Erica Berenstein

Executive Producer, News and Documentary

Erica Berenstein is an Emmy award-winning executive producer. She currently leads the News and Documentary team at Insider, Inc. Erica has worked as a staff journalist for Agence France-Presse, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. Her team at Insider produces several award-winning documentary style shows like True Cost, World Wide Waste, and Still Standing.

Participating Sessions

FOR PRINT JOURNALISTS: BEYOND THE PITCH

So you’ve just seen your groundbreaking investigation in print, and you believe it would make a riveting film. But how do you get there? This session will demystify the process. You’ll learn how to evaluate your story’s cinematic and storytelling potential, and tease out creative points of entry for a visual story. Erica Berenstein, executive producer of news and documentary at Insider.com, will show you how to find and build...

DX ACCESS

DX ACCESS connects registered attendees to representatives of the most respected and innovative organizations and individuals in film and journalism, and provides unparalleled face time with funders, producers, festival programmers, distributors, media outlets, reporters, writers and directors. In one-on-one sessions, they will unpack how they work, learn more about your goals, and explore the possibilities for supporting your project.

FILM SCREENING: SHORTCUTS

A curated selection of six short documentaries at the intersection of cinematic storytelling and journalism. Films include: 8 DAYS AT WARE Director: Rachel Lauren Mueller and Meg Shutzer Two back-to-back suicides at a juvenile detention center in rural Louisiana raise troubling questions about the state’s justice system and exposes a legacy of abuse and neglect. BLUE ROOM Director: Merete Mueller Incarcerated participants in a mental health experiment watch nature videos...

DX STUDENT PITCH

In today’s competitive market, learning how to effectively pitch your documentary is just as important as honing your writing and editing skills. And who better to learn from than the experts? Six college students enrolled in film and journalism programs across the U.S. will present their projects to a panel of industry professionals. Judith Helfand, independent filmmaker and co-founder of Chicken & Egg Pictures, will moderate and provide pitch training.

The Art of Visual News

In an era shaped by the omnipresence of social media and a burgeoning demand for greater inclusivity in journalism, a fresh wave of younger audiences is gravitating towards unconventional modes of visual news consumption. This panel seeks to delve into the realm of innovative storytelling methods that are blossoming within newsrooms eager to forge deeper connections with a media-savvy demographic. As this ongoing experimentation gives rise to a variety of...