Documentality

DocuMentality

ABOUT THE PROJECT

LOGLINE
Providing best practice guidance on mental health and well-being in the documentary field.

SYNOPSIS
DOCUMENTALITY is an initiative that seeks to normalize conversations about mental health and well-being in the documentary industry, and to provide best practice guidance and information for documentary filmmakers to become more resilient resources for themselves, their teams, and the people who entrust them with their stories.

Ask any documentary filmmaker how they are doing and they will tell you of their stresses. The highly competitive nature of the business, coupled with the challenges of telling stories that are often deeply personal and traumatic, multiplied by the number of years it takes to move a documentary from idea to screen, make for fertile ground for mental health challenges. For too long these have been brushed aside as problems related to “an artist’s life.”

In recent years, increasing competition in the marketplace compounded by economic instability, lack of affordable mental health care, and the added stresses of the COVID-19 pandemic and institutional racism have cranked up the pressures on filmmakers. We are facing a community that often suffers at the edge of silent crisis. Addressing these issues is long overdue.

This multi-phase project will focus on:

Data-gathering by mental health professionals (through surveys and intimate focus groups;
Development of free resources (best practices toolkit, a self-assessment tool, case studies of best practices, panel discussions,links to networks of therapists and counselors with direct experience in the arts, and fostering of support groups);
Convenings that acknowledge the toll on mental health, reduce the stigma around it, and work across the field to promote mental health wellness.

PROJECT TYPE Organization

PRODUCER The D-Word, Film in Mind, and Move the Needle Films

WEBSITE documentality.org

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🎬 Support independent film through The Film Collaborative

The Film Collaborative (TFC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit supporting independent filmmakers.

Federal Tax ID: 32-0295081

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📅 Important Year-End Giving Dates for 2025

Dec 19: Most large gifts are decided by the Friday before the holidays.
Dec 31, 4:59 PM PT: Cutoff for wire, ACH, and Zelle gifts to be received in TFC’s account.
Dec 31: Postmark deadline for check donations.
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