Library
Stand on the shoulders of others - be inspired and empowered.
We have drawn extensively from over 20 impact case studies as featured below.
Do feel free to work your way through the whole list or just select the 'featured' case studies to get the most out of each chapter. Of course we also recommend that you watch as many of the full films as possible.
All case studies were correct at the time of writing.
We are also always looking to include great new examples. Please email us suggestions.
The Age of Stupid (2009)
The future of climate changeDirected by Franny Armstrong, produced by Lizzie Gillett
The Act of Killing (2012)
Genocide revisited in IndonesiaDirected by Joshua Oppenheimer, co-directed by Christine Cynn and Anonymous
Armadillo (2010)
The reality of Danish soldiers at war in AfghanistanDirected by Janus Metz
American Promise (2014)
Changing the future for young black men in the US education systemDirected by Joe Brewster and Michèle Stephenson
Blackfish (2013)
Provoking a huge backlash against SeaWorld known as the ‘Blackfish Effect’Directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite
The ‘Blackfish Effect’ as reported in Business Insider link (2014)
and The Hollywood Reporter and Take Part
Blackfish (2013)
Further resourcesA media impact reporting with Edelman/Strategy One
Budrus (2009)
Nonviolent resistance unites in PalestineDirected by Julia Bacha, produced by Ronit Avni, Rula Salameh and Just Vision
Budrus (2009)
Nonviolent resistance unites in PalestineDirected by Julia Bacha, produced by Ronit Avni, Rula Salameh and Just Vision
Burma VJ: Reporting from a Closed Country (2009)
The brave video journalists of Burma who covered the Saffron RevolutionDirected by Anders Østergaard, produced by Lise Lense-Møller
Chasing Ice (2012)
Gathering undeniable evidence of our changing planetDirected by Jeff Orlowski
CITIZENFOUR (2014)
Mass surveillance and its consequences for personal privacy and public policyDirected by Laura Poitras
Food Chains (2014)
Exploitation of farm workers in the agriculture industry in the USDirected by Sanjay Rawal
Give Up Tomorrow (2011)
Miscarriage of justice in the PhilippinesDirected by Michael Collins, produced by Marty Syjuco
Granito (2011)
With the conviction of a dictator, Granito is a testament to the power of documentary filmDirected by Pamela Yates
Miners Shot Down (2014)
What really happened at the Marikana Massacre in 2012Directed by Rehad Desai
No Fire Zone (2013)
Holding the Sri Lankan government accountable for war crimes during a hidden warDirected by Callum Macrae
The End of the Line (2009)
Time to address global over-fishingDirected by Rupert Murray, produced by George Duffield and Christo Hird. Also available: The End of the Line's Social Impact Evaluation
The House I Live In (2012)
Could this be the beginning of the end for the ‘war on drugs’?Directed by Eugene Jarecki
The Interrupters (2011)
Ex-gang members working to reduce violence in ChicagoDirected by Steve James, produced by Alex Kotlowitz
The Invisible War (2009)
Revealing effects of rape in the US militaryDirected by Kirby Dick, produced by Amy Zierling
The Reckoning (2009)
The work of the International Human Rights CourtDirected by Pamela Yates, produced by Paco Onis
Trouble the Water (2008)
Lives affected by government response to Hurricane KatrinaDirected by Tia Lessin and Carl Deal
Unearthed (2014)
Investigating fracking in the United StatesDirected by Jolynn Minnaar
Virunga (2014)
Africa’s oldest national park under threat from war and miningDirected by Orlando von Einsiedel
Weapon of War (2010)
Discussing rape with perpetrators in the CongoDirected by Ilse and Femke van Velzen
Article in Documentary Television.com which lays out some of the facts figures and strategy behind this box office phenomena
2016 Obama’s America (2012)
Trying to prevent Obama’s re-electionDirected by John Sullivan and Dinesh D’Souza
An Inconvenient Truth (2006)
Al Gore warns climate change is realDirected by Davis Guggenheim
Harmony Institute - Social Media Research Report
Bully (2011)
Bullying crisis in US schoolsDirected by Lee Hirsch
POV national campaign to complement CPB's ongoing initiative 'American Graduate: Let's Make It Happen'. American Graduate Films Campaign Case Study
American Graduate Films Campaign: Brooklyn Castle & American Promise (2013/2014)
Remedies to the dropout crisis in American high schoolsWorking Films video
Deep Down (2010)
A story from the heart of coal country (US)Directed by Sally Rubin and Jen Gilomen
Harmony Institute - Entertainment Evaluation Report
(DIS)connected (2008)
Our reliance on social mediaDirected by Melody Gilbert
Escape Fire (2012)
Impact Report produced by Third PlateauDirected by Matthew Heineman and Susan Froemke
Escape Fire (2012)
Case Study produced by Fledgling FundDirected by Matthew Heineman and Susan Froemke
Working Films video
Everything’s Cool (2007)
Science and popular belief in global warmingDirected by Judith Helfand
Norman Lear Centre presentation at TEDxPhoenix by Johanna Blakley
Food Inc (2008)
Is the food capitalism produces actually good for us?Directed by Robert Kenner
Lioness (2008)
Female combat veterans in USDirected by Meg McLagan and Daria Sommers
Made in L.A. (2007)
Latina immigrants struggle working in L.A.'s garment factoriesDirected by Almudena Carracedo
Working Films video
No Impact Man (2009)
Minimising our personal environmental impactDirected by Laura Gabbert and Justin Schein
Out in the Silence (2009)
Addressing small-town homophobia in the USDirected by Joe Wilson and Dean Hamer
The Ghosts in Our Machine (2013)
The overlooked animals crucial to our industriesDirected by Liz Marshall
Turning A Movie Into A Movement (Sandi DuBowski) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sandi-dubowski/trembling-before-gd-turni_b_2428257.html
Trembling Before G-d (2001)
Gay and lesbian Orthodox Jews reconciling their sexuality with their faithDirected by Sandi DuBowski
Harmony Institute - Entertainment Evaluation Report
Waiting for Superman (2010)
America’s public school systemDirected by Davis Guggenheim
Where Soldiers Come From (2011)
Following the four-year journey of childhood friends who join the National Guard after graduating from high schoolDirected by Heather Courtney
Who is Dayani Cristal? (2014)
The dangers of the migrant trail in Central AmericaDirected by Marc Silver
ORGANISATIONS MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE IMPACT SPACE:
Going from Z - A for once
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Ahead of the curve, Working Films was co-founded by the late great Robert West to teach filmmakers to use their films more strategically. They have many free resources and run training sessions.
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Not just the festival of course, but funds for filmmakers to make films, labs for training and Sundance Artists Services working to unlock distribution for small indies.
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Grassroots marketing and outreach for social action.
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The Media Impact Project is a hub for collecting, developing and sharing approaches for measuring the impact of media.
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The group championing US funders working in media. They host research papers and grants information.
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Part of the US public TV ecosystem, ITVS Engagement work on films and also provides resources including film background information, discussion guides, postcards, and more.
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Funding outreach and building a platform to encourage doc discussion clubs
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An international network of independent service providers who design and implement social impact strategies with film, technology and other media.
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Dedicated to cracking evaluation for independent documentaries. Some of their reports are recommended above.
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Funding social justice films for 30 years and now building the global movement of storytellers contributing to systemic change.
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Expert team funding and guiding teams to make impact with films. Helping to theorise and build the field – now also launching a new residency program.
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FIRELIGHT MEDIA COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT DIVISION
Firelight is dedicated to developing talented documentary filmmakers that advance underrepresented stories, moving them from the margins to the forefront of mainstream media through high quality, powerful productions.
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Grassroots distribution and community action services.
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Funding female directors to make films and make a difference. The team’s skills span film and social action.
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CENTER FOR MEDIA & SOCIAL IMPACT
Clever thinking and writing around theories of change and theories of evaluation from the team at the School of Communication at the American University.
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That’s us. We made this course, we fund and distribute films and we run Good Pitch in partnership with Sundance Institute and supported by Ford Foundation’s JustFilms program.
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Their mission is to create more progressive and just societies using activism, media, law and enterprise. They fund and support films that make a difference globally. Partnership with Doc Society on outreach and journalism.
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Strategy, implementation and evaluation of impact-oriented film campaigns. Site has tons of free resources including the essential Pre-nups guide for filmmakers and change organisations working together.
