Introduction - What is the "What's Up With Docs” Podcast
Image Description: A photo of Toni Bell with her Sisterlocks in a pony tail. She wears a black top. The background is cream.
Hi Everyone:
Welcome to the What’s Up with Docs Podcast - The documentary podcast for all of us! I’m Toni Bell, the creator and host. Documentary film is a third career for me that was a long time coming. I’ll save how I got started in the business for my interview with the officers of BADWest but I have discovered that I have found my calling. Over the past ten years, I’ve done archival research for documentary films, gotten a certificate in screenwriting from the UCLA Professional Screen Writing program, directed and produced a short which was my thesis for a Masters in Visual Anthropology at the University of Southern California, and I now work on the industry providing support for filmmakers. I’ve traveled around the world meeting filmmakers helping them with their projects and meeting with my colleagues at other documentary organizations. I’ve met so many amazing, creative people during this time. However, sometimes at these festivals, it is so incredibly busy that there is little time to get to know folks personally. The What’s Up with Docs? Podcast, will provide an opportunity for me catch up with old friends, get to know new ones, and dive deep into how their lives inform the work they create and support. In other words, I want to discover what drives those of us who have chosen this profession and to keep going even when it gets hard. And I intend to unapologetically celebrate the voices of those who are not normally heard. I am committed to helping everyone to #tellyourstories.
