The Documentary Center is an expansion of a decade-long commitment at The George Washington University to teaching documentary film production theory and techniques and to creating documentary films for national audiences. Inaugurated in 1990 as The Center for History in the Media, the Documentary Center is one of the few educational centers in the nation that focuses exclusively on the production of non-fiction filmmaking.

The Documentary Center is an interdisciplinary program at the school of media and public affairs in the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences.

The goals of the Center are:

  • To develop seminars and institutes to train individuals from across the professional and educational spectrum in the theory and techniques of documentary filmmaking.

  • To consult with broadcasters and production entities on the development of high quality documentaries and to promote the creation of national and international documentary showcases.

  • To produce documentary programming for national audiences.

  • To encourage the production of documentary films by emerging filmmakers.

  • To write for popular and scholarly publications on issues of concern in the creation and production of non-fiction films.

The Documentary Center sponsors a wide-range of activities concerning reality films. Our central educational program is the annual six-month Institute for Documentary Filmmaking. In addition to serving as a consultant to many nascent documentary projects, we sponsor the Jacques Salmanowitz Program for Moral Courage in Film to encourage the creation of documentary films to inspire the next generation of political and cultural leaders. Finally, the Center produces award-winning documentary films for national audiences.

Who We Are


Nina Gilden Seavey,
Center Director

Nina Gilden Seavey is the Director of the Documentary Center and is its founder. She has been in the television and film industry for nearly twenty years. Her film work has won many awards including an Emmy, the Erik Barnouw Prize for Best Historical Film of the Year, and the Golden Hugo. Her work can be seen on PBS, Discovery Channel, and in museum installations around the nation.
   


Natasha has worked at The Documentary Center for the past 5 years. As Assistant to Ms. Seavey, she serves as Associate Producer on the Center's films as well as handles the day to day operations of the Center and its Institute. Over the past decade, her personal credits have included, CNN, Bunim Murray Productions, National Geographic, Discovery, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Brave New Films and Associated Producers.
Natasha Lili Klauss,
Assist. to the Director