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.

Why $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.

2025 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