DPA MISSION
To set best practices while advocating for the welfare of producers toward a sustainable and equitable documentary industry.
.png)
DPA MEMBERSHIP
Established in 2016, the DPA is a diverse coalition of more than 300 international members, ranging from emerging to 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.
​
As a volunteer organization, members participate in committees that include: Labor and Economic Sustainability, Operations, Communications, Inclusion and Structural Equality, Waterfall, Crediting, Regional, Research and Data, Development Funding. More information about the committees and their work can be found on the DPA Committees webpage. Addressing specific issues, committees meet virtually on a schedule set within each committee. DPA members can join existing committees or form new committees. The full DPA membership currently meets virtually every other month.
Membership
Benefits
Join DPA committees and regional groups, working on impactful priority topics
​
Contribute to the DPA’s shaping of documentary industry best practices and guidelines
​
Become a member-teacher for DPA initiatives
Represent the DPA at festivals and other industry events
​
Participate in member-only town halls addressing pressing industry issues
​
Collaborate in knowledge/resource exchange on a member-only Slack channel
​
Engage with an international community of documentary producers
​
Promote current completed films via the DPA Member Catalog
​
Partake in DPA Mentorship program (in the works)
​
Access DPA Speaking Series (in the works)
Membership
Requirements
Producers who have produced or co-produced a minimum of two feature-length documentary or broadcast documentary series, with a primary credit of producer, and are actively engaged in documentary production.
Emerging producers who are actively engaged in documentary production and aspire to a documentary producer career but do not meet the above criteria. A short description is required regarding why you would like to join the DPA, what projects you are currently working on, and what issues you would like to engage in once you are a member.
All applications must include IMDb link and/or website.
​
As a group invested in the future of the documentary industry and in reimagining a more equitable and inclusive field, we respect there are many individual and systemic barriers to achieving these credits and strongly encourage those who are actively working toward becoming documentary producers or who self-identify as documentary producers to apply.
DPA applications are reviewed on/about the 15th of every month, with new member on-boarding notices going out around the 22nd of each month. Applications can be submitted at any time, however, to be considered for that month’s membership review, applications must be submitted by 11:59pm PT on the 14th of that month.