Sonya Childress

Vice Chair | Co-Director, Color Congress

A native Angeleno of African American and Puerto Rican descent, Sonya is a veteran strategist in the documentary film sector. She is a founding Co-Director of Color Congress, an ecosystem-builder that resources, supports, and connects organizations led by people of color that serve nonfiction filmmakers, leaders, and audiences of color across the US and territories. As Senior Fellow with the Perspective Fund, she supported projects that moved the documentary field towards equity, ethics and transparency. She spent two decades leading impact and distributions strategies at Active Voice, California Newsreel and Firelight Media, where she helmed impact campaigns for Stanley Nelson’s films and piloted a fellowship for impact producers of color. She is a founding member of the Documentary Accountability Working Group, a 2015 Rockwood JustFilms Fellow, and recipient of the 2023 Doc NYC Leading Light Award. Sonya is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Documentary branch.