In this video, Stephanie talks about her role and the work of Peace is Loud, and she outlines the topics that will be covered in this module.
Peace is Loud presents: Participant Care Challenges and Strategies
What you'll learn in this module
Why participant care should be at the heart of any impact campaign
Who is considered a participant, and what participant care really means in practice
What challenges to anticipate in filmmaker–participant relationships, including consent, agency, representation, safety, and mental health
How to plan participant care thoughtfully and responsibly throughout your project
About the expert
Stephanie Palumbo (USA)
Stephanie is a documentary impact strategist and producer with over 20 years of experience using storytelling to drive social and political change. She is Director of Film Impact and Innovation at Peace is Loud and was named one of DOC NYC’s Doc New Leaders in 2023.
An impact campaign maximizes a film’s potential for social change and action. What place should the care for participants play in designing an impact campaign so that participants’ involvement is safe, respectful, and empowering?
You can find links to the framework and the study mentioned by Stephanie in the list of external resources at the end of the module.
Participants are often ordinary individuals or activists who may be in vulnerable positions because of the personal stories or work they share in a film. This video introduces the Peace is Loud approach to participant care as an ethical, strategic, and practical part of filmmaking.
What kinds of challenges do filmmakers and participants face? Stephanie highlights six main groups of challenges and talks through each one.
Let’s shift to concrete strategies for participant care. You’ll explore how transparency and informed consent are handled, how safety concerns are addressed, and what meaningful collaboration between filmmakers and participants can look like, including different forms of support and compensation. Stephanie also reflects on mental health support and how participants can be prepared for what they may experience during and after a film’s premiere.
You can find links to the resources recommended by Stephanie in the list of external resources at the end of the module.
Stephanie discusses how participant care was handled in Fire Through Dry Grass (2023), a film supported by Peace is Loud, and answers questions from students of the Alternativa Impact Distribution Lab 2025, drawing on examples from the production of other films.
Work on your project
If you’re actively building your impact campaign, use the Course Journal to turn ideas from this module into concrete steps.
Explore Further
Peace is Loud — An intersectional feminist nonprofit organization that uses storytelling to advance social justice movement building, with a focus on women's rights, gender justice, peace, and security
Shine a Light: A Filmmakers Guide to Creating a Duty of Care Plan — This resource guides filmmakers through the process of establishing a Duty of Care Plan with documentary film participants
Holding Ourselves Accountable: A Consent Calendar Resource — This resource details a model for establishing informed, active consent throughout the filmmaking process
In the Spotlight: Crucial Questions for Documentary Participants — A list of questions that helps documentary filmmakers and participants create healthy dialogues about consent, compensation, creative rights, and other pressing issues
Fire Through Dry Grass case study — This document examines the collaborative, care-centered filmmaking processes behind the documentary Fire Through Dry Grass
Real People, Real Stories: Ensuring the Well-Being of Documentary Participants — This report details the findings of international film participant focus groups, and includes strategies to help filmmakers prioritize participant health and well-being
Beyond the Lens: The State of Participant Care in Documentary Film — A report that surveys the state of documentary participant care, including key advocates, crucial issues, and a look at the future, and shares insights from thought leaders in the field
The Documentary Accountability Working Group (DAWG) — This group catalyzes and cultivates a culture of care and accountability within the field of nonfiction filmmaking. Their Framework for Values, Ethics, and Accountability in Nonfiction Filmmaking.
The Filmmaker-Participant Relationship Unpacked: Ethical Responsibility and Impact in Documentary Filmmaking — The study by ITVS
Presentation Slides
Download the slides from this module to review the key insights anytime.
All images, film clips, posters, and stills are used for non-commercial educational purposes only and are included solely for critical commentary and teaching. All copyrights in the underlying films and promotional materials belong to their respective rights holders.
