Documentary filmmaking draws its authority from the camera as a witness to what is real, and artificial intelligence is now testing that authority at its foundation. Funding for long-form documentaries in Canada has declined by 38% in real dollars over the past decade, leaving filmmakers with fewer resources at the very moment synthetic media has become more accessible and more convincing. AI can protect vulnerable subjects, restore archival material, improve accessibility, and lower barriers for emerging and racialized creators. Yet it can also fabricate archival footage, automate research and editing, and erode the audience trust on which documentaries depend. While recent CRTC policy affirms that key creative roles in Canadian productions must remain human-led, it does not currently require disclosure when synthetic images or voices are used. This panel asks a defining question for documentary filmmaking: in a genre built on truth, how do we preserve trust when seeing is no longer believing?
Moderated by:
CEO & Executive Producer, Fathom Film Group
Bio +
Ann Shin is CEO of Fathom, an award-winning writer and executive producer known for acclaimed, hit shows. She leads Fathom’s premium mandate across true crime, documentary and scripted. As Series Producer, she delivered series including Stay Tooned, Kpop Evolution, The List, and Save Us From Our House, working with Amazon, AMC, CBC, Bell Media, Discovery, and others. She also produced and directed the documentary A.rtificial I.mmortality. My Enemy, My Brother was Oscar-shortlisted and Emmy-nominated; The Defector won 3 CSAs. She was named to The Hollywood Reporter’s 2026 Power List.