IDA and FWD-Doc Announce the Launch of the Nonfiction Access Initiative
ID: White text on blue background banner reading Nonfiction Access Initiative on the left hand side of the banner and on the right side: curved, circular objects that are intertwined with each other in dark blue, light green, and grey colors.
IDA and FWD-Doc creating a major new fund for nonfiction storytellers and media makers from the disability community.
Los Angeles, CA (Thursday, September 29, 2022, 12:00 PM PT) –– The International Documentary Association (IDA) and FWD-Doc announced the establishment of the Nonfiction Access Initiative (NAI), a fund for nonfiction storytellers and media makers from the disability community, created with generous support from the Ford Foundation and lead advising partner, FWD-Doc. Learn more at documentary.org/nonfiction-access-initiative.
The Nonfiction Access Initiative adopts an inclusive definition of disability as put forward by IDA’s lead advising partner, FWD-Doc: “This is about identity, not rules to keep people in or out. This means physical disabilities, developmental disabilities, learning disabilities, intellectual disabilities, chronic health conditions, mental health, blindness, low vision, D/deaf, and/or neurodiverse; we welcome visible disabilities, invisible disabilities, and everything in between. Do you identify as disabled? If the answer is yes, then that is all that matters.”
The initial stage of the initiative will be a period of research and development to understand where and how nonfiction storytellers from the disability community are working, what their barriers of entry and sustainability are, and how this initiative can best support their work.
IDA is assembling an advisory committee to guide the R&D process. The Nonfiction Access Initiative Advisory Committee consists of an international consortium of organizations and individuals from different sectors of the mediasphere working for disability justice and supporting practitioners from the disability community. To this end, IDA and its partner organizations will undertake an R&D period through June 2023 to gather information. Confirmed Advisory Committee members include AXS Film Fund, Morpheyes Studio, CripTechIncubator, 1in4 Coalition, United States Artists, and HELM (Cairo, Egypt). A detailed list of our Advisory Committee members will be available on the IDA website in the coming weeks.
Participant-led research will help identify where and in what form nonfiction media makers from the disability community are working, help understand the needs and barriers faced by nonfiction media makers from the disability community, clarify the logistical guidelines that best suit this community and develop an understanding of what future research needs to encompass.
"The Nonfiction Access Initiative reflects the work of several collaborative partners to ensure we co-create and co-design a program with disabled storytellers and not simply for disabled storytellers. We are excited to pilot a collaborative program anchored in access, equity, and inclusivity -- one that can serve as a model for creator-centered media access programs in the field." – Rick Pérez, Executive Director of IDA
“Supporting disabled filmmakers and artists to share their visions of the world is a key priority for the Ford Foundation. We are pleased to continue advancing disability justice by partnering with the IDA on bringing more resources and support to the disabled filmmaking community.” – Chi-hui Yang, Senior Program Officer of Ford Foundation
“I believe that the Nonfiction Access Initiative ushers in a new era for the D/deaf, neurodiverse and disabled filmmaking community. It is fitting that this program has a home at IDA because FWD-Doc traces its beginning to the 2018 Getting Real conference. All marginalized communities need access to programs such as this to cultivate and produce the stories that can only be known and told by those people. We are grateful to the Ford Foundation and IDA for this game changing moment.” – Jim LeBrecht, Co-founder of FWD-Doc
“We were delighted when IDA first raised the idea of this fund in early 2021, and in recent years we’ve seen a welcome rise in the number of disabled nonfiction storytellers and FWD-Doc members receiving funding from the Ford Foundation and IDA. We know there are numerous talented disabled filmmakers who have yet to be recognized in the nonfiction field, and we look forward to contributing to building an intersectional, supportive and uplifting funding opportunity for our storytelling community.” – Lindsey Dryden, Co-founder of FWD-Doc
“It's a long time coming. IDA is taking an important step in helping to put stories by people with disabilities at the forefront. I am glad to see them joining the movement in supporting and making sure these creators' voices are heard.” – Jason DaSilva, AXS Lab President and founder of AXS Film Fund
About International Documentary Association
Mission: To support the vital work of documentary storytellers and champion a thriving and inclusive documentary culture.
Vision: IDA is dedicated to the vision of a world where documentary creators flourish. Through our work, we connect audiences with the best of the form, provide resources, create community, and defend the rights and freedoms of documentary artists, activists and journalists around the globe. We do this work because we believe that documentaries enrich and deepen our culture, fostering a more informed and connected world.
Website: http://documentary.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/documentary.org/
Twitter: @IDAorg
Instagram: @IDAorg
About FWD-Doc
We are a group of filmmakers with disabilities (FWDs) working in documentary film — and our active allies. We believe that coming together as a community allows us to support each other and advocate for ourselves with greater power.
FWD-Doc seeks to increase the visibility of, support for, and direct access to opportunities, networks, and employment for D/deaf, disabled, and neurodiverse filmmakers. We aim to foster greater inclusion of D/deafness, disability, and neurodiversity within the broader entertainment industry.
Website: https://www.fwd-doc.org/
To Join: https://www.fwd-doc.org/join-fwddoc
Twitter: @FwdDoc
Instagram: @fwddoc