UnionDocs
Ruth Somalo is an experienced film programmer and director/producer with a diverse background in documentary and experimental filmmaking. Currently serving as the Festival Film Programmer for DocumentaMadrid since January 2023, Ruth has also held multiple roles at DOC NYC since 2010, including Senior Features Programmer. Additional programming roles include Senior Film Programmer at the Architecture and Design Film Festival and Documentary Film Programmer at DOCMA. Ruth's contributions as a seminar instructor and project mentor at UnionDocs and board member at The Flaherty highlight a commitment to fostering emerging talent in the film industry. Ruth's artistic practice spans non-fiction filmmaking and commissioned media content through Horns and Tails Productions. Academic credentials include a PhD in progress focused on First Person Documentary, grief, mourning, and the history of emotions from Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, alongside previous degrees in journalism, liberal arts, and documentary studies.
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UnionDocs
Based in Ridgewood, Queens, UnionDocs is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization, a Center for Documentary Art that presents, produces, publishes, and educates. We lead a diverse community on a search for urgent expressions of the human experience, spotlighting marginalized narratives and underrepresented visions. We believe that documentary art, when paired with thoughtful context and debate, is an invaluable tool for understanding the complexities of contemporary life and creating a more compassionate, engaged, and integrated society. Each year, we: Host 3 LABS for 36 artists-in-residence, preparing 24 features for production and 8+ shorts for distribution; Design 24+ WORKSHOPS for 400+ participants with 168 established guest/teaching artists; Program 60+ EVENTS by 100+ artists for a local audience of 3000+ and an international membership; Manage $500k+ in grants toward sponsored artist’s PRODUCTION; Fund a FELLOWSHIP that pairs 4 artists and 4 writers, each receiving $20k and publication support; Create groundbreaking doc projects, including the neighborhood history, Living Los Sures (2015) and the immersive performance, Say Something Bunny! (2017). Through this work, UnionDocs provides a vibrant space where storytelling, experimentation, journalism, politics, and poetry intersect and engage a multiplicity of audiences.