caitlin mae burke

 IF/Then Shorts is a fund and mentorship initiative of Field of Vision.

IF/Then supports storytellers in breaking barriers to access, exposure, and sustainability in the media landscape. Founded in 2017 by Amy Hobby and Mridu Chandra at Tribeca Film Institute, with support from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, IF/Then champions inclusive, regional storytelling by underrepresented filmmakers to challenge dominant narratives and dismantle inequities.

IF/Then Shorts taps into the need for broader geographical representation in the stories that get told through its regional pitch events. We work with creators who experience inequity based on factors such as race, gender, class, sexuality, ability, ethnicity, age, citizenship, and/or geography. IF/Then holistically supports short documentary storytellers in their creation of compelling, character-led, community-inspired stories that embody the breadth and diversity of the people and places they represent.

Through her work over the last three years as Program Manager, Supervising Producer, and now Co-Director, Caitlin Mae Burke has mentored over 50 short documentaries from development to distribution. Projects have gone on to be Oscar shortlisted, win numerous Best Of designations at festivals internationally, and broadcast/stream on Al Jazeera English, Disney+, NYT OpDocs, The New Yorker, POV, Reel South, NHK, and more.

For updates on Caitlin’s work (and the latest successes of IF/Then projects) check out IF/Then Shorts.