The 2026 DocShop conference will explore themes around “Resilience & Longevity,” a field-wide examination of the forces shaping creative decision-making, financial viability, and mental well-being for independent filmmakers as they consider the full arc of their careers. Over four days of panels, masterclasses, roundtables, and keynote conversations, DocShop 2026 will delve into the pressing challenges emerging from a shifting streaming landscape and a contracting film industry—factors that are prompting documentary storytellers to reassess how they navigate their work as both artists and professionals.
DocShop 2026 aims to equip filmmakers with a clearer understanding of the avenues that contribute to sustained careers in nonfiction storytelling, from evolving funding ecosystems and new models of collective support to the diverse ways success can be defined. Through rigorous inquiry and practical insight, the conference will illuminate both the barriers and the opportunities that shape long-term creative life in the documentary field.
The DocShop conference is a free-admission event, however you must register to attend. Registration links available in late January, stay tuned for updates.
DocShop sessions take place February 16-20, 2026 at the Missoula Public Library, 455 E Main Street in the Cooper Room on the 4th Floor (unless otherwise specified*).
The Big Sky Pitch takes place Friday, February 20, 2026 at the Missoula Children's Theater (MCT), 200 N. Adams.
Big Sky is proud to provide captions for all sessions at DocShop 2026 in partnership with Imanyco through their technology, Koda, a real-time captioning service that functions as a user-friendly communication assistant for attendees. QR codes to access real-time captioning will be availalbe at each conference session, look for codes on screen or at the assistance desk at the rear of the DocShop conference room. Alternatively, click the Koda button seen here, locate the session you're attending, and scan the unique QR access code to join the caption session in progress!
DocShop is an ADA Accessible event and additional accomodations are available upon request. Please contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or call the Big Sky office at (406) 541-3456 with your request.
As the film industry faces shrinking budgets and fewer opportunities, documentary filmmakers are rewriting the rules—building alternative spaces and more sustainable production models. From newly formed collectives to long-standing coalitions with decades of insight, these disruptors share how member-owned cooperatives and non-hierarchical systems can foster shared leadership, greater visibility, and real camaraderie. This session breaks down the benefits and tradeoffs of collective-focused ecosystems, exploring how these innovative approaches can help rebalance power and build a healthier future for documentary film. Moderator: Michael Workman (Means TV); Panelists: Adam Neuhaus (Nonfiction Hot List), Marianna Olinger (Indigenous Impact Alliance), Zuri Obi & Maren Scott (Kudzu Connective), Miasarah Lai & Travis Wood (Meerkat Media).
As AI tools evolve at breakneck speed, filmmakers are grappling with how to use them in ways that serve creative vision while preserving trust—especially when documentary relies on these ideas. This session brings together Archival Producers Alliance’s Eugen Braeunig and independent filmmaker in conversation to explore how personal values, ethical considerations, and creative intent shape decisions around AI, and how those choices ultimately influence what audiences see—and believe.
Choosing a career in the arts has always required passion and grit. Filmmakers must balance personal vision with public scrutiny, while pushing through self-doubt, setbacks, and the everyday obstacles of the industry. In this artist-driven conversation, filmmakers pull back the curtain on the highs & lows of the work and what keeps them going when times are tough. Featuring filmmakers who contain multitudes—artists whose work spans roles like casting, programming, and more—this session celebrates resilience, adaptability, and creative survival. Moderator: Emily Best (Seed&Spark); Panelists: Loren Waters (Independent Filmmaker), Amada Torruella (Independent Filmmaker; Programmer), Razi Jafri (NPR), Kalim Summerday Armstrong (Vacationland Film), Sean Dunne (Independent Filmmaker).
In a market where films on similar subjects released within a short span of time are positioned as competitors, the Indigenous Impact Alliance has shifted to collaborative impact work. Through a year-long initiative, the impact teams of Bring Them Home, Remaining Native, Singing Back the Buffalo, Sugarcane and Yintah, tested an innovative model balancing individual film goals with collective commitments and creating new pathways for coordinated impact in storytelling. From communication strategies and organic mentorship relationships to the tensions between individual and collective needs, these film teams will offer reflections on the value of working together rather than in isolation or competition. Moderator: Megha Agrawal Sood (Doc Society); Panelists: Melissa Grumhaus (Bring Them Home), Paige Bethmann (Remaining Native), Madeline Burns (Singing Back the Buffalo), Amber Morning Star Byars (Sugarcane), Monica Victoria (Yintah).
The UCLA Documentary Film Legal Clinic returns to Big Sky with a multi-part legal education program covering vital business practices and legal considerations for filmmakers of all career stages. The program, which is funded by the Jonathan Logan Family Foundation and supported by FRONTLINE/GBH and the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, will include panel presentations, case studies, interactive discussions and one-on-one sessions with lawyers and other film industry experts.
A conversation between leading media law experts on best practices designed to cope with the marked increase in defamation litigation, regulatory and legislative pressure and other efforts by public figures and public officials to interfere with storytelling. Moderator: Dale Cohen (UCLA Doc Film Legal Clinic and FRONTLINE Special Counsel); Panelists: Katie Townsend (Partner, Gibson Dunn (General Counsel, The Intercept Media, Inc.); David Bralow (General Counsel, The Intercept Media, Inc.); and Celine Parreñas Shimizu (Dean of Theater, Film and Television and Distinguished Professor of Film, Television and Digital Media at UCLA).
Attorneys, filmmakers, and scholars unpack the legal and practical realities of documentary distribution, highlighting how filmmakers can protect their intellectual property rights, reduce risk, and build long-term financial sustainability. Moderator: Loralee Sundra (UCLA Doc Film Legal Clinic); Panelists: Carra Greenberg (Documentary Producer, UCLA Law Fellow); and Kristy Guevara-Flanagan (Independent Filmmaker, UCLA School of Theater, Film & Television Vice Chair).
A can’t-miss overview of fair use principles and licensing practices, with a focus on real-world examples, recent trends – including the current Supreme Court case involving Andy Warhol’s portrait of Prince -- and guidance on how filmmakers can best make use of third-party content in their films. Speakers: Dale Cohen (UCLA Doc Film Legal Clinic); Celine Parreñas Shimizu (Dean of Theater, Film and Television and Distinguished Professor of Film, Television and Digital Media at UCLA); and Kristy Guevara-Flanagan (Independent Filmmaker, UCLA).
As generative AI accelerates, long-standing frameworks for copyright, rights clearance, and personality rights are being tested. This session examines those shifts while tackling the rising challenges of archival verification and historical authenticity in an age of synthetic media. Speakers: Loralee Sundra (UCLA; Archival Producers Alliance, GenAI Initiative Advisory Board); May Hong HaDuong (Director of the UCLA Film & Television Archive); Rina Elster Pantalony (Attorney and UCLA Library, Senior Advisor, Library Policy and Intellectual Property Administration).
Documentary filmmaking operates within a global ecosystem that extends far beyond U.S. borders, shaped by diverse funding structures, cultural values, and approaches to artist support. This panel brings together leaders from across the documentary landscape—from major institutions to independent and grassroots organizations—whose work spans continents and communities. Drawing on international models through an equitable rather than extractive approach, this session will explore emerging and existing models within the doc sphere that prioritize cultural value, sustain long-form and risk-taking storytelling, and build more resilient pathways for documentary artists. Moderator: Gita Saedi Kiely (Independent Filmmaker); Panelists: Emily Copley (Documentary Film Council), Erika Dilday (POV, American Documentary), Megha Agrawal Sood (Doc Society), Natalia Hernández Moreno (Cinema Tropical).
Short docs have long been the gateway for filmmakers embarking on the road to a feature length film—serving as a creative calling card, proof of concept and a launchpad for larger projects. As short-form nonfiction continues to surge across festivals, platforms and commissioning outlets, this panel explores why the market is shifting in this direction, how filmmakers are adapting and how to seize the moment in response to it all.
Join leading industry leaders as they unpack the current short-form ecosystem, where their work intersects, and how filmmakers are translating short success into long-term creative and professional growth. From partnerships and festivals to awards campaigns and career vision, this session offers a practical roadmap for getting the most out of your short. Moderator: Nick Weissman (Vacationland Film); Panelists: Opal H. Bennett (POV), Nadia Rawls (GBH: Frontline, NOVA, American Experience), Alex Garcia (NYT Op-Docs), Tara Nadolny (ESPN Films).
Audiences bring films to life, giving them the social relevance and emotional power to inspire change. As channels for audience engagement and social influence continue to grow, impact campaigns are evolving—and with them, opportunities for filmmakers to connect, collaborate, and expand their reach. This session explores how social media can serve as a tool for grassroots organizing and meaningful audience engagement, uncovering new ways to amplify a film’s impact. Join Seed&Spark’s Emily Best and THE ENCAMPMENT’s Co-Director Michael Workman as they break open the possibilities of the social media landscape and examine where it intersects with lasting, real-world change. Moderator: Addie Moorfoot (Variety); Panelists: Michael Workman (THE ENCAMPMENTS), Emily Best (Seed&Spark).
A working lunch and interactive discussion of filmmakers and lawyers tackling ethical and legal issues together. Moderated by Dale Cohen (UCLA Doc Film Legal Clinic) with panel speakers and festival filmmaker participants. Lunch provided courtesy of the Jonathan Logan Family Foundation.Lunch provided courtesy of the Jonathan Logan Family Foundation.
Looking for legal advice for your nonfiction project? Sign up for 30 minute legal consultations with the UCLA Documentary Film Legal Clinic. One-on-one sessions are available to filmmakers who register and submit project information at the Registration Link below:
As public media and documentary filmmaking face increasing financial pressure, institutions are being pushed to meet shifting audience expectations in an increasingly fragmented media landscape. Join NPR team as they offer a candid look at how they approach documentary development and distribution within the public media ecosystem. Using Boys of Summer, their premiere short documentary about teenage boys exploring vulnerability and emotional resilience, as a case study, the conversation will unpack editorial decision-making, storytelling craft, and the role of creative risk. Reflecting on lessons from ongoing work to active discussions around how public media organizations can better support nonfiction storytelling, this session explores the value in collaborative approach, partnership models and distribution strategies at play across public media and the documentary ecosystem. Speakers: Razi Jafri (NPR, Producer, BOYS OF SUMMER), Nicole Werbeck (NPR, Executive Producer, BOYS OF SUMMER).
The festival will be holding space for filmmakers to connect with industry members from Cinema Tropical, Documentary Producer's Alliance (DPA), ESPN Films, GBH (NOVA, Frontline, and American Experience on PBS), International Documentary Association (IDA), NPR, NYT Op-Docs, POV, and Sandbox Films. All meetings are in person on Thursday, February 19th from 9:00 - 10:30am. The meetings will be short & sweet at 15 minutes in length to start conversations that can extend into and beyond the festival. Please come prepared to make the most of the time.
For many filmmakers, just hearing “distribution” is mentally exhausting. Distribution jargon & abbreviations like MG’s, waterfall, revenue share, AVOD/SVOD/TVOD and recoupment can send them running. Cue the Distribution Playbook: a choose-your-own-adventure guide to help you chart the best path for your film. From evaluating potential partners, to entering negotiations, and understanding the economics of your film from every angle, the Playbook offers an adaptable rubric for filmmakers at all stages of the distribution process. Join the creators at Seed&Spark and Kinema as they unpack this free resource and help filmmakers build informed, creative, and successful distribution strategies. Speakers: Christie Marchese (Kinema) and Emily Best (Seed&Spark).
Led by acclaimed filmmaker and visual artist Sky Hopinka, this masterclass explores the intersections of film and visual art through a practice shaped by both commissioned and personal work. Hopinka will examine how collaboration evolves across contexts and how techniques—layering image, sound, text, and material—move fluidly between projects rather than belonging to any single work. Drawing from his films and artworks, he will showcase how ideas, methods, and questions accumulate over time, quietly reshaping what comes next and offering insight into a creative practice that is both dynamic and enduring. Speaker: Sky Hopinka (Independent Filmmaker).
With 2025 behind us, the possibilities for documentary distribution remain more disparate than ever. On one hand, festivals are partnering with educational & distribution platforms to generate revenue for independent filmmakers, and on the other, streamers are in a bidding war for a media conglomerate. Leading doc funders, distributors, and thought leaders from all corners of the industry break down the ripple effects on the landscape and share their take on where growth & opportunities exist. As slogans go, can we, “stay in the mix” or do we need to learn “new tricks in 2026”? Moderator: Christie Marchese (Kinema); Panelists: Amanda Spain (Everwonder Studio), Caroline Andryc (Concordia Studio), Cleo Veger (Dogwoof), Danielle McCarthy (Magnolia Pictures), Monika Navarro (Firelight Media), Jon-Sesrie Goff (Ford Foundation).
The Big Sky Pitch is an exceptional opportunity for filmmaking teams to "pitch" their documentary work-in-progress to a panel of the top commissioning editors and funders for documentary film. Ten projects will have ten minutes to pitch their film project and receive real-time feedback from the jury panel.
The 2026 Big Sky Pitch projects will be announced in January.
The 2026 Big Sky Pitch will take place Friday, February 20 from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm at the Missoula Children's Theater (MCT) 200 N Adams St. This event is free admission and open to the public, entry will be allowed between each pitch presentation, about every 20 minutes.
Big Sky DocShop is an ADA Accessible event. Accommodations available upon request. Please contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or call our office (406) 541-3456 with your request.
DocShop 2026 is supported in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. To learn more about how NEA grants impact individuals and communities, visit arts.gov
Support for DocShop 2026 provided in partnership with:
Additional support for DocShop 2026 provided by:
Support for the UCLA Documentary FIlm Clinic provided by:
