Industry Days - Documentary Summit | Innovative Survival Strategies
Friday, October 16, 2026 at 10:15 AM until 11:30 AM
AMC Newcity | Filmmaker Lounge, 1500 N Clybourn Ave c301, Chicago, IL 60610
festival
In the face of sustained unprecedented crises in financing and distribution for nonfiction storytellers, Industry Days’ 2nd annual Doc Summit brings together the documentary community for another urgent, action-oriented assembly. We will begin with an opening discussion anchored by veteran filmmakers to diagnose where the industry stands, evaluate current survival models, and frame the path forward. Following the panel, attendees will transition into facilitated breakout working groups structured around key operational challenges and tactics, including such topics as alternative financing, direct-to-consumer distribution, collective organizing, and advocacy. Rather than lingering on the industry’s losses, this gathering is designed to convert shared friction into strategic power.
Moderator Naeema Jamilah Torres
Speakers Katy Scoggin (Flood), Erik Shirai (SUMO: Spirit Weighs Nothing), Mars Verrone (Buckskin), Haydée Souffrant (Kartemquin)