The largest global study of documentary storytellers’ working experiences is now open and ready for global participation from nonfiction storytellers and professionals. The biennial industry survey, conducted by the Center for Media & Social Impact (CMSI) since 2016, asks film professionals vital questions about film revenue, funding, platforms, and lived experiences with the industry.

Over the past two years, the field has contended with the dramatic shifting political economy of distributors, including a documented aversion to human rights content, and global political, social and economic instability. This year, new questions have been added to the confidential survey to gather data on use of artificial intelligence and experiences of censorship.

CMSI Executive Director Caty Borum shared, “This study is designed as an essential tool for documentary professionals to track and understand the shifting economics, distributor power, representation, and censorship that shapes how nonfiction storytellers do their work. We developed this study in collaboration with many documentary professionals, and this study serves them now and in the future as the industry continues to shift in the streaming media era.”

The confidential and anonymous survey is open to global film professionals and is available in English, Spanish, French and Portuguese. The survey takes ~20 minutes to complete. To take the survey, visit: tinyurl.com/cmsisurvey

To view previous State of the Documentary Field reports, visit https://cmsimpact.org/program/state-of-the-documentary-field/.