This online summit brings together seven powerful filmmaking voices to show how short docs can spark momentum, build audience, and put the power back in your hands. A rallying cry and tactical training for filmmakers tired of waiting.
THE SHORTS SUMMIT
WATCH ON-DEMAND
GET INSTANT ALL ACCESS - $47
WATCH 2 SESSIONS - FREE
8 SESSIONS ON THE POWER OF SHORT DOCS
8 SESSIONS ON THE POWER OF SHORT DOCS
"Like Creative Jet Fuel."
"Like Creative Jet Fuel."
"Breathingtakingly Illuminating."
"Breathingtakingly Illuminating."
MEET THE SPEAKERS
Rose Bush is an Oscar-winning DP known for visually rich, emotionally grounded films that spans docs and fiction—including recent SXSW award-winning music video.
Elizabeth
Lo
Rose
Bush
Elizabeth Lo makes gorgeous, genre-defying docs that see the world in unexpected ways. Her films have premiered at Tribeca, Venice, and beyond—but shorts were her launch pad.
DIRECTOR & CINEMATOGRAPHER
DIRECTOR & CINEMATOGRAPHER
Kathleen Lingo is an Emmy-winning producer and former editorial director of film at The New York Times, where she helped define short-form docs. She now produces independently.
Opal
Bennett
Kathleen
Lingo
Opal H. Bennett is an Emmy-winning curator and producer who champions bold, distinctive short docs. At POV, she’s helped shape some of the most acclaimed shorts in recent years.
KATHLEEN'S SUBSTACK
FORMER EP OF NYTIMES OP-DOCS, DOCUMENTARY PRODUCER
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, POV SHORTS
& FESTIVAL PROGRAMMER
Drea Cooper's genre-defining series California is a Place helped shape the rise of cinematic short docs. His work spans Sundance to the Super Bowl, with global campaigns for Google, Apple, and more.
Sara Newens
Drea
Cooper
Sara Newens is a director, producer, and Emmy-winning editor whose acclaimed work has premiered at Sundance and IDFA, with credits for HBO, Hulu, Netflix, PBS, and The New York Times Op-Docs.
DIRECTOR, EDITOR, CINEMATOGRAPHER
DIRECTOR & EDITOR
Learn More About the speakers
MEET YOUR HOST
I’m Vanessa Carr, and I used short, strategic films to leap from self-doubt to a career I love.
For the past 14 years, I’ve shot top-tier documentaries for HBO, Hulu, Netflix, and Disney+ and built a career I’m truly proud of as a DP.
But it didn’t start with a big break. It started with a series of short, self-driven projects. That’s still how I grow — and how I believe more of us can keep moving forward.
I created Doc House and this Summit to help documentary filmmakers find real, sustainable paths in a field that’s only getting harder. We can’t control the industry, but we can take back creative power.
EVENT SCHEDULE
ALL SESSIONS NOW AVAILABLE ON-DEMAND
Two exceptional director-DPs share how they bring a level of production value that elevates their documentary work to the visual standard of narrative film — while staying grounded in real stories.
Hear from two top curators on what gets programmed, what gets passed — and how to make short docs that actually stand out.
In this closing masterclass, Vanessa Carr offers a rousing call to stop hiding behind perfection, scarcity, or fear — and start building a creative practice through smart constraints and momentum you can sustain — no greenlight required.
VANESSA CARR
ROSE BUSH
ELIZABETH LO
STOP WAITING,
START MAKING
OPAL BENNETT
KATHLEEN LINGO
Vanessa Carr (DP/Director) kicks off the summit with a focused, energizing session on why short docs matter now — and how the right strategy can turn them into powerful tools for creative growth and career momentum.
DAY 1: MONDAY, June 23
DAY 5: FRIDAY,
June 27
DAY 4: THURSDAY, June 26
DAY 3: WEDNESDAY, June 25
LIVE KEYNOTE With Q&A
DAY 2: TUESDAY, JunE 24
CINEMATOGRAPHY & DIRECTING
EDITING & DIRECTING
DISTRIBUTION & STRATEGY
LIVE MASTERCLASS W/ Q&A
Go inside the edit with two acclaimed editor/directors as they break down how structure, pacing, and creative decision-making shaped some of their most powerful short-form work.
DREA COOPER
SARA NEWENS
GET ALL ACCESS PASS - $47
PREVIEW 2 SESSIONS - FREE
ALL ACCESS
WATCH INSTANTLY
You'll get instant access to watch all 8 sessions on-demand, plus a private audio feed (to listen on-the go on your favorite podcast player), and starter toolkit. More details below.
PASS
GRAB FOR $47
GET THE ALL ACCESS PASS FOR $47
Lifetime Access to RECORDINGS
Listen to every session on the go. Perfect for walks & commutes.
Private Audio Feed
And why it's not a hard as you think.
Curated Short Film Watchlist
Includes creative prompts for one-day shoot concepts to get you making fast — plus a guided creative self-audit to help you find your inner compass and choose what to make next.
Start Making Toolkit
Want lifetime access, creative tools, and real next steps?
Free access ends July 1.
GET THE ALL-ACCESS for $47
PREVIEW TWO SESSIONS - FREE
MORE ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Her debut feature, Stray, won Best International Feature at Hot Docs and received nominations from the Independent Spirit Awards, Critics Choice Documentary Awards and Cinema Eye Honors after premiering at Tribeca in 2020. A New York Times "Critic's Pick," Stray was released theatrically by Magnolia Pictures and was streaming on Hulu.
Her sophomore feature, Mistress Dispeller, had its world premiere at the 81st Venice International Film Festival where it won two awards, followed by a North American premiere at TIFF in 2024. It has since won over twenty awards including the Golden Frog for Best Cinematography at CamerImage in Poland.
Her award-winning short films - including Hotel 22, Bisonhead, and Mother's Day - have been acquired by colleges and libraries worldwide. Elizabeth holds a BFA from NYU Tisch School of the Arts and an MFA from Stanford University. She was born and raised in Hong Kong.
ELIZABETH LO
RECENT CREDITS - FEATURES
SHORTS TO WATCH ONLINE
- Mistress Dispeller (2024) - Venice, TIFF
- Stray (2020) - Magnolia, Hot Docs
As director of photography, Rose shot the Academy Award–winning short documentary Colette, which earned the Oscar for Best Documentary Short Subject at the 93rd Academy Awards. She also lensed The Disappearance of Shere Hite, a visually ambitious documentary that premiered at Sundance and was praised for its cinematic approach to nonfiction storytelling.
As a director, her short film Vultures of Tibet — an unflinching look at the commercialization of a sacred Tibetan ritual — was nominated for an IDA Award and a Student Academy Award, and screened at AFI Docs, Edinburgh, and Palm Springs.
Vimeo
Rose’s work has screened globally, with credits across National Geographic, Netflix, Hulu, and the New York Times. Whether behind the camera or leading a project, she brings a striking visual clarity and layered observation to every story she tells.
ROSE BUSH
RECENT DP CREDITS - FEATURES
SHORTS TO WATCH ONLINE
- I'm Your Venus (2025)
- The Lady Bird Diaries
- The Disappearance of Shere Hite
- Other Girls (music video) - SXSW Jury Prize
- Colette - Oscar-winning short documentary
- Vultures of Tibet - National Geographic
- The Railroaders - National Geographic
With a career rooted in film curation since 2014, Bennett has held influential roles as Shorts Programmer and Director of Artist Development at DOC NYC and Senior Programmer at the Athena Film Festival. Her expertise has also been sought by esteemed festivals such as Aspen ShortsFest, Nantucket Film Festival, and Tribeca Film Festival. Beyond programming, she has contributed to the industry as a juror for festivals including SXSW, Hot Docs, and IndieMemphis, and has participated in selection committees for Cinema Eye Honors and the International Documentary Association.
Bennett's academic background includes a B.A. from New York University, a Master's in Media Studies from the London School of Economics, and a J.D. from Columbia Law School. Her multifaceted experience and dedication have solidified her as a pivotal figure in championing short-form documentaries and supporting emerging voices in the documentary film landscape.
OPAL BENNETT
OFFICIAL ROLES
SHORTS TO WATCH ONLINE
- POV - Senior Producer
- POV - Executive Producer
- POV Shorts 2024 Season
- The Love Bugs (trailer) - Emmy Winner
Kathleen joined The New York Times Op-Docs in 2013, publishing 250 films that received three Oscar nominations, ten Emmy nominations, three Emmy wins, two Peabody Awards, and two IDA Awards for Best Short Form Series.
Starting in 2018 at NYT, Kathleen played a pivotal role in translating journalism into compelling nonfiction storytelling for film and television. She produced five notable features, including Spermworld (FX, 2024) directed by Lance Oppenheim, and Sorry/Not Sorry (TIFF premiere/Greenwich Entertainment), directed by Caroline Suh, examining the Louis C.K. story. Time (Amazon Studios), directed by Garrett Bradley, premiered at Sundance and was nominated for the 2021 Oscar for Best Documentary Feature. Oppenheim’s Some Kind of Heaven (Magnolia Pictures) also premiered at Sundance. Father Soldier Son (Netflix), a decade-long chronicle of a military family, won the Emmy for Best Documentary Editing in 2021 and premiered at Tribeca.
She also executive-produced two high-profile series rooted in NYT journalism: the Emmy-nominated The Murdochs: Empire of Influence (CNN), and The 1619 Project (Hulu), which won the Emmy for Best Nonfiction Series in 2024 and was executive produced by Oprah Winfrey, Nikole Hannah-Jones, and Roger Ross Williams.
Kathleen is now focused on independent producing, exploring how to keep making bold, necessary work — and what it means to build a sustainable life in the process.
KATHLEEN LINGO
OFFICIAL ROLES
SELECTED CREDITS
- Editorial Director, Film/TV - New York Times (2018-2024)
- Executive Producer - NY Times Op-Docs (2013-2018)
- Spermworld (Executive Producer)
- Sorry/Not Sorry (Producer)
- Some Kind of Heaven (Producer)
- Time (Executive Producer)
- Full list - IMDB
She gained significant recognition as an editor, earning a 2023 Primetime Emmy nomination for her work on Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields (Hulu), which premiered at Sundance and won a Cinema Eye Honors award for Best Broadcast Editing. She also won an Emmy for her work on the Olympics and was previously recognized for her editing on Allen v. Farrow (HBO), which received seven Emmy nominations along with nods from the Cinema Eye Honors and American Cinema Editors (ACE) Eddie Awards.
As a director, Sara recently collaborated with Mina T. Son on Racist Trees, a timely documentary exploring a racially charged dispute in Palm Springs, which was acquired by PBS’s Independent Lens. The pair’s debut feature, Top Spin, followed three teen athletes pursuing Olympic dreams and was released theatrically after premiering at DOC NYC. Sara also directed Footprint: Where the Towers Stood, a poetic short for The New York Times Op-Docs.
A graduate of Stanford’s MFA Documentary Film Program, she most recently edited Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore, which premiered at Sundance 2025, and co-edited The White House Effect, a forthcoming Netflix documentary examining a key historical moment in climate change policy.
SARA NEWENS
RECENT CREDITS - FEATURES & SERIES
SHORTS TO WATCH ONLINE
- Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore
- The White House Effect
- Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields
- Allen v Farrow
- Racist Trees
- Top Spin
- Footprint - NYT Op-Doc
- Gut Hack - NYT Op-Doc
The success of the California series landed him on Filmmaker Magazine’s "Top 25 New Filmmakers to Watch List." His debut feature documentary “T-REX” which tells the story of olympic gold medalist boxer Claressa Shields premiered at SXSW and went on to win audience and jury awards around the country, including San Francisco International and Hot Docs before premiering on Independent Lens and PBS.
Drea was co-creator, producer and director on the Netflix Original Documentary series, FLINT TOWN which opened to critical acclaim, earning nominations from Critics Choice Awards and IDA. The series takes an unflinching look at the city through the eyes of the police and community. He followed up that series with another Netflix Original, FIRE IN PARADISE which tells the story of the deadliest fire in California history, the Camp Fire. The film premiered at the Telluride film festival and was awarded both an Emmy and an Edward R. Murrow award and was shortlisted for an Academy Award.
He’s directed commercial campaigns for the likes of Apple, Chevrolet, Toyota, Cisco, Campari and others. His work for Asics, “The Eternal Run” was awarded the Grand Prix at the Cannes Lions.
DREA COOPER
RECENT CREDITS - FEATURES & SERIES
SHORTS TO WATCH ONLINE
- Omnivore (2024) - Apple+ Original Series
- Money Game (2024) - MSNBC Series
- Diamond Hands (2023) - MSNBC
- Flint Town (2019) - Netflix Original Series
- T-Rex (2016) - SXSW, PBS Independent Lens
- California is a Place - iconic short series
- Aquadettes
- Kish
- Fire in Paradise (Netflix)
- Origins (trailer)
GET INSTANT ACCESS
Free Preview Ticket
WATCH IN FULL: VANESSA CARR'S KICK OFF KEYNOTE ON WHY SHORT DOCS MATTER NOW MORE THAN EVER
All Access Pass $47
Lifetime access to all session recordings
PRIVATE AUDIO FEED OF ALL SESSIONS - LISTEN ON GO
CREATIVE TOOLKIT: PROMPTS, CONSTRAINTS, and GUIDANCE TO HELP YOU START MAKING NOW
GUIDED ASSESSMENT TO HELP YOU CHOOSE YOUR NEXT PROJECT (SELF-AUDIT WORKBOOK)
SUPPORT DOC HOUSE & OUR MISSION TO SUPPORT FILMMAKERS
Get all aCcess now
GET FREE PREVIEW
WATCH IN FULL: ELIZABETH LO ON BUILDING AUTHORSHIP THROUGH SHORT DOCS
CAN UPGRADE LATER FOR FULL SUMMIT ACCESS AT ANY TIME FOR $47