Massive defunding and consolidation across the industry have made it harder, if not impossible, for many filmmakers to sustain a living from their craft. In response, structural alternatives such as cooperatives seem to offer a different path forward by reducing overhead, distributing costs, and creating more durable career paths. But what is a worker-owned co-op and what does it actually take to start and run one? In this breakout session, filmmaker Yael Bridge guides us through what a sustainable filmmaking practice could look like and leads an open exploration of the cooperative business models available to independent documentary and media makers. From traditional structures to emerging collective models, the session zeroes in on the cooperative form: how it works, what it requires, and what it could look like in our field. Yael is joined by members of filmmaker cooperatives that have operated successfully for years. Together, participants will examine the real economics of cooperative enterprise, including how shared infrastructure and pooled resources can bring down total budgets, and will workshop their own ideas for what a filmmaker-owned cooperative could look like in practice.

Open Breakout Session: Blueprinting for Filmmaker Co-ops

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Getting Real is a biennial conference designed for and by documentary practitioners and focused on the business and art of nonfiction storytelling. The sixth edition of Getting Real will celebrate a decade of what is now the largest peer-to-peer gathering of its kind in North America.

Here's what's coming up soon. Can't make it? No sweat. Many live streams will be available for on-demand viewing as well.