Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University

What does it take to get your first documentary into a film festival? At the Southern Documentary Fund Convening last weekend, Duke student Lucas Lin (.film) joined a panel of industry experts to share his experience navigating the festival circuit.

An economics and political science major pursuing his Certificate in Documentary Studies at CDS, Lin cracked the code this spring and screened his documentary short at two festivals:  and .

He spoke alongside award-winning director/producer and leaders from and , offering practical and honest insights:

Look for student categories and discounts.

“I focus on festivals that specifically have student categories. As a relatively new filmmaker, I don’t have a budget and can’t just submit to all the festivals out there. A lot of film festivals give student discounts. I submitted to a lot of online and college festivals too.”

Attend, or volunteer at, film festivals. (He’s been a fellow twice!)

“Attending Full Frame was a great inspiration and entry into the documentary world. I’ve seen pretty notable producers or directors, they just finished a Q&A after screening their film and in 30 minutes they’re in another screening, watching a film like regular folks. They’re downstage asking questions wanting to know what’s the new trend. That sort of exchange is very valuable.”

Don’t stress, focus on learning the craft.

“After the class ends go back to the project and really complete it, make it something polished. Fix the audio, see if you want a soundtrack, make sure the color looks good. I think it’s very important to have something completed, something that you would want to see.”

Huge thanks to and all the panelists!

CDS Spring Event tonight!

Event 4/25: Join CDS for a celebration and showcase of recent work by students. Everyone is welcome. No registration needed, just show up and bring your friends! Find us at documentarystudies.duke.edu/directions

Jessica Doyle presents a work-in-progress talk, "Framing Disasters: Ecocritical Perceptions of Media Events and the Amazon," on April 1 at 4:00 at the Duke Center for Documentary Studies. All are welcome. Details at duke.is/first-mondays

On 4/11, renowned scholars Rinaldo Walcott and Joseph M. Pierce will explore the history and possibility of living, thinking, being and sensing otherwise, and discuss their bold visions for making and remaking worlds, past and present. Join CDS for this free public talk at the Durham County Main Library Auditorium: https://duke.is/walcott-pierce

CDS’s DocX Development Lab: Otherwise Histories, Otherwise Futures aims to support artists, scholars and independent researchers. The fellowship is a space of ideation, reflection and community committed to imagining otherwise for self and world.

We are proud to announce the DocX Development Lab Fellows! https://duke.is/docx-fellows

First row: Luis Gutiérrez Arias, Zaina Bseiso, Adrienne Keene, Jamie Robertson, Tamara Santibañez; second row: Tommy Franklin, Renata Cherlise, Dessane Lopez Cassell, Rodrigo Reyes, Nikoli Attai, Crystal Z Campbell

Join us in person on Monday, April 1, at 4:00 for "Framing Disasters: Ecocritical Perceptions of Media Events and the Amazon." CDS Ph.D. Fellow Jessica Doyle will give a talk about her work on media events, eco-art and media activism in or about the Amazon Forest. Learn more and register at https://duke.is/first-mondays

Join us on Monday, March 4, at 4:00 for "Weaving the Document: The Photography of Maruch Sántiz." CDS Ph.D. Fellow Sam Hunnicut will give an online talk about his work on Sántiz, an Indigenous Tsotsil Maya woman from the Mexican state of Chiapas. https://duke.is/first-mondays

The Center for Documentary Studies at Duke and the Department of American Studies at UNC–Chapel Hill invite applications for the Lehman Brady Visiting Professor in Documentary Studies & American Studies. This is a two-year position for an innovative artist, writer, documentarian or scholar. Learn more and apply by 3/27 at
https://duke.is/lehman-brady-2024-26

Join us on Monday, Feb. 5 at 4:00 for a work-in-progress seminar featuring Jobie Hill, Ph.D. student in history, on "Demystifying the Rhetoric of Slave Breeding." This image, courtesy of Hill, is the cover of a 'Negro Account Book 1840-1849'. Learn more at https://duke.is/first-mondays