DOC and CBC Launch Mental Health Initiative for Documentary Filmmakers

The Documentary Organization of Canada (DOC) is launching a program to address mental health in the non-fiction sector. The Mental Health Initiative for Documentary Filmmakers, made in partnership with CBC and announced this weekend at the Whistler Film Festival, offers resources to documentary creatives feeling the mental and emotional toll of their work. The initiative builds upon reports by organizations like DocuMentality that asked leaders in the field to consider the impact that the long hours, meagre pay, and proximity to trauma can have on filmmakers’ mental health.

The Mental Health Initiative directly addresses calls from creatives to have resources for mental wellness built into a film’s budget. The program offers $1000 for select productions to allocate a line item for mental health care. These funds will not be considered part of a documentary’s production budget. Funds will be administered by DOC in consultation with CBC.

“With budgets being stretched, and with mental health stigma, it can be difficult for filmmakers to allocate money to healthcare,” noted DOC in a release. “This is why this funding will not be part of the production budget (spending on the screen), and will be used exclusively for mental health support.”

Funding eligibility applies to “all long-form independent documentary film productions currently working with CBC that will be in principal photography in 2025.”

Additionally, DOC announced the launch of a directory for mental health resources. The directory, compiled by filmmaker and mental health advocate Barri Cohen, includes a province-by-province guide to therapy resources, counselling services, and addiction help lines.

In May 2023, DOC released the DocuMentality report that highlighted findings about mental health in the documentary field. The long hours interviewing subjects and the responsibility of telling their stories is reported to have a mental toll on filmmakers, while long hours in the editing room watching traumatic footage on repeat can compound the stress caused by the job.

The report addressed anxiety over financial shortcomings, precarious work, and barriers to access. Filmmakers reported feeling anxiety when trying to navigate barriers or the risk of losing their voices when they try to adapt their projects to ensure successful funding. This concern is compounded for filmmakers from traditionally marginalized groups as they risk erasing the very sense of authentic storytelling that funders demand and the lived experience that informs their work.

Full details and eligibility requirements are available via DOC/CBC’s release.