Just the FAQs: Diverse Voices in Docs

A Q&A with Director of Programs, Laura Gomez Mesquita and DVID Creative Lead Anuradha Rana

Diverse Voices in Docs

1. What is Diverse Voices In Documentary (DVID)?

The Diverse Voices in Docs (DVID) Fellowship supports emerging filmmakers of color in the Midwest. The program is rooted in ideals of a collaborative community and welcomes filmmakers who are committed to unflinching documentary filmmaking rooted in social justice.

Organized by Kartemquin Films and the Community Film Workshop of Chicago, this six-month program supports non-fiction filmmakers telling stories that are intimate, grounded in community, and provoke audiences to question the world around them.

2. Who is DVID for? Who should apply to be a DVID fellow?

The DVID Fellowship supports up to eight non-fiction filmmakers who:

• Are from historically excluded BIPOC communities.
• Are in early production of a feature or longform nonfiction project.
• Are interested in structured support in the form of feedback and mentorship.
• Are emerging filmmakers with 2 or fewer feature film credits in a lead position (Producer, Director).
• Reside in the Midwest (for the purposes of this fellowship, KTQ defines the Midwest as Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Wisconsin).
• Are not enrolled in a degree seeking program for the duration of the fellowship.

3. What are you looking for in this next round of DVID applicants?

We are looking for filmmakers who are passionate about the film they are making, creative in their voice and methodologies, center themes of social justice, foster ethical filmmaking practices, and represent a diversity in experience and expression.

4. Why should filmmakers apply to DVID? What can they expect to take away from their participation in the fellowship?

This 6 month program draws on the experience of its staff, associates, and community experts to provide personalized mentorship to its fellows, along with professional development workshops. Fellows become an integral part of the Midwestern community of non-fiction makers, and can draw on opportunities to apply for funding through Kartemquin’s grants as well as alumni-focused programs like the KTQ/Hulu Accelerator.

5. At what point in their project should a filmmaker apply?

This program best serves filmmakers who:

• Are in early production on their documentary films
• Have a clear understanding of the themes central to the film
• Have confirmed access to key participants, and
• Know how these participants fit the film’s narrative

This fellowship is best suited for filmmakers in pre to early production who have done significant research, have identified and begun to build relationships with potential protagonists / key participants, and have a strong thematic or narrative vision for their project. Filmmakers must be willing to take feedback and explore creative options.

6. What types of projects are eligible to apply?

FIlmmakers working on non-fiction feature films or long-form series are eligible to apply.

7. What are some projects that have been ideated in DVID that went on to be completed works?

Completed projects by DVID fellows include:

• All the Queen’s Horses, Kelly Richmond Pope
• The G Force, Pamela Sherrod Anderson
• Minding the Gap, Bing Liu
• Finding Yingying, Jiayan Jenny Shi
• Let the Little Light Shine, Kevin Shaw
• A Destruction, Urooj Yazdaani
• Unapologetic, Ashley O’Shay
• A Letter for Sang-Ah, Mina Fitzpatrick
• Born in the Struggle, Kamasi Hill
• Shinemen, Eleva Singleton

8. For filmmakers that have applied in the past, can they expect changes in this next iteration of the fellowship?

After spending 6 months talking to DVID alumni, we’re looking at the program through a very different lens, centering the annual fellowship as one part of an ongoing relationship with Kartemquin and its broader documentary community.

For DVID 2022, the number of workshops has increased from 9 to 12, however, these will be held over weekend sessions (Saturday and Sunday) between March and September, with a break in July. This will reduce the overall length of the program to six months from nine months.

Alumni workshops will supplement the scheduled cohort workshops as optional additions. Fellows will have access to these ongoing sessions during and after the program ends, as part of available community resources.

9. What is the deadline? What materials should a filmmaker have ready to submit with their application?

The application opens on October 15th and the deadline is December 1st. Application questions and requirements are available here.

10. How long do decisions take? Are there more details that can be shared regarding the decision making process?

• The application deadline is December 1st, 2021.
• Two rounds of reviews will be completed by December 21st, 2021.
• Interviews will be scheduled for shortlisted applicants during the second week of January 2022, with final decisions made and announced by the end of January 2022.
• The program begins mid-March 2022.

More on Diverse Voices in Documentary

Diverse Voices in Docs (DVID) is a professional mentorship and development program for documentary filmmakers of color, organized by Kartemquin Films and the Community Film Workshop of Chicago. Founded in 2013, DVID aims to inspire collaboration and skill-sharing among its fellows, and among the larger Midwestern independent documentary filmmaking community. At the core of the fellowship is a series of dynamic workshops led by Kartemquin staff, associates, and invited experts, ranging in focus from storytelling ethics, to fundraising, to distribution, and a pitch session attended by leading funders and distributors. The program culminates with a graduation showcasing fellows work and featuring a keynote speaker.