In the Field: Your Guide to AmDoc Events & Appearances, December 2025

This December, AmDoc staff continues to represent our organization at film festivals and events close to home and around the country. As we close out the year, we are excited to have our series and AmDoc be acknowledged by industries at awards ceremonies and participate in screenings and onstage conversations. We’ll have staff on the ground in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles in our continued mission to support and champion nonfiction filmmakers and visionary storytellers. With our 39th season already in the works, we can’t wait to take our show on the road!

IDA Documentary Awards
December 4 - 6 | Los Angeles, CA

Chris White attended the 41st annual IDA Documentary Awards which recognizes the best nonfiction films and programs of the year. POV Season 38 and POV Shorts Season 8 were both recognized in the “Best Curated Series” category. Announcements were made during IDA’s ceremony on December 4-6, 2025 at the Los Angeles’ Orpheum Theater.

Chris White (Vice President, Programming & Production, Executive Producer, POV, POV Shorts, America ReFramed)

Hamptons Doc Fest
December 4 - 6 | Sag Harbor, NY

Erika Dilday, Cecilia R. Mejia and Marlea Willis road tripped to Long Island to attend the 18th annual Hamptons Doc Fest (HDF) to receive the HDF Impact Award taking place in the historic villages of Sag Harbor and Southampton, New York. Each year HDF organizes an adventurous and dynamic festival honoring the diverse world of documentary films and introduces the best of the nonfiction genre to its audiences. The Award recognizes AmDoc’s decades-long commitment to championing independent documentary filmmakers and leveraging the power of nonfiction storytelling that reflects the diversity, complexity, and urgency of our world. Erika accepted the honor on behalf of AmDoc at the Impact Award Ceremony which took place Friday, December 5, 2025 at 7:30pm ET. Following the celebration, there was a presentation of our season finale, Between Goodbyes, with opening remarks from renowned filmmaker Susan Lacy, and followed by a conversation between Erika and first-time director, Jota Mun.

Erika Dilday (Executive Director, American Documentary & Executive Producer, POV, POOV Shorts, America ReFramed), Cecilia R. Mejia (VP, External Affairs) and Marlea Willis (Publicity Strategist, Consultant)

Porcelain War Screening & Q+A
December 8 | Chicago, IL

Anna Graizbord, a recent ChiTown transplant, continues to get dialed into her new city’s vibrant film scene to strengthen partnerships with peer organizations and theaters around the Windy City. Working with the Chopin Theatre, she’s hosting a screening of the Oscar-nominated film Porcelain War (Season 38), followed by a Q&A panel moderated by AmDoc Board member & former Chicago Tribune journalist Jane Hirt, featuring Porcelain War filmmakers Olivia Ahneman (producer), Brendan Bellomo (director), and Faculty/Staff Advisor, Ukrainian-American Cultural Association at DePaul University, Olya Glantsman. The event is co-presented with Chicago Grand Gallery, Polsky Foundation, Kartemquin Films, Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art (UIMA), and Razom for Ukraine

Anna Graizbord (Director of Marketing and Communications)

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