DATE: 12/6/25 & 12/7/25
LOCATION: Plaza Theatre & The Supermarket
PRICE: STANDARD REGISTRATION: $100 NON MEMBERS – Now until December 6th (Day of first event) | DAY OF REGISTRATION: $125
Save $25 if you register by Monday, November 17, 11:59 PM EST with discount code: accountability25atlfs
College Students receive pay-what-you-can entry with proof of enrollment. Apply for a student ticket here.
ATLFS Member discounts applied at checkout

Do you wonder about what responsibility documentary filmmakers have to their participants throughout the filmmaking process and beyond? Should filmmakers compensate participants? When we use AI to create images, what could go wrong?

This interactive workshop invites filmmakers to grapple with the real-world ethical challenges of documentary filmmaking. Together, we will:

• Explore the nuances of ethical responsibility to film crews and participants (past and present) through disseminating multiple ethical frameworks

• Discuss and analyze dilemmas from contemporary documentary filmmakers

• Workshop participants’ own projects in facilitated small groups

While documentary ethics rarely offer simple answers, engaging with case studies and peer discussions can offer guidance as you wrestle with dilemmas from your own projects. This event is designed for filmmakers at all stages of their careers and offers concrete tools, resources, and community support to strengthen your filmmaking practice.

• Schedule

  Saturday 12/6

  10:00 AM - 2:30 PM at Plaza Theatre

  2:45 PM - 4:45 PM at The Supermarket

  5:00 PM - 6:00 PM Happy Hour at Sweet Auburn

  Sunday 12/7

  10:00 AM - 12:45 PM at Plaza Theatre

  1:45 PM - 4:00 PM at The Supermarket

• Venues

  Plaza Theatre - 1049 Ponce De Leon Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30306

  The Supermarket - 638 N Highland Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30306

  Sweet Auburn - 656 N Highland Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30306

WHAT TO EXPECT

• Explore ethical frameworks from The Documentary Accountability Working Group (DAWG) and Markkula Center of Applied Ethics. 

• Interrogate generative AI with the Archival Producers Alliance, who will conduct an interactive discussion and presentation.  

• Hear from and discuss real-life examples of ethical challenges from invited documentary filmmakers.

• Workshop and brainstorm conference participants’ projects in small, facilitated groups. 

• We ask guests to bring a compassionate and open mind as we explore these sensitive and complex case studies.