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Forum 2025

Where Truth Meets Impact, and Reconciliation Comes to Life.

Doc Edge Forum serves as a platform for emerging and established storytellers to gather, exchange ideas, and advance their careers. It is an annual industry event that brings together local and international screen industry. It is a pivotal event for storytellers, industry professionals, and students, featuring keynotes, sessions, and networking opportunities.

It will be held as a two-day event on 2 – 3 July 2025 in Auckland, immediately after Doc Edge Pitch.

We are committed to inspire storytellers, have challenging conversations, and support content makers to take risks. With a focus on connecting Kiwi voices globally and supporting filmmakers at all career stages, the Forum provides valuable insights into funding, distribution, festival involvement, and production. 

Programme will be announced in due course.

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Programme 2024

The 2024 Forum Programme was guided by the concept of wayfinding as a beacon of hope and strategic guidance for the documentary, factual, and public journalism sectors. In an era fraught with decreased funding, misinformation, and evolving audience preferences, wayfinding offers a framework for navigating these challenges with creativity and resilience to chart a path toward impactful storytelling.
 
As Doc Edge consolidates its position as the Asia-Pacific centre for documentary and immersive storytelling, we unabashedly lead the conversations about how we got here, what needs to change, and how to find the way forward.  Alongside these macro conversations, we also dig deeper into specific topics.
 
Importantly at a time when our industry is facing so much uncertainty and change, it is important that we come together to discuss how we can adapt to, survive, and thrive.
 
The key Forum sessions included:
  • Kaupapa Matua | Central Address by screen visionary Ted Hope, Doc Edge Superhero 2024.
  • Te Ara | The Journey Before Us with senior screen leaders discussing the journey ahead of us with practitioners sharing their experiences and careers. We hear from Cameron Harland, Chief Executive of NZ On Air and Sally Chesher, Investment and Development Manager, Screen Australia
  • Kōrero Matua | Whakaaro o te Minita | Keynote address by The Hon. Paul Goldsmith in his first public address to the screen industry in his role as both the Minister of Arts, Culture & Heritage and the Minister of Media and Communications.
  • Public Journalism and Documentary is a timely conversation when there is a proliferation of false news, misinformation, and mass manipulation, the role of public journalism and documentary filmmaking has never been more crucial. This panel session will explore the vital intersection between these two mediums, emphasizing their importance in fostering truth, transparency, and accountability in today’s media landscape. As traditional journalism faces a significant decline in funding support, the panel will discuss innovative strategies and collaborative efforts to sustain investigative reporting and documentary production. Experts from both fields will share insights on how they navigate the challenges of modern media, highlight impactful stories, and engage with audiences to combat misinformation and uphold the integrity of public discourse. Let’s talk about preserving the pillars of truth and trust in an increasingly complex information ecosystem.
  • Revisiting Story Sovereignty is a discussion as we progress in decolonising the screen, the evolution of story sovereignty and who can tell the story. Facilitated by Nathan Hoturoa Gray (Ngai Tahu), Director Petr Lom discusses his film, Ko au te Awa, ko te Awa ko au – I Am The River, The River Is Me, why he chooses to tell the story, and we hear from his iwi (tribe) collaborators. Vanessa Hope, the director of Invisible Nation, discusses why she was entrusted with telling President Tsai Ing-wen’s story. Long-time screen advocate, Leo Koziol (l (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Rakaipaaka)) joins the conversation.
  • Along The Route sees successful producer Mathew Metcalfe, as he reflects from the trenches. In this session, he talks about the real-world experience and what the actual pathway to production is likely to look like.
  • Impact Storytelling discusses the importance of impact storytelling. Edmund Hillary Fellows are at the frontline of impact. This is a community of 500+ innovators, entrepreneurs and investors committed to New Zealand as a basecamp for global impact. A number of Edmund Hillary Fellows are world-class award-winning filmmakers, and this session explores the importance of impact storytelling and how we can develop and foster collaboration between social impact enterprises and storytellers to create new impact opportunities.
  • Truth, Impact and Reconciliation guide Doc Edge in its programming and curation. Documentaries are critical to uncovering the truth, creating impact and inspiring reconciliation. This session features two powerful films from 2024’s programme, I Shall Not Hate and Devi. We meet Palestinian Noble Prize Nominee Dr. Izzledin Abuelaish, and Canadian filmmaker Tal Barda and UK based filmmaker Subina Shrestha and Nepalese rape survivor, heroine and politician Devi Khadka of the documentary Devi, in this vital conversation,
  • The Taniwha and The Dragon see leading Chinese documentary leaders, Yulan Chang of CNEX CCDF (Taipei), Xiao Long of Freh Pitch (Suzhou) and acclaimed filmmaker Lixin Fan (InHope Pictures) discuss the Chinese documentary industry and collaboration opportunities.
  • Short & Sweet brings together Emile Guertin, Senior Producer, Al Jazeera English, Alexandra Garcia, NY Times Op-Docs Supervising Producer and award-winning filmmaker Hemal Trivedi as they discuss why short films are hot.
  • Alternative or Visionary will be facilitated by XR visionary John-Paul Marin, Founder Distil Immersive, in a conversation with XR Exhibition practitioners.
  • Festival and Sales Strategy examines the role of film festivals and how you devise a viable sales strategy with Jasmin McSweeney, Head of Acquisitions Umbrella Entertainment. Jason Ishikawa Head of Acquisitions, Cinetic; Lauren Theron, Déléguée Générale, FIFO Tahiti and Dan Shanan, Executive Director, Doc Edge.
View 2024 Programme

Event Passes & Accommodation

We acknowledge that times are uncertain for many in our industry and want to show our support by offering Doc Edge Industry accreditations at half-price for a limited time.  Use the code Community2024 to get a Four-Day Pass to all events for $199.50 or a Two-Day (Forum only) Pass for $149.50 – get in quick as seating is strictly limited!

In addition, we have teamed up with four accommodation partners in Christchurch where you can access discounts for your stay in Christchurch during the festival period from 19-June to 30-June.   Book with our Christchurch accommodation partners.

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