Gregory Robin, a documentary filmmaker from France, also attended Tuesday's discussion. Robin, whose film I'm Nobody's (2012) is among those being screened at this year's festival, described Winston as an "incredible character."
"It's interesting to learn new boundaries and see what filmmakers are trying to do in pushing the envelope with documentaries," he said.
Asked what factors were changing the landscape of documentary filmmaking in China, Winston cited evolving attitudes from authorities.
"I think [Chinese authorities] are finally realizing what their Western counterparts have known for the last couple of hundred years, which is that it's easier to control things by distribution than production. They realize they can let people produce what they like and, as long as they can stop others from seeing it, it's fine. They don't have to fight with individual artists," he told Metro Beijing.
The Beijing Independent Film Festival will host talks by Wang Xiaolu, Hao Jian and Dong Bingfeng this weekend before it concludes on Sunday.
When: Until August 26
Where: Lixianting Film Fund headquarters, Songzhuang Art Zone, Xiaopu village, Tongzhou district
Contact: 8085-6827
Admission: Free
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