Nominations are now open for the DFC’s first ever elected Board of Directors.
The Documentary Film Council (DFC) is a democratic umbrella organisation designed to represent UK independent documentary film. Launched as a co-operative at Sheffield DocFest in 2023, the DFC is independent and run by and for its members by an elected board.
This is the first time in UK documentary history that our community has been able to elect its own representatives, and there’s never been a more important time to stand up for documentary. Having an elected board ensures the DFC is led by and for its members, and that the organisation remains accountable to the community it is designed to represent. Serving on the DFC’s board is therefore an opportunity to represent the UK documentary community and work with colleagues across the sector to improve conditions in our industry.
It’s vital that the DFC’s board includes both new and established people in the industry, and people from historically marginalised backgrounds are especially welcome to stand. It is also essential that the board consists of producers, directors and other precariously employed people as well as salaried representatives from different parts of the industry. Because the DFC is currently a volunteer-run organisation, we are unfortunately unable to pay freelance board members for their time at present. However, this remains our intention as soon as we have the resources to do so. Full training will be provided so if you haven’t served on a board before, this will not be a barrier and you are encouraged to stand.
As this is the first ever DFC election, our interim board are all required to stand down, which means that we have 8 member-only board positions that are up for election. The deadline for self-nomination is 11:59 GMT on 21 April 2024, and voting will open on 13 May 2024. If you have any comments or questions please don’t hesitate to contact us at info@documentaryfilmcouncil.co.uk.
Please read our DFC Board Election Pack for more details on the role.
The full election schedule is as follows:
Sunday 14 April: Deadline for candidates to nominate themselves
Monday 1 May: Announce election candidates
Monday 13 May: Voting opens
Friday 31 May: Voting closes
Monday 3 June: Results announced in time to welcome the new board at our first AGM and Open Assembly at Sheffield DocFest in June (Date TBC).
