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Membership

Membership Benefits Membership Levels Member Directory
established in 2016

The DPA is a diverse coalition of over 600 international members, ranging from emerging to established Academy Award-winning documentary producers.

The DPA sets standards for inclusive, sustainable and equitable business practices

based on research, collective experience and input from strategic partners, amplifying the voice of documentary producers worldwide, while educating the industry about producers’ essential role from development through financing, production and distribution.

The DPA sets standards for inclusive, sustainable and equitable business practices

based on research, collective experience and input from strategic partners, amplifying the voice of documentary producers worldwide, while educating the industry about producers’ essential role from development through financing, production and distribution.

our grounding principle

How we make films
is as important as

why we make films

Membership Levels

As a nonprofit, volunteer-run organization, the DPA is sustained by members' dues and contributions. DPA has three membership tiers, and which tier you are placed in will be determined by your application.

*No one will be turned away if they cannot pay.

Applicants are admitted at the $20 dues level and will have to re-apply to the organization every year.

Exploratory

Applicants are admitted at the $50 dues level and will have to re-apply to the organization every 2 years.

Emerging

Applicants are admitted at the $100 dues level and never will have to re-apply to the organization.

Established

What is the difference between tiers?

Established, Emerging and Exploratory producers have no differences in membership access and benefits once admitted to the DPA.

Established, Emerging, & Exploratory Definitions

Established Producer: A seasoned professional who has successfully guided non-fiction productions through all stages, including development, production, post-production, and distribution.

Emerging Producer: An active participant in the production process of various projects but has yet to reach the level of an established producer.

Exploratory Producer: A newcomer to the industry, eager to explore and learn about the responsibilities and roles of producers in documentary filmmaking.

why you should join the dpa

Member Benefits

As DPA members, documentary producers in the field benefit from the following opportunities:

Advancing our Field

To shape our published guidelines for hiring, crediting, fundraising and investment

To identify and work on future initiatives that are important to you in the field, or join a committee or task force to move the needle on issues important to you

To build solidarity on the issue of producer exclusion in film festival announcements and publications

To shape DPA leadership in regionally representative elections for the Board

Networking

To collaborate with fellow producers and industry stakeholders to make the documentary producing career more sustainable and equitable

To participate and help shape member-only regional networking events at film festivals that connect DPA members with industry peers local to their area

Access to and inclusion in our Membership database

Community support of and social engagement with fellow documentary producers across the US and worldwide via our private Slack channel, meetings, and affinity groups

News

Connection to the field and producing issues via membership news and participation in regular regional meetings and quarterly member-wide meetings

Exclusive Discounts

Access to DPA discounts and special programming with DOCNYC Pro, IDFA, Cannes Producers Network, etc.

Career Support

Specific project and career support in the form of our Office Hours program and the Ethics Working Group peer-to-peer sessions

What to expect as a member of the DPA?

As a volunteer organization, members are encouraged to join our subcommittees. Designed to address specific areas of interest, committees meet virtually on a schedule set within each committee.

Our members network with one another, encourage one another through community support and discuss critical issues facing the filmmaking industry. We encourage our subcommittee to create task forces that collaboratively develop potential resolutions to the challenges faced by documentary producers.

Leadership is often found among our most active members. DPA members can join existing committees or form new committees. The full DPA membership currently meets every other month.

Meet Our Members

Meet Our Members
search the member directory

Connect with 600+ industry leaders.

Nicole Lucas Haimes's profile photo is unanavailable

Nicole Lucas Haimes

Rebecca Stern

Rebecca Stern is an Emmy-nominated documentary producer and director living in Los Angeles, CA with over a decade of experience in the field delivering high-quality non-fiction films and series to myriad platforms, film festivals, and media outlets including HBO, Hulu, AMC, ESPN, Starz and PBS among others. Her work has covered topics from the world of sports, national debates, systemic issues, crimes and comedy. Deeply rooted in the documentary community, she is on the board of the Documentary Producers Alliance, a 2023 DOCNYC 40 Under 40 honoree, a 2018 Impact Partners Fellow, a PGA-accredited producer. Rebecca is particularly drawn to films that feature joy, awe, strong narrative structures, and a healthy dose of fun.

Annie Sundberg's profile photo is unanavailable

Annie Sundberg

Holly L. De Ruyter's profile photo is unanavailable

Holly L. De Ruyter

Emily Schuman's profile photo is unanavailable

Emily Schuman

Sydney Lowe's profile photo is unanavailable

Sydney Lowe

become an ally

Hey, non-producers, non-film orgs, networks, educators, and impact collaborators!

We encourage you to STAND with the DPA and become an ally!

Stay up to date with DPA initiatives

Work with the DPA to change the industry

Receive invitations to DPA events

More activities to be announced 

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