Full Frame Receives $20,000 NEA Grant!

We’re excited to share that Full Frame has been approved for a $20,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)! Grant funds will support virtual festival operating costs, screening fees, and compensation for participating filmmakers. “We are grateful for this significant support from the National Endowment for the Arts,” said Artistic Director Sadie Tillery. “The grant funding strengthens Full Frame’s efforts to serve filmmakers and highlight documentary films during this challenging moment.” Learn…

5 Black History Month Docs: Politics

Throughout the month of February, we’re sharing festival alums that showcase the legacy of African American history and culture. This week’s selection of films focus on the role of African Americans in politics.   City So Real City So Real (Full Frame 2020) | Director: Steve James Stream: Hulu This four-hour series captures the city of Chicago at a pivotal moment, as residents grapple with a divisive mayoral election alongside the trial of the policeman…

January Staff Pick | Banished

Introducing Monthly Staff Picks, where members of the Full Frame team dive into the archives and select a film to share with you each month! Kicking off the series is Communications Manager Chris Everett with his pick of Banished (dir. Marco Williams), the 2007 Full Frame Spectrum Award winner. Chris says, “When I first saw Banished in 2010, it was my first time seeing a documentary on ethnic cleansing in America. It added a perspective…

Essential Viewing | Black Frame: New Voices of Documentary

Next week’s A&E IndieFilms conversation Black Frame: New Voices of Documentary explores how three award winning Black filmmakers are moving the documentary form forward using new cinematic languages. Explore these creatives’ visionary work below and RSVP today for the conversation on January 13th at 3 PM (ET)!   Time Time (dir. Garrett Bradley) – 2020 Center for Documentary Studies Filmmaker Award, 2020 Charles E. Guggenheim Emerging Artist Award Stream: Amazon Prime Video Rendered in evocative black and white,…

Announcing New Festival Dates! See you June 2–6, 2021

We’re moving to June! In light of the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact this has had on industry calendars,  audiences, and filmmakers, Full Frame has decided to move our annual festival to June 2–6, 2021. “Our priority continues to be the safety of our audiences and our filmmakers,” says Full Frame director, Deirdre Haj. “We plan to build upon what we’ve learned from last year’s online festival and the virtual programs we’ve produced throughout the…

6 Docs about the Campaign Process

In the lead up to Election Tuesday, we’ve curated a selection of recent alums (2018 – 2020) that highlight the campaign process in America. For our Durham readers, be sure to grab some popcorn from our friends at the Carolina Theatre of Durham (takeout concessions open on Fridays and Saturdays) before streaming one of these awesome films!   Boys State Boys State (Full Frame 2020) | Directors: Amanda McBaine, Jesse Moss Stream: Apple TV+ This…

2020 Festival Alums Streaming Now!

Last updated: 10/13/2020 Our programming team curates an exceptional selection of non-fiction films each festival year, and 2020 was no different despite the in-person event’s cancellation. While we couldn’t gather together to watch these films in downtown Durham earlier this year, many of the selections are now available to stream. We hope our audiences will enjoy exploring these titles. We’ll be sure to keep this list updated as more festival films are released. Looking for…

2020 School of Doc Films Now Available to Screen!

Did you miss the 2020 School of Doc Virtual Showcase in September? Well, all of the excellent films created by this year’s talented group of young filmmakers are now available on our Vimeo page! After watching their films, be sure to check-out their Q&A, where the students discussed their experience making a short documentary film on their own during the pandemic. 2020 School of Doc Films

Artist Resources and Funds for the Documentary Community

Last updated: 09/10/2020 If you are a documentary artist in need of support, our team has created a running list of grants, funds, networking events and other resources to help.   RELIEF FUNDS National National Endowment for the Arts (list of resources) Artist Relief Fund COVID-19 Grants Directory (IDA) Arts and Culture Leaders of Color Emergency Fund North Carolina NC Artist Relief Fund Chatham Artist and Arts-Workers Relief Effort (CAARE) Durham Artist Relief Fund Durham…

Filmmaker Q&A | BOYS STATE

BOYS STATE (2020 Full Frame Official Selection) dramatically captures the political motivations and strategic calculations of a group of young men who, among a thousand other Texas high school students, take part in a weeklong exercise to build a representative democracy from the ground up. This filmmaker Q&A is moderated by Full Frame director Deirdre Haj and features directors Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine and film subjects Steven Garza and Ben Feinstein. BOYS STATE is…