Uncovering and providing opportunities for new talent has been a SHOOT staple in terms of its news coverage, our ongoing ScreenWork focus which includes The Best Work You May Never See gallery, and of course our annual New Directors Showcase at the DGA Theatre in NYC.

In that spirit, we try to raise awareness of initiatives cut from the same cloth, prioritizing the creation of opportunities for deserving talent. One such program comes out of Film Independent, the nonprofit arts organization that produces the Spirit Awards, which recently unveiled the seven filmmakers and six projects selected for its 12th annual Documentary Lab. The Lab is an intensive program designed for filmmakers currently in postproduction on their feature-length documentary films and provides creative feedback. The program advances the careers of its Fellows by introducing them to film professionals who can advise on both the craft and business of documentary filmmaking.

During the Lab, filmmakers will work with lead creative mentors Chris Shellen (Mickey: The Story of a Mouse, Marwencol) and Ivete Lucas (Naked Gardens, Pahokee), and editing mentors Bo Mehrad (The Punk Singer, Call Me Miss Cleo) and Amy Foote (Hail Satan?, All the Beauty and the Bloodshed). Additionally, Fellows will be introduced to advisors and guest speakers.

The 2023 Documentary Lab projects and Fellows are: Director Alina Simone and producer Kirstine Barfod for Black Snow; director Chris Coats for Flamingo Camp; director/producer/cinematographer Sisa Bueno for For Venida, For Kalief; director Gabriela Diaz Arp for Matinino; director Amanda Erickson for She Cried That Day; and director Adina Luo for You Have the Floor.

“Documentary filmmakers remain at the forefront of innovative cinema, telling real stories with urgency and accessibility,” said Daniel Cardone, manager of nonfiction programs for Film Independent. “Our selections for the 2023 Film Independent Documentary Lab emphatically demonstrate this, tackling important cultural issues and events with compassion and limitless creativity.”

Notable past Documentary Lab-supported projects include Academy Award-nominated films Ascension by Jessica Kingdon; Minding the Gap from Bing Liu and Diane Quon; Sara Dosa and Shane Boris’ Seer and the Unseen; Sarita Khurana and Smriti Mundhra’s A Suitable Girl; Dyana Winkler and Tina Brown’s United Skates; and Kit Vincent and Ed Owles’ Red Herring, which recently premiered at the True/False film festival.

Robert Goldrich is a SHOOTonline editor