Who are We?

Docs in Progress was founded in 2004 by Washington-DC area documentary filmmakers Adele Schmidt and Erica Ginsberg. Its mission is to give independent documentary filmmakers the opportunity to get feedback on their works in progress from other filmmakers and those who love documentaries; to enlighten the public on documentary, and to build and support the documentary community in Washington DC.

Adele Schmidt is a documentary filmmaker based in Rockville, Maryland outside of Washington DC.  She has worked since 2002 as a Producer for Virginia-based Journey Films, where she produced and edited the PBS documentaries The Power of Forgiveness (2007) to be broadcast nationwide in Spring 2008, and Cathedral Today (2007), documentary about the National Cathedral in Washington DC celebrating the 100th anniversary of the laying of the cornerstone. In 2005 she produced and edited Journey Films' docudrama Albert Schweitzer: Called to Africa (2006) on the Nobel Laureate. The film was broadcast nationwide on PBS in Spring 2007.

Journey Films' 2003 documentary Bonhoeffer, about the German theologian who resisted the Nazi regime, was one of the biggest documentary theatrical releases in 2003.  Through Schmidt’s expertise in launching grassroots campaign, Bonhoeffer was ultimately shown at more than 40 theatres around the country and also was part of a successful grassroots campaign which brought in to 50 semi-theatrical screenings at churches and universities, and finally broadcast on PBS in 2005.                                                                                                                                           Adele Schmidt on location in Lambarene, Gabon

Originally from Germany, Adele has also produced, directed, and edited several award-winning documentaries and TV-programs for cultural channels in Europe. She also taught at the National Arts Center in Mexico City for four years and held workshops on new directions in documentary filmmaking. She was editorial coordinator for New Trends in Documentary Cinema, a publication of the Centre International de Liaison des Ecoles de Cinema et de Television, Paris.

Her films, Juana's Journey (1997), The Land of the Mennonites (2000), and A Universe Apart (2001) were shown in more than 30 film festivals around the world and were broadcast on television in Germany, the Netherlands, and Canada.  She holds a B.A. in Film and Video Production and an M.A. in Political Science.

Erica Ginsberg is a documentary filmmaker based in Greenbelt, Maryland outside of Washington DC.  She is producing and directing Avenue of Aspirations, a documentary about the historical development of a major Washington DC street and how changing institutions along the street have reflected larger changes in American society.  

She also produced Crucible of War, a documentary about how ordinary people have rebuilt their lives after war in former Yugoslavia.  The film screened in Washington DC, New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Belgrade, and Madrid and is currently in DVD distribution for the home and academic market through the National Film Network. Erica’s outreach efforts resulted in more than 10,000 hits on the film’s website prior to any public screenings.

With a B.A. in International Affairs and an M.A. in Film and Video, Erica has found a way to meld those interests.  She has organized exchange programs for media professionals from other countries to meet their counterparts in the United States, produced informational and training videos on international exchange programs for the U.S. Department of State, co-produced Talking Threads, a web documentary which spotlighted international student reactions to September 11th, and has written about cross-cultural production issues for DOX Magazine, a publication of the European Documentary Association.  She also has authored articles for other film publications, including The Independent.

Dr. Sam Hampton is a documentary filmmaker and non-profit consultant, based in Alexandria, Virginia outside of Washington DC.  With approximately 17 years of professional and academic experience, Sam brings broad experience in research and documentation of social justice activities as part of the human experience. Sam's first film, Mary's Garden, focused on an Upstate New York artist-couple, their family and their relationship.  Angels of Change focused on the impact of poverty on youth in one of the poorest neighborhoods in Washington DC, within sight of the Capitol Building, and the dedicated effort of a small nonprofit agency, Horton's Kids, to improve the lives of these children and build a stronger community.  His is currently working on My Mother's Journey, following the life of his mother as she relocated from Alabama to Rochester, New York during some of the most tumultous years of the civil rights movement.  In addition to these documentaries, Sam has also produced promotional videos for non-profit organizations, most notably for The Writer's Center in Bethesda, Maryland.