Fiscal Sponsorship Update: Star Power, Big Premieres and Next Steps
Welcome to Fiscal Spotlight, a special monthly round up of projects—at all stages of production—working their way through Film Independent’s Fiscal Sponsorship pipeline. Enjoy!
***
Film Independent’s Fiscal Sponsorship program has supported a wide variety of projects: shorts, features, both narrative and nonfiction. Not to mention the occasional new media project, special event or advocacy initiative. Each month’s Fiscal Spotlight column announces three new projects taking part in the program.
But maybe you’re curious how some of those prior subjects have turned out. Well hey, you’re in luck! Once again it’s time for another Fiscal Update highlighting the recent achievements of previous Fiscal Spotlight subjects.
This month we have exciting news from three films, one making its premiere at Berlin, another adding a Spirit Award nominee as an EP, and another locking in key creatives as it readies for production. Read on to see what the future has in store for these three Fiscal Sponsorship success stories.
TRACES
Project type: Nonfiction Feature
Project status: Engagement/Outreach
Producer: Natalia Libet
Producer: Olha Bregman
About the Project: Despite deep traces of trauma from sexual violence and torture as a result of Russian aggression, Ukrainian women survivors are uniting to break the stigma and silence together, turning their testimonies into a reverse powerful weapon.
Filmmaker Update: We are proud to share that Traces had its world premiere at the 76th Berlin International Film Festival in the Panorama Dokumente section, where it won the Panorama Audience Award, marking the first time a Ukrainian film has received this award in the program’s history.
Traces brings together testimonies of Ukrainian women who survived conflict-related sexual violence and torture, creating a collective portrait of resilience and the struggle for justice. Following its premiere, we are continuing the film’s international festival run and global impact campaign. We are working with partners and advocacy organizations to amplify the voices of survivors and support global awareness around conflict-related sexual violence and Russia’s use of sexual violence and torture as a weapon of war in Ukraine.
SCHLITZIE: ONE OF US
Project type: Nonfiction Feature
Project status: Post-Production
Director/Producer/Writer/Editor: Steve Belgard
About the Project: A love letter to Schlitzie, the 4-foot-tall performer with microcephaly who found fame in the 1932 classic Freaks—and left an enduring legacy that continues to inspire acceptance, inclusion, and compassion.
Filmmaker Update: After our nearly 11-year “Fitzcarraldo-light” journey, we truly believed that all interviews were completed, and we had a fine cut presented to the Lawyers. But as it turned out, this very long delay brought us two new beautiful interviews.
Adam Pearson is a British actor (A Different Man) and disability rights activist, who has Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), a rare genetic disorder that causes non-cancerous tumors, often resulting in significant facial disfigurement. He could have hidden away, ashamed by his appearance, but Adam embraced it in a (entirely paraphrased) “scew it, I’m gonna live my life” attitude. And he really is. Listening to him makes us believe the human spirit is still very much alive. We’ve made Adam an Executive Producer, on Schlitzie; and he will soon be in production with a different take on The Elephant Man, portraying Joseph Merrick, produced by Rhino Films.
We met author, film critic and disability activist Kristen Lopez at a Silver Lake screening of Tod Browning’s Freaks. Kristen was signing her new book “Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation In the Movies.” After reading her book, we knew she’d be a great interview, and she didn’t not disappoint.
THE FOOT LONGING
Project type: Fiction Feature
Project status: Development
Producer/Writer/Actor: Chris McNeany
Producer/Director: Stephen Koncelik
About the Project: When a closeted foot-fetishist loses both his husband and his longtime job as a shoe salesman, he plunges into hilariously awkward ‘foot longing’ dates and a wild Palm Springs adventure—only to discover that true acceptance (and love) can come from embracing every part of who he is.
Filmmaker Update: Things are heating up in pre-production for The Foot Longing! We are beyond thrilled to welcome Matt Lynn as our Director of Photography. Represented by UTA and Zero Gravity Management, Matt brings a level of craft and professional vision that is going to take this film’s aesthetic to the next level.
In other news, we are officially in the thick of our crowdfunding campaign. While we are currently on pace to reach our funding goal, we haven’t crossed the finish line just yet. We could still use any support to keep this momentum steady and ensure we have every resource needed to bring this story to life. We’ve been to several in person events getting the word out with our cast and it has been a fantastic response.
Learn more about Fiscal Sponsorship, including its benefits and eligibility requirements by visiting our website. See which projects are currently being supported via our Sponsored Projects page.
Film Independent Artist Development promotes unique independent voices by helping filmmakers create and advance new work. To support our work with a donation, please click here. Become a Member of Film Independent here.
Keep up with Film Independent…