Documentary Film Program

A double celebration today! 🎉

Christine Dudley @chrelidud successfully defended her MFA thesis film HEAVY METAL, HOLY MACHINE — on her birthday!👏

HEAVY METAL, HOLY MACHINE follows the personal and professional journey of fabricator Britt Clark — a heavily tattooed, college-educated, truck-driving woman who hails from a rural South Carolina town, where Baptist churches stand tall and farmland stretches for miles. By working on both production pieces and custom — often commissioned — sculptures at Cricket Forge, a North Carolina metal shop, Britt has become a highly skilled craftsperson. While finishing up the fabrication of a piece for a newly renovated fire station in Virginia, she reckons with her identity as an artist and her religious upbringing. One she can reconcile with. The other is more challenging.

Through Britt`s lens, the film offers a commentary on the trades, the art world, and the academic system, while challenging us to think not of the gender identity of the person doing the work, but how incredible and interesting that work is, period.

We are looking forward to screening the film during our upcoming graduation thesis showcase! 📽🎓🎉

Happy Birthday, Christine! 🎂

#wfudocfilm #wfugrad #dfpalum

Congratulations to Kai McNeil @thekaimac (MFA ’25) on successfully defending his MFA thesis film, IN MEMORY OF HER.👏

After losing her mother to an overdose, Nola, a young Black Gen Z student, turns grief into purpose, embarking on a journey to understand her mother`s life through the world of harm reduction. Told through the lens of family members who share in that loss, the film weaves together memory, vulnerability, and hard-won honesty. Blending intimate observational footage, honest interviews, and childhood archival footage that gives us a glimpse of what Nola`s world looked like before she knew loss could reshape it, In Memory of Her asks what it costs us when we decide whose suffering is worthy of care.

We are looking forward to screening the film during our upcoming graduation thesis showcase! 📽🎓🎉

#wfudocfilm #wfugrad #dfpalum

We’re thrilled to welcome back Elizabeth Miller-Derstine @legitabeth (MFA ’23) to Winston-Salem! 🎬

Her film ONCE UPON A WETLAND will be screening this Sunday at the RiverRun International Film Festival.

As restrictions tighten across the country, Durham, NC prepares for the annual Beaver Queen Pageant—a campy, un-beaver-lievable celebration of LGBTQIA+ activism, environmental conservation, and outrageous critter cosplay. 🦫✨🌈

📍 Presented as part of @riverrunfilm`s North Carolina Shorts Program 1 – Documentaries
🕓 4:00 PM
📍 Reynolds Place Theatre

Come out and support!

Join us this Sunday for a special pre-screening reception and the North Carolina premiere of BACK ON TRACK @backontrackfilm at the RiverRun International Film Festival! 🎬

Directed by Pete Tcak @tictkac10 (MA ’25), BACK ON TRACK—which premiered at the 2026 Slamdance Film Festival—follows three members of the Triad Trackers Wheelchair Basketball Team: Chris Rivera, Tamirat Ives-Rublee, and Bri Solomon. The film captures their 2025 season alongside powerful personal journeys, beginning with Rivera’s story. After a shooting left him paralyzed at 18, he found renewed purpose through basketball—and now, 20 years later, leads the team with a vision of success beyond wins and losses.

This screening is part of @riverrunfilm`s Limitless: Stories Without Restraint, a shorts block highlighting films by, starring, and centered on people with visible and non-visible disabilities—bold works that challenge outdated narratives and champion inclusion in storytelling.

✨ EVENT DETAILS ✨
🥐 Reception + Light Brunch
Sunday | 12:00 PM
Hanesbrands Theatre Lobby (209 N. Spruce Street)
RSVP: https://www.goelevent.com/RiverRun/e/LIMITLESS-Brunch

🎥 Film Screening
Sunday | 1:30 PM
Hanesbrands Theatre
Tickets: https://riverrunfilm.com/events/limitlessshorts/
Note: A screening ticket includes access to the reception.

We hope to see you there! 🎉

The countdown to the Riverrun International Film Festival @riverrunfilm is on—and it’s shaping up to be a big first weekend for DFP alums! 🎬

We’re proud to share that three DFP alums will be screening their work on Sunday, April 19, and we’ll be highlighting each of them over the next few days.

✨ First up: WE ARE, BECAUSE WE WERE, directed by Rodney Wilds @rwilds_4 (MFA ’23)

Inside the Winston-Salem African American Archive, two dedicated guardians work to preserve nearly two centuries of Black history to reconnect a community with stories that were forgotten, and some that were never told.

🎥 The film screens as part of the North Carolina Shorts Program 3: Winston Stories block, alongside:

POWER TO THE PEOPLE, Y’ALL
A character-driven documentary that explores aging, legacy, and resistance through interviews with five founding members of the Winston-Salem Chapter of the Black Panther Party: Hazel Mack, Dr. Larry Little, Nelson Malloy, Cynthia Norwood, and Bradford Lilley. Directed by Tressie McMillan Cottom and Holland Randolph Gallagher

🔥 The Saturday screening SOLD OUT!
Due to popular demand, a second screening has been added:
🗓 Sunday, April 19 at 2PM
📍 a/perture

🎟 Grab your tickets now at riverrunfilm.com!

#wfudocfilm #riverrunfilmfestival #winstonsalem

Congratulations to Isaac Weinberg @zickweinberg on successfully defending his MA thesis film, LA FUNDACIÓN: BASEBALL`S ISLAND ⚾ 👏

In a nation where a baseball glove is seen as the only ticket out of poverty, the youth baseball system in the Dominican Republic recruits children with promises of MLB millions - often at the cost of an education. LA FUNDACIÓN: BASEBALL`S ISLAND follows a revolutionary nonprofit fighting to change the DNA of youth baseball on the island. While one talented athlete battles a bureaucratic nightmare for a U.S. student visa, and another becomes a ghost in MLB`s International Complexes, the film asks: what happens to the 99.96% of Dominican athletes who don`t make the league?

We are looking forward to screening the film during our upcoming graduation thesis showcase! 📽🎓🎉

#wfudocfilm #wfugrad

🎬 Meet our 2026 PitchFest competitors!

We’re proud to announce that MFA students Emily Allgair @emilyallgair and Xiaoya “Wilsury” Wei @Wilsury_Wei will represent the DFP at the RiverRun International Film Festival’s PitchFest competition!

📽️ PitchFest brings together student documentary filmmakers from across the Southeast to pitch their projects to industry professionals—offering valuable feedback and a chance to win cash prizes.

🙌 Save the date and come support Emily and Wilsury!

📍 Hanesbrands Theatre
📌 April 25
🕐 1 PM
🎟️ Free tickets: RiverRunFilm.com

The @RiverRun International Film Festival runs April 17–25. Explore the full festival lineup at: riverrunfilm.com

#wfudocfilm #RiverRun #PitchFest #StudentFilmmakers

We had a total retro tech geek-out moment at the DFP recently when @ryancbroussard shared his newest purchase with us.

He is now the proud owner of his own microfilm machine. 🎞️

And he crossed state lines to get it!

We can’t wait to see the cinematic treatment he gives the new “star” of his archival film.

Gotta love going the extra mile for your thesis project! 👏

#wfudocfilm #archivalstorytelling

We had an amazing time at the launch party for the 28th Annual @riverrunfilm International Film Festival! 🎬✨

With 178 films from 47 countries, this year’s lineup is one you won’t want to miss—start exploring the program and pick your must-sees!

Stay tuned for more posts highlighting how DFP students and alums are part of this year’s incredible lineup.

📅 April 17–25
🎟️ Passes & tickets go on sale March 23—mark your calendars!

🔗 Get details + tickets at riverrunfilm.com

#riverrunfilm #wfudocfilm #wakethearts

Great night at @FiddlinFishBrewing connecting DFP students and faculty, COM colleagues, and local filmmakers with @riverrunfilm’s new Executive Director, Michael C. Morin @dgkoproductions.

Excited about his vision for RiverRun and the possibilities ahead for our students and the film community!🎬

#wfudocfilm #riverrunfilmfestival #documentary

A big thank you to @joshclinard and @jmmieczk from @mypbsnc for an engaging and informative Producing with PBSNC workshop.

The session was packed with practical tips and valuable insight into the opportunities and support PBSNC offers filmmakers.

Looking forward to putting this knowledge into practice!

#wfudocfilm #PBSNC #PublicMedia #FilmCommunity

It’s a great night to head to @aperturecinema for the Queer Fear Film Festival and experience Christine Dudley’s @cherelidud (MFA ‘26) experimental dance film SAY TEN HAIL MARYS.🎬✨

SAY TEN HAIL MARYS explores the darkness, confusion, and constraint the filmmaker endured growing up bisexual and Catholic in the American South.

@queerfearfilmfestival features 41 independent queer horror and dark-genre shorts from 11 countries, and every screening includes a live filmmaker Q&A where audiences and creators connect and share ideas.

SAY TEN HAIL MARYS screens at 9:30 PM as part of Queer Fear Block #4: Weird & Wild Shorts.

Check out the full lineup and head out to @aperturecinema!

https://aperturecinema.com/movies/queer-fear-block-4-weird-wild-shorts/

#wfudocfilm #aperturecinema #filmfestival #independentfilm

🎬 Submissions are open for the 6th Annual NYU Sports Film Festival!🍎🎥

Short films exploring the meaning, emotion, and culture of sport are invited from filmmakers worldwide.

Professional and student filmmakers outside of NYU are invited to submit in the Open Documentary and Open Narrative categories.

Submit your project on Film Freeway by March 6th: https://filmfreeway.com/NYUSFF?utm_campaign=NYU+Sports+Film+Festival&utm_medium=External&utm_source=Submission+Button

#SportsFilm #FilmFestival #CallForSubmissions #DocumentaryFilm #SportsStorytelling

🎬 Learn from filmmaker Rebekah Fergusson!

We’re excited to share upcoming ways to engage with and learn from filmmaker Rebekah Fergusson @rebajonesjr Our students have greatly benefitted from her expertise and teaching, and we encourage others to take advantage of what’s coming up.

✨ Free Talk
Access to Audience: Case Studies in Documentary Producing
📅 Thursday, March 5
⏰ 6:00–7:30 PM
🔗 https://documentarystudies.duke.edu/events/free-talk-access-audience-case-studies-documentary-producing

🎓 Continuing Ed Course
Documentary Film Producing
📅 March 31 – May 5, 2026
⏰ Tuesdays, 6:00–8:00 PM
📍 Duke Center for Documentary Studies, Durham, NC
💲 $700 | 6 weeks
🔗 https://rsvp.duke.edu/event/8952f32d-302e-447e-8541-2e4c7e8c48cd/summary

This course is ideal for filmmakers with some experience who want to sharpen their producing skills—whether pursuing a career in producing or strengthening their own directing projects. Rebekah will be bringing in guest speakers, digging into case studies, talking about the current state of the industry, and tailoring exercises for participants` existing projects.

We’re beyond thrilled to share that BACK ON TRACK has been officially selected for the 2026 Slamdance Film Festival in Hollywood, CA! 🎉👏

Directed by Peter Tkac, (MA ’25) @tictkac10 the film follows three members of the Triad Trackers Wheelchair Basketball Team—Chris Rivera, Tamirat Ives-Rublee @ivesrublee and Bri Solomon—capturing both their 2025 season and their powerful personal journeys. 🏀✨

🎟 Catch BACK ON TRACK at Slamdance:
📍 Sunday, Feb 22 — Directors Guild of America, Theater 2, 2:30 p.m.
📍 Tuesday, Feb 24 — Landmark Sunset Hollywood Theater 4, 7:45 p.m.

🎫 Festival passes are on sale now: slamdance.com/festival-passes

Can’t make it to LA? The Virtual Film Festival runs Feb 24 – Mar 6 💻

A celebration of emerging filmmaking talent from around the world, @slamdance_filmfest continues to champion bold, industry-changing voices. This year’s lineup was selected from over 10,000 submissions and features 141 films from more than 50 countries. 🌍🎬

Huge congratulations to Peter and the entire @backontrackfilm team!

#triadtrackers #slamdance @wfuniversity #wfudocfilm #wakethearts

❄️ Snow day stylings of DFP student & triathlete Pun Pun Pattrakulchai! 🏂

From pavement to powder! When snow arrives, wheels come off the skateboard, and snowboarding commences! ❄️

Photo credit to @winstonsalemjournalnow. Thank you for capturing this snow day fun!

#snowday #wfudocfilm #winstonsalemjournal

Two must-see screenings this week spotlight the cinematography of DFP Professor of Practice Peter Gilbert.🎥

📍 MoMA Screening
@themuseumofmodernart in New York is screening a 4K restoration of Michael Apted’s 1989 documentary THE LONG WAY HOME on January 28.

Gilbert served as cinematographer on the film which chronicles Soviet underground rock legend Boris Grebenshchikov’s first journey to the West and his attempt to make an album in 1988, shortly after Glasnost. The new restoration includes a newly added epilogue.

You can check out the new trailer in this @idaorg article: https://www.documentary.org/exclusive-news/exclusive-trailer-michael-apteds-remastered-and-expanded-long-way-home

📌 MoMA, Floor T2 – Titus Theater 2
🗓 Wednesday, Jan 28 at 7:00 PM
Introduced by Steven Lawrence, Susanne Rostock

Thursday, Jan 29, 4:30 p.m.
MoMA, Floor T2/T1, Theater 2

🎬 Heading to the Sundance Film Festival?
Barbara Kopple’s AMERICAN DREAM—also shot by Gilbert @pmgilbs —will screen as part of the Park City Legacy program at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival @sundanceorg, which highlights landmark films from the Festival’s history through restored screenings and special events.

Originally premiering at Sundance in 1991, AMERICAN DREAM won the Audience Award, Filmmaker Trophy, Grand Jury Prize, and later the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.

This new 4K restoration, supervised by @barbarakopple and completed by @janus_films and @criterioncollection, marks the film’s 35th anniversary.

📍 Library Center Theatre, Park City
🗓 Jan 28 at 2:15 PM MST

#museumofmodernart #sundancefilmfestival #wakeforestuniversity #wfudocfilm

Had a great time at Riverrun Film Festival’s meet and greet for its new Executive Director, Michael C. Morin @dgkoproductions last night! 🎬✨

Morin is a producer, writer, and festival executive with more than 20 years of experience at the intersection of film, music, and live events. For the past seven years, he’s been a driving force behind the Slamdance Film Festival.

It was inspiring to hear his ideas for @riverrun and we’re excited about what’s ahead for the festival!

Thanks to DFP friend and filmmaker Diana Greene @lookout__girl and Riverrun Board Chair Denise Gunter for joining in on the photo op!😊

Welcome to Winston-Salem, Michael! 👋🎉

#riverruninternationalfilmfestival #wfudocfilm #wakethearts