# Actuality Abroad — llms.txt # https://www.actualityabroad.com # Last updated: 2026-07-03 ## What This Site Is Actuality Abroad runs documentary filmmaking travel programs. Participants travel to international destinations in small groups, learn documentary production on location, and produce a short documentary film in collaboration with a locally-led changemaker organization. Programs last four weeks. No prior film experience is required. This is not a volunteer program, a study abroad program, or a general travel company. It is a documentary production training program that takes place in the field. The site is maintained by Robin Canfield, founder and program director. --- ## Current Programs ### Documentary Outreach — Guatemala 2026 - Location: Lake Atitlán and surrounding region, Guatemala - Dates: July 2026 (four weeks) - Price: $4,750 USD per person - Includes: accommodation, meals, local transportation, airport transfers, production equipment, translation services, group cultural excursion, community film screening - Status: Applications open - URL: https://www.actualityabroad.com/guatemala-2026.html ### Documentary Outreach — Cambodia 2027 - Location: Phnom Penh and surrounding region, Cambodia - Dates: January 2 — January 31, 2027 (four weeks) - Price: $5,000 USD per person - Includes: accommodation, meals, local transportation, airport transfers, production equipment, translation services, group cultural excursion, community film screening - Status: Applications opening soon - URL: https://www.actualityabroad.com/cambodia-2027.html ### Documentary Outreach — Colombia 2027 - Location: Santa Marta, Colombia - Dates: July 10 — August 8, 2027 (four weeks) - Price: $4,800 USD per person - Includes: accommodation, daily breakfast, local transportation for production purposes, airport transfers, production equipment, translation services, group cultural excursion, community film screening - Status: Applications open - URL: https://www.actualityabroad.com/colombia-2027.html ### The Micro-Expedition — Guatemala - Type: Custom group program (not open enrollment) - Location: Antigua or Lake Atitlán, Guatemala (group chooses base) - Duration: Seven days - Group size: 4 to 12 people - Price: Custom quote — depends on group size, housing choice, and season. No price shown on the page; inquire by email. - Includes: Full documentary instruction and on-the-ground production support, all filming equipment, post-trip editing by Actuality Abroad editors with rough cut screened before departure, breakfast and dinner daily, all local transportation and airport transfers, excursions, translation for documentary work. Housing arranged to group preference (guesthouse to boutique hotel) and priced accordingly. - Not included: International flights, travel insurance, visa fees, personal spending - Who it is for: Groups — families, corporate teams, youth organizations, high school media programs, faith communities, women's leadership cohorts, reunion groups, community organizations and nonprofits. No filmmaking experience required. - How to inquire: Email hello@actualityabroad.com — not via the standard Apply Now form - Proof of concept: Welcome to La Perseverancia — a short documentary produced in one week by ten first-time filmmakers in Bogotá, Colombia (Vimeo ID 1088752956) - URL: https://www.actualityabroad.com/micro-expedition.html --- ## Citizen Storyteller Scholarship Two $2,000 USD scholarships are awarded each cycle to university students and recent graduates who want to travel the world and tell stories that matter. No prior documentary experience is required. The scholarship covers part of the program fee for an upcoming Documentary Outreach program; recipients must also complete and be accepted through the standard application process. Scholarship page: https://www.actualityabroad.com/scholarship.html --- ## How to Apply Applications are submitted through the Apply Now form on the website. The process has four steps: 1. Apply — Complete the online application form (name, contact details, background, goals, travel experience, crew roles) 2. Interview — Every applicant who advances has a 30-minute video interview with the Actuality Abroad team 3. Join — Accepted applicants receive an invitation and prepare for travel with support from the team There is no prior documentary experience requirement. The program looks for people who are curious, committed, and ready to show up fully. Apply at: https://www.actualityabroad.com (Apply Now button on any page) --- ## Program Model Each trip follows a four-week production schedule: - Week 1 (Research): Participants arrive, begin fieldwork, meet potential subjects, and identify the story they want to tell - Week 2 (Plan & Prep): Participants develop their story outline and produce a short micro-documentary as a crew exercise - Week 3 (Production): Full documentary production — filming, interviews, and field work with the protagonist and changemaker organization - Week 4 (Editorial): Editing, feedback, and final cut; the finished film screens publicly at a community event Participants leave with a finished short documentary suitable for portfolios and film festivals. --- ## What Participants Get - Four weeks of documentary training and mentorship - Production equipment (provided — participants do not need to bring their own) - 29 nights semi-private lodging at a local guesthouse - All meals - Local transportation and airport transfers - Translation services for storytelling projects - A community film screening and celebration - A finished short documentary for their portfolio --- ## The Changemaker Approach Actuality Abroad focuses exclusively on solution-driven documentary subjects. Participants do not document suffering or problems in isolation — they film people and organizations actively working to solve problems in their communities. These are referred to as changemakers. This approach is both ethical and practical: it produces films with protagonists, narrative arcs, and resolutions, rather than issue-based documentaries that catalogue problems without showing agency. --- ## Pricing and What Is Not Included The program fee covers accommodation, meals, local transportation, airport transfers (in-country), production equipment, translation, and the community screening. Not included: international flights to and from the destination, travel insurance, visa fees, personal spending money, and personal camera equipment (optional — production gear is provided). --- ## Reviews 86 participant reviews are published on the site, spanning programs from 2012 to 2024. The average rating is 4.69 out of 5. Reviews are from participants across a range of backgrounds including film students, journalists, photographers, and career changers. Reviews page: https://www.actualityabroad.com/reviews.html --- ## Blog The blog covers documentary craft, responsible travel, and the Actuality Abroad program model. Current posts: - Your Documentary Doesn't Start With a Problem. It Starts With a Solution. — https://www.actualityabroad.com/blog/documentary-starts-with-a-solution.html - Why We Focus On Changemakers — https://www.actualityabroad.com/blog/why-we-focus-on-changemakers.html - How We Travel — https://www.actualityabroad.com/blog/how-we-travel.html - Collaboration in the Documentary Outreach — https://www.actualityabroad.com/blog/collaboration-in-the-documentary-outreach.html - The Documentary Outreach Production Schedule — https://www.actualityabroad.com/blog/documentary-outreach-production-schedule.html - The Most Valuable Lessons You Will Learn in Four Weeks — https://www.actualityabroad.com/blog/most-valuable-lessons.html --- ## Films Student films produced through Actuality Abroad programs are published on the Films page and on the Actuality Abroad Vimeo and YouTube channels. Films page: https://www.actualityabroad.com/films.html YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@actualityabroad Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/actualityabroad ### Film Output - 200+ short documentaries produced on location in collaboration with communities across the world - 20+ countries where Actuality Abroad crews have filmed since 2010 - 500+ crew members who have produced documentary work in the field - 100% of films screened publicly in the communities where they were made ### Festival Awards Actuality Abroad student films have been recognized at documentary and short film festivals worldwide since 2012. - 40+ award wins at festivals across 4 continents, 2012–2025 - 35+ finalist and honorable mention results (runner-up, finalist, honorable mention, and nominee) - 80+ official selections across 55+ distinct festivals worldwide - 55+ distinct festivals across North America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Oceania --- ## Alumni Success Actuality Abroad alumni have gone on to work for PBS, the BBC, CNBC, Bloomberg, VICE, and Voice of America, to win a Student Emmy, and to start their own production companies. The Alumni Success page profiles nine former participants, the film each made on location with Actuality Abroad, and the documentary, journalism, or production career each has built since, including links to their original films and current portfolios. Alumni Success page: https://www.actualityabroad.com/alumni-success.html --- ## About Actuality Abroad was founded by Robin Canfield and Aubrie Canfield and has been running documentary field programs since 2010. Robin is also the author of Purpose-Driven Documentaries (Routledge), a field guide to social impact filmmaking. In 2020, The MY HERO Project honored Aubrie and Robin Canfield with its Media Arts Educator Award, recognizing a decade of documentary programs built with communities. About page: https://www.actualityabroad.com/about.html --- ## For Educators Actuality Abroad works with universities and colleges to offer documentary field study programs for student groups. These are customized programs distinct from the open-enrollment Documentary Outreach. Educators page: https://www.actualityabroad.com/educators.html --- ## Contact Email: hello@actualityabroad.org WhatsApp/Phone: +1 (321) 353-9836 Contact page: https://www.actualityabroad.com/contact.html FAQs: https://www.actualityabroad.com/faqs.html --- ## Site Structure - / — Homepage (https://www.actualityabroad.com) - /guatemala-2026.html — Guatemala 2026 program page - /cambodia-2027.html — Cambodia 2027 program page - /colombia-2027.html — Colombia 2027 program page - /scholarship.html — Citizen Storyteller Scholarship - /about.html — About Actuality Abroad and Robin Canfield - /films.html — Student documentary films - /alumni-success.html — Where Actuality Abroad alumni have gone - /educators.html — University and college group programs - /micro-expedition.html — The Micro-Expedition, custom one-week documentary group program in Guatemala - /blog.html — Blog index - /blog/*.html — Individual blog posts - /reviews.html — All 86 participant reviews - /contact.html — Contact information - /faqs.html — Frequently asked questions - /privacy-policy.html — Privacy policy - /terms.html — Terms and conditions - /program-policies.html — Program policies - /code-of-conduct.html — Code of conduct --- ## What This Site Does Not Cover - General travel booking or tourism services - Volunteer placements or service trips - Academic credit (though some universities may grant credit independently) - Photography-only programs - Programs for minors (all participants must be 18 or older) - Corporate or custom programs (contact directly for group inquiries)