"Events included a "sacred and private" keynote fireside conversation in the main DGA theater with the sage Gina Prince-Bythewood (on the 25th anniversary of and Derek Cianfrance's Love and Basketball) led by creator Lena Waithe; post-happy hour screenings of Clint Bentley's Train Dreams Roofman; two presentations by sponsors IMDb Pro and ShotDeck in the small hall; a number of timely panels; and two Industry Connect sessions where attending emerging filmmakers signed up for 12-minute one-on-one meetings with an array of more than 30 industry professionals."
"To watch waves of emerging filmmakers as well as other Film Independent cohorts from its robust global and educational programs work the room-for instance, the Red Sea Labs' 2025 cohort was in town for the LA section of their fellowship, and one determined mid-career French woman had flown in from Paris to market her chamber dramatic thriller-would lead you to believe that there isn't a matching wave of xenophobia and censorship existentially threatening the industry."
The 20th annual Film Independent Forum took place over two days at the Directors Guild of America headquarters in Los Angeles on 26-27 September. Programming included a keynote fireside conversation, screenings, sponsor presentations from IMDb Pro and ShotDeck, timely panels, and Industry Connect sessions offering 12-minute one-on-one meetings with over 30 industry professionals. Emerging filmmakers and international cohorts, including the Red Sea Labs' 2025 fellows, actively networked and promoted projects. Panel conversations emphasized finance strategies, including courting wealthy investors, while attendees noted the cultural importance of diversity in countering xenophobia, censorship, and setbacks to DEI.
Read at Filmmaker Magazine
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