International Documentary Association

01/19/2026

Congratulations to the four IDA grantees premiering at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival - ‘Aanikoobijigan [ancestor/great-grandparent/great-grandchild],’ ‘To Hold A Mountain,’ ‘Birds of War,’ and ‘Who Killed Alex Odeh?.’ Check the screening times and get your tickets. https://festival.sundance.org/program/films/

01/16/2026

In this interview, Martina Radwan talks about how she let curiosity drive the filmmaking of ‘One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5.’ Read more at .

In this interview, Martina Radwan talks about how she let curiosity drive the filmmaking of One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5

01/15/2026

The Czech festival’s 29th edition reaffirms its commitment to emerging filmmakers while presenting socially minded work that examines extraction, ecology, and reenactment. Read more at .

The Czech festival’s 29th edition reaffirms its commitment to emerging filmmakers while presenting socially minded work that examines extraction, ecology, and reenactment

01/14/2026

01/13/2026

A 4K remaster of Michael Apted’s 1989 documentary also updates the whereabouts of its protagonist, Boris Grebenshchikov, in a new epilogue. debuts the official trailer for the remastered and expanded ‘The Long Way Home,’ the 1989 music documentary from Michael Apted, who is best known for his ‘Up’ series. This new 2026 version includes a “where are they now” epilogue featuring protagonist Boris Grebenshchikov, founder of the Russian band Aquarium. Watch now.

A 4K remaster of Michael Apted’s 1989 documentary also updates the whereabouts of its protagonist, Boris Grebenshchikov, in a new epilogue

01/12/2026

In this interview, Fil Ieropoulos discusses his documentary-cum-manifesto, ‘Avant-Drag! Radical Performers Re-Imagine Athens.’ What more can be said about drag in film? Read more at .

In this interview, Fil Ieropoulos discusses his documentary-cum-manifesto, Avant-Drag! Radical Performers Re-Imagine Athens

01/09/2026

Join us on January 28 at 10 am PT. In this session, two critically acclaimed filmmaking teams will share the granular details of their working relationship, walking through scenes from meaningful recent films. Their presentations will be followed by an audience Q&A. RSVP today for an honest look inside one of documentary’s most crucial and private creative spaces.

Though many understand editing mechanics, fewer witness the intimate creative space where nonfiction films truly take shape. Some directors and editors work in tandem, while others drop in and out of projects. While commercial gigs might be compressed into mere weeks, filmmakers frequently edit crea...

01/08/2026

The world’s oldest documentary festival continues its commitment to an equitable world, from supporting exiled filmmakers to its programming selections. As a former film festival programmer, I also admired the festival for reliably world premiering accomplished documentaries from Central Europe that escaped the notice of flashier festivals. Read more on .

The world’s oldest documentary festival continues its commitment to an equitable world, from supporting exiled filmmakers to its programming selections

01/07/2026

On December 18, 2025, we held a risk assessment seminar with Colin Pereira, an experienced risk and journalist-safety expert with more than 20 years in the field. Pereira broke down how to assess risk for your documentary projects. While much of the process may seem like common sense, asking deliberate questions about your environment, your team, and your communication methods ensures that the risks you take are calculated and intentional.

Watch the complete seminar on the IDA YouTube channel or https://documentary.org/public/create-fearlessly-assess-risk-first-risk-assessment-colin-pereira.

01/05/2026

In this interview, Srđan Kovačević discusses his Ljubljana-set observational documentary, ‘The Thing to Be Done,’ about an office fighting for workers’ rights. Read more at . https://documentary.org/online-feature/union-work-21st-century-srdan-kovacevic-thing-be-done.

In this interview, Srđan Kovačević discusses his Ljubljana-set observational documentary, The Thing to Be Done, about an office fighting for workers’ rights

01/02/2026

Happy New Year! Last chance to participate in 's Greatest Docs of the 21st Century poll. We hope you’ll find some time today to fill out your ballot with your top 3 docs from this century. All ballots must be submitted by January 2, 2026.

Documentary magazine is embarking on an exciting new project to anoint the 25 Greatest Docs of the 21st Century (so far!). We know we cannot do this on our own, which is why we’re asking all our active IDA members, as well as past and present magazine contributors, to help us compile this list.

12/30/2025

For , Anthony Kaufman finds a troubling pattern of increasing state suppression of documentaries, even when screenings are held abroad.

Filmmakers and programmers say the global threat of censorship is growing more dire. “It has definitely gotten worse,” says Aditi Sharma, the Artistic Director of India Doc Fest, a new documentary film festival. “If you’re a filmmaker or a programmer, you’re always considering what you might or might not be able to make or show.”

As governments escalate transnational pressure campaigns, documentarians and programmers worldwide must choose between solidarity and safety