Direction and production of activist documentary films

Overview

This micro-credential qualifies students to conceive, produce, and direct an activist documentary. Students will develop skills in writing, planning, editing, and completing a collaborative film project.

Goals

Based on the theoretical and ethical foundations of activist cinema, with an orientation towards practical sessions, this micro-credential will present and develop all the creative, professional and social aspects for the creation and production of documentary film works oriented towards social impact and activism, under the tutelage and practical case of the films and audiovisuals made by Miguel Ángel Rolland.

The course will culminate in the filming, editing, and presentation of a collective activist documentary, based on the ideas presented and chosen by the participants, who will also have the opportunity to learn firsthand about the different professions that a small documentary production team can and should undertake.

Access requirements

Students must be between 25 and 64 years old on the date the training begins.
A university degree will not be required to access this micro-credential.

Academic program

Contents

Block I: Foundations and Ethics (Sessions 1-2)
Focused on the theoretical basis and the responsibility of the filmmaker.
Session 1: Cinema as a Tool for Change in the Canary Islands
Session 2: Narrative and Audiovisual Language

Block II: Development and Pre-production (Sessions 3-4)
From idea to paper.
Session 3: Script and Production Folder
Session 4: The Pitch and Shooting Plan

Block III: Production and Filming (Sessions 5-7)
Cameras ready. Real-world action.
Session 5: Field Technique I (Image and Light)
Session 6: Field Technique II (Sound is the 50%)
Session 7: Intensive Filming Day

Block IV: Post-production and Distribution (Sessions 8-10)
Where history is born.
Session 8: Impactful Assembly and Editing
Session 9: Completion and Sound Reinforcement
Session 10: Impact Strategy and Premiere

Distribution: Festivals, NGOs and social media campaigns.
Workshop closing: Group viewing of the final cuts and feedback.

Methodology and activities

The training activities to be carried out during the delivery of the micro-credential will be:

Theoretical classes: expository, explanatory or demonstration sessions of the contents and knowledge.
Practical classes: sessions of practical application of the content developed in the theoretical classes, through the resolution of exercises, problems or theoretical-practical scenarios.
Work: preparation of a study, essay, work… proposed in the subject, either individually or in a group following established guidelines.
Independent work: independent and self-regulated activity of the student starting from the
Documentation and guidelines proposed in the subject, preparation of classes and exams, preparation of final reports, internship reports…
Exhibitions, debates and defenses of works and projects: activity through which the
Students present work, exercises, projects… based on established criteria, demonstrating sufficiency and maturity in the acquisition of the planned competencies.
Tutoring (individual, group…): activity in which the teaching staff attends to, facilitates and guides one or more students in the training process.
Field trips/visits: an activity carried out outside the classroom. Its objective is for students to put what they have learned in class into practice in a real-world context, allowing them to reinforce theoretical content (meaningful learning).

Regarding the way to organize the teaching to achieve the objectives set out in the micro-credential, the organizational modality summarized below will be followed:

Lectures/expository method: presentation or explanation by the teaching staff.
Practical classes: activities supervised by the teaching staff in the classroom, laboratories, clinics.
Individual work: individual preparation of assignments/projects/reports, portfolio, …
Group work: group preparation of assignments, projects/reports, …
Tutoring: instruction period in which teachers and students interact with the aim of reviewing and discussing materials and topics presented in class.
Active methodologies: cooperative learning, project-based learning, flipped classroom, service learning, game-based learning, case studies, problem-solving…
They are aimed at making learning a participatory process and are based on the active participation of the students.
Field trips, visits: activities that take place outside the center and allow students to acquire the professional skills associated with a subject.

Evaluation criteria

Attendance, participation or attitude in teaching activities, seminars, tutorials, etc.: monitoring student attendance and participation in teaching activities, carrying out activities during teaching sessions.
Written works, memoirs, internship reports, and projects: a document prepared on a topic or activity carried out, following the instructions established by the teaching staff.
Oral presentation and defense of topics, papers, etc.: oral presentation on a topic
This corresponds to the content of the micro-credential or to the results of a task, exercise, or project, followed by discussion with the teaching staff. It can be done individually or in a group.

General information

Credits: 3 ECTS

Duration: 12/05/2026 – 23/05/2026

Teaching modality: In person

Location: Faculty of Social Sciences and Communication.
Schedule: Monday to Friday from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM

Registration fee: €65.25

Valued at: €217.50

Registration

More info and registration help

The cost of tuition for this Microcredential will be subsidized by the 'Plan for the development of university microcredentials', investment 6 of component 21 of the Addendum to the 'Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan', financed by the European Union – Next Generation EU, year 2025.

Flexibility

Short courses available in various formats (in-person, online, or hybrid). Ideal for learning without interrupting your professional life.

Employability

Content created and delivered by professionals and experts in the field, designed for immediate application.

Certification

Endorsed by the University of La Laguna. You will receive an official ECTS certificate, valid in the European Higher Education Area.

Teaching staff

Luis Fernando Iturrate Cárdenes

He holds a degree in Audiovisual Communication and Advertising. He is the Director of the Department of Communication Sciences and Social Work at the University of La Laguna (ULL), and is currently a tenured professor, having taught courses in Advertising and Film Theory and History. He has extensive professional experience as a director, screenwriter, and presenter of film programs on TVE and Televisión Canaria. He has also worked as an advertising photographer for multinational corporations.

Miguel Ángel Rolland Jiménez

He holds a degree in Journalism from the Complutense University of Madrid, and received a scholarship from the Ministry of Culture to study film in New York (New York Film Academy) in 2001. He has held various professional positions in the audiovisual industry, including Antenna Director, screenwriter He is a documentary filmmaker (NHK Japan) and an advertising director. He was the founder of the professional association DOCUS MADRID. He has also worked as a content and social media director at communication and marketing agencies.

Since his first short film in 1996, several of his short films have been selected by numerous international festivals (IDFA, Los Angeles, Sitges, Silverdocs, DocumentaMadrid), television channels (RTVE, CANAL+), and VOD platforms (FILMIN, KANOPY, ALCHIMIE, GUIDEDOC). He has accumulated more than 25 mentions, nominations, and awards. Nominated for the Goya Awards for Best Documentary Short Film by Aerosol (2004). In 2016 he premiered his first feature-length documentary Holy Feast, It has been screened at the Documenta Madrid, Sitges, Cinespaña Toulouse, Cine Animal Colombia, and Central DOC Mexico festivals, and was the most-watched documentary of 2016 on the Feelmakers platform. It has an 8.8 rating from viewers on the Internet Movie Database (IMDb). In 2024, he published his first novel. I8I, and is preparing his next feature-length documentary: Balladero.

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Direction and production of activist documentary films