Introducing the Future Film Coalition
Advocating for the future of independent film and media
Independent Film Faces a Crisis
American independent film—a vital source of new ideas, fresh voices, and artistic innovation in media—is in crisis. From independent filmmakers to distributors, from exhibitors to film festivals, film workers of every stripe face systemic obstacles to getting films made and seen. While the road to making films independently has always held its challenges, the business practices and consolidation of today’s corporate entertainment industry have created an environment that threatens the very existence of the field. In collaboration with a wide range of stakeholders, Future Film Coalition will strive to build new pathways towards a thriving independent sector.
Our Vision
We envision a transformed landscape for U.S. independent filmmaking where audience demand, public funding, innovative policy and regulation, and revitalized entrepreneurial activity lead to a production, distribution, and exhibition ecosystem that sustainably supports a diverse array of filmmakers, small businesses, and film workers. The films they create and curate enrich society by providing innovative and relevant cinema that resonates with diverse communities, fostering connections and engagement. By reflecting and challenging audience experiences, these films will strengthen democratic values and promote vibrant cultural dialogue.
The Problem
The delicate ecosystem of filmmakers, distributors, exhibitors, investors, public media, and nonprofits that historically developed independent fare and delivered it to audiences is buckling under the weight of an increasingly consolidated media landscape. Giant corporate interests hold an anti-competitive advantage, derived in part from their stranglehold on audience data and market dominance. This consolidation inhibits new voices from entering the U.S. media industry. Algorithms push audiences towards more of what they already consume, limiting our exposure to different points of view and eroding common ground. All of this adds up to a market that presents consumers with fewer and fewer choices while also creating sensationalism, amplifying division, and narrowing curiosity.
Advocacy into Action
We are forming a 501(c)(3) nonprofit to serve as a research think tank and coalition-builder for advocacy campaigns that will help secure the future of art house and independent media in the US. We expect our efforts may spawn a 501(c)(4) lobbying organization or trade organization in the future, but we believe the first essential step is to lay the groundwork for shared knowledge and collaboration across the field. We will be stronger together than working exclusively in smaller pockets of activism, and we can invest together in research, policy monitoring, information sharing, briefing documents, and convening to mobilize for action at the local, state, and federal levels.
Why a Coalition
Re-imagining the structure under which we all create and work requires broad based coalition building to drive research, insights, and shared objectives. If we remain fragmented, divided by our own boundaries, we will not achieve the future we envision. Community involvement and input is required; the work we have ahead of us can feel insurmountable, but it is more than possible. In our research, we have studied a range of solutions being enacted in other countries and noted the impact of small efforts here in the U.S. on a regional and state level. It is time to truly come together; to come into the power that we hold collectively and build a future media for all Americans that reflects, informs, and inspires.
Join our efforts
In addition to town halls and convening throughout the year, the Future Film Coalition will publish a monthly newsletter highlighting the latest research in the field and monitoring how changes to public policy impact the independent film sector. Subscribe today to stay up-to-date on the state of the field and to learn how you can join our coalition.