Film Independent’s Fiscal Sponsorship program opens the door to nonprofit funding for independent filmmakers and media artists. Donate today and help bring XA Endowment to life.

Mission

The Future of Film Includes Everyone.

More than one billion people worldwide live with a disability. Yet in film and television, disabled people are almost invisible.

Fewer than .8% of characters on television are portrayed by actors with a disability. Film? Even less.Behind the camera — writers, directors, producers — the numbers are atrociously low.

This is not a talent gap.

It’s not an access gap.

It’s a Feedback Void.

A black hole where messages are sent in, but nothing comes out. A system with no mechanism to correct itself. No change.

Until now. XA is the independent force not reliant on Hollywood for change.

And we need you.

Synopsis

We Are a Cultural Correction.

For decades, disabled characters have been portrayed inaccurately, stereotyped, or erased entirely. Stories about us have been told without us. Stories have been told without adding disabled people to normal roles. Disabled talent have long been type-cast as having one purpose in a project, being disabled. Not a mother, or father who happens to have a disability. Not a killer or lover, who happens to have a disability. Not a truckdriver, fireman, policewoman, all who have a disability, do their job well and exist outside of their disability.

XA Endowment changes that.

We use your power and donated dollar to directly support disabled actors, writers, directors, and creators — not for a single job, not for symbolic inclusion — but for sustainable careers.

We don’t believe in token representation.
We believe in industry transformation.
We believe in disruption.

Meet the Filmmakers

GRANT ANDERSON — Producer
Producer and entertainment executive. 6 years at CBS Television Studios as Director and then Vice President of Current Programming overseeing a slate of top CBS crime drama series including NCIS, NCIS: Los Angeles, CSI, CSI Miami, CSI NY, and Criminal Minds.

WYNONNA JUDD — Singer
One of the most widely recognized and awarded female country singers. With 19 No. 1 singles. She was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2022.

BRANDON SONNIER — Showrunner
Showrunner and creator of LA’s Finest with lead Jessica Alba, writer on the hit TV series The Blacklist, and has current overall deal with Sony Pictures Studios

KURT YAEGER — Founder
Actor, Producer, Writer with a disability. Projects include Sons of Anarchy, NCIS, Sunrise, The Beanie Bubble, Another Life, Interview with The Vampire and more.

TONY COELHO — Congressman
Six-term United States Congressman from California, elected in 1978. Primary author and sponsor of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

KEVIN MATUSOW — Producer
Traveling Picture Show Company selects financially viable projects for investment. Its management team boasts the direct involvement in pictures that have produced worldwide box office grosses of over $100 Million Dollars.

Make a donation to XA Endowment.

Contact

For inquiries, please contact fiscalsponsorship@filmindependent.org.