2025 Full House Campaign

Support Full Frame, Seat by Seat, Name by Name
Each spring, Full Frame brings thousands of people together to experience powerful nonfiction storytelling on the big screen. The theatrical showcase, and the audiences who lean in to be a part of celebrating the art form, are at the heart of what we do. We are excited to invite you to be a part of sustaining our commitment to documentary in a new and meaningful way.
From now through June 30, we are asking our community to help us symbolically fill the theater by making a gift of $60 per seat. For every new $60 donation, we will add a name—yours or someone you choose—to our Full House campaign. This is a visual tribute to the people who make Full Frame possible. Names will also be shown in a prominent location at the 2026 festival.
How Does It Work?
Step 1. Complete the form below with your name and the name of the person to whom you wish to dedicate a seat. You might choose to honor:
- Yourself, as an enthusiastic Full Frame patron
- A family member who sparked your love of film
- A friend who never misses a screening
- A teacher or mentor who opened your eyes to new stories
- Anyone who deserves a front-row seat to Full Frame’s next act!
Step 2. Make a $60 gift by following this link or using the button below the form. For each new $60 gift, a name may be added to the Full House campaign.
Step 3. Repeat Step 1 and Step 2 to add as many names to the Full House.
Step 3. A Full Frame team member will reach out within 7 days to confirm your gift and the name for each seat. If you choose to include the honoree’s email address, they will receive a notification that their name has been added to the Full House.
Make a $60 GiftWhy $60?
$60 is the cost to produce a single seat at the annual Full Frame Documentary Film Festival. While tickets and passes remain affordable, they cover less than a quarter of our annual costs. The remainder is made possible by donors, sponsors, and foundations.
Your gift helps close that gap and helps Full Frame to carry on as a cultural cornerstone in the region and an essential part of the documentary film ecosystem.
Why Now?
At this critical moment for Full Frame, when national funding is shifting, we are asking our community to help preserve this singular event. Now more than ever, community support is vital.
Your contribution ensures that Full Frame can continue to elevate documentary artists, offer an inclusive, world-class cultural experience, and connect audiences through film.
Questions?
Please direct all inquiries to Full Frame’s Development Manager, Jamie Webb, at jamie.webb@duke.edu. Looking to add multiple names with a single large gift? Contact Jamie directly with the request and he will assist you with processing the gift and the names.
Our Mission2025 Full House Names
Jameka Autry
James Autry Jr.
Tara Bahna-James
Tolly Boatwright
Rosie Booth
Laura Boyes
Theadora Brack
Amy Diamond
Duke Venue and Production Management Team
Pat Easterbrook
David Foster
Emily Foster
Holly Foster
Howard Francis
Sarah Francis
Cynthia Frazier
The Full Frame Team
Meg Gerken
Bernie Grunwald
Terry Grunwald
Robbie Hardy
Richard Harkrader
Stephen Heffner
Katy Hill
Ryan Helsel
Emmett Hines Helsel
Harper Root Helsel
Dennis Howard
Diana Howard
Deborah Hylton
Jeremy Kaplan
Hannah Kirschenfeld
Diana Koonce
Dr. Penny Hope Kowal
Molly Mahoney
Michael McDonald
Gale Meyer
Melanie Mitchell
Mimi O’Brien
Dean Otto
Angie Potiny
Ben Reese
Tara Lynn Romano
Phil Roof
Erica Rothman (and Michael McDonald)
Julia Rowe
Gretchen Sims
Karl Sims
Misha Starman
Ezgi Ustundag
Jane Williams
Leland Webb
*updated June 8