Spring 2026

Patricia Finneran is a leader in the documentary film and media impact community with a
successful track record creating programs for organizations including AFI (Silverdocs),
DocSociety, Good Pitch, Sundance, and IFP/New York. From 2022-24, she ran the
StoryBoard Impact Fund in Geneva; her work increased awareness of impact distribution in
Europe and supported more than 35 international filmmakers.

Patricia founded Story Matters to provide training and consulting services in documentary
impact distribution, and work with nonprofit leaders to craft and activate strategies for
organization advancement. She also frequently facilitates live programs and has worked
with CPH DOX, DX Fest, FIFDH, IDFA, Movies that Matter, and more.

She holds a BA from Barnard College, Columbia University, is an AFI Producing alum, and
completed National Arts Strategies Chief Executive and Ford JustFilms Rockwood
Leadership programs. In addition to her research work at DFPI, upcoming projects include:
co-creating Ireland’s first impact lab, launching director Neasa Ni Chianáin’s new climate-
related feature, and Jonathan Stack’s new film SNIP TRIP.

While at Shorenstein, Patricia will look at how independent documentaries addressing
climate change and fossil fuel extraction have affected interest in and the understanding of
climate change issues, as measured by media impact data.