Reinvention for Disruptive Times Seminar 1
Strategic Reinvention
Thu, July 16, 10am PT / 1pm ET
Virtual | 90 Min
Registrants will receive the Zoom link via email before the event.
Co-Presented by Filmmakers Collaborative SF and Re-Present Media
This seminar will be an overview of the emergent challenges indie filmmakers face, with an emphasis on the need for vigilance and reinvention. We will look at some of the recent data from surveys demonstrating real life challenges for filmmakers that need to be addressed from the Center for Media and Social Impact, then unpack some of the trends and strategies discussed in The Shorenstein Center’s Doc Symposium.
Veteran film experts Natalie Bullock Brown and Maida Lynn will help set the stage for what’s at stake and how we as filmmakers can respond.
Topics will include:
Understanding and Responding to Industry Changes
Expanding Financial Support for Independent Film
Integrating Participant Care and Safety in Production
Rethinking Distribution and Audience Development
Global Collaboration and Solidarity
Guest Panelists:
Natalie Bullock Brown, Filmmaker/Director of DAWG
Maida Lynn, Chief Cheerleader, The Backlight
Cost:
Free for Filmmakers Collaborative SF members. The promo code is available on the member portal and will also be sent via email. Contact us if you need assistance.
$5 for non-members.
Fee waivers are available for those who are facing financial burdens. Please fill out the Fee Waiver Request Form and our staff will be in touch.
Recordings:
Registrants will have access to a recording for the purchased session for 7 days. The recording will be sent in a follow-up email, along with slides and downloadable resources, after the event.
FCSF members will have continuing access to the recordings through their membership. Members can access our recordings library via the member portal on the FCSF website.
Guest Panelists:
Natalie Bullock Brown is director of the Documentary Accountability Working Group (DAWG), a collective she helped found in 2020, which has released a values-informed framework for documentary filmmakers, and a syllabus that teaches the framework. She is also a documentary producer/director; a 2023 Harvard Shorenstein Center Documentary Film Fellow; a 2023 DOC NYC New Leader; and a 2021 Rockwood JustFilms Fellow.
Maida Lynn has championed independent cinema for over a decade. Through Facet (FKA Genuine Article Pictures), she executive produced over twenty five top-festival premiering documentary shorts and feature films by artists such as Sam Green, Brett Story, Patrick Bresnan & Ivete Lucas, Alison O’Daniel – and more. In partnership with Rebecca Green, Maida co-founded and co-led the Dear Producer Award, which provided unrestricted grants and a year-long cohort program to both fiction and documentary producers. She proudly co-chaired the board of directors of The Roxie Theater in San Francisco, CA through a successful capital campaign and building purchase in 2025. She shares her perspective on the independent cinema ecosystem via The Backlight.
Moderators:
Jennifer Crystal Chien is a documentary filmmaker with a focus on personal storytelling from immigrants and people of color. In 2017, she co-founded Re-Present Media, a grassroots nonprofit that advocates for personal storytelling in documentary film and nonfiction media. In addition to presenting films with community dialogues by established filmmakers, Re-Present Media also offers professional development for emerging filmmakers and coordinates field-wide advocacy campaigns to support and elevate voices from communities not often seen in media. Jennifer was named a DOC NYC Documentary New Leader in 2022. Jennifer also serves as the Board President of Filmmakers Collaborative SF.
Kevin White is an award-winning documentary filmmaker with a focus on environmental and social issues. He has more than a dozen films that are in distribution, including his most recent film, Wilder than Wild: Fire, Forests and the Future, which has had 450+ community screenings and more than 850 broadcasts on PBS, plus educational distribution with Video Project. Kevin is the Co-Founder and Executive Director for Filmmakers Collaborative SF, and frequently consults with filmmakers on story approach, fundraising, and distribution. He is also on the Board of several media nonprofits.
For questions and accessibility requests: email info@filmmakerscollaborative.org