By now we’re all more than familiar with the concept of Black Friday. It may be perplexing to some, but many folks’ idea of “fun” is to stay up late on Thanksgiving in order to descend on door-buster deals at local retailers like some kind of tryptophan-numbed horde of ultra-frugal zombies. Black Friday is of course followed by Cyber Monday, which takes the mania for holiday shopping online and, finally, by Giving Tuesday (or as your Millennial niece calls it, #GivingTuesday), wherein as Americans we emerge from this consumerist fugue state and attempt to absolve our capitalist guilt by donating to our favorite charities, non-profits and do-gooder organizations.

For some of us, our favorite do-gooder organizations just happen to be the ones we work for—I’m speaking of course, on behalf of myself and all of us here at 9911 W. Pico, of Film Independent itself, which for over three decades has championed creativity, innovation and diversity in visual storytelling, soldiering on through multiple bad economies and a persistently volatile global landscape. But any good that Film Independent has done throughout the years has been as the result of the collected efforts of literally thousands of Fellows, Members, staffers and other fellow travelers from our odd and enthusiastic community of cinematic rebels.

At Film Independent, we stand for the independent artists served through our Artist Development and Education programs, and for those celebrated through our two biggest annual fundraising events, the LA Film Festival and Film Independent Spirit Awards. If, like us, you believe the voice of the artist is vital to creating compelling visual storytelling that is a lasting and permanent part of our culture, please consider supporting Film Independent by making end of year tax-deductible donation. Your action will help sustain Film Independent’s programs and support all that we do.

Not convinced? Consider the words of our Staffers as they explain just what, exactly, Film Independent means to them… and, possibly, to you.

When I moved to Los Angeles from the East coast more than 15 years ago, I found the city overwhelming—a sprawling mess of separate towns, suburbs and communities without any discernible center. Luckily, I somehow discovered Film Independent and immediately joined as a Member. I started volunteering at events, made friends, worked in Artist Development… and basically never left! I met my wife at Film Independent and some of my closest friendships to this day are with people I met as a volunteer. So what does Film Independent mean to me? Pretty much everything. Our culture today is increasingly similar to the sprawling, de-centered Los Angeles I encountered back in the late ‘90s: a sea of subcultures and separate conversations with less and less of a common framework uniting them. There’s much that’s good about that (if your thing is Nordic genre movies from the 1960s, there’s probably a channel out there for you), but as Film Independent continues to grow, my hope is that it can provide that framework and bring some of those disparate voices and conversations together.

-Josh Welsh, Film Independent President

Throughout my 10 years working at Film Independent, I have witnessed firsthand the development and emergence of many great independent filmmakers and other talented people whose work touches the many disciplines inside moviemaking. To me, film has always been the language that speaks louder than most other art forms—perhaps because film is where most other art forms (music, design, acting, etc.) can coexist together. Being part of an organization that believes in the importance of this language and that dedicates itself fully to the preservation of such art makes me feel like I’m part of something that is vital and essential to humanity.

-Cristhian Barron, Accounting Manager

I will always be grateful to Film Independent, the first organization to support my work as a filmmaker. The support I received through Film Independent’s Artist Development programs opened up so many doors for Songs My Brothers Taught Me—a fictional film I produced about Native American teenagers on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. Film Independent truly supports bold, diverse and innovative stories and filmmakers, and I’m so proud and privileged to work at Film Independent now and continue our amazing work championing talented emerging artists.

-Angela Lee, Senior Manager, Artist Development

To me, Film Independent means community. Film Independent believes in your aspirations and supports your growth, no matter what the ultimate goal is. I started off as an intern, fresh out of college and with my eyes set on working for the organization. I was intimidated by the competitive nature of the job market, but Film Independent welcomed me and years later saw my potential when I vied for a full-time job. This year marks my 3rd anniversary as a full-time employee here, and since then I’ve seen so many doors opened, lives changed and voices heard. It’s a place of work, yes, but also part of something bigger. It’s a community of individuals with big goals and a desire to make a difference in the independent film world. Film Independent is a voice for those who are unlikely to be heard, and a place for likeminded people to come together and make something beautiful.

-Marvel Zamora, Corporate Sponsorship Associate

To create a mass, democratic society that functionally resonates across a multiplicity of differences—cultures, abilities, ethnicities, classes, religions, sexualities, gender expressions and political beliefs—is a wild, dreamy experiment. Lately, it feels like we are failing; we have hit rock bottom of the Second Act. The power of story is not easily won. We need filmmakers who are emboldened by the struggle, and who have as much faith as they have skill. We need filmmakers who translate the human experience across difference, and transform alienation into empathy. These are the filmmakers Film Independent supports, and our mission is urgent. Backlashes against an inclusive and equitable society reflect the immense influence diverse, unique and innovative storytelling has on our society at large. We knew it wouldn’t be easy, and I’ve never been more energized to fight alongside my comrades for the stories that will define an epic Third Act.

-Roya Rastegar, LA Film Festival Director of Programming

My relationship with Film Independent began in 2004 when I was selected to participate in Project Involve, Film Independent’s mentorship program for filmmakers from underrepresented communities. The mentorship I received as part of the program was extremely enlightening. The workshops and no-budget films we created together reminded me of the importance of community. Looking around at so many talented people from diverse backgrounds affirmed in me that there are amazing stories out there that have yet to be shared. And those storytellers need a place to call home.

Later that summer when a position opened up in the Membership department, I saw it as an opportunity to continue that feeling of community I found in Project Involve. My understanding of the real breadth of what Film Independent was doing for the film community really opened up during those early days. The urgency to sustain an ongoing conversation about what filmmakers actually need was palpable. I heard it on the phone, saw it at events and screenings and felt it from the many speakers that generously dedicated their time to give voice to these concerns. I was smitten by our mission, the community that we stand for and the efforts it takes to make our house a home. And after all these years, I still am.

-Evan Ward-Henninger, Associate Director, Membership

As an independent filmmaker and staff member, Film Independent has been my home for almost 10 years. People here are genuinely kind and genuinely love what they do. They are smart and talented, dedicated and selfless. The Film Independent mission is to create a supportive environment. And, lucky for folks like me, Film Independent not only achieves that mission within the culture at large, but also embodies that mission within the family itself.

-Will Slocombe, Senior Event Producer

I’ve worked at Film Independent for almost a year after working almost a decade on the film festival circuit, choosing to pack a suitcase rather than owning furniture and working 14-hour days only to be looking for the next job a month later. When you work on the festival circuit you give up any hope of a normal life for a chance to help independent artists find their audience. So when I accepted this position, people in my life were curious to see how it would play out. The first Education department event I was a part of was the Directors Close-Up. This was quickly followed by the Spirit Awards and the LA Film Festival. When it comes to our work, I’m most proud of our mission to be inclusive. As we prepared for the Film Independent Forum we produced a panel on sustaining a creative career that just happened to end up being all women—women who had been supported by Film Independent throughout their careers. It wasn’t intentionally produced that way. It was a moment that was so natural to what Film Independent is. We are here to support artists at various stages in their career and be a platform for those with something to say. The unique stories I had been chasing at festivals—the passionate people who want to serve the independent film community—they’re all here at Film Independent. Which is great, because after almost a decade after college I was finally able to buy my own bed!

-Lex McNaughton, Film Education Coordinator

As the mother of a young daughter I have a lot of anxiety about how my child views the world—and how the world views her. It’s extremely important to me that we have strong female voices in film and television. I want to raise a girl who can see herself succeeding at anything she wants, including becoming a film director. I feel privileged to work at Film Independent. We lead the charge on providing education, opportunity and recognition to artists that are underrepresented in this industry, including women. We are doing the work to create a more inclusive world full of opportunity for everyone.

-Kate Walker D’Angelo, Director of Institutional Giving

When I was introduced to Film Independent I thought, “Wow, this is the world I want to live in!”—a world that is diverse and supportive, not only the staff, but in every program that we do. It was a world I had not yet lived in, as previous jobs had been dominated by white males (either at studios or with directors with studio deals) and was all that I knew. I think that’s why everything that is going on in America right now is such a shock to my system—working at Film Independent, I was used to zero bigotry, and that is a beautiful world. On the morning of November 9th, I woke up thinking, “Well I’m going to the best place in the world on this very sad morning” and that was my job at Film Independent, and I’m more proud than ever to work for an organization that is dedicated to inclusion and elevating diverse voices.

-Patty Davis, Executive & Board Relationships Manager

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But! You don’t have to be on the payroll to appreciate all that Film Independent does (or even a Member, Fellow or Spirit Award winner) to support our efforts at building a better, more inclusive film community—all you have to do is click here.

Thanks for thinking of us this #GivingTuesday… now, let’s go watch some movies!

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