D Starting in the 1980s, the widespread availability of first video and then
digital cameras transformed filmmaking. The flexibility and low cost of these devices
meant that anyone could now be a filmmaker. Amateurs working from home could
compete with professionals in ways never possible before. The appearance of online
film-sharing platforms in the early 2000s only increased the new possibilities for
amateur documentaries were being made, perhaps the most popular documentary
of 2006 was still the professionally made
An Inconvenient Truth . New cameras and
digital platforms revolutionised the
making of films. But as critic Maria Fiala has
pointed out, ‘ The arguments sometimes put forward that these innovations
immediately transformed what the public expected to see in a documentary isn’t
entirely accurate.’
E However, a new generation of documentary filmmakers then emerged, and
with them came a new philosophy of the genre. These filmmakers moved away
from highlighting political themes or urgent social issues. Instead the focus moved
inwards, exploring personal lives, relationships and emotions. It could be argued
that
Catfish (2010) was a perfect example of this new trend. The film chronicles the
everyday lives and interactions of the social media generation and was both a
commercial and critical success. Filmmaker Josh Camberwell maintains that Catfish
embodies a new realization that documentaries are inherently subjective and that
this should be celebrated. Says Camberwell, ‘It is a requirement for documentary
makers to express a particular viewpoint and give personal responses to the
material they are recording.’
F The popularity and variety of documentaries today is illustrated by the large
number of film festivals focusing on the genre around the world. The biggest of all
must be Hot Docs Festival in Canada, which over the years has showcased hundreds
of documentaries from more than 50 different countries Even older is the Hamburg
International Short Film Festival. As its name suggests, Hamburg specializes in short
films, but one category takes this to its limits – entries may not exceed three
minutes in duration. The Short and Sweet Festival is a slightly smaller event held in
Utah, USA. The small size of the festival means that for first timers this is the ideal
venue to try to get some recognition for their films. Then there is the Atlanta
Shortsfest, which is a great event for a wide variety of filmmakers. Atlanta
welcomes all established types of documentaries and recognises the growing
popularity of animations, with a category specifically for films of this type. These are
just a few of the scores of film festivals on offer, and there are more being
established every year. All in all, it has never been easier for documentary makers to
get their films in front of an audience.