On February 5, DGA members assembled online for the 2025 edition of the Meet the Nominees: Documentary event. Following an introduction from Documentary Committee Co-Chair Alex Stapleton and nominee clips screening, the Directors engaged in an insightful dialogue around their projects moderated by Director Lisa Cortés.
The nominated Directors — Brendan Bellomo & Slava Leontyev (Porcelain War), Julian Brave NoiseCat & Emily Kassie (Sugarcane), Johan Grimonprez (Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat), Ibrahim Nash’at (Hollywoodgate) and Natalie Rae & Angela Patton (Daughters) — shared how they planned their subject interviews and the process of gaining access to complex filming locations. They explained how their Directorial visions adaptively took shape throughout production through growing relationships with subjects and the intricacies of highlighting pressing issues while crafting sensitive storytelling and still upholding ethical obligations to real-life subjects. They also talked about navigating consent, portrayal consultations, post-release communication, and the collaborative yet creative relationships with participants.
About the Panelists:
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 Brendan Bellomo & Slava Leontyev
Porcelain War
In addition to Porcelain War, Bellomo’s other credits include the feature films Beasts of the Southern Wild (served as VFX Supervisor)and Chupa (served as EP). Porcelain War is his directorial debut.
Leontyev is a former solider in the Ukrainian Special Forces and a sculpture artist. Porcelain War is his directorial debut.
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 Julian Brave NoiseCat & Emily Kassie
Sugarcane
In addition to Sugarcane, Brave NoiseCat is an author concurrently finishing his first book, We Survived the Night. He is a member of the Canim Lake Band Tsq'escen and descendant of the Lil'Wat Nation of Mount Currie. Sugarcane is his directorial debut.
Kassie's other directorial credits include shorts Detained, Anatomy of Hate, Undocumented in the Pandemic, Banished, and I Married My Family's Killer.
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 Johan Grimonprez
Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat
In addition to Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat, Grimonprez' other directorial credits include Dial H-I-S-T-O-R-Y, Double Take, and Shadow World. |
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 Imbrahim Nash'at
Hollywoodgate
In addition to Hollywoodgate, Nash'at other credits include Under the Sky of Damascus (served as editor), and A Moment with the Wind (served as Producer). Hollywoodgate is his first feature documentary
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 Natalie Rae & Angela Patton
Daughters
In addition to Daughters, Rae'a directorial credits include music videos for Leon Bridges, H.E.R., Anderson Paak, commercials, and now her first feature documentary, Daughters. Rae joined the DGA in 2017.
Patton is a CEO of Girls For A Change, committed to advancing opportunities for Black girls. Daughters is her directorial debut. Patton joined the DGA in 2022.
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 Lisa Cortés (moderator)
Cortés’s directorial credits include the documentary features, Little Richard: I Am Everything, The Space Race, All In: The Fight for Democracy, The Remix: Hip Hop X Fashion and the upcoming The Empire of Ebony. She has been a DGA member since 2019. |