Find Your Filmmaking Home
With an established track record of success in documentary film production and education, the Documentary Film Program at Wake Forest University offers you two graduate degree options:
A Home to Award-Winning Student Work
Diverse in both content and style, our award-winning student thesis films offer powerful stories on the human experiences at the center of a wide range of social and cultural issues. Experience the depth, breadth, and creativity of our student films by watching the clip below and reading more here.
A Home to Documentary Film Experts
The Documentary Film Program (DFP) is not only the home to full-time faculty members with decades of industry experience! The DFP is proud to have accomplished visiting filmmakers every semester that offer students education in the latest industry knowledge and trends. Learn more about current and past program visitors.
Interested in Learning More?
If you are interested in learning more about the program, please enter your name and email address and we will reach out soon.
Latest News
- Sheridan Participates in Culture in Sports Leadership Summit
Professor of Practice Chris Sheridan recently shared his industry expertise at the Culture in Sports Annual Leadership Summit. As a panelist at this year’s event, […] - Bloom to Screen at Cucalorus!
- Alum Premieres Film at Toronto International Film Festival
Congratulations to producer Monica Berra (MFA ’16) on the premiere of her film Paul Anka: His Way at the Toronto International Film […] - Gilbert Named Arledge Award Recipient
DFP Professor of Practice Peter Gilbert and Steve James, two of the creative forces behind the seminal 1994 sports documentary Hoop Dreams, have been named […]
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Get your submission in! You don’t want to miss out on being a part of a festival that explores and celebrates Appalachian life and takes place in beautiful Boone, NC!
The 3rd Annual @BooneDocs Film Festival submission deadline is November 1.
Submit your film at @filmfreeway.com/BooneDocs!
#boonedocs #boonenc #wfudocfilm #shortdocumentary
Huge thanks to @candicedalsingcreative for an informative conversation on impact producing strategies, highlighting her work as the National Impact Producer for Bring Them Home!
Produced by @thunderheartfilms, Bring Them Home, follows the decades-long effort by members of the Blackfoot Confederacy to bring buffalo back to the Blackfeet Reservation and rewild them.
Candice came to the film as an award-winning Director/Producer based in Los Angeles, CA and co-owner of deerwomanproductions a nonprofit Native/women run production company.
You can learn more about Bring Them Home and the mission of Thunderheart Films at https://www.thunderheartfilms.com/bring-them-home
Directed by @willowbranch54 @ivymacdonald @daniel.glick
Produced by @daniel.glick @willowbranch54 @sarahbeingsarahclarke
Cinematography by @zaneclampett @motionnoise@daniel.glick
Executive Produced by @lilygladstone @mhgrumhaus @sarahbeingsarahclarke
Narrated by @lilygladstone
#wfudocfilm #wfugrad #lammuseum #wakethearts #IndigenousPeoplesDay
Congratulations to Elizabeth Miller-Derstine (MFA ’23) and Allison Rieff (MFA ’23) on the official selection of their thesis film, Bloom, to the @cucalorus Film Festival!🌸👏
#wfudocfilm #wfugrad #Cucalorus30 #filmfestival
We are looking forward to the Indigenous Peoples Day screening of Bring Them Home / Aiskótáhkapiyaaya on Sunday, Oct. 13 at 4:00 pm in the Byrum Welcome Center. The film tells the story of a small group of Blackfoot people and their mission to establish the first wild buffalo herd on their ancestral territory.
DFP students also have the opportunity to take part in a Lunch and Learn session at noon on Monday, October 14, with the film’s Impact Producer Candice Dalsing! Dalsing will talk about her work as an impact producer, impact strategies, and industry trends.
See you there!
#wfudocfilm #wfugrad #lammuseum #wakethearts #IndigenousPeoplesDay
What a great opening night! We were thrilled to continue our partnership with @outatthemovies by sponsoring the launch of the 11th Annual Out At The Movies International Film Festival with the support of @wakethearts.
It was a particularly special evening as we introduced our first Out At The Movies intern Alissa Simone and provided a sneak peek clip from her thesis film WHERE WE BELONG. The film shines a light on black burlesque performers who strive to balance the pursuit of their art with financial and creative independence.
Thank you Max Cullen @caxwellmullen for hosting an engaging and informative Q&A with all of the opening night participants--Alissa, @alicia_coppola the director of #AndYouAre…?, and Elinor LeClair producer of @artistsattheedge!
Thanks to all of the DFP student who turned out in support--photographic evidence coming soon. 😊
🎬 There is a wonderful line up of films to catch this weekend so head to outatthemovies.org to get your ticket!🎥✨
#wfudocfilm#wakethearts#outatthemovies#filmfestival#filmfest#lgbtq#bipoc#burlesque
Sharing some inspirational HOOP DREAMS news from the @chicagosuntimes! DFP Professor of Practice Peter Gilbert served as Producer and DP on the film which is celebrating its 30th anniversary and inspiring a new generation of dreamers.
Check out the full story here: https://chicago.suntimes.com/entertainment-and-culture/2024/10/02/refurbished-hoop-dreams-basketball-court-chicago-marks-films-30th-anniversary
Be sure to join us on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. for the opening night preview of the 11th Annual @outatthemovies International Film Festival!
The evening will feature the introduction of the first DFP Out at the Movies Intern and the screening of two selected shorts.
🌈And You Are…?
Directed and written by Alicia Coppola
USA / English / Narrative Short / 18 min.
And You Are…? is the most unlikely of buddy films: Lynn, a grandmother suffering from Alzheimer’s only has the past to prove she exists. Her grandson Max, desperately wants to erase his past as it never proved his true existence.
🌈Artists at the Edge
Directed by Patrick A. Riviere
USA / English / Documentary Short / 38 min.
A short documentary film about two remarkable Provincetown queer artists who each found themselves six feet from stardom: Kenny Lockwood, a painter, musician, and herbologist, and Darlene Van Alstyne, a singer, dancer, and actress.
The event starts at 7:00pm at the Wake Forest University Byrum Welcome Center (1834 Wake Forest Rd.)
The screening will be followed by a Q&A, and a free reception with food and drink.
Reserve Your Free Ticket at: https://outatthemovies.org/selected-shorts-preview/
Out at the Movies celebrates the best LGBTQ+ cinema from around the world and strengthens the local community in the process. Take in the full festival from October 3-6 to enjoy its boldest lineup of films yet. Head to outatthemovies.org to learn more about the lineup, watch trailers, and grab your tickets!
#wfudocfilm #wfugrad #wakethearts #lgbtqfilmfestival #LGBTQshortfilms
We`re excited to join all who are celebrating the 30th Anniversary of the groundbreaking film HOOP DREAMS! DFP Professor of Practice Peter Gilbert served as Producer and DP on the film – which is widely considered as one of the greatest documentaries of all time.
To mark the anniversary, @kartemquin, which released the film in October of 1994, has partnered with various local and national organizations for a series of celebratory events. Alamo Drafthouse is kicking things off by screening the film in cities nationwide, as part of their Time Capsule 1994 program.
If you are in the Chicago area, you also don’t want to miss the unveiling of a very cool and special Garfield Park court refurbishment, in honor of the film`s anniversary. Join the film`s stars - Arthur Agee Jr and William Gates - along with a host of community organizations to celebrate community, art and basketball. No tickets needed, 1pm - 4pm at Garfield Park.
#wfudocfilm #wfugrad #wakethearts #HoopDreams #KartemquinFilms #HoopDreamsat30 #AlamoDrafthouse
Mark your calendars for the 4th annual Boone Docs Film Festival. February 21 & 22, 2025!
More information coming soon from @boonedocsfilmfest!
Proud to spread the word on DFP Program Director Chris Zaluski’s latest work!
#Repost @chriszaluski with @get.repost
・・・
I’m excited to share an excerpt from a short film I made this summer, highlighting the affordable housing crisis in Asheville and offering a potential solution.
The lack of affordable housing is an issue wreaking havoc in many communities across our state, and Asheville is no different. What @haywoodsthousing is trying to do is create a new, creative, and replicable model that will offer folks (many of whom with HUD vouchers) a place to live and thrive.
This excerpt screened on Thursday at a fundraising event for Haywood Street Housing Development at @chaipani (the event was hosted by chef @meherwanirani of Chai Pani and Cúrate Co-Founder @chefkatiebutton … the food was 💯!).
I plan to continue following this story until the construction is finished next summer and families begin moving in. To learn more or to donate to the development, please visit: haywoodstreethousing.org
#wfudocfilm, #wfugrad, #wakethearts
Congratulations to DFP Professor of Practice Peter Gilbert on the premiere of “The Easy Kind” at the prestigous Telluride Film Festival! Gilbert, pictured here with director Katy Chevigny and members of the Easy Kind film family, served as a producer on the film.
The genre-bending feature offers a captivating look at Nashville singer Elizabeth Cook as she embarks on a journey to break free from country music constraints, embracing her authentic artistic self-expression.
#wfudocfilm, #wfugrad, #wakethearts
Congratulations to our DFP @moonlightmadness5kws crew—Professor of Practice Chris Sheridan, MA student Peter Tkac, and MFA student Wilsury Wei—for an amazing race!
Special shout-out to Peter Tkac for his impressive age group win and a top 10 overall finish! 🏃🏃♂️🏃♀️🥇
#wfudocfilm
DFP MA in Sports Media & Storytelling and MFA in Documentary Film students and faculty enjoyed an evening of leadership lessons and stories from @facetofacewfu speaker Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning!
#wfudocfilm #wfugrad,
What a great kick off screening for this season’s Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers! A big thank you to @southerncircuit and @aperturecinema cinema for bringing the imaginative and captivating film “This World is Not My Own” to Winston-Salem! It was a fantastic double feature event for DFP students who attended the Wednesday evening screening at a/perture cinema and spent the following morning in conversation with Director Petter Ringbom in the Doc Storytelling I class.
Thank you @petterringbom for generously sharing valuable insight into your journey with this film and the all the ways in which you, and your co-director Marquise Stillwell, sought to honor the creative spirit of Nellie Mae Rowe and the unique friendship she shared with Judith Alexander.
We are looking forward to the next Southern Circuit film! 🎥✨
Great to have the students back at Brookstown! A new cohort of DFP first year students and returning second year students gathered for a post orientation lunch to kick off the first week of classes. We are excited to get the fall semester going! #wfudocfilm, #wfugrad, @wfuniversity @wakethearts @brookstowninn
Repost from @bloomdocfilm, the MFA thesis film from @avrieff and @legitabeth ... Congrats on your continued success!
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We’re excited to announce a free screening of Bloom, sponsored by the March of Dimes, an amazing organization committed to improving the health of moms and babies.
📅 Date: September 12
📍 Location: UNC Family Medicine
🎟 Cost: Free!
Join us for this impactful event, and be part of a meaningful conversation on maternal health. Don’t miss out!
👉 Registration link: dot.cards/bloomdoc
The school year is almost here! The @gradschool_wfu held a student orientation on Wednesday at The Barn in @reynoldavillage. It was the first time many incoming DFP students got to meet each other in person.
We officially get started on Monday! 🎥 🎉🎈
The @cucalorus Film Foundation is currently accepting applications for the 2024 Filmed in NC Fund!
The Filmed in NC Fund supports the production of indie film and video projects by artists who are permanent residents of North Carolina, including full-time students.
The program encourages all to apply and prioritizes funding for female filmmakers, filmmakers of color, and LGBTQ+ identifying filmmakers.
The submission deadline is October 23, 2024, and more details can be found at cucalorus.org.
Congrats to Ryan Simmons (MFA `24) on successfully defending his thesis film! @ryanlogan37
His film - "Reel Conversations" - is a deeply personal exploration of Ryan`s journey to
understand his own experiences with mental illness. The film confronts the devastating impact of
losing loved ones to suicide,
underscoring the often-hidden struggles many face.
Great work, Ryan! The DFP is proud to call you in an alum!
Congrats to Rodney Wilds (MFA `23)! @rwilds_4
His new documentary - "We Are, Because We Were" - was selected to screen at the International Black Theater Festival`s Film Fest. The film will screen on Thursday, Aug. 1 at 12:15pm and Saturday, Aug. 3 at 9:45am. All of the screenings will happen at @aperturecinema in downtown Winston-Salem.
Come out and support this great film!
