Exterior. Establishing: Film Independent HQ. Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles. PRELAP the sounds of passionate conversation and laughter. CUT TO: Interior, Conference Room, Film Independent HQ. Seven new screenwriting FELLOWS are arrayed around a table, the Hollywood Sign visible on the distant hills outside the window. They’re here to develop six deeply personal and wholly original feature film projects under the steady guiding hand of Film Independent’s SCREENWRITING LAB (31, strong-willed but nurturing; seasoned but not too stuffy it can’t still cut the rug, especially when an open bar is in ..read more

It’s true! No, seriously: it’s true. And by “it” we of course mean the stories at the heart of Film Independent’s 2024 Doc Story Lab. A one-week intensive designed to provide support for filmmakers whose projects are in post-production, the Doc Story Lab is one of two Documentary Labs amid the larger Film Independent Artist Development umbrella of talent incubators, which for over 30 years have been the place to spot future media-visionary movers-and-shakers. This year’s participants will engage in five days’ worth of workshops, guest speaker sessions, and one-on-one mentorship with ..read more

Film Independent’s Fiscal Sponsorship program supports an inclusive variety of projects, narrative and nonfiction, shorts and features, as well as the occasional new media project, special event or advocacy initiative. Each month, our Fiscal Spotlight column introduces three new fiscally-sponsored projects worth supporting. But maybe you’re curious how some of those prior subjects have turned out? That’s right: it’s time for another FiSpo Update highlighting the recent achievements of previous Fiscal Spotlight subjects. Curious how it all works? See below: Film Independent’s Fiscal Sponsorshi ..read more

If you’re as deeply immersed in the particulars of the independent film world as we are, you’ve probably sensed a sort of crisis of career sustainability recently boiling over. More and more, indie makers across all disciplines are finding it difficult to build protections around the financial aspects of their work. Why, it’s almost (almost!) like budding auteurs are flushed out of the soft surroundings of film school into the real world with no training in basic business fundamentals–the kind any independent contractor might need, as a matter of course. Luckily there are folks stepping in to ..read more

The world is heating up out there, but the gusts and erratic temperature swings of early Spring can often be deceiving. One minute it looks sunny and warm, the next you’re stranded on a long walk in just basketball shorts when a sudden chill descends. Or it looks nasty, and all of a sudden you’re overdressed in 80-degree heat. It might be best to stay safely within the confines of your local art house or home theater with some Don’t-Miss Indies instead.   MONKEY MAN When You Can Watch:  April 5  Where You Can Watch: Theaters   Directors: Dev Patel  Cast: Dev Patel, Sh ..read more

Do you thrive on taking copious notes, observing minute details, and working closely on set with a director? Yes? Then you might want to consider a career as a script supervisor—the person who makes sure that the visual details in a scene (action, wardrobe, props, set dressing, hair and makeup—you name it) are consistent from shot-to-shot and even scene-to-scene. And you might want to consider these insights from expert script supervisor, Sarah Horton, whose credits over a 12-year career include Mutt & Stuff, Aftermath, Behaving Badly, and Liza On Demand. Continuity and consistency are cru ..read more

For the perpetually impecunious (see: poor) indie filmmaker, a well-executed short or feature project can often be your best passport to the larger world. Left to our own scant devices, our calendars are unlikely to fill up with myriad jaunts to such exotic locales as Cannes, Venice, Locarno or, erm, Arkansas (jk, we love you, Bentonville!). But with a piping hot DCP in hand, you not have not just an excuse to visit such places but an invitation. And few American cities are quite as dreamily summoned in the mind as day-glow Miami. After all: if it’s good enough for LeBron James, it’s good enou ..read more

Most filmmakers only really get going when the pain of not making a movie finally boils over to the point where it exceeds the pain of making a movie. And once this pivotal point-of-no-return is reached, the accumulated velocity of ambition will not allow petty inconveniences to impede the ultimate realization of its goal. Not even a punishing lack of start-up capital–or even, it turns out, a torrential Southern California downpour choking the streets of LA to a frigid standstill. So despite being rescheduled from February 6 due to an aggressive late-winter rainfall, Fi’s Filmmaker Tuesday ses ..read more

Think about the experience of sitting and watching a movie. What is it about that big, wonderful image that connects with you? If you’re a diehard cineaste the answer might be the film’s cinematography or its use of music, special effects, sound design or something else. But for most audiences, chances are that the primary point of connection is the characters—and probably the actors embodying them. It’s these performances that we identify with, root against and even lust after. But as much as their agents and managers might care for you to believe otherwise, actors don’t pop up in these ..read more

So! How’d you do on your 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards ballot? Not good? Well, don’t worry, because a brand new film year begins right now with a fresh crop of Don’t-Miss Indies ready for consumption. Only time will tell which of these titles will still be standing by the time we head back to the beach in 2025. But hey, it’s never too early to start prognosticating!   LOVE LIES BLEEDING When You Can Watch: Now  Where You Can Watch:  Theaters (Limited)  Director: Rose Glass  Cast: Kristen Stewart, Katy O’Brian, Jena Malone, Dave Franco, Ed Harris   Why ..read more