Scottish Documentary Institute (SDI)

Description

The Scottish Documentary Institute (SDI) provides an alternative model for creative documentary production. The Institute nurtures new talent and new forms, new screening contexts and new audiences for documentaries. Since 2004, SDI has explored the different ways in which originality and diversity can be achieved through restructuring - or ‘decentering’ - production and distribution processes. It is the only academic body feeding documentary research into production in the UK and which has won over 100 awards for its work, including an Academy Award nomination.

The Institute is structured around the concept of stepping stones on the ladder of talent development.

There are five levels of activity, ranging from Bridging the Gap (Level 1), an annual scheme to develop 10-minute documentaries for international cinema and festival distribution, to the Edinburgh Pitch (Level 5), a networking event for filmmakers and international broadcasters.

There are schemes for Scottish-based filmmakers and one to help international producers develop feature length films for overseas markets. Across all schemes, SDI has produced over 150 films screened in 60 countries worldwide.

Building on international exemplars, such as the EU-funded MEDIA initiative, the Institute works across academia and industry.

Members forge creative and contractual partnerships across disciplines and their collaborators include Creative Scotland, BBC Scotland, the British Council, the Wellcome Trust, the Swedish Film Institute and the MND (Motor Neuron Disease) Association UK.

SDI has driven forward a positive cultural change within the mainstream industry, furthered the role of women in documentary (both behind and in front of the camera), and raised awareness of issues such as MND (I am Breathing), Depression (Peter in Radioland), Alzheimer’s (Irene) and penal reform (Cutting Loose).

The Institute hosts a vibrant programme of workshops, masterclasses, symposia and conferences, bringing together everyone from auteurs to festival programmers. It also offers a range of research-led postgraduate programmes.

Offers funding

No, this infrastructure does not provide funding.

Founding year

2004

Contact details

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Categorisation

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University affiliation(s)

University of Edinburgh
Edinburgh