Brenda Robinson Becomes First Black President Of The International Documentary Association

Dino-Ray Ramos
·3 min read

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The International Documentary Association has named Brenda Robinson as its new President of its Board of Directors. She makes history as the organization’s first Black president.

An entertainment attorney, Robinson joined IDA’s Board of Directors in 2018. She succeeds Kevin Iwashina, whose board term ends in December. Her new role as President begins immediately.

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“I am honored to have the opportunity to contribute in a meaningful way to the continued growth of this organization and to lead us forward in fulfilling our mission of championing storytellers while creating a culture of inclusion,” said Robinson.

“I could not be more proud of what we accomplished as a Board during both my term and my presidency,” said Iwashina. “I am confident that Brenda’s leadership will be transformational for the IDA. Although my formal relationship with the organization is coming to an end, my enthusiasm for its long-term success does not, and I look forward to meaningfully supporting the organization in the future.”

“IDA has been very fortunate to have Kevin Iwashina’s leadership for the past nine years as both a Board Member and most recently as Board President. He has contributed greatly to IDA’s growth and he leaves IDA as a much healthier and engaged organization,” said Simon Kilmurry, Executive Director of IDA. “I am thrilled to be able to work more closely with Brenda as we seek to build an IDA that serves the community of documentary makers.”

Robinson acted as production counsel and executive producer for numerous documentary and feature film projects as well as scripted and unscripted television programming. She is a partner in Gamechanger Films, an equity fund that finances feature films and television series by women and diverse storytellers. She is also active in the Sundance Institute as a member of the Women at Sundance Leadership Council and serves as an advisor to The Redford Center. A philanthropist and advocate to the entertainment community, Robinson currently serves on the boards of Film Independent, Chicken & Egg Pictures, The Representation Project and Cinema/Chicago, where she also serves as official legal counsel to the Chicago International Film Festival. She is also a founding advisory board member of the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative.

Robinson was a financier on the Oscar-winning documentary Icarus as well as the Mister Rogers docu Won’t You Be My Neighbor and the Amanda Lipitz-directed Step, which follows a high school step team in Baltimore. Her other credits include a slate of acclaimed documentaries including United Skates, The Great American Lie, Jump Shot: The Kenny Sailors Story, and Marian Anderson: The Whole World In Her Hands for PBS’ American Masters series.

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