"Crossing the Fourth Wall: When the Filmmaker Becomes the Subject"

The Susan E. Tifft Initiative on Documentary and Journalism, from the Center for Documentary Studies in partnership with DeWitt Wallace Center for Media & Democracy, explores the ways in which documentary approaches can inform, and be informed by, journalism in the digital era. A fellowship for women media artists, journalists, and documentarians is part of the initiative.

Current Susan Tifft Fellow, filmmaker Daphne McWilliams, will present an overview of her work and how her life shifted after she worked on her first documentary film. McWilliams will talk about her passion for documentary and the making of her film IN A PERFECT WORLD as well as her evolution in the world of doc film as a woman of a color. The film explores what it means to be a man who is raised by a single mother; McWilliams is both director and subject. "Crossing the fourth wall is my version of 'breaking the fourth wall'; my documentary allows for transparency and self-reflection by allowing the audience to see both the subjects' and the crew's interactions as the story unfolds," McWilliams says.

"Approaches to documentary filmmaking have changed, with all the new platforms on which people can stream their content at low cost. More than ever, I have a responsibility to create detailed, accurate content that has been thoroughly vetted; it is crucial to collaborate with the best people in their fields in order to tell the truest stories."

RECEPTION AT 5PM; TALK AT 6PM