Points North Institute Announces 2025 Artists Programs

EXCLUSIVE: Documentary filmmakers facing funding cuts at the federal level on top of already-challenged distribution opportunities are getting a major boost from the Points North Institute, the nonprofit that puts on the Camden International Film Festival.

Today, the institute announced its 2025 artists programs selections and the Points North Forum program which run concurrently with the festival in mid-September. Taken together, these programs will support “30 independent documentary projects in development across more than 20 countries,” PNI said in a release. “Filmmakers will have access to a curated series of over 400 meetings with more than 100 industry professionals through Points North’s 1:1 Meetings initiative. Delegates from organizations such as HBO, Hulu, the Ford Foundation, ITVS, the Sundance Institute, the New York Times and Time Studios are confirmed to participate, representing some of today’s most vital platforms for independent documentaries.”

The program announcement comes a little over a month after the Republican-controlled Congress, under pressure from Pres. Trump, rescinded more $1 billion in funds that had already been approved for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, “a move that cuts all federal support for NPR, PBS and their member stations,” as NPR itself reported. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting subsequently announced it would shut down, a blow to documentary filmmakers already coping with 90 percent cuts to the National Endowment for the Humanities, which also supports independent documentaries.

Scroll for full details on the four Points North Institute artists programs, which will benefit a diverse international slate of projects that take “innovative and expansive approaches to the documentary form, ranging from vérité and archival-based films to experimental essay and hybrid films,” PNI said. “Three-quarters of the supported projects are directed or co-directed by filmmakers of color and 70% by women or non-binary filmmakers. This commitment to underrepresented voices underscores Points North’s belief that protecting artistic freedom and innovation is inseparable from ensuring cultural equity.”

In a statement, Sean Flynn, artistic director and co-founder of the Points North Institute, said, “At a time when so many independent filmmakers are struggling against shrinking resources and threats to civil liberties, it is critical to create safe, supportive spaces that protect their independence and fuel their artistic growth. By investing in this global gathering of diverse artists and storytellers, we are creating the conditions to sustain free expression through documentary as a vital force in our culture and democracy.”

The Camden International Film Festival (CIFF) in coastal Maine takes place from September 11-14 in the towns of Camden, Rockland and Rockport. Several noted filmmakers with new work screening at CIFF will take part in rare master classes as part of the Points North Forum. These include Geeta Gandbhir, director of the award-winning film The Perfect Neighbor, in conversation with Brown Girls Doc Mafia’s Iyabo Boyd, and Oscar-nominee Raoul Peck, director of this year’s CIFF selection Orwell: 2+2=5, in a conversation with the film’s executive producer, Alex Gibney, and IDA’s Dominic Asmall Willsdon.

This year’s Documentary Town Hall, an invitation-only gathering of over 200 filmmakers, funders and industry leaders, will “collectively envision new infrastructure for independent media that serves the public interest,” a particularly timely meeting of minds given the dissolution of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Major support for this year’s CIFF and Artist Programs is provided by National Geographic Documentary Films, YETI, The deNovo Initiative, Random Good Foundation, LEF Foundation, ESPN Films, Apple TV+, MacArthur Foundation, Perspective Fund, Lesher Family Foundation and National Endowment for the Arts.

Details about the 2025 Points North Institute Artist Programs and Points North Forum can be found here:

Points North Fellowship

The Points North Fellowship supports six filmmaking teams as they develop their pitches and publicly present their documentary features in progress to a panel of funders and distributors at CIFF’s popular Points North Pitch. Points North’s Executive Director, Elise McCave, and Noland Walker will moderate the event. Confirmed pitch panelists include Andrea Alarcon, Sundance Institute; Robert Chang, POV; Sarah Choi, Field of Vision; Jess Devaney, Multitude Films/Perspective Fund; Megan Gelstein, Catapult Film Fund; Harriet Gugenheim, Placeholder Films; Eric Hynes, Jacob Burns Film Center; Monika Navarro,Firelight Media and Paulina Suarez, Ford Foundation. The program’s mentors are Assia Boundaoui, KristinFeeley and Andrea Meditch. The program is made possible by sponsorship from the deNovo Initiative.

Points North Fellowship Projects:

Futureproof (USA) Directed and co-produced by John Hulsey. Co-produced by Philip Cartelli and Ahsen Nadeem.

Futureproof is a documentary techno-thriller that explores how our obsessive anticipation of the end of the world may be bringing our darkest fantasies to life.

God Lives Here (India) Directed and produced by Samiran Deka.

In Patidarang, a heritage village in Assam, India, sacred water bodies once sustained life. Folk performer Barun Sarma fights to revive lost traditions and expose the devastating impact of arsenic contamination from tube wells that are now turning his village into a cancer hotspot. Can his voice awaken a community and ignite change?

Home Movie (Poland) Directed by Anu Czerwinski. Produced by Anna Stylińska and Katarzyna Ślesicka.

Anu is a transmasculine filmmaker. When he visits his family, however, he shaves his mustache and plays the role of a beloved daughter and sister named Anna. With the help of his camera, Anu tries to overcome his fear of coming out while capturing a twisted family portrait with an epic courtroom finale.

How to Clean a House in 10 Easy Steps (USA, Colombia, Mexico) Directed by Carolina González Valencia. Produced by Brenda Avila-Hanna and Olga Segura.

Beatriz, a domestic worker in the U.S., and her daughter Carolina collaborate to create the fictional character of a writer. Together, they explore the blurring of truth and fantasy in a hybrid documentary that tells a story about immigration, labor, dreams and the power of fiction to inspire liberation.

Untitled Watermelon Pictures Project

Undisclosed project

Yosi (USA, Mexico) Directed by Jimmy Goldblum. Produced by Vero Kompalic, Justin Gonçalves, and Darren Aronofsky.

After his beloved grandmother dies and ICE raids intensify, queer undocumented poet Yosimar Reyes inherits her dream of self-deporting to Mexico, causing him to question where he truly belongs.

4th World Media Lab

Now in its tenth year, the 4th World Media Lab uplifts Indigenous voices, perspectives and values through a year-long collaborative fellowship for emerging and mid-career Indigenous filmmakers. Across three festival retreats—at the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival, the Seattle International Film Festival and finally, the Camden International Film Festival—the program provides unique opportunities to develop skills and networks, workshop projects with peers and mentors and hold pitch meetings with funders and other industry decision-makers.

The program’s mentors include Yvonne Russo, Tracy Rector, and Chris Newell.

The 4th World Media Lab Fellows are as follows:

Scott W. Kekama Amona is a former educator turned award-winning filmmaker. He is a Sundance Native Shorts Lab Fellow, an IllumiNative + Netflix Indigenous Producers Program Fellow, a NATIVe Stand 2024 Fellow and a 2025 4th World Media Lab Fellow. Kekama is also one of eight Native Hawaiian writer-directors selected for the inaugural Makawalu feature film project with the Hawaiʻi International Film Festival, scheduled for production in 2025. Kekama directed and co-wrote the short film E Malama Pono, Willy Boy, which premiered at the imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival in 2022. The film has won several audience awards at HIFF, Māoriland and other film festivals. He was an advisor on an upcoming episode of an Indigenous WGBH animated series set to be released in November 2025. He is co-writing his first feature, Kānaka Kung Fu, with his partner, Nani Rían Kenna Ross. He is a lifelong surfer and activist based in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Katsitsionni Fox is an artist, filmmaker, and educator from the Mohawk Territory of Akwesasne. Her films highlight Indigenous women stepping into their purpose and power. Her award-winning documentaries include Ohero:kon — Under the Husk and Without a Whisper — Konnon:kwe .

Fox directed the Indigenous Women’s Voices Series, which focuses on the healing and empowerment of Native women and was released in 2020. Fox was a 2021 Nia Tero Storytelling Fellow. She directed the film Tentsitewahkwe for Season 2 of the Reciprocity Project. She was also a mentee in the PBS Ignite Mentorship for Diverse Voices in 2023–24. Her most recent film, Kanenon:we — Original Seeds, follows Indigenous women as they reclaim their ancient role as seed keepers. In the film, they regenerate, protect and rematriate sacred and endangered heirloom seeds for future generations.

James Johnson III is a Koyukon Dene filmmaker based in Fairbanks, Alaska, with roots in the Kokrines and Rampart tribal communities. He has produced most of his work through his media company, Deenaadai Productions LLC, where he primarily works as an editor and cinematographer on short documentaries that highlight grassroots projects in Alaska Native communities. This year, he began working full-time at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, where he is a media producer for the Geophysical Institute and creates educational videos for ruralhigh school students. Johnson remains adamant about shining a spotlight on Alaska’s First Peoples and the lifestyles they are constantly working to uphold.

Dr. Jules Arita Koostachin (Attawapiskat) is an award-winning filmmaker, mother, writer, performance artist, and academic. With her background in community work, themes of social justice emerge in her films alongside bravery, healing, connection and humor. Jules honors her Cree-speaking grandparents, who raised her, and her mother, a residential school survivor and warrior. Relying on her creative eye, keen mind and strong heart, Jules has accomplished much, including raising four sons while pursuing academics and artistry. After graduating from Concordia University’s theater program, she went on to attend Ryerson University’s documentary media master’s program. She received early recognition for her thesis documentary film, Remembering Inninimowin, earning an Award of Distinction and an Academic Gold Medal. She went on to earn her Ph.D. in Indigenous Documentary, Protocols, and Processes through the Institute of Gender, Race, Sexuality and Social Justice program at the University of British Columbia. She is represented by The Characters Talent Agency for acting and Lucas Talent Agency for writing and directing.

Tiare Ribeaux is a Kanaka Maoli filmmaker, artist, and creative producer based in Honolulu, Hawaii. She takes a decolonial approach to storytelling, employing nonlinear narratives akin to elemental cycles to tell stories of transformation and healing. Her work centers on the inextricable link between our bodies and land and water systems. She integrates magical realism into her films, allowing stories to unfold across multiple characters and elemental forces. She uses components of speculative fiction and fantasy to reimagine our present realities and the future trajectories of land reclamation, restoration, queerness and belonging.

Outside of film festivals, she has exhibited her work in galleries and museums through multichannel, immersive installations and live cinematic performances. She has exhibited her work nationally and internationally and has received the Creative Capital Award, the NDN Radical Imagination Grant and the Sundance Native Lab Fellowship, among others.

Steph Viera is Diné and Salvadoran. They were born and raised in Tongvanaar, colonially known as Los Angeles, California. They are a Two Spirit storyteller, organizer and filmmaker deeply committed to crafting intentional stories about Indigenous peoples, highlighting the reconnecting, multiracial, queer and urban Indigenous communities. They earned a bachelor’s degree in film, television and media from California State University, Dominguez Hills, where they studied screenwriting, digital media production and media representation. In their free time, they enjoy resting, connecting with their queer community, reading and viewing the world through their 35mm camera.

LEF/CIFF Fellowship

Points North’s long-standing commitment to supporting regional filmmakers is evident in the LEF/CIFF Fellowship. This program, developed in partnership with the LEF Foundation, offers five New England–based filmmakers with feature documentaries in production or post-production the opportunity to attend CIFF for project development workshops and industry meetings.The LEF/CIFF Fellowship cohort will be mentored by filmmakers Todd Chandler and Reid Davenport.

LEF/CIFF Projects:

Bloww Directed and produced by Emily Yue.

A queer feminist wrestling league fights to smash the patriarchy, build community and make rent while trying to keep one of Boston’s iconic subcultures alive.

Burlington, This Is You! Directed by Myles Jewell and Lauren-Glenn Davitian Produced by Meghan O’Rourke and Jordan Mitchell

Since 1984, Burlington, Vermont’s Chittenden Community Television (CCTV) has pioneered community media as a platform for activism. Burlington, This Is You! excavates CCTV’s 40-year archive, mapping the anatomy of activism. Advocating for social and economic justice, this documentary lays the groundwork for the next generation of media activists.

Dar Marjana Directed by Lamia Lazrak Produced by Lisa Yadao, Irene Yadao, and Lamia Lazrak

When Kenza, the owner of a family restaurant in Marrakech, decides she no longer wants to run it, her eldest daughter, Lamia, documents the family as Kenza grapples with letting go. Dar Marjana is a story about legacy, duty and the supernatural power of a restaurant over a family.

Silver & Earth Directed and produced by Kathryn Ramey

This film explores the concept of silver from the perspectives of the flora, fauna and landscapes it has been used to represent.

The Elversphere Directed by Eli Kao Produced by Michele Christle

The Elversphere traces the journey of eels from the waters off the coast of Maine to plates in Japan, revealing unexpected human-eel relationships and offering insights into current ecological and societal crises.

Diane Weyermann Fellowship

The Diane Weyermann Fellowship at Points North was established to honor the legacy of Diane Weyermann, a prolific producer and pillar of the nonfiction filmmaking community. The Fellowship identifies three advanced career directors and producers working on creatively expansive, cinematic feature-length documentary films that speak to poignant and urgent themes of our time. The program, which spans 18 months, is one of the most robust artist development initiatives for documentary filmmakers from a U.S. -based organization. The DianeWeyermann Fellowship provides $100,000 in unrestricted funding for each project, as well as two creative retreats, one in 2025 and another in 2026.

The program is tailored to the needs of each film team, giving each project team a creative space to explore and expand possibilities for their films and careers. The Diane Weyermann Fellowship was developed by Points North in partnership with Participant Media and is made possible by seed funding from the Skoll Foundation and major support from the RandomGood Foundation, Ford Foundation’s JustFilms and over 200 individual supporters.

Jurors who selected the 2025 Weyerman fellowship cohort are Yance Ford (Strong Island, Power), Beadie Finzi of Doc Society and Shirley Abraham, a 2023-24 Weyermann Fellow. The cohort will be joined on their first retreat by creative advisors Robb Moss and Tabitha Jackson.

The 2025 Weyermann Fellowship projects and artists are:

Captions Will Be Needed, USA, Mexico Directed by Natalia Almada Produced by Esther Robinson & Josh Penn

Captions Will Be Needed is filmmaker Natalia Almada’s cinematic response to living with a rare cancer that has reconfigured her relationship to time.

Testimony, Australia Directed by Maya NewellProduced by Barbara Ibuai, Alex Kelly, Larissa Behrendt AO, Sophie Hyde, Lisa Sherrard and Maya Newell

As the climate emergency rises before them, Torres Strait Islanders, too, rise up—suing the government for failing to prevent climate harm. While the court can only record part of the story, we dance, remember, and dream of possible futures with Saibai and her people. This film is their testimony.

The Instrument, USA Directed by Zac Manuel Produced by Darcy McKinnon

An aging jazz singer sets out with his filmmaker son to use artificial intelligence to resurrect the voice of his late father.

2025 Points North Forum Program Co-presented by ESPN Films

Friday, September 12

9:30–11:00 a.m. (French Room, Camden Opera House)

Form and Voice: The Art of Documentary Filmmaking

What does it take to build a life in independent documentary film? How do artists refine their voice, experiment with new cinematic languages, and stay connected to the communities and experiences that inspire them? In this conversation, Reid Davenport (Life After), Deming Chen (Always), and Brahim Snoopy Ahmed (Khartoum) will share how their lived experiences inform their approach to making feature documentaries, shaping the stories they tell, the relationships they build, and the aesthetic forms they explore. Together, they candidly discuss navigating the artistic, ethical, and financial realities of the craft while building a meaningful creative practice in an ever-shifting industry.

Reid Davenport, Life After

Deming Chen, Always

Brahim Snoopy Ahmed, Khartoum (virtual)

Moderator: Monika Navarro, Firelight Media

10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. (Tucker Room, Camden Opera House)

Nonfiction in the Age of Generative AI, Part 2

Last year at the Points North Forum, we explored how generative AI is reshaping nonfiction media and raising urgent questions about authenticity, ethics and trust. This year, we will continue the conversation with a two-part program that bridges practical, on-the-ground examples with a global view of AI’s democratic impacts.

In the first half, Stephanie Jenkins and A.X. Mina of the Archival Producers Alliance share recent case studies involving the use of synthetic media in nonfiction production. These examples will highlight the consent processes, ethical decision-making, and transparency strategies that can guide the responsible use of AI in archival and documentary work. Filmmaker Zac Manuel will then share his process and approach to using AI in his upcoming film, The Instrument, deepening the conversation.

The second half turns to the International Resources for Impact Storytelling (IRIS) project, which will present preliminary findings from its research on the impact of AI and digital platforms on democracy, focusing on case studies from the Global South. IRIS’s Brett Davidson and Cara Mertes will discuss their examination of Big Tech’s influence, narratives about AI, and the centrality of narrative in political contestation over AI’s future trajectory. They will also discuss emerging perspectives on whether democratic systems and a vibrant civil society can adapt and survive in an era of accelerating AI capabilities.

Stephanie Jenkins, Archival Producers Alliance

A.X. Mina, Archival Producers Alliance

Zac Manuel, The Instrument

Cara Mertes, International Resource for Impact and Storytelling (IRIS)

Brett Davidson, International Resource for Impact and Storytelling (IRIS)

Moderator: Kat Cizek, MIT Co-Creation Studio

Support provided by the LEF Foundation

12:00pm–1:30pm (French Room, Camden Opera House)

Geeta Gandbhir Masterclass

Award-winning filmmaker Geeta Gandbhir (Lowndes County and the Road to Black Power, A Journey of a Thousand Miles: Peacekeepers) joins us for an in-depth masterclass on the craft and conscience of nonfiction storytelling. After winning the Directing Award at Sundance for her latest film The Perfect Neighbor—a searing exploration of race, violence, and “stand your ground” laws—Gandbhir reflects on her path from Emmy- and Peabody-winning editor to director of urgent, socially engaged films. Drawing on decades of experience, including both fiction and nonfiction work and collaborations with Spike Lee and Sam Pollard, she’ll share insights on building narrative tension from real events, ethical representation, and the editor’s eye that continues to shape her directorial vision.

Geeta Gandbhir, The Perfect Neighbor

Moderator: Iyabo Boyd, Brown Girls Doc Mafia

1:00pm–2:30pm (Tucker Room, Camden Opera House)

Collective Defense: Building Advocacy Infrastructure for Documentary Film

Freedom of expression is under threat and the rights of documentary filmmakers are increasingly at risk. How can our field respond collectively, rapidly, and effectively? In this participatory session, IDA Executive Director Dominic Asmall Willsdon will be joined by leading attorneys and experts in First Amendment law, civil rights, and advocacy to share new initiatives launching this fall—including rapid-response protocols, a new emergency fund for filmmakers at risk, strategic litigation initiatives, and legal services for documentary makers. Then we’ll open the conversation to explore questions like: what shared infrastructure and practices do we need to defend artistic freedom? Together, we’ll explore how filmmakers, organizations, and allies can strengthen the legal, financial and organizational systems required to protect the public interest role of documentary.

Dominic Asmall Willsdon, International Documentary Association

Katie Townsend, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP

Nicole Page, RPJ Law

Moderator: Anurima Bhargava, Doc Society and Anthem of Us

2:30pm–4:00pm (French Room, Camden Opera House)

Directors Commentary: Questioning Authority

This panel brings together three filmmakers whose works confront entrenched power structures through both content and form. Ranging from personal essay to vérité and archival excavation, each film employs a distinct aesthetic to expose systems of control and influence—from Silicon Valley mythologies to environmental extraction and state violence. Lee Anne Schmitt’s Evidence, Julien Élie’s Shifting Baselines, and Juanjo Pereira’s Under the Flags, the Sun demonstrate how documentary film can be used to interrogate power, ideology, and the tectonic forces reshaping our world.

Lee Anne Schmitt, Evidence

Julien Elie, Shifting Baselines

Juanjo Pereira, Under The Flags, The Sun

Moderator: Brenda Coughlin, Lannan Foundation

3:30pm – 5:00pm (Tucker Room, Camden Opera House)

Who Gets the Archive?

Where does the archive go—and who does it belong to? As archives become increasingly inaccessible due to rising costs, political gatekeeping, and complex rights restrictions, filmmakers are finding creative ways to tell stories with what remains—or what’s missing. Some work within the fragments they can access, others make powerful statements through absence, and many navigate the possibilities of fair use to break through barriers. This panel examines the value of archives for representing and reclaiming historical narratives, the evolving legal and ethical landscape of archival access, and the long-term implications for what kinds of stories can—and can’t—be told. Join us for a critical and urgent conversation that spans from the filmmaker’s lens to industry-level responsibility.

Carolyn Hepburn, ESPN Films

Jackie Glover, Harvard Black Film Project

Gentry Kirby, ESPN Films

Paige Bethmann, Remaining Native

Moderator: Stephanie Jenkins, Archival Producers Alliance

Support provided by the LEF Foundation

5:00pm–7:30pm (French Room, Camden Opera House)

Shorts In-Session

Three projects were selected for the second year of UFO and American Documentary’s work-in-progress initiative, “Shorts In-Session, ” which presents short documentaries in post-production to a panel of industry experts and a live audience for feedback.

9/11-9/14 Rebecca Blandón

9/11-9/14 Ora DeKornfeld and Bianca Giaever

9/11-9/14 Maia Wikler

Presented by American Documentary and UFO

Saturday, September 13

2:00pm–4:00pm (French Room, Camden Opera House)

Ways of Seeing: Science Storytelling Conversation & Observation Activity

Science storytelling is not just about facts and figures, but about how scientific ways of seeing can reshape our experience of the world. Just as scientific knowledge is threaded into our everyday experience and shapes our subjective realities—the evolving genre of science documentary is increasingly centering on evocative, emotionally resonant approaches that connect with audiences. How can filmmakers craft stories that are as rigorous as they are wondrous? We’ll begin this session with a short conversation between filmmakers, funders, and scientists, charting the myriad ways of seeing science through cinema.

Then, inspired by Ian Cheney’s Observer, we’ll invite you on an immersive observation experience* outside in Camden Village. With your own Observer Kit, you’ll have the tools and guidance to explore your surroundings with heightened awareness and curiosity. At the end, we’ll reconvene for a group discussion about what new knowledge and insight was discovered through mindful observation.

Ian Cheney, Observer

Tasha Van Zandt, A Life Illuminated

Ross McClean, No Mean City

Caitlin Mae Burke, Sandbox Films

Moderator: Ina Fichman

*Accessibility Note: There will be several ways to participate in the observation experience portion of this session, including the option of remaining in the French Room and an outdoor route that is accessible for mobility devices.

Sunday, September 14

11:00am–12:30pm (Rockport Opera House)

Raoul Peck Masterclass

Acclaimed Haitian filmmaker Raoul Peck (Orwell: 2+2=5, I Am Not Your Negro, Exterminate All the Brutes, Silver Dollar Road) has built a singular body of work that dismantles colonial histories, amplifies oppressed voices and reveals how our past continually shapes our present.

In this masterclass, Peck will reflect on making the CIFF official selection Orwell: 2+2=5—a bracing and timely meditation on truth, language and political manipulation—while tracing the connections between his films’ personal and political roots. Alongside the film’s Executive Producer Alex Gibney, Peck will discuss cinema as a tool of resistance, the urgency of reclaiming historical narratives, and the role of documentary filmmakers in challenging abuses of power.

Raoul Peck, Orwell: 2+2=5

Alex Gibney, Jigsaw Productions

Moderator: Dominic Asmall Willsdon, International Documentary Association

Re:Distribution | A Documentary Town Hall (Part 3)

Presented by RandomGood Foundation with additional support from MacArthur Foundation & Doc Society

Around the world, the infrastructure for media that serves the public interest—including the funding and distribution of independent documentary films—is under mounting strain. Political attacks on public broadcasting and press freedom, combined with market upheaval and the unchecked dominance of Big Tech in the digital attention economy, are closing off vital pathways for documentary filmmakers and other nonfiction storytellers to reach the diverse communities they serve.

Moments like this have sparked transformation before. History offers examples of coalitions—filmmakers, advocates, policymakers, and engaged citizens—who built public media systems from the ground up, defended press freedom under authoritarian pressure, and expanded the public’s stake in independent storytelling. From the development of public broadcasting in the U.S., which opened new doors for documentary film, to grassroots media movements around the world, these moments remind us that change is possible when people organize with imagination and purpose.

This year’s Town Hall—organized in collaboration with Doc Society and the Harvard Kennedy School’s Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy—invites filmmakers, industry leaders, and allies to envision the media we want and need in the 21st Century.

Drawing on lessons from past victories and present-day struggles, a series of short provocations from researchers and organizers will spark a facilitated, interactive discussion about building a more resilient, inclusive nonfiction media ecosystem—one that enables truth telling, democratic discourse, and civic engagement to thrive.