Commissioner Question Time: Feature Length

How do different commissioners define a feature documentary? Is it based on viewer expectations, the importance of the central issue or simply its duration? Is a deeper level of access, revelation or visual ambition a must too? With feature docs available to consumers from an ever-increasing number of sources, what new opportunities does this offer to producers? And with linear TV and its duration restrictions put to one side, could the definition “feature doc” be about to disappear? A panel from Sheffield Doc/Fest 2017 explore these questions and more.

Chaired by Paul Ashton (Creative England) the panel featured  Al Brown (Vice), Jutta Krug (WDR/ ARD), Hajnal Molnar (Sundance Institute) and John Van Wyck (Cinereach).