Access is one of the cornerstones of documentary production that allows a filmmaker to tell urgent stories. Access may imply risk for the filmmakers or for the protagonists, or it might mean complicity with power to be able to make one’s film. Under an oppressive regime, places with no freedom of the press, or in wartime, some filmmakers' access relies upon finding creative ways to indirectly address a topic or situation that cannot be spoken about head-on. Oftentimes access means being admitted into spaces of trauma of others. Crucially, proving one's access is a key function of creating both commercial and artistic value for a project. In this session, these panelists will reveal the vagaries of balancing behind-the-scenes access with institutional compromise, potential harm to protagonists, and proximity to the story.
Moderator: Lyric Cabral ((T)error)
Panelists: Natalia Almada (The Night Watchman, Users), Ibrahim Nash’at (Hollywoodgate), Maciek Hamela (In the Rearview), Amanda Spain (MSNBC)
Biographies (submitted by the speakers):
Ibrahim Nash’at is a multi-award-winning Egyptian documentary filmmaker based in Berlin, Germany. His journalism career spans various formats, working with several international platforms such as Deutsche Welle, Al Jazeera, Business Insider, VOA and others. Ibrahim holds a masters degree in documentary filmmaking from Met Film School. He co-edited Talal Derki's latest film UNDER THE SKY OF DAMASCUS Which premiered at Berlinale 2023 and won the Thessaloniki Doc Festival. Ibrahim has directed multiple short films which were selected in multiple international film festivals. HOLLYWOODGATE is Ibrahim's first feature film which premiered at Venice Film Festival and Telluride Film Festival.
Lyric Cabral (he/him) is an award-winning film director and multidisciplinary artist who works across non fiction film, photography, and animation. The artist intentionally centers trauma informed care, in the filmmaking process, to create space for protagonists' healing and self-discovery. lyric's directorial debut (T)ERROR was awarded an Emmy for Outstanding Investigative Documentary (2016), and received a Breakout First Feature Award from the Sundance Film Festival. His films have appeared on platforms including Netflix, VICE, PBS, and BBC. the artist has exhibited at spaces including the Studio Museum of Harlem, New Orleans Museum of Art, MOMA PS1, Gordon Parks Foundation, and International Center of Photography. His work has received generous support from Field of Vision, Sundance Institute, Tribeca Film Institute, BBC Storyville, ITVS. lyric currently resides in Los Angeles, CA, and is represented by CAA for film and television.
Amanda Spain is currently MSNBC Film's Vice President of Longform Acquisitions. Revitalized under MSNBC President Rashida Jones and Amanda Spain, MSNBC Films, distributes a slate of dynamic documentaries, including PERIODICAL, LEGUIZAMO DOES AMERICA hosted by John Leguizamo, THE TURNING POINT series, Executive Produced by Trevor Noah, and the award-winning PAPER & GLUE, a project by acclaimed French artist JR. Before joining MSNBC Films, she was the Director of Non-Fiction for Blumhouse Television. Amanda is also a prolific producer, and recently won an Emmy for her recent documentary, ART AND KRIMES BY KRIMES, which was acquired by MTV Documentary Films.
Maciek Hamela is a Film and radio producer, director, scriptwriter. Born in Warsaw, he received a master's degree from Sorbonne University (Paris IV) in French literature and studied film directing at École Internationale de Création Audiovisuelle et de Réalisation (EICAR). Director and producer of a feature documentary "In the Rearview" that screened at Cannes Film Festival and TIFF and won over 20 prizes at international festivals including Sheffield DocFest, Zurich Film Festival and Hamburg FilmFest. A co-creator of a documentary short film "Bless You", which received a Doc Alliance Award within the Cannes Docs program (Cannes FF 2021). Produced films such as "Convictions" (MDR Film Prize for an outstanding Eastern European documentary film at Dok Leipzig IFF 2016), "Gatherers of Sea Grass" and "Parquet". Produced and co-directed "Plan B", a documentary podcast series for Audioteka and other award winning radio works.
Access is one of the cornerstones of documentary production that allows a filmmaker to tell urgent stories. Access may imply risk for the filmmakers or for the protagonists, or it might mean complicity with power to be able to make one’s film. Under an oppressive regime, places with no freedom of the press, or in wartime, some filmmakers' access relies upon finding creative ways to indirectly address a topic or situation that cannot be spoken about head-on. Oftentimes access means being admitted into spaces of trauma of others. Crucially, proving one's access is a key function of creating both commercial and artistic value for a project. In this session, these panelists will reveal the vagaries of balancing behind-the-scenes access with institutional compromise, potential harm to protagonists, and proximity to the story.
Moderator: Lyric Cabral ((T)error)
Panelists: Natalia Almada (The Night Watchman, Users), Ibrahim Nash’at (Hollywoodgate), Maciek Hamela (In the Rearview), Amanda Spain (MSNBC)
Biographies (submitted by the speakers):
Ibrahim Nash’at is a multi-award-winning Egyptian documentary filmmaker based in Berlin, Germany. His journalism career spans various formats, working with several international platforms such as Deutsche Welle, Al Jazeera, Business Insider, VOA and others. Ibrahim holds a masters degree in documentary filmmaking from Met Film School. He co-edited Talal Derki's latest film UNDER THE SKY OF DAMASCUS Which premiered at Berlinale 2023 and won the Thessaloniki Doc Festival. Ibrahim has directed multiple short films which were selected in multiple international film festivals. HOLLYWOODGATE is Ibrahim's first feature film which premiered at Venice Film Festival and Telluride Film Festival.
Lyric Cabral (he/him) is an award-winning film director and multidisciplinary artist who works across non fiction film, photography, and animation. The artist intentionally centers trauma informed care, in the filmmaking process, to create space for protagonists' healing and self-discovery. lyric's directorial debut (T)ERROR was awarded an Emmy for Outstanding Investigative Documentary (2016), and received a Breakout First Feature Award from the Sundance Film Festival. His films have appeared on platforms including Netflix, VICE, PBS, and BBC. the artist has exhibited at spaces including the Studio Museum of Harlem, New Orleans Museum of Art, MOMA PS1, Gordon Parks Foundation, and International Center of Photography. His work has received generous support from Field of Vision, Sundance Institute, Tribeca Film Institute, BBC Storyville, ITVS. lyric currently resides in Los Angeles, CA, and is represented by CAA for film and television.
Amanda Spain is currently MSNBC Film's Vice President of Longform Acquisitions. Revitalized under MSNBC President Rashida Jones and Amanda Spain, MSNBC Films, distributes a slate of dynamic documentaries, including PERIODICAL, LEGUIZAMO DOES AMERICA hosted by John Leguizamo, THE TURNING POINT series, Executive Produced by Trevor Noah, and the award-winning PAPER & GLUE, a project by acclaimed French artist JR. Before joining MSNBC Films, she was the Director of Non-Fiction for Blumhouse Television. Amanda is also a prolific producer, and recently won an Emmy for her recent documentary, ART AND KRIMES BY KRIMES, which was acquired by MTV Documentary Films.
Maciek Hamela is a Film and radio producer, director, scriptwriter. Born in Warsaw, he received a master's degree from Sorbonne University (Paris IV) in French literature and studied film directing at École Internationale de Création Audiovisuelle et de Réalisation (EICAR). Director and producer of a feature documentary "In the Rearview" that screened at Cannes Film Festival and TIFF and won over 20 prizes at international festivals including Sheffield DocFest, Zurich Film Festival and Hamburg FilmFest. A co-creator of a documentary short film "Bless You", which received a Doc Alliance Award within the Cannes Docs program (Cannes FF 2021). Produced films such as "Convictions" (MDR Film Prize for an outstanding Eastern European documentary film at Dok Leipzig IFF 2016), "Gatherers of Sea Grass" and "Parquet". Produced and co-directed "Plan B", a documentary podcast series for Audioteka and other award winning radio works.