Dear Friends,

At Film Independent, we support and celebrate creative independence in visual storytelling. We believe that artist-driven filmmaking is critically important to our culture and that films driven by individual artistic vision are of lasting and permanent value. Our mission is to help independent filmmakers get their films made, build the audience for their work and increase diversity within the film industry.

As the year draws to a close, I am writing to ask you to help support artist-driven filmmaking and make an end of year tax-deductible donation to Film Independent, or join our annual contributor group, the Arts Circle.

We have amazing things planned for 2014–including a big celebration of 20 years of the Los Angeles Film Festival!–but I also want to share some of the highlights from 2013.

ARTIST DEVELOPMENT

Nothing makes us happier than the continued success of our Fellows—the talented filmmakers who participate in our Artist Development programs each year. Seeing them recognized at film festivals, award shows, funding programs and in film release schedules reminds us why we do what we do. Also, we reached a milestone this year with the 20^th anniversary of Project Involve, our signature diversity mentorship program. With the help of our funders and partners, we are changing the face of the industry.

FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARDS

2013 Spirit Awards host Andy Samberg’s opening monologue kicked off a night celebrating artist-driven filmmaking and recognition for this years finest achievements in filmmaking. Ava DuVernay’s Middle of Nowhere took home the John Cassavetes Award for best feature made for less than $500,000 and we were thrilled to award $125,000 in sponsored grant awards to previously unrecognized independent filmmakers. Our biggest hope each year at the Spirit Awards is to bring attention to films that might otherwise not reach new audiences. With the help of all who attended the show, voted for the winners and watched the broadcast we feel confident this goal was achieved.

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FILM PROGRAMMING

In addition to enjoying screenings of films like Edgar Wright’s The World’s End and Steve McQueen’s 12 Years a Slave, our Film Independent at LACMA program received visits from acclaimed filmmaker Christopher Nolan, Noah Baumbach, Peter Berg and Mark Wahlberg, and many more. Our popular Live Read series continued and included a special summer edition celebrating Breaking Bad with the show’s cast in attendance, as well as memorable nights featuring His Girl Friday and Boogie Nights, among others. We partnered with the LMU School of Film and Television to produce Caméras d’Afrique, an ambitious series featuring 21 films from West Africa and appearances from world-renowned West African directors such as Mahamat-Saleh Haroun and Mama Kéïta. With the New York Times, we curated their first Online Indie Film Festival, and with the Santa Monica Pier we curated their free outdoor screening series, Front Porch Cinema.

LOS ANGELES FILM FESTIVAL

Spanish auteur Pedro Almodovar’s aptly titled I’m So Excited! kicked off the 19^th annual Los Angeles Film Festival at L.A. LIVE. Film lovers then enjoyed ten days of packed programming–world premieres of narrative and documentary features, short films and music videos, and exclusive events like our Grammy Nights, Master Classes with the likes of Maya Rudolph and Spike Jonze, and a conversation with our Guest Director David O. Russell. Taking full advantage of our city’s climate we took our screenings outdoors, having a dance-a-long with Hairspray at downtown’s Grand Park and going retro with Dazed and Confused at FIGat7th.

FILM EDUCATION

All year long our Education Department produces classes and events designed to keep our Members up to date on the latest trends in filmmaking and in conversation with the most original and creative filmmakers working today.

Our Directors Close-Up series welcomed such filmmakers as the team behind Beasts of the Southern Wild, including director Benh Zeitlin, and director Ben Affleck (Argo), and at the Film Independent Forum this October, industry leaders like Ava DuVernay and Ted Sarandos shared their thoughts on the state of filmmaking today.

I invite you to join us–be part of the community that loves and supports original, compelling and diverse voices in filmmaking. Visit filmindependent.org to make a donation and get ready to see what we can do in 2014.

Best,

Josh Welsh
President