DOCSHOP is a five-day filmmaker's forum and industry conference that takes place every year during the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival. The conference is geared toward filmmakers, innovators, students, and media industry leaders to explore cutting-edge ideas that are shaping the field of documentary film today. The conference includes workshops and panels that cover diverse aspects of the filmmaking process, and culminates with the Big Sky Pitch, an opportunity for filmmakers to pitch works-in-progress to a panel of industry representatives and funders. The festival-conference energy creates a unique and fruitful experience for emerging and award-winning filmmakers alike.
DocShop 2027 will take place February 15th - 19th, and our preview schedule will be available in January.
Documentary film has historically been a medium that questions and challenges mainstream narratives with perspectives that have traditionally been neglected. With the massive boom in demand for film and TV projects in the late 2010s on major streaming sites, documentaries have quickly become readily sought-after by global audiences, underscoring its profitability to the buyers market. As streaming has become more dominant, funding opportunities have shrunk, forcing filmmakers to think even more creatively about the life of their films, the viability of the career and creative avenues for gig work. What was once referred to as the “golden era of documentary” has critics calling the “corporate age of documentary,” as production and acquisition spending declines with studios moving to make streaming services more profitable. The shift to the filmmaking industry has also led to a groundswell of energy and activity within these communities of filmmakers, encouraging a shift towards collective organizing and cooperatives that create safety nets for independent filmmakers. DocShop panel conversations, master class presentations, case studies, and peer-to-peer session plan to tackle these issues through hardhitting conversations and skillbuilding workshops, arminng filmmakers with a fresh understanding.
DocShop 2026 will focus on the theme of Resilience & Longevity, exploring the influences at play that impact creative decision making, financial viability and mental health for independent filmmakers across the documentary field as they consider the lifespan of their careers. The conference will explore the pressing issues that have emerged from the evolving streaming landscape and a shrinking film industry, forcing documentary filmmakers to re-evaluate how they navigate the field as artists and working professionals in the field. Through a series of panels, roundtables, keynotes, and master classes, DocShop 2026 will help filmmakers explore the many avenues that contribute to a sustained career in documentary, the barriers and opportunities across the funding landscape, benefits of collective action, and the myriad of ways success is defined.
DocShop 2026 aims to arm filmmakers with a fresh understanding of the obstacles and opportunities for reaching audiences with impactful documentary art and storytelling, provoking renewed energy to maneuver the challenging documentary ecosystem.
Big Sky DocShop is an ADA Accessible event. Accommodations available upon request. Please contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or call our office at (406) 541-3456 with your request.
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DocShop 2026 is supported in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. To learn more about how NEA grants impact individuals and communities, visit arts.gov
