Doc Camp - Spring 2026
April 10-12 Portland, OR
25 filmmakers are invited to join us for screenings, discussions, community building, and the following incredible programming:
A Screening & Case Study with AWARD-winning filmmaker Brydie O’Connor
On Friday, April 10th, you’ll attend a screening of BARBARA FOREVER, presented in partnership with the Portland Panorama Film Festival. Following the film, there will be a
Q & A with the Brydie.
On Saturday, April 11th, you’ll engage in a Doc Camp only, in-depth case study with Brydie.
Brydie O’Connor’s work activates archives through queering storytelling structures within the nonfiction space. Brydie’s work has been supported by Creative Capital, Hot Docs, New York Foundation for the Arts, Frameline, and the Stonewall Foundation, and has been presented at The Museum of Modern Art, BFI, & DOC NYC, among other festivals and galleries worldwide. Her debut feature documentary, BARBARA FOREVER, premiered in the U.S. Documentary Competition at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival and internationally at the 2026 Berlinale, where she was awarded the prestigious Teddy Award for Best Documentary.
Brydie was selected as the recipient of the Creative Capital State of the Art Prize for New York (2026), the Hulu/Kartemquin Accelerator (2023), and she was an inaugural fellow in the UFO (Untitled Filmmaker Organization) Short Film Lab (2023-2024). She is a graduate of The George Washington University, and has developed her work at the Provincetown Film Society LGBTQ+ Filmmakers Residency (2024) and the On:View Residency (2024) in Savannah, GA.
As an Archival Producer, Brydie’s credits include LIFE AFTER (Sundance, 2025), WE ARE PAT (Tribeca, 2025) I'M YOUR VENUS (Tribeca, 2024), LONG TIME SUN (SXSW, 2024), BREAKING FORM (Dance on Camera Lincoln Center, 2024), and forthcoming documentary features in post-production for both HBO and Hulu, in addition to THE SOUND OF THE STONEWALL UPRISING (2024) for the debut installation of the Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center in NYC.
A Case Study with acclaimed filmmaker
Beth Harrington
On Sunday, April 12th, you’ll participate in an in-depth case study with Beth, exploring her career, films and life lessons.
Beth Harrington is an independent producer, director and writer, whose fervor for American history, music and culture has led to a series of award-winning and critically acclaimed films.
Whether exploring the aftermath of the eruption of Mount Pinatubo, chronicling the history of the Aleutian Islands or drinking up the world of craft beer brewing, Beth seamlessly straddles the line between objective journalistic integrity and a passion for every subject. As a result, her films are both thought provoking and heartfelt.
Beth’s most recent works, The Winding Stream – The Carters, The Cashes and The Course of Country Music and the Grammy-nominated Welcome to the Club – The Women of Rockabilly, reflect her long-standing love of music. A rock and roll singer and guitarist, she is most noted for her years as a member of Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers on the Warner Bros. Sire Records label.
A Documentary Essentials Workshop with
Courtney Hermann
On Saturday, April 11th, you’ll have the opportunity to learn directly from Courtney as she shares highlights and essential ideas from her upcoming edition of Directing the Documentary.
Courtney Hermann is an Assistant Professor of Film at Portland State University, an independent documentary filmmaker, and a non-fiction media producer. Courtney’s work is distributed by PBS and its affiliates, through educational film catalogues, at film festivals, and through impact distribution to community partners. Courtney earned an MFA degree in Film and Video Production from Columbia College Chicago. She is a co-author of 7th Edition of the textbook Directing the Documentary.
Work-in-progress screenings moderated by
Enie Vaisburd
We have 10 work-in-progress slots available to attendees to receive feedback.
Submit yours with your registration form ASAP.
Throughout the weekend, 10 filmmakers will have the opportunity to share a work-in-progress for feedback from the group. Those not selected to share during Doc Camp will be able to do so online with attendees following the event.
Industry Lunch Sponsored by
Marc Mohan of Nine Muses Law
On Sunday, April 12th, we’re offering something new, an Industry Lunch with a number of fabulous local professionals from the film industry, including Intellectual Property expert Marc Mohan.
Nine Muses Law is an artist-friendly law firm that was founded by Marc Mohan in 2024. Marc, a Portlander for 35 years, came to a legal career after decades as an arts journalist and critic, providing a unique appreciation of the intersection between creativity and intellectual property law. Marc is a 2020 graduate of Lewis & Clark Law School with a specialization in IP law, and has worked with 40-year veteran arts lawyer Kohel Haver to help a wide array of filmmakers, authors, artists, people in the recording industry, and others in the Portland area and beyond. Together they have a particular interest in copyright issues, free speech and "fair use" in documentary filmmaking.
