Welcome to Docworks NYC , version 2012.

It has taken a few years to mount the sequel to our successful premiere in 2006, but the wait has been worthwhile. As you will see onscreen, documentary production continues to flourish at our three flagship film campuses - City , Brooklyn and Hunter. Documentarians are the original “early adopters” and our programs have taken full advantage of the new digital technologies so that our students have the best tools to pursue diverse stories of identity and diversity.

It is appropriate that these stories emanate from students at the largest pubic university system in the world. Our students know struggle and they recognize the human values that make for compelling issue-based documentary. As fresh and astonishing as these stories are, the roots of our documentary tradition are deep. In 1941, well before the campuses banded together as the CUNY system, The Institute of Film Techniques at City College under Hans Richter was teaching documentary production to the working class students of New York. It was the first college-level documentary program in America. Our students carry on this rich tradition.

We are honored this year that Jon Alpert joins Docworks-NYC as keynote speaker. His pioneering investigative documentary work is an inspiration to our documentary faculty and students.

Enjoy.
Annette Danto
Dave Davidson
Festival Directors