Before embarking on any documentary project, every filmmaker must ask themselves three questions: why me, why this, why now. Understanding your connection to a story, why you’re the one to tell it, and whether it needs to be told right now are cornerstones to creating compelling documentary films that stand out in today’s saturated entertainment landscape.
THREE QUESTIONS OF DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKING is a three-day immersive workshop for filmmakers, directors, producers, journalists and storytellers who want to create emotionally resonant and impactful documentaries.
Drawing upon her years of experience as a journalist, Emmy Award-winning filmmaker, and educator at Yale, Fairfield University and Wesleyan, Luchina Fisher will break down these three questions and guide you through an ethical, values-based and collaborative approach to crafting documentaries that matter, like her Emmy Award-winning short documentary The Dads (Netflix).
Come prepared to share an idea or project that you are working on, learn more about your unique voice and values as a storyteller, and leave with practical next steps for moving your projects forward.
Price: $30 for Members* / $60 for Non-Members
Price includes admission for all 3 sessions.
Each session will be recorded and sent out to all registrants.
*Executive, Platinum, and Leadership Circle members attend for free. Contact membership@nywift.org to join or upgrade your membership.
SESSION ONE: WHY ME
Date: Tuesday, November 10, 2026
Time: 6:30-8:00pm ET
We start by tackling “why me” and how to determine if this is your story to tell. We dig deeper into the motivations that drive you as a storyteller. Participants will end the night with a mission statement to guide their work and filmmaking practice.
SESSION TWO: WHY THIS
Date: Tuesday, November 17, 2026
Time: 6:30-8:00pm ET
Participants will share projects and ideas they are working on while exploring how they connect to their filmmaking practice and new mission statement. We discuss approaches to the story, themes, possible bias and motivations, and accountability practices.
SESSION THREE: WHY NOW
Date: Tuesday, November 24, 2026
Time: 6:30-8:00pm ET
This final session focuses on when a story needs to be told by determining the stakes and context surrounding the topic being explored. We explore how timing plays a role in impact.
About the Instructor:
Photo courtesy of Wesleyan University New Staff 2026
Luchina Fisher is an Emmy-Award winning filmmaker, educator and speaker. Her latest film, the feature documentary The Dads, about fathers of trans and gender expansive kids, is a follow-up to her Emmy Award-winning short documentary of the same name (Netflix). Both are executive produced by former NBA Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade. Her feature directorial debut, Mama Gloria, was nominated for a 2022 GLAAD Media Award and broadcast on PBS.
She is also the director of the award-winning short documentary Team Dream, executive produced by Queen Latifah, and co-director of the award-winning feature documentary Locked Out, about the barriers to Black homeownership. Her latest project, about the unsung history of Black queer presence in music was the winner of the 2026 and 2023 PitchBLACK Film Forum and has support from Firelight Media.
Fisher began her career as a journalist, writing for the Miami Herald, People, The Oprah Magazine and ABC News, and was inducted into the North Carolina Media and Journalism Hall of Fame inductee for her social justice filmmaking. Her other honors include a GLAAD Special Recognition Award, Roger Ebert’s Golden Thumb and the inaugural Sandi Klein Creative Woman in Film Award. Fisher sits on the board of New York Women in Film & Television and teaches film at Wesleyan University.
(All images courtesy of the participants)
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NYWIFT programs, screenings and events are supported, in part, by grants from New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, and New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature.
