13 years of showing up for each other.
RocDocs started in 2013 with five filmmakers in a back room, passing a laptop around to watch each other’s rough cuts. The room got bigger. The habit stayed the same.
About
Our mission
Bring Rochester’s documentary filmmakers together to share work, build skills, and support each other, so we can grow individually and together as a community.
Our vision
A city where documentary work gets made, seen, and paid for.
We want Rochester to be a place where a filmmaker can spend years on a hard story and not do it alone. Where the crew, the notes, the gear, and the audience are all within reach.
That means advocating for our members, building an audience for local nonfiction, and making sure the door stays open to people the industry usually leaves out.
What we value most
Community first
Whether you’re a seasoned professional or picking up a camera for the first time, we’re always paying attention and ready to help.
Honest feedback
We believe the best way to support a filmmaker is to engage with their work. Our screenings are built on trust, candor, and care.
Shared knowledge
We actively circulate what we know: grants, opportunities, industry news, skills, and everything in between. A rising tide lifts all films
Sustainable craft
Documentary filmmaking deserves real support from the community. We advocate for both our members and the art form itself.
Our mantra
Make films. Share stories. Build community.
Who keeps it running
Come sit in the dark with us.
Membership is $50 a year free until July 2027, and nobody’s ever been turned away for not having it.