The Film Independent Forum is back and has so much to offer…

In addition to screenings, panels, workshops, one-on-one meetings and networking receptions, take part in conversations with a stellar lineup of panelists who will give you the expert advice you need to move your career as a filmmaker forward. All of this and much more, September 27 & 28, live and in person at the DGA in Los Angeles.

 

Accessibility

ASL interpretation will be available for all Forum panels and Q&As. If you have a need for ASL interpretation for Industry Connect, feel free to email us at the address listed below.

Film Independent is committed to hosting events that are accessible. For inquiries regarding accessibility, or to request an accommodation, please contact us at accessibility@filmindependent.org or 323 556 9305.

 

Jump to: Saturday

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27

Forum Check-In Begins

2:00 pm

Industry Connect at the Forum

2:30–4:30 pm (DGA Lobby)

Industry Connect is a unique opportunity to meet one-on-one with agents, casting directors, distributors, film festivals, funding organizations, production companies, and other industry professionals. These general, introductory meetings can yield important insights into your career and projects, or be the start of an important professional relationship.

Please note: All Industry Connect meetings are currently filled. There will be a standby line at the venue in case there are no-shows on the day.

A complete list of 2024 Industry Connect hosts is available here.
 

Creative Producing 101 with Avril Speaks

2:30 pm (DGA 2)

The creative producer wears many hats. More than just a deal-maker, you’re expected to have a great sense of story, instinctive sales skills, a grasp of indie financing models and, above all, tenacity. This session focuses on today’s best practices for the independent creative producer, with a particular focus on projects under $1 million.

Avril Speaks (Producer; African America, Jinn)
 

The New Wave

4:45 pm (DGA 2)

A roundtable bringing together a diverse group of talented voices who have broken into the industry and continue to deliver standout performances. These actors, selected by Film Independent, SAGindie and Easterseals Disability Services, will discuss how they continue pushing boundaries and fighting for more authentic and inclusive representation onscreen.

Tati Gabrielle (You, The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat)
James Ian (The Allnighter, Pugsley)
Mayan Lopez (Lopez vs. Lopez, Handsome: A Netflix Mystery Movie)
Richa Moorjani (Fargo, Never Have I Ever)
Lisa Yamada (Little Fires Everywhere, Cruel Summer)

Moderated by Darrien Michele Gipson (Executive Director, SAGindie)
 

Welcome Reception

6:00 pm

A chance to meet fellow Forum attendees and participants, while enjoying refreshments and tasty bites in the DGA Atrium and Courtyard.
 

Opening Night Screening: Will & Harper

7:30 pm (DGA 1*)

Featuring a Q&A with director Josh Greenbaum

Moderated by Jazz Tangcay (Sr. Artisans Editor, Variety)

All Film Independent Members are invited to this special screening of Will & Harper. Forum pass holders do not need to register separately to attend.

* A version of the film with open captions will be screened simultaneously in DGA 2.

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SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28

Conference Introduction

10:00 am

Financing Clinic + Real-Time Feedback

10:15 am (DGA 1)

A panel of producers, financiers and industry experts will provide a snapshot of financing today, and offer live feedback to a group of Film Independent Fellows as they pitch their projects. They’ll delve into possible pitfalls, where to find the right support, and how to leverage a particular elements into an attractive package for financiers and potential investors. The pitches, and the panelists’ specific packaging and financing advice, will provide useful tips for all.

Lisa Callif (Partner, Donaldson Callif Perez)
Christine Hsu (Agent, CAA)
Steven Adams (Founder, Alta Global Media)
Nina Parikh (Mississippi Film Office)
Datari Turner (Producer; They Cloned Tyron, Nine Days)

With pitches from Film Independent Fellows:
Nancy Degnan (Producer, Eternal Recurrence)
Moira Griffin (Producer, The Prince of Seventh Avenue)
Anas Khalaf (Writer/Director, The Photographer)

Moderated by Angela Lee (Director of Artist Development, Film Independent)

Supported by Mississippi Film Office
 

Keynote Address

11:45 am (DGA 1)

Featuring Hiro Murai (Director; The Bear, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Station Eleven, Atlanta)

Moderated by Daniel Kwan (Writer/Director; Everything Everywhere All at Once, Swiss Army Man)

With a very distinct voice and visual style, Hiro Murai has established himself as one of the most innovative artists working today. His acclaimed work directing music videos for Flying Lotus, Death Cab for Cutie, Massive Attack and Usher, among many others, demonstrates his keen eye for creating striking and haunting cinematic experiences.

In particular, Murai’s ten-year artistic collaboration with Childish Gambino produced one of the most acclaimed shows of the century, Atlanta; garnered him a GRAMMY Award for the music video for This Is America; and continues with their latest show, Mr. & Mrs. Smith.

His additional list of credits as a television director includes Barry, Station Eleven, Snowfall and Legion. He is also an Executive Producer on the Hulu series The Bear, for which he won an Emmy in 2023 and a Spirit Award in 2024.

In a candid Keynote Conversation moderated by filmmaker Daniel Kwan, Murai will explore his trajectory from the ingenious low-budget music videos of his early career to his creative process and contributions to contemporary American film and television.
 

Shifting the Narrative on Climate

12:30 pm (DGA 2)

As extreme weather conditions intensify and we appear to be approaching the “point of no return,” is there anything filmmakers can do beyond creating a sustainable production? In short, yes. The doom & gloom narratives that pervade the media today have created big barriers to climate progress, with their tendency to drive anxiety, hopelessness and inaction. But what if a better climate future were possible, and we could work together to achieve it? From creating loveable climate characters, to weaving climate themes into commercial genres like comedy and drama, filmmakers can use their creative superpowers to help audiences reconnect with a sense of optimism, empowerment and the hope of a just and equitable climate future. Hear from a panel of experts on how filmmakers can join the conversation and create entertaining stories that have impact without preaching.

Carmiel Banasky (Writer, Undone; Editor-in-Chief, Good Energy)
Allison Begalman (CEO, YEA! Impact; Founder, Hollywood Climate Summit)
Dorothy Fortenberry (PGA/WGA Interguild Climate Storytelling Group; Writer, The Handmaid’s Tale)
Blake Pickens (Filmmaker & Comedian; Rubble & Crew, The Land)
Erica L. Rosenthal, PhD (Director of Research, USC Norman Lear Center)

Moderated by Jeanell English (Founder, ELIZABETH)

Supported by Plot Shift Media. Learn more about The Climate Entertainment Initiative.
 

Global TV: How Does It Translate?

1:45 pm (DGA 1)

Streamers and studios are sourcing content from around the world; series formats are crossing borders and languages; and global audiences have increased access to an ever-growing menu of episodic options. The current environment of “abundance” seems like a windfall for storytellers and audiences alike, but will appetite for cross-cultural stories increase? And what does all of this mean for creators?

Maegan Houang (Writer; Shōgun, The Sympathizer)
Jamie Lai (VP, Scripted TV for CJ ENM America and Studio Dragon Global)
Jeremy Podeswa (Director; 3 Body Problem, Game of Thrones)
Amr Salama (Creator, Paranormal)
McKenna Stephens (Maria Farinha Filmes)

Moderated by Wendy Calhoun (Writer/Producer; Justified, Prodigal Son)

OR

Fiction Case Study: Thelma

1:45 pm (DGA 2)

Take a deep dive into the making of one of this year’s indie hits, as the filmmakers take us from development through production to successfully launching their film into the world.

Josh Margolin (Writer/Director, Thelma)
Chris Kaye (Producer, Thelma)
Zoë Worth (Producer; Thelma)

Moderated by Tre Wesley (Video Producer, IMDb)

This panel is off the record. Recording/posting/sharing any aspects of this panel not permitted.
 

Industry Connect at the Forum

2:00–5:00 pm (DGA Lobby)

See Industry Connect listing above (Friday) for details.
 

International Panorama: From Markets and Festivals to Distribution

3:15 pm (DGA 1)

Regardless of your position on the globe, navigating film festivals and finding the right distribution channel for an independent film has become increasingly challenging. As filmmakers compare notes with their counterparts around the world, they are finding out the grass is not necessarily greener anywhere else. This time, we’re in it together… festival, market and distribution experts will provide insight on how to cultivate new opportunities, with a global perspective.

Josh Braun (President, Submarine)
Milan Chakraborty (Head of Film, Marginal MediaWorks)
Javier Fuentes-León (Writer/Director; Contracorriente, The Best Families)
Myriam Sassine (Producer, Costa Brava Lebanon)
Ania Trzebiatowska (Programmer, Sundance Film Festival)

Moderated by Mia Bruno (Distribution Strategist/Distributor, Fourth Act Film)

OR

Doc Case Studies: Bobi Wine, The People’s President and unseen

3:15 pm (DGA 2)

Two different stories with two different approaches, resulting in two equally engaging documentaries that provide a view into the diverse form and practice of modern nonfiction filmmaking. From project inception through production and distribution, the teams behind these docs will offer an honest account of their unique journeys in this candid session.

Moses Bwayo (Director, Bobi Wine: the People’s President)
Set Hernandez (Director, unseen)
Diane Quon (Producer, unseen)

Moderated by Daniel Cardone (Nonfiction Programs, Film Independent)

This panel is off the record. Recording/posting/sharing any aspects of this panel not permitted.
 

Spirit of Independence: 40 Years of Film Independent

4:45 pm (DGA 1)

We close the Forum with a celebration of Film Independent’s 40th anniversary, bringing together a group of filmmakers who have taken home a Spirit Award in the past four decades. As our industry continues to grapple with the effects of last year’s strikes, the current moment calls for a dynamic recalibration to create a healthier ecosystem that is more respectful of the people working in it. We explore the paths of filmmakers who have created seminal films in the last forty years, and ask what can we learn from past experiences to chart the way forward.

Albert Berger (Producer; Election, Little Miss Sunshine)
Ron Yerxa (Producer; Election, Little Miss Sunshine)
Cathy Schulman (Producer; Crash, The Idea of You)
Jonathan Wang (Producer; Everything Everywhere All at Once, The Legend of Ochi)

Moderated by Jordana Mollick (Producer; Hello, My Name is Doris, The Eyes of Tammy Faye)
 

Closing Reception + Happy Hour

6:00 pm

Closing Night Screening: The Babadook

Special 10th Anniversary Screening

7:30 pm (DGA 1)

Featuring a Q&A with writer/director Jennifer Kent

Moderated by filmmaker/actor Josh Ruben (Werewolves Within)

All Film Independent Members are invited to this special screening of The Babadook. Forum pass holders do not need to register separately to attend.

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