Prepare your documentary to be seen by industry professionals. Make sure it is edited with as much precision as possible. In the cable industry, if your documentary fails to meet quality standards, it will be tossed aside and not considered. Add any finishing touches to your work.
Copyright your documentary with the U.S. Copyright Office. Before you put your film out there, be sure that you have the legal rights to it in case someone else tries to rip it off. Once CNN decides that it wants to use your documentary, it will pay you a licensing fee to borrow your rights for the production, but you still hold the primary rights to the material.
Contact the CNN production department. Ask about how to submit an unsolicited documentary film. An unsolicited submission means that the documentary film was not advertised for or requested by the company. Wait for a response.
Check the CNN website for updates on documentary submissions. Sometimes, film submissions are solicited by cable stations for special feature projects or contests.
Take a chance and send in a copy of your documentary to the production department. Provide all of your contact information along with the film, so the reviewers know how to contact you if they are interested.
Apply for a job or an internship at CNN or at Turner Broadcasting System, CNN's parent company. By working for the company, you will collaborate with people who might be willing to take a look at your documentary or pull strings with executives to consider your film.