Montserrat Collaborates with Salem Film Festival for 2 Day Documentary Class

Discovering Documentary: Tools for Educators, Filmmakers & Astute Viewers

Summary
Do you wish for a deeper understanding of documentary film? Or for a community of people who share your cinematic interests? Are you an educator looking for new ways to inform and inspire your students? This course spends one day in the classroom with an introduction to the documentary genre, from origins to the latest trends, and a practical overview of how to use documentary film in educational or community settings. Day two is spent at the Salem Film Fest, an all-documentary film festival in downtown Salem, MA, where participants will see and discuss in-depth at least two films. This course is appropriate for educators, film enthusiasts, and those looking for an enhanced film festival-going experience. No prerequisites required!

Class Structure

DAY ONE – Sat., March 1, 2014
Location: Montserrat College of Art
9 am – 4 pm with lunch break

Part 1: What is documentary? When, why, and how did it evolve? What are the elements of the form? What is the status of documentary film around the world and within New England? Who is making documentaries and where are they seen? Current trends and sub-genres will be discussed with short films and clips as examples.

Part 2: Finding and using documentaries in your community: What are the points of discovery for documentary film? Local theaters, festivals, media sources, and libraries will be discussed. Which distributors specialize in educational documentaries? How can you find documentaries on specific topics? What do you need to know about screening rights to show a film in your classroom or neighborhood?

DAY TWO – Sat., March 8, 2014
Location: Salem Film Fest, Salem, MA (venues TBA)
9 am – 4 pm with lunch break
*Participants are asked to reserve this time on Saturday March 8th; exact meeting time and venue will be announced at the first class.

Part 3: Salem Film Fest screenings and discussion.

Part 4: How can group discussion or use of teacher guides augment the viewing experience? In what ways could you apply what you’ve learned to host a screening or seek out new documentary experiences?

Instructor Bio

Erin Trahan’s background in film includes producing, programming, and multi-platform film journalism. As a journalist, she has contributed to WBUR, The Boston Globe, New Hampshire Public Radio, NewEnglandFilm.com and elsewhere. She currently edits and publishes The Independent, an online magazine about film, and its related books on filmmaking. She has moderated several seasons of the all-documentary series, The DocYard, as well as panels and discussions for the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and Boston Public Library, as well as Salem Film Fest, New Hampshire Film Festival, and The Newburyport Documentary Film Festival, where she has also served on juries. She helped produce the documentary, Love and Other Anxieties, and is working on a new project still under wraps. A past president of Women in Film & Video/New England, she now serves on the board of the Alliance of Women Film Journalists. She recently finished her fourth Frommer's Guide to Montreal and Quebec City.

Professional Development Points
Montserrat is an approved provider of PDP’s for Educators. This course is eligible for 15 PDP’s. After registering, please contact us atce@montserrat.edu or 978.921.4242 x 1202 to signup for PDP awards.

How to Register
Interested Students may register by completing the online form available here.