By the time Dominic Asmall Willsdon’s embattled predecessor Rick Peréz finally left the International Documentary Association (IDA) in 2022, the non-profit organization had shed more than 75 percent of its staff, formulated an employee union, and had taken a big hit in its ability to serve the documentary filmmaker community, all as a result of a fractious tenure and broken culture. Its annual awards show was held remotely this year, and much of the seasoned documentary talent that had been with the group for years walked out the door.
But more than a year since Peréz’s departure, the IDA is in the midst of bouncing back.
In the last year under interim director Ken Ikeda (who served in the role between January 2023 and early January 2024), the IDA has managed to stabilize itself, giving out over $600,000 in grant money, re-vamping Documentary Magazine, and growing membership by 25 percent since 2020.
For Willsdon, who...
But more than a year since Peréz’s departure, the IDA is in the midst of bouncing back.
In the last year under interim director Ken Ikeda (who served in the role between January 2023 and early January 2024), the IDA has managed to stabilize itself, giving out over $600,000 in grant money, re-vamping Documentary Magazine, and growing membership by 25 percent since 2020.
For Willsdon, who...
- 2/21/2024
- by Brian Welk
- Indiewire
Updated from original 7/22 story with quotes from IDA Interim Executive Director Ken Ikeda and IDA Board Co-Presidents Chris Perez and Grace Lee.
Progress on one labor front in the media industry.
Documentary Workers United announced its membership has voted unanimously to ratify its first ever contract with the International Documentary Association, capping months of negotiations.
“Our contract, our union, and our victorious ratification is a labor of love and care that would not have been possible without the continuous work of IDA workers, past and present,” Dwu said in a statement. “We are workers who defied the odds and who, despite continued challenges, have stayed committed to our union’s mission of equity and justice.”
Terms of the two-year contract call for:
An average of a 20-30% wage increase, with a baseline minimum of $30/hr A guaranteed annual rate increase Differential pay for additional labor A comprehensive reproductive health policy
Dwu,...
Progress on one labor front in the media industry.
Documentary Workers United announced its membership has voted unanimously to ratify its first ever contract with the International Documentary Association, capping months of negotiations.
“Our contract, our union, and our victorious ratification is a labor of love and care that would not have been possible without the continuous work of IDA workers, past and present,” Dwu said in a statement. “We are workers who defied the odds and who, despite continued challenges, have stayed committed to our union’s mission of equity and justice.”
Terms of the two-year contract call for:
An average of a 20-30% wage increase, with a baseline minimum of $30/hr A guaranteed annual rate increase Differential pay for additional labor A comprehensive reproductive health policy
Dwu,...
- 7/22/2023
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
The Writers Guild strike goes on, but there’s peace on one labor front in the entertainment industry.
The Communication Workers of America Local 9003 and the International Documentary Association announced in a joint statement today that they have reached a tentative collective bargaining agreement covering Documentary Workers United, a group of non-management employees at the IDA.
According to the parties involved, “We are aiming to ratify our 2-year contract in the next 45 days.” The Cwa, IDA and Dwu added, “This is an important moment for the documentary field. We hope that others follow suit in recognizing, investing in, and supporting documentary workers.”
Terms of the proposed labor agreement call for:
An average of a 20-30% wage increase, with a baseline minimum of $30/hr A guaranteed annual rate increase Differential pay for additional labor A comprehensive reproductive health policy
Negotiations on the contract began in October 2022.
“We feel this is a great first contract,...
The Communication Workers of America Local 9003 and the International Documentary Association announced in a joint statement today that they have reached a tentative collective bargaining agreement covering Documentary Workers United, a group of non-management employees at the IDA.
According to the parties involved, “We are aiming to ratify our 2-year contract in the next 45 days.” The Cwa, IDA and Dwu added, “This is an important moment for the documentary field. We hope that others follow suit in recognizing, investing in, and supporting documentary workers.”
Terms of the proposed labor agreement call for:
An average of a 20-30% wage increase, with a baseline minimum of $30/hr A guaranteed annual rate increase Differential pay for additional labor A comprehensive reproductive health policy
Negotiations on the contract began in October 2022.
“We feel this is a great first contract,...
- 6/2/2023
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Tom White is stepping down as editor of Documentary magazine, after more than 22 years at the helm of the IDA publication.
It’s the latest staff departure at the International Documentary Association and follows the surprise resignation announcement made earlier this month by IDA executive director Rick Pérez, whose decision takes effect on Friday.
White’s resignation becomes effective January 4, 2023. In a message posted on Facebook (see full text below), he wrote, “My mental health–namely, my depression–instigated by the exodus of 18 of my colleagues since the beginning of this year, and the toxic context that spurred that exodus, has worsened over the past several months, and it would be best for me, and for the organization, to bow out at this point.”
The exodus White referenced has seen the IDA lose all of its senior staff and most of its lower-level staffers beginning almost a year ago when...
It’s the latest staff departure at the International Documentary Association and follows the surprise resignation announcement made earlier this month by IDA executive director Rick Pérez, whose decision takes effect on Friday.
White’s resignation becomes effective January 4, 2023. In a message posted on Facebook (see full text below), he wrote, “My mental health–namely, my depression–instigated by the exodus of 18 of my colleagues since the beginning of this year, and the toxic context that spurred that exodus, has worsened over the past several months, and it would be best for me, and for the organization, to bow out at this point.”
The exodus White referenced has seen the IDA lose all of its senior staff and most of its lower-level staffers beginning almost a year ago when...
- 12/21/2022
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Updated from original 9:17 p.m. story with more quotes from winners: Shaunak Sen’s All That Breathes won the top prize at the 38th IDA Documentary Awards in Hollywood tonight, cementing its status as an Oscar frontrunner.
The documentary, about two brothers in Delhi, India who tend to injured and ailing birds of prey, earned Best Feature, and Sen was named Best Director. All That Breathes also collected the award for Best Editing, recognizing the work of Charlotte Munch Bengtsen and Vedant Joshi.
“The film itself really feels like a tiny miracle,” Sen noted as he accepted the Best Feature award, “because Aman [producer Aman Mann] and I, we couldn’t believe we got financing, we couldn’t believe that we found producers, festivals, distributors, so it really feels a bit unbelievable.”
All That Breathes, from Sideshow, Submarine Deluxe and HBO Documentary Films, also won the previously-announced Pare Lorentz Award.
The documentary, about two brothers in Delhi, India who tend to injured and ailing birds of prey, earned Best Feature, and Sen was named Best Director. All That Breathes also collected the award for Best Editing, recognizing the work of Charlotte Munch Bengtsen and Vedant Joshi.
“The film itself really feels like a tiny miracle,” Sen noted as he accepted the Best Feature award, “because Aman [producer Aman Mann] and I, we couldn’t believe we got financing, we couldn’t believe that we found producers, festivals, distributors, so it really feels a bit unbelievable.”
All That Breathes, from Sideshow, Submarine Deluxe and HBO Documentary Films, also won the previously-announced Pare Lorentz Award.
- 12/11/2022
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
International Documentary Association executive director Rick Pérez has decided to step down from the role after about one a half years, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.
The leader of the nonfiction-focused nonprofit, its first executive director of color, told staff at a meeting late on Monday that he was planning to resign from the post, with his last day Dec. 23. Ken Ikeda will serve as the interim executive director once Pérez has left, an IDA spokesperson said.
“Rick thanked the staff for their work and acknowledged the difficulties as well as successes during the past year and half as executive director, but that the challenges of leading a changing organization, during and post-pandemic, have weighed on him,” the spokesperson added. “Ultimately, he decided his work was done and that he wanted to return to filmmaking, and working with directors, producers, and others as well as creating film projects,...
International Documentary Association executive director Rick Pérez has decided to step down from the role after about one a half years, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.
The leader of the nonfiction-focused nonprofit, its first executive director of color, told staff at a meeting late on Monday that he was planning to resign from the post, with his last day Dec. 23. Ken Ikeda will serve as the interim executive director once Pérez has left, an IDA spokesperson said.
“Rick thanked the staff for their work and acknowledged the difficulties as well as successes during the past year and half as executive director, but that the challenges of leading a changing organization, during and post-pandemic, have weighed on him,” the spokesperson added. “Ultimately, he decided his work was done and that he wanted to return to filmmaking, and working with directors, producers, and others as well as creating film projects,...
- 12/6/2022
- by Katie Kilkenny
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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