Nate von Zumwalt

Among the niche genres of filmmaking, documentary shorts’ unheralded treasure trove of filmmaking is as well stocked as any. It’s also fertile terrain for this year’s edition of Shorts Lab L.A., which offers filmmakers the opportunity to participate in an intensive one-day seminar of screenings and discussions with firsthand insight and access into the world of short-form documentary story development, production, and exhibition.

We’ve solicited the expertise of a seasoned roster of documentary filmmakers to speak on-stage about the art of storytelling and how to use style in a non-fiction format. Lucy Walker (The Crash Reel, Waste Land), Lauren Greenfield (The Queen of Versailles, THIN), Kirby Dick (The Invisible War, This Film Is Not Yet Rated), Rodney Ascher (Room 237), Aj Schnack (We Always Lie To Strangers), and Sundance Institute’s director of the Documentary Film Program Tabitha Jackson will each be on hand for the day of moderated discussions, during which each panel will devote half its time to Q&A sessions with attendees.

If you’ve somehow managed to miss the acclaimed work above, crafted by a veritable who’s who of the contemporary documentary film world, check out their work in the doc short realm below, and join us for Shorts Lab L.A. Saturday, September 13 at Cinefamily. Learn more and purchase tickets here.

kids + money
directed by Lauren Greenfield

The S from Hell
directed by Rodney Ascher

David Hockney In The Now
directed by Lucy Walker

Watch the film for free on Lucy Walker’s website. Also, check out Walker’s most recent Oscar-nominated documentary short The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom, available for rent on iTunes.