How Can Short Docs Make a Big Difference?
About this Event
Moderated by Cristina Ibarra, Filmmaker and Co-Founder, Borderlands Cinematic Arts, a project of The Sidney Poitier New American Film School at ASU
Documentary film can bear witness, challenge assumptions, and give voice to communities too often unheard. Where Hollywood and fictional films often rely on stereotypes and reductive plotlines, documentaries can close the representation gap. When the right teams make, distribute, and platform documentary films, they not only capture the world, but can change it.
By centering complex realities, can docs shift hearts and minds? Where do the inspiration and funding for “for-us-by-us” stories come from? And how do documentaries and the teams responsible for distributing them move people from witnessing to taking action?
Filmmakers, producers, and storytellers using short documentaries to spark conversation come together to discuss the power of the screen, collaborative storytelling—and what it takes to make films that make a difference.
This program will feature a screening of Phoenix, a short film about incarcerated women who fought the 2025 L.A. wildfires, and new short social impact documentaries by filmmakers in the Girls’ Voices Now program.
Zócalo Public Square values audience safety. During events at ASU California Center, as bag searches are not permitted, only clear bags (maximum size 12” x 6” x 12”) and small clutches (maximum size 8 ½” x 5 ½”) are allowed in the venue. Zócalo may be able to provide a limited number of clear bags to help accommodate guests. Questions? Ask us at [email protected].
The ASU California Center is inclusive and accessible for all. A platform wheelchair lift is available at our main entrance via Broadway (ground level). Upon checking in for the event, please inform Zócalo staff if you need assistance, or contact [email protected] for additional information.
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
USD 0.00
