Reality Check: The Boom—or Glut—in Streaming Documentaries Has Sparked a Reckoning Among Filmmakers and Their Subjects

New York Magazine Features writer Reeves Wiedeman spoke with more than eighty documentary filmmakers to provide an overview of the documentary film industry in the streaming age. Filmmakers describe challenges pertaining to funding, the pressure to provide formulaic stories, and the ethics of participant involvement and compensation. As the industry shifts toward streaming, companies like Jigsaw and XTR adjust to the new landscape. Festival sales and the availability of non-mainstream films to the public are an increasing issue.