The Real Reel Impact is a program developed by DOCA as a follow-up to its inaugural Impact Lab 2022. The program’s primary goal is to raise much-needed awareness about Impact Production within the continent’s larger documentary filmmaking community. It also attempts to educate producers and filmmakers on the possibilities of their work (films) as a tool and catalyst for social influence. Ultimately, providing them with the resources and expertise required to conduct successful impact campaigns
Summary
Goals
- Field-Building & Outreach
- Identifying existing African Film Case studies for Impact Campaign training.
- Building a community of practice for Impact Producers across the continent.
- Training
- Facilitating one Impact Lab per pilot region in Eastern, Central and Western African regions.
- Translating the Impact Field Guide to one of the most predominant Sub-Saharan Languages – Swahili.
- Granting
- Start-Up Impact Grants will be awarded following intensive training coupled with adequate tools to implement their respective Impact Campaign Strategies.
Outcomes
- Increased awareness of the nature and importance of Impact Production within the African continent.
- Improved capacity of film teams to design and implement successful impact campaigns within their respective regions and beyond.
- Broaden the pool of Impact Production funding to adequately and sustainably financially support the narrative-shift work of African documentary films.
🎥 Are you an African producer with a socially engaged documentary and an urgent impact campaign to implement in the next six months?
Documentary Africa (DocA), in partnership with Docubox – East African Documentary Film Fund, presents Doc Day: Impact Edition (East Africa)—a unique platform designed to amplify the impact of documentary films. Hosted in Nairobi, Kenya, this edition brings together East African filmmakers, producers, and impact strategists to explore how documentaries can drive real change.
🔥 Take part in our pitch session at and stand a chance to win 💰 $5,000 to amplify your film’s impact!
What You Need to Provide:
- A film excerpt (max 7 min)
- Your impact objectives
- Be open to expert feedback and available for post-event mentorship
Key Dates:
- Application Deadline: March 21, 2025, 11:59 PM EAT
- Pitch Day: March 27, 2025, 10:30 AM
- Location: Baraza Media Lab, Nairobi
Eligibility Criteria:
- Documentaries produced by Africans
- Ready to implement an urgent impact goal within six months
- A unique opportunity to showcase your project to key industry players
✨ We can’t wait to discover your project! Submit your pitch now. Only selected applicants will be contacted.🎬🚀
Documentary Africa (DocA) is proud to present Doc Day: Édition Impact @ FESPACO, a groundbreaking platform dedicated to advancing impact-driven African documentary films. This special edition, hosted during FESPACO 2025, aims to amplify the role of documentaries in driving social change by equipping filmmakers with the tools, resources, and networks necessary to execute urgent and fundamental impact goals.
What to Expect
- Impact Case Study & Mini-Training: An interactive session co-facilitated by Wanja Emily & Nyambok, exploring best practices in impact production.
- Pitching Session: Five selected African documentary projects will present their vision and impact strategies before a panel of industry experts.
- $5,000 Impact Prize: One project will be awarded funding to advance its urgent impact goal within the next six months.
- Industry Networking & Mentorship: A unique opportunity for filmmakers to connect with impact strategists and industry leaders.
RRImpact-ful Webinar Series: Film for Change
Missed our live sessions? Catch up on the RRImpact-ful Webinar Series, where experts share insights on using film for social impact.
Session 1: Introduction to Impact Production
📅 21 January 2025
In our first gathering, we explored the fundamentals of impact production and the key elements that make a documentary a catalyst for change. Topics included:
- The basics of impact production
- Case studies: The Last Shelter and No Simple Way Home
- Core pillars of impactful campaigns
Session 2: Strategy for Impact
📅 22 January 2025
This session focused on the strategic side of impact production, covering:
- Designing effective campaign strategies
- The GIPA methodology
- How to pitch your impact-driven projects
💡 We also featured insights from Natasha Craveiro, Director of Pirinha and DocA Grantee. She shared her journey from development to impact and how impact production is evolving in Cabo Verde.
🎥 Watch the full session here
📺 Watch Natasha Craveiro’s interview here
Session 3: Fundraising for Impact
📅 30 January 2025
Our final session tackled the crucial aspect of fundraising for impact-driven projects. Key takeaways included:
- Who funds impact-driven documentaries
- What funders look for in applications
- Tips for crafting successful funding proposals
Designer & Impact Consultant
Emily Wanja uses storytelling to drive social change. She collaborates with organisations, people, and communities to envision a more climate-just world. As an award-winning impact strategist and producer, she engages with stakeholders in policy, culture, civil society, foundations and the media ecosystem to design strategies for social impact through storytelling. She is the project lead for Climate Story Lab Africa.
Emily previously served on the Climate Justice Resilience Fund Advisory Council and the Global Impact Producers Alliance Committee. She is on the board of STEPS, Advisory board of Open Planet, Steering committee for ECCA (Entertainment & Culture for Climate Change) by UNFCCC, among several other boards. She is the Director of African Programs at Doc Society.
Co-designer
Austin Odera Onyore Nyambok has a storied background mainly in: Strategic Communications, Media, Arts, Entertainment and Education
Currently, Nyambok is the Communications Officer at DocA – Documentary Africa. Where, he’s notably been involved in the Co-design of the DocA Real Reel Impact Program (RRI) that seeks to holistically support documentary producers/filmmakers with their Impact Campaigns. With DocA’s portfolio of over 40 Beneficiaries he guides them through their production process to better position their films for distribution and outreach.
Mentor
Khadidja Benouataf is an award-winning impact producer and strategist with a background in journalism. She is the president of Impact Social Club, the Francophone think tank for impact films and a member of the Global Impact Producers Alliance (GIPA) advisory committee.
She empowers film professionals and students through international training and mentoring at institutions and organisations including Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg, École W-Paris-Panthéon-Assas/CFJ, StoryBoard Collective, DOC-House and Aflamuna.
As a sought-after expert, she contributes to prestigious film festivals such as IDFA, BERLINALE, DOK LEIPZIG, and FIFDH, her work spans masterclasses, jury duties, panels, pitch coaching, and the design of impact labs, supporting emerging talents.
Having advised over 70 film teams, Khadidja develops impact campaigns for acclaimed documentaries, including The Last Shelter by Ousmane Samassekou.
She was recently invited by the University of Arts London to design the UAL Storytelling Fellowship 2024-2025, a cross-disciplinary program expanding impact production skills across creative practices.
Mentor
Miriam Ayoo is an impact strategist and cultural producer based in Nairobi, Kenya. She has over a decade’s experience working at the intersection of art and activism, designing and implementing programs and outreach initiatives within a range of social impact areas and artistic mediums. She is currently serving as the co-coordinator of the Global Impact Producers Assembly (GIPA). Previously, she worked as the impact strategist/producer for award winning films including Softie (Kenya, 2020), Los Hermanos/The Brothers (Cuba/USA, 2021), and No Simple Way Home (South Sudan, 2022). At the heart of her work is a commitment to centering and amplifying under-represented stories and voices. Miriam holds a dual master’s degree in public policy (Mundus MAPP) from the International Institute of Social Studies in The Hague Netherlands and the Institut Barcelona d’Estudis Interncionals in Barcelona Spain.
Mentor
Dr Liani Maasdorp is a senior lecturer in the Centre for Film & Media Studies at the University of Cape Town. She convenes the MA: Documentary Arts and the Impact Facilitator online short course. She is one of the co-directors of Climate Story Lab ZA and moderates the Impact Teachers’ forum for the Global Impact Producers’ Alliance (GIPA). She was one of the producers of Strike a Rock, which opened the Encounters Documentary Film Festival in 2017 and screened at Sheffield DocFest, IDFA and DIFF. Her current research and public engagement focus on impact producing.