Robin Canfield

Robin Canfield is a filmmaker, educator, and storyteller who helps emerging creators learn how to tell true stories that matter. He is the author of Purpose-Driven Documentaries: A Field Guide to Creating Impact (Focal Press), a practical handbook for making short nonfiction films with clarity, care, and social purpose. He has also contributed to other textbooks, magazines, and media-centered outlets.


As Co-Founder and Director of Global Operations at Actuality Abroad, Robin has spent more than 15 years leading media-centered study abroad programs around the world. His work has guided hundreds of students through the collaborative process of producing short documentaries alongside grassroots changemakers in communities across the globe.

Robin studied journalism, grew up with a camera in his hands, and has been an enthusiastic photographer and storyteller his entire life. He speaks regularly at conferences on documentary storytelling, media education, and global learning. He is based in Orlando, Florida, though his office is wherever in the world he can set his laptop down.

Learn more at Actuality Abroad or connect with him on LinkedIn.