documentary feature. How do you shape the narrative and what is the responsibility of the filmmakers and critics, when the audience accepts the storytelling as a definitive version of history?

Keynote Conversation with Todd Haynes

Filmmaker Todd Haynes talks about his documentary feature, The Velvet Underground and explains his creative process in telling the story of this iconic rock band.

Weapons of Mass Disinformation

The January 6th attack on the Capitol changed the country forever. How could so many people believe the Big Lie? How do you cover a president who constantly lies and promotes violence? How do you cover a conspiracy theory like Qanon responsibly? How can you get the American people to agree on the same set of facts again? What is the responsibility of the social media and tech giants? Panelists will discuss presenting the truth in a highly polarized society consumed by conspiracy theories.

Keynote Conversation with RZA

RZA will talk about creating, executive producing, and composing Wu-Tang: An American Saga, a series looking at the Wu-Tang Clan’s iconic formation, mega success, and cultural influence.

Keynote Conversation with Dolores Huerta

Activist and community organizer Dolores Huerta will speak about her extensive advocacy for civil rights, spanning encouraging COVID vaccinations, registering and educating voters, advocating for education reform and bringing about infrastructure improvements in low-income areas.

First Look: Showtime's Attica

A conversation about the making of documentary Attica, detailing the five-day prison rebellion that took place in the fall of 1971 in upstate New York, which remains the largest and deadliest the country has ever witnessed.

Spotlight on Pod Save America

A conversation with co-founders of influential politics and culture podcast Pod Save America.

True Crime as an Agent of Change

Going behind the scenes with writers, producers and directors as they conceive a true crime project and how the documentary becomes part of the overall narrative of the story. Can a documentary affect meaningful change? What is the process for scoring interviews with difficult subjects to speak on even more difficult topics? What is the end game for projects – should storytelling be expected to find answers to unsolved crimes? Creative leaders in true crime entertainment tell their stories.