Search Menu
dedicated to the theatrical exhibition of nonfiction cinema

Speakeasy Conversations

Panelists: Julie Goldman, Gentry Kirby, Leah Smith, and Moderator Rebekah Fergusson at a Speakeasy Conversation

    Speakeasy Conversations, a signature panel series at the annual Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, gathers filmmakers, industry voices, and audiences for relaxed dialogue on the questions and challenges driving the documentary field today.

    The series is free and open to the public. No tickets are required to attend.

    2026 Speakeasy Conversations topics and guests will be announced in March 2026.

    2025 Speakeasy Conversations

    Friday, April 4:

    Scores and Soundscapes
    12:30 – 1:30 p.m., The Durham Hotel

    When thinking about theatrical films, images immediately come to mind. But how does listening influence the viewing experience? This discussion considers the importance of what we hear and the powerful ways that composers and filmmakers craft original music and sound design.

    Panelists: Isabel Castro (Director, SELENA Y LOS DINOS), Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe (Composer, SEEDS)

    Moderator: Eric Hynes (Director of Film Curation and Programming, Jacob Burns Film Center)

     

    Navigating the Archive
    3:30 – 4:30 p.m., The Durham Hotel

    Hear from documentary producers with experience steering films that incorporate significant amounts of archival footage. This panel explores the creative considerations and particular demands involved in navigating the archive, including access, research, and permissions.

    Panelists: Julie Goldman (Producer, SELENA Y LOS DINOS), Gentry Kirby (Senior Director and Producer, ESPN Films/30 for 30), Leah Smith (Producer, Trilogy Films)

    Moderator: Rebekah Fergusson (Producer, HELEN AND THE BEAR)

     

    Saturday, April 5:

    Documentaries for Democracy: Practicing Our Values Today
    12:30 – 1:30 p.m., The Durham Hotel

    Back in 1966, Kartemquin Films was founded by 20-somethings inspired by John Dewey’s work on grassroots democracy and the cinematic breakthroughs of cinéma vérité. Six decades later, Kartemquin filmmakers are still creating work that holds fast to that vision. This discussion focuses on the urgent challenge of documentaries to serve democracy.

    Panelists: Gordon Quinn (Filmmaker and Founder, Kartemquin Films) and Patricia Aufderheide (Author, Kartemquin Films: Documentaries on the Frontlines of Democracy)

    Moderator: Natalie Bullock Brown (Filmmaker and Director, Documentary Accountability Working Group)

    The Weight of a Question: Documentary and the Art of Inquiry
    Saturday, April 5, 3:30 – 4:30 p.m.

    This conversation with Yance Ford, curator of the 2025 Thematic Program, expands on the ideas behind his selections and the ways that documentary films invite viewers to contend with complex—and at times, uncomfortable—questions about the world around them and their place within it.

    Panelist: Yance Ford (Filmmaker and Curator, Full Frame 2025 Thematic Program)

    Moderator: Eric Hynes (Director of Film Curation and Programming, Jacob Burns Film Center)

     

    Yance Ford and Eric Hynes speak at a Speakeasy Cobversation in 2025

    The Archive

    A wide array of topics related to documentary film and filmmaking have been tackled since the program’s inception. To watch and learn more about previous conversations, please visit the Speakeasy Conversations Archive.