For Teachers & Students

The International Documentary Challenge is a thrilling learning experience for students of film and video. Many of our past participants (and winners!) have been groups of students led by a teacher – all levels from high school students to community media classes to documentary and journalism majors at universities and art institutes.

The feedback we receive is that the “challenge” is an exhilarating experience for the students that help them focus in a new and effective way. Initially it seems like a ridiculous notion to think of completing a film in such a short time, but that, in essence, is the point of this competition – to encourage filmmakers to work straight from their gut, make quick decisions and finish a creative project under pressure. When making a film in a few days, one learns a lot about what is and isn’t important in filmmaking – lessons that will never be forgotten.

One of the main lessons students gain by doing the Doc Challenge (or National Film Challenge for fiction) is that of teamwork. With such a tight deadline, the students learn valuable lessons on how to work together in an efficient and productive manner.