SHOOT’s New Directors Showcase (NDS) Event offered varied industry perspectives during the course of three afternoon sessions, and then an evening display of up-and-coming filmmaking talent with the debut screening of the Showcase Reel followed by a Meet the New Directors panel discussion, all held at the DGA Theatre in NYC on Monday (12/9). Capping the evening was the NDS Event After-party, hosted by The-Artery and Final Cut at the Final Cut quarters in Chelsea. Kicking off the proceedings was the annual In The Director’s Chair session, this time featuring Dawn Porter, founder of Trilogy Films. An acclaimed documentary filmmaker known for her storytelling on social justice, history and cultural icons, Porter has a body of work which includes Trapped, John Lewis: Good Trouble, and The Lady Bird Diaries. Her recent documentary, Luther: Never Too Much, highlights the life and legacy of Luther Vandross. Produced with Sony Music Entertainment, Jamie Foxx’s Foxxhole, and Colin Firth’s Raindog Films, this intimate portrayal of the Grammy-winning artist was recently released in theaters and will premiere on CNN/MAX on January 1, 2025. Porter’s achievements are widely recognized. Trapped earned a Peabody Award and the Sundance Special Jury Prize for Social Impact Filmmaking, while John Lewis: Good Trouble won the 2021 NAACP Image Award. She received the Critics’ Choice Impact Award in 2022 and Gracie Awards in both 2022 and 2023. Recently, Porter was elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, awarded the National Humanities Medal by President Joe Biden, and received the International Documentary Association’s (IDA) Career Achievement Award. Porter’s 2024 MSNBC series, The Sing... Read More