About

For my summer research project, I chose to explore the ways in which documentary film is being impacted by new developments in technology, as well as how efforts in equity and diversity have affected female filmmakers, in particular. The documentary industry has always been on the cutting edge of adopting burgeoning technological advances, from utilizing virtual reality systems in conjunction with films, holding entirely virtual film festivals, or filmmakers coordinating virtually through Zoom and other platforms to create work. However, I wanted to know the extent to which these technological trends are affecting the average independent documentary creator. Additionally, I was interested in diversity and equity because while I knew colloquially that many documentary films were social-justice oriented and told stories from minority perspectives, I wanted to know whether or not this diversity is seeping into the higher levels of documentary creation, as opposed to just the topics of films, including having a diverse range of editors, producers, and directors.