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Shaudi is a Seattle-based musician, theatre artist, writer and social media marketing specialist. She holds degrees from Berklee College of Music and the University of Washington School of Drama.
At Wrapbook, we pride ourselves on providing outstanding free resources to producers and their crews, but this post is for informational purposes only as of the date above. The content on our website is not intended to provide and should not be relied on for legal, accounting, or tax advice. You should consult with your own legal, accounting, or tax advisors to determine how this general information may apply to your specific circumstances.
Every two years, the International Documentary Association (IDA) convenes Getting Real, a conference for the documentary community to exchange ideas, tackle industry challenges, and explore what’s next for nonfiction storytelling.
As a proud sponsor of Getting Real '26, Wrapbook is highlighting what attendees can expect from the four-day conference, including a few of the sessions, speakers, and opportunities we're most excited about.
Getting Real is a biennial conference for and by documentary practitioners. The conference has been hosted by the IDA since its inception in 2014.
According to the IDA, the hybrid event, which takes place July 20 to 23 this year, brings together “filmmakers, funders, distributors, and industry leaders for four days of conversation focused on both the business and art of nonfiction storytelling.”
The conference will be held in person across three venues in Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo neighborhood, with online programming available worldwide.
The event is one of many offerings from IDA, which has supported documentary filmmakers for 40 years through grants, fiscal sponsorship, educational seminars, a screening series, and the IDA Documentary Awards.
Getting Real offers diverse programming, including participatory workshops, panels, opportunities for one-on-one time with experts, industry talks, and more.
This year’s conference theme is “Terms of Service,” which asks who and what nonfiction storytelling is in service to. The conference will be organized around three focus areas: investment, inspiration, and impact.
You can get a sense of what to expect from this recap video of Getting Real ‘24.
In addition to public panels and workshops, the conference also offers select press-embargoed spaces where participants can share sensitive information, discuss hard-earned lessons, and speak openly about the realities of the documentary field.
Alongside the scheduled programs, the conference offers documentary practitioners one of the best networking opportunities in the industry, as the largest peer-to-peer gathering of its kind in North America.
Getting Real ’24 drew more than 1,500 documentary practitioners attending both in person and virtually from over 40 countries.
Speakers announced for the 2026 conference include respected documentary leaders from across the industry. Attendees will get to hear talks from new Documentary Film Council CEO and veteran documentary executive Mandy Chang; filmmaker and founder of Yole!Africa Petna Katondolo, whose work bridges documentary, education, and food sovereignty; and Set Hernandez and Leonard Cortana, who are both known for their work at the intersection of filmmaking and social justice.
Whether you’re developing a new project, navigating production challenges, or looking to connect with peers across the field, this year’s program offers workshops, talks, panels, and more to help you move forward.
Here are just a few highlights:
Award-winning Mumbai-based documentary filmmaker Sarvnik Kaur facilitates this workshop that explores the ethical considerations behind whose stories filmmakers choose to tell. The second half of the workshop features a hands-on exercise for attendees led by Kaur.
This panel will examine how filmmakers, festivals, and exhibition spaces around the world are creating sustainable, community-driven models for documentary distribution and exhibition, highlighting approaches that build lasting audiences.
Supported by Wrapbook, this practical workshop will feature budget expert and award-winning filmmaker Robert Bahar sharing concrete strategies for adapting documentary budgets to today's fundraising challenges while preserving creative vision throughout production.
As part of the conference's confidential "Here's What Really Happened" series, filmmaker Alan Berliner will share a candid account of the legal challenge that impacted his documentary Letter to the Editor, discussing fair use law and the emotional and creative costs of defending your work.
You have two options when it comes to being part of Getting Real ‘26.
First, the Virtual Together Pass, which is $95 before fees and can be purchased any time before the conference, gets you access to virtual conference programming and What’s App conference groups. You’ll also be able to sign up for virtual “Lights Coffee Action” conversations with funders and buyers.
Your second option is the All Access Pass, which is $550 before fees and is only available until July 17. This includes access to in-person conference programming at three venues in the Little Tokyo neighborhood of Downtown LA, in-person “Lights Coffee Action” roundtables with funders and buyers, opening night activities, access to the What’s App conference groups, and more.
You can purchase both passes here.
Not sure which option is right for you? Browse the event program to learn more about which programs are available virtually.
Note that there are discounts available for certain levels of IDA membership.
Wrapbook returns as a Supporting Sponsor of the conference, marking its second consecutive sponsorship after sponsoring Getting Real '24.
Wrapbook will be on site throughout Getting Real '26, where attendees can connect with the team to learn how our production payroll and accounting platform supports the unique workflows of documentary filmmaking.
You can also visit the Wrapbook table during the Industry Expo lunch to receive a free Aura Portrait.
Not able to attend in person? You can schedule a demo with the Wrapbook team to see the platform in action.
Our team can’t wait to see you at Getting Real ‘26! Make sure you’re part of the conversation—get your online or in-person pass today.
As you prepare for the conference, you can browse Wrapbook’s huge selection of free resources for documentary filmmakers, including our guide to popular states for documentary production tax incentives and list of the best documentary film grants for women.
