Introducing DreamDox!
DreamDox 2025 is officially SOLD OUT! f you didn’t get a ticket and you’re having FOMO, be sure to join the waitlist. If seats open up for any reason, they will be offered to those on the waitlist.
This half day conference is an opportunity for Hoosier filmmakers to make connections with fellow storytellers, hear from speakers both inside and outside of the industry, and take actionable steps toward bringing your dream documentary projects to life.
We’ll be returning to the Stutz Building in Indianapolis, where over 100 filmmakers gathered in March for the first State of Film event! DreamDox will be held on Friday April 25th from noon to 5pm, with a networking lunch at noon, breakout sessions until 4pm and a closing keynote to top it all off.
Around ten speakers will present. Many will be familiar faces from the Indiana filmmaking industry who will bring expertise ranging from how to pitch your project to filming techniques to narrowing down your story. Speakers from outside the film industry will bring valuable insights from their own, unique perspectives.
Oh, and did we mention registration is FREE?! That’s right - five hours of professional development and networking paid for by our supportive Hoodox donors and sponsors!
DreamDox Keynotes
From Dream to Doc
with Rocky Walls
1:00pm @ Stutz Car Museum
Painting the City I Wanted to See
with Dan Thompson
4:00pm @ Stutz Car Museum
Breakout Sessions
We’ll have three breakout blocks, each with two to three session options for attendees to choose from, including additional networking opportunities.
Letting a Story Bloom:
Finding the Narrative & Nurturing It
with Victoria Britton & Malakai Tyne Bisel
Join the team behind Bloom, the Grand Prize winner at PitchDox 2024, for a discussion about the realities of determining the scope of a story. How do you know which threads to pull on when you’ve found a story to follow? What happens when that story is open ended? And how do you uncover the story in the first place?
Filmmakers Victoria Britton and Malakai Tyne Bisel will walk attendees through this decision making process both broadly, and as it has applied to the production of Bloom.
1:45-2:25pm @ SPACE Lounge
Crafting a Pitch with Purpose
with Will Wertz
Gathering support - whether financial, creative, or otherwise - is an essential part of the documentary filmmaking process, but how do you convey the vision in your head to others in a noisy, busy world? With the lessons learned from his award winning filmmaking experience, Will Wertz shares his guide to crafting the perfect pitch for your project.
1:45-2:25pm @ Stutz Car Museum
Adding Value to the Vision:
Cinematography for Documentary
with Kurtis Bowersock
Drawing on a decade of filmmaking experience in Indianapolis, both as a producer and director of photography, Kurtis Bowersock will demonstrate the ways impactful cinematography will enhance the overall vision of a film.
2:30-3:10pm @ Stutz Car Museum
Storytelling for Social Impact
with Dija Renuka
You didn’t get into filmmaking just to entertain. You’re here to awaken, to disrupt, to heal and to ignite change. Storytelling for Social Impact is a hands-on, heart-centered workshop designed for filmmakers who believe in the power of story to shape culture and move people to action.
Whether you're working on a documentary, short film, or narrative feature, this workshop will help you uncover the deeper “why” behind your work, clarify your message, and strategies to create change through intentional storytelling.
3:15-3:55pm @ Stutz Car Museum
Fireside Chat with Jerald Harkness & Clayton Taylor
hosted by Katelyn Calhoun
Hear from Indianapolis storytelling legends Jerald Harkness and Clayton Taylor as they share a wealth of industry knowledge in a casual conversation facilitated by Katelyn Calhoun. As a podcast host and documentarian herself, Katelyn will bring curiosity and insightful questions to this fireside chat.
With decades of experience, Jerald and Clayton have told stories in many forms, from radio to television to documentary. Their award-winning work has been recognized across the country.
2:30-3:10pm @ SPACE Lounge
Business & Branding Strategies for the Creative Mind
with Torrie Hudson & Chris Theisen
This workshop will put you at the center of your own story. Learn simple frameworks and strategies to take your passion and turn it into a business. Identify goals, uncover what makes you unique and how to let that passion shine through for more than just your subjects. You, yes you, are a business and have a story to tell. You just don't know it yet.
3:15-3:55pm @ SPACE Lounge
Presenting Partners
“We’ve never seen a gathering like this in Indiana, so we’ve never experienced the impact of a large group of documentary filmmakers in one place with the specific purpose of dreaming BIG about future projects and sharing the resources to help make those dream projects achievable.”
Rocky Walls, Hoodox Cofounder and Executive Director