The Film Independent Forum is specifically designed to inspire and empower filmmakers by providing them the tools and connections needed to get their projects made and seen.

In addition to panels, workshops, one-on-one meetings and networking receptions, passholders will experience a keynote address from Hiro Murai (Director; The Bear, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Station Eleven, Atlanta); a special screening of Will & Harper, including a Q&A with director Josh Greenbaum; a 10th anniversary screening of The Babadook, featuring a conversation with writer/director Jennifer Kent; and more!

Learn more about this year’s program on the Forum Schedule page.

Passes

Film Independent Members enjoy a significant discount on Forum passes, which are $149 for Members, $189 for non-Members and FREE for Arts Circle Members.

Arts Circle and Filmmaker Pro passholders also receive an added bonus: priority registration for our popular one-on-one Industry Connect sessions at the Forum.

Register for your pass here, or using the ‘Register Now’ button at the top of this page. See you at the Forum!
 

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.
 

Speakers & Panelists

Steven Adams (Founder, Alta Global Media)
Carmiel Banasky (Writer, Undone)
Allison Begalman (CEO, YEA! Impact; Founder, Hollywood Climate Summit)
Albert Berger (Producer; Election, Little Miss Sunshine)
Josh Braun (President, Submarine)
Mia Bruno (Distribution Strategist/Distributor, Fourth Act Film)
Moses Bwayo (Director, Bobi Wine: the People’s President)
Wendy Calhoun (Writer/Producer: Justified, Prodigal Son)
Lisa Callif (Partner, Donaldson Callif Perez)
Daniel Cardone (Nonfiction Programs, Film Independent)
Milan Chakraborty (Head of Film, Marginal MediaWorks)
Javier Fuentes-León (Writer/Director; Contracorriente, The Best Families)
Tati Gabrielle (Actor; You, The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat)
Darrien Michele Gipson (Executive Director, SAGindie)
Set Hernandez (Director, unseen)
Christine Hsu (Agent, CAA)
Maegan Houang (Writer; Shogun, The Sympathizer)
James Ian (Actor; The Allnighter, Pugsley)
Chris Kaye (Producer, Thelma)
Jennifer Kent (Writer/Director; The Babadook, The Nightingale)
Daniel Kwan (Writer/Director; Everything Everywhere All at Once, Swiss Army Man)
Jamie Lai (VP, Scripted TV for CJ ENM America and Studio Dragon Global)
Angela Lee (Director of Artist Development, Film Independent)
Mayan Lopez (Actor; Lopez vs. Lopez, Handsome: A Netflix Mystery Movie)
Josh Margolin (Director, Thelma)
Jordana Mollick (Producer; Hello, My Name is Doris, The Idea of You)
Richa Moorjani (Actor; Fargo, Never Have I Ever)
Hiro Murai (Director; The Bear, Atlanta)
Nina Parikh (Mississippi Film Office)
Blake Pickens (Filmmaker & Comedian; Rubble & Crew, The Land)
Jeremy Podeswa (Director; 3 Body Problem, Game of Thrones)
Diane Quon (Producer; unseen, Minding the Gap)
Amr Salama (Creator, Paranormal)
Myriam Sassine (Producer, Costa Brava Lebanon)
Cathy Schulman (Producer; Crash, The Idea of You)
McKenna Stephens (Maria Farinha Filmes)
Avril Speaks (Producer; African America, Jinn)
Ania Trzebiatowska (Programmer, Sundance Film Festival)
Datari Turner (Producer; They Cloned Tyron, Nine Days)
Jonathan Wang (Producer; Everything Everywhere All at Once, The Legend of Ochi)
Tre Wesley (Video Producer, IMDb)
Zoë Worth (Producer, Thelma)
Lisa Yamada (Actor; Little Fires Everywhere, Cruel Summer)
Ron Yerxa (Producer; Election, Little Miss Sunshine)