It’s that time of year again where SXSW asks the public to pick the panels they would like to see at the event next March. This year REACT, a Knowledge Exchange Hub for the Creative Economy which is based in Bristol, is hopefully sending a panel to reflect their current Future Documentary Sandbox project.
Organised by Matt Davenport, REACT Producer, and chaired by our very own Mandy Rose, this panel will change the way you make film – forever.
Documentary tells the truth, or at least a truth; but what happens when documentary is co-created with the artists formerly known as the audience? What happens to editorial control when filmmakers work with audience as co-producers from the get go? From fans of a mysterious masked Elvis to isolated Peruvian communities this panel, curated by REACT hub explores communities as co-creators within recent ‘Future Documentary’ productions. Leading UK filmmakers will discuss how they hold on to what’s great about documentary – it’s ability to elicit empathy, impart wisdom and inspire change – whilst exploring the new forms of engagement that are enabled by the internet, mobiles and changing audience behaviours. How to design for co-creation that gets beyond marketing? How to change the production process so that participation builds new kinds of media spaces not just markets for our films?
Other speakers on the panel include artist and film-maker Jeanie Finlay from Glimmer Films, Team Rubber founder Matt Golding and Rosemarie Lerner from Chaka Films, a newly formed company dedicated to producing documentary films and transmedia projects through an interdisciplinary and experimental approach to new media technologies.