Since our founding, Roc Docs has become Rochester’s home for documentary storytellers who want to grow their craft alongside a community that gets it. We’re a mix of seasoned professionals, emerging filmmakers, and passionate doc enthusiasts who believe great storytelling deserves real support: not just applause, but actionable feedback, meaningful connections, and actual funding opportunities.
What makes us different is our commitment to the full journey. Whether you’re wrestling with your first rough cut or polishing a festival-ready film, you’ll find people here who’ve been where you are and want to help you get where you’re going. Through our monthly gatherings, annual grants, and year-round resource sharing, we’re building a sustainable documentary scene in Rochester where talented filmmakers can craft stories that matter.
Mission
Roc Docs is a non-partisan group that supports powerful and moving storytelling by local professional and amateur documentary filmmakers by:
- Screening members’ works-in-progress and leveraging our group’s rich and diverse experience and expertise to provide filmmakers with constructive, actionable feedback.
- Curating and sharing industry education, news, and grant opportunities to help members reach the finish line.
- Awarding seed money to members with a film in progress through fiscal sponsorships.
Values
Inclusivity
Our group welcomes documentary film professionals, students, and enthusiasts from all walks of life, interests, and abilities as members.
Mentorship
Through our screenings of members’ works-in-progress, we share ideas, offer insights, and suggest resources and solutions that support filmmakers during their creative process to help them achieve their vision.
Collaboration
We facilitate connections between our members, who offer a wealth of creative and technical talent and expertise and access our network for career opportunities, to partner on projects, and to hire crew.
Sustainability
We believe that documentary filmmaking is an art form deserving of attention and support from the regional arts and cultural community so that it becomes a financially rewarding career for members who feel called to this work.