Forum Sponsors

These visionary companies help make the Film Independent Forum possible.
Since its founding in 1936, the DGA has fought for the economic and creative rights of its members; protected their ability to financially benefit from the reuse of their work; established strong pension and health plans; and established jurisdiction in new technologies and distribution platforms. Today we represent almost 19,000 directors and members of the directorial team working in film, television, commercials, new media and other audiovisual media.
IMDbPro is the entertainment industry’s essential resource, empowering professionals with tools to showcase their work and advance their careers. A division of IMDb, it offers comprehensive contact databases, exclusive STARmeter rankings, customizable profiles, and personalized industry trend tracking. IMDbPro puts professional network and career management at your fingertips. Industry leaders trust IMDbPro’s insights for critical decisions in casting, hiring, and project development.
SAGindie promotes the working relationship between professional actors and passionate independent filmmakers. Since its formation in 1997, SAGindie has been traveling to film festivals, trade shows, and conventions spreading the word: Just because your film isn’t produced by a studio doesn’t mean you can’t use professional talent. As a free resource, SAGindie offers filmmakers clarity and kinship by guiding them through the SAG-AFTRA signatory process, making it even easier to hire professional actors, regardless of budget. SAGindie is made possible by a grant from the SAG-AFTRA Producers Industry Advancement & Cooperative Fund.
Established in 1973, Film Mississippi is one of the oldest of its kind in the world. The office’s mission is to foster the growth of the film industry in Mississippi, connect filmmakers with necessary resources and to cultivate and promote filmmaking by, for and about Mississippians. A competitive 25-35% cash rebate incentive program and 20-40% for episodic has welcomed a wide range of projects including All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt, The Inspection, The Card Counter, Ballast, O, Brother Where Art Thou? and HGTV’s Home Town. A diversity of locations, from white sand beaches, casinos, and historic town squares to cityscapes, rich agricultural lands, and university settings, complimented by film-friendly communities, allows for nearly any story to be told in Mississippi.
At Plot Shift Media, storytelling and narrative change are tools for climate justice. Plot Shift Media develops and finances transmedia projects (documentary, scripted entertainment, podcasts, games and more) that have the potential to reach broad audiences with entertaining and inspiring stories about the pathways to a just and equitable climate future. Plot Shift Media collaborates with artists developing entertainment or impact-driven climate stories and advocacy organizations working towards just climate solutions for all.
ShotDeck is the world’s leading cinematic image library—featuring millions of shots and clips from films, TV, music videos, and commercials—designed for reference, inspiration, and education. Created in 2014 by Oscar-nominated cinematographer Lawrence Sher, ASC (Joker, The Hangover Trilogy, Garden State), ShotDeck began as a passion project but quickly evolved into an essential tool used by a global community of filmmakers, ad agencies, students, and visual artists. Now available on iOS and Android, ShotDeck puts your reference library in your pocket. And with the new Canva integration, you can pull cinematic imagery from ShotDeck directly into your designs. Start your free 2-week trial today.
Easterseals is leading the way to full equity, inclusion and access through life-changing disability and community services. For more than a decade, Easterseals Disability Services has been a leader in advocating for diversity, equity and inclusion in the entertainment industry. The organization works to change the way disability is portrayed and viewed, honoring authenticity in front of and behind the camera with the Media Access Awards with Easterseals, while increasing access to entertainment career opportunities through the Easterseals Disability Film Challenge. Additionally, for more than 100 years, Easterseals has worked tirelessly with our partners to enhance quality of life and expand local access to healthcare, education and employment opportunities.