Show notes
In this episode of Documentary First, host Christian Taylor welcomes back Emmy-nominated director and producer Nicholas (Nick) Bruckman for his third visit to the show. Together, they pull back the curtain on the real world of documentary filmmaking—from getting into top festivals like Sundance and Tribeca, to navigating labs and markets, to landing a doc on Netflix.Nick shares how his early narrative feature Valley of Saints got into Sundance off a “cold” submission, and how he’s since used programs like Gotham Week, Film Independent’s labs, and Tribeca’s Creators Market to build meaningful relationships with programmers and industry partners. He breaks down his rough-cut screening process (including Google forms and phone-watching “tells”) and explains why being radically open to feedback is one of the most powerful tools a filmmaker has.Christian and Nick also dive into Minted: The Rise and Fall of the NFT, exploring why that film became Netflix’s “definitive” NFT documentary—and what that reveals about marketplace demands, cultural buzz, and why some critically acclaimed films (Not Going Quietly) still don’t land on major streamers.The conversation then turns to Nick’s latest four-part docuseries, The Price of Milk, which premiered at Tribeca. Christian shares her strong personal reaction to the series, especially its portrayal of small family dairy farmers and the government “checkoff” program that was supposed to support them. Nick unpacks the hidden story behind the “Got Milk?” campaign, how money flows from farmers to industry groups, and why transparency, policy, and political engagement matter more than simply switching what’s in your grocery cart.Finally, Nick reveals how Oatly helped fund The Price of Milk while still allowing full editorial independence—and offers practical advice for filmmakers on working with brands, nonprofits, and mission-aligned partners to get ambitious projects made and seen. He closes with a DocuView Déjà Vu recommendation: Secret Mall Apartment, a doc that not only tells a wild story but also models what’s possible with clever, independent distribution outside traditional gatekeepers. Links:Minted - on Netflix & Prime Video, IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt27548035/?ref_=fn_all_ttl_1Valley of Saints - on Prime Video, IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2088967/?ref_=fn_all_ttl_3Catapult Film Find: Catapult Film FundGotham Week: Gotham WeekTriBeca X: Tribeca XPeoples TV: People's TelevisionDocuView Déjà VuSecret Mall Apartment, 2024, 91 mins, Watch on Prime Video, IMDB Link: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21221386/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_in_0_q_secret%2520malTime Codes00:00 Introduction to Documentary Filmmaking03:31 Navigating Film Festivals09:50 The Importance of Feedback in Filmmaking16:04 Getting Projects on Netflix21:58 Understanding Market Demands in Documentary Filmmaking27:47 Exploring 'The Price of Milk'34:13 The Role of Government in Dairy Industry42:05 Funding Documentaries: A New Approach47:13 Collaborating with Brands for Storytelling54:06 Conclusion and RecommendationsSponsor: Virgil Films http://www.virgilfilms.com/Support us by buying merch or watching our films: https://documentaryfirst.com/
