FiSpo Updates: Row of Life, Chasers, The Ice Cream Man & She Cried That Day
With Fiscal Sponsorship, independent films and their creators can accept sponsorship as if they were a non-profit through Film Independent. The 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. Our monthly Fiscal Spotlight column introduces new fiscally-sponsored projects worth supporting.
Naturally, we want to see the fruits of all that awesome sponsorship, so today we’re checking in with four sponsored projects to see how there doing with another FiSpo Update.
ROW OF LIFE
Project type: Nonfiction Feature
Project status: Distribution
Filmmakers: Soraya Simi, Nicholas Weissman
Synopsis: Row of Life is a feature documentary that follows Angela Madsen, a former Marine, 3x Paralympian, and renowned ocean rower, on her attempt to solo row unsupported from LA to Hawaii. Row of Life captures the year before the row and her preparation alongside her wife as well as the journey from LA to Hawaii – up until they unexpectedly lose contact with her.
Update: We’re excited to share that Row of Life will be premiering at the 40th Santa Barbara International Film Festival, followed by Big Sky Documentary Film Festival, and the upcoming Ocean Film Tour. Along the films journey, Film Independent has been integral in supporting the film, connecting us with our key investor, advocating for the film, and supporting us as a fiscal sponsor as we received finishing fund grants.
In addition, Our production team has also expanded to include Executive Producer Sue Bird — 5x Olympic Gold medalist, and partner to soccer player Megan Rapinoe — along with her company TOGETHXR, founded by Olympic medalists Alex Morgan, Chloe Kim, and Simone Manuel – which focuses on amplifying women’s sports stories as well as advocating for the LGBTQ community. Their partnership in addition to our CoProduction partner TIME Studios, not only reflects a true authenticity to the narrative, but validates Angela and her athletic feat on a global scale, and increases the reach of the film immeasurably. We’re currently represented by Sophia Heslov at WME and will be taking the film to market over the coming weeks.
CHASERS
Project type: Fiction Episodic
Project status: Festivals
Filmmakers: Erin Brown Thomas, Ciarra Krohne, Olivia Haller, Elle Shaw, Beth Napoli
Synopsis: Set against the backdrop of an LA house party, Chasers follows a young dreamer who was recently manipulated into an unwanted sexual encounter with her crush. To cope with the abuse, she seeks to define and solidify their relationship.
Update: The Chasers team is thrilled to announce our World Premiere at Sundance 2025 on January 28 as part of the Episodic Showcase! We’re also celebrating a rare “double dance” achievement, with Chasers screening at Slamdance 2025 in February. This milestone has been accompanied by incredible coverage across every major trade, including Deadline, Variety, Hollywood Reporter, and Screen Daily.
Indiewire exclusively unveiled our trailer, with Alison Foreman describing the pilot as “a vibrant and self-reflective thesis on the cost of paying your dues in an industry relentlessly intent on taking more than its fair share from your soul and psyche.” Director Erin Brown Thomas shared her perspective with Indiewire, saying, “Entertainment, much like toxic relationships, loves to dress up exploitation as opportunity.”
We’re honored to share this deeply personal story with audiences, shining a light on the subtle manipulations of ambition and the sacrifices demanded in pursuit of a dream.
SHE CRIED THAT DAY
Project type: Nonfiction Feature
Project Status: Completed/Distribution
Filmmakers: Amanda Erickson, Stina Hamlin, Tracy Rector
Logline: Christine Means and her family have spent years questioning the circumstances surrounding her sister’s death. In 2019, a renewed sense of hope for justice places Christine at the center of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives movement in New Mexico. Against all odds, this is a story of love, spirit, and the unwavering power of Indigenous women and allies who refuse to let their loved ones be forgotten.
Filmmakers’ update: She Cried That Day will be making its World Premiere at Big Sky Documentary Film Festival on February 20th, we hope to see you there or on the road as we make our way into the world! We couldn’t have done it without the support from Film Independent Fiscal Sponsorship and Documentary Lab. We are also proud to announce that Tracy Rector and Stina Hamlin of 4th World Media will be joining our family as Executive Producer and Supervising Post Producer. It has been a long journey, but one made easier with support from the vast network of brilliant filmmakers in the Film Independent extended family. Thank you for bringing us into your circle of care! We invite you to be a part of this journey by donating to our project and staying updated on our outreach and impact through our website. Your support is crucial in bringing awareness to this issue and supporting those with missing loved ones.
THE ICE CREAM MAN
Project type: Fiction Short
Project status: Festivals
Filmmakers: Robert Moniot, Greg Malone
Filmmakers Update: The Ice Cream Man has been shortlisted for the Oscars Live Action Shorts. We are thrilled for this honor, given that we delivered a final version just in time for the qualifying run in Los Angeles in September. We have appeared in several festivals, winning audience awards at Indy Shorts and the Naples International Film Festival. Additional festival appearances are scheduled in Palm Beach, Key Biscayne and Boca Raton, FL; Sedona, AZ; and more where we have been accepted but formal announcements have not yet been made. In addition, our curriculum development with The Anne Frank Center is in full swing, and initial responses during test runs have been strongly positive. With the help of FI Fiscal Sponsorship, we have been able to craft a moving story that needs to be told, and we are on the cusp of getting it out to the world…mostly for free. We are still raising funds for our Oscar push and the development of the curriculum, including additional video and museum quality assets to support the storytelling.
Film Independent’s Fiscal Sponsorship program gives nonprofit funding to independent filmmakers and media artists. The participating filmmakers and projects express a uniqueness of vision, celebrate diversity and advance the craft of filmmaking through the creation of these special works. To see all of projects that are part of our program, visit our Sponsored Projects page.
For more information about any of our Film Independent programs (including Fiscal Sponsorship) and how to apply to them see our Artist Development page.
For over 40 years, Film Independent has helped filmmakers get their projects made and seen. The nonprofit organization’s core mission is to champion creative independence in visual storytelling and support a community of artists who embody diversity, innovation and uniqueness of vision.
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(Header: Chasers)