These Are The Film Independent Fellows Whose Work Would Have Been At Sxsw

But that doesn’t mean we can’t still celebrate the incredible filmmakers who, had remarkable circumstances not intervened, would be on the ground in Austin, TX as we speak, proudly showing off their wares and stuffing their faces full of queso. In particular, we want to spotlight all of our amazing Fi Fellows whose work was accepted for inclusion into the 2020 SXSW film program—including four projects directly supported by Film Independent’s Artist Development labs and programs: Bull, I’ll Meet You There, Really Love and The Dilemma of Desire. “Fellows” here is defined as participants of any of our Film Independent Artist Development Labs, Fast Track, grant winners or alumni of the LA Film Festival. But just who are these great filmmakers whose dreams of SXSW glory have been deferred but never dashed? Read on…

NARRATIVE FEATURE COMPETITION

Iram Parveen Bilal, director/writer/producer, I’ll Meet You There Directing Lab, 2010 Project Involve, 2010 Screenwriting Lab, 2013 Joy Ganes, co-producer, I’ll Meet You There Project Involve, 2011 Heather Rae, executive producer, I’ll Meet You There Grant/award winner, 2009 Angel Kristi Williams, director/co-writer/producer, Really Love Project Involve, 2014 Grant/award winner, 2014 Felicia Pride, co-writer/executive producer, Really Love Screenwriting Lab, 2016 Mel Jones, producer, Really Love Project Involve, 2012 Aaliyah Williams, producer, Really Love Project Involve, 2010 Steven Pristin, editor, Really Love Project Involve, 2017 Elizabeth Shapiro, producer, Shiva Baby Producing Lab, 2017 Autumn Dea, Editor, Shithouse Project Involve, 2018 Melina Lizette, producer, Topside Project Involve, 2018

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE COMPETITION

José Núñez, producer, The Donut King Project Involve, 1999 Diane Quon, producer, Finding Yingying Documentary Lab, 2017 Fast Track, 2018 Fast Track, 2017

NARRATIVE SPOTLIGHT, HEADLINERS

Jonathan Duffy, producer, I Used To Go Here (Narrative Spotlight) Fast Track, 2016 Kelly Williams, producer, I Used To Go Here (Narrative Spotlight) Fast Track, 2016 Laura Smith, producer, The Quarry (Narrative Spotlight) Fast Track, 2014 Producing Lab, 2012 Jordana Mollick, producer, Lovebirds (Headliners) Grant/award winner, 2017

DOCUMENTARY & NARRATIVE SPOTLIGHT

Maria Finitzo, director, The Dilemma of Desire (Documentary) Fast Track, 2018 Diane Quon, producer, The Dilemma of Desire (Documentary) Documentary Lab, 2017 Fast Track, 2018 Fast Track, 2017 Bing Liu, cinematographer, The Dilemma of Desire (Documentary) Documentary Lab, 2017 Fast Track, 2017 Veronica Nickel, executive producer, Uncorked (Narrative) Fast Track, 2015 Jason Berman, producer, Uncorked (Narrative) Fast Track, 2009

VISIONS

Sara Newens, editor, Freeland Documentary Lab, 2013 Dave Boyle, producer, I Will Make You Mine Grant/award winner, 2014 Emily Ting, producer, I Will Make You Mine Grant/award winner, 2014 Producing Lab, 2013

MIDNIGHTERS & EPISODIC

Kimberly Hwang, producer, Lucky (Midnighters) Project Involve, 2014 Grant/award winner, 2014 Louis Bravo, producer, Hightown (Episodic Premieres) Project Involve, 2003 Jessica Sanders, director, Embrace (Episodic Pilot Competition) Project Involve, 2000 Fast Track, 2004 Producing Lab, 2003 Screenwriting Lab, 2007 Ron Najor, showrunner/director, The Dream (Episodic Pilot Competition) Screenwriting Lab, 2016

FESTIVAL FAVORITES

Annie Silverstein, writer/director, Bull Grant/award winner, 2018 Ryan Zacarias, producer, Bull Grant/award winner, 2016 Grant/award winner, 2018 Producing Lab, 2016 Christian Bruno, cinematographer, Feels Good Man Documentary Lab, 2011 Fast Track, 2008 James M. Johnston, producer, Miss Juneteenth Grant/award winner, 2014 Toby Halbrooks, producer, Miss Juneteenth Grant/award winner, 2014 Kareem Tabsch, director, Mucho Mucho Amor Grant/award winner, 2015 Jason Berman, producer, Nine Days Fast Track, 2009 Tatiana Bears, co-producer, Save Yourselves! Fast Track, 2019

SHORTS

Jonathan Duffy, executive producer, Rules for Werewolves (Texas Shorts) Fast Track, 2016 Kelly Williams, executive producer, Rules for Werewolves (Texas Shorts) Fast Track, 2016 Valerie Steinberg, producer, Blocks (Narrative Shorts) Fast Track, 2019 Producing Lab, 2019 Jason Berman, executive producer, Dirty (Narrative Shorts) Fast Track, 2009

And so: a very emotionally complicated, parallel “congratulations!” and “condolences!” to all of our SXSW minted Fellows. We know that your stories will continue to spread and resonate in ways no disease will ever compete with.