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Advocacy

Artists' Rights Foundation. The mission of the Artists Rights Foundation is to educate the public about the importance of protecting and preserving film art; to defend an artist's work threatened with modification or distortion; and to promote public debate about these issues to help safeguard our intellectual and cultural heritage.

MediaRights.org is dedicated to linking media professionals (print, radio, film and video) and activists at work on social and environmental justice issues in the U.S. The site features three new resources: a database of social issue documentaries produced since 1980, a listing of activist organizations in all 50 states, and bulletin boards organized by issue to foster dialogue between activists and media makers

New York Women in Film & Television is a non-profit membership organization dedicated to helping women reach the highest levels of achievement in film, television and other moving-image media industries, and to promoting equity for women in these industries.

Women in Film is an Los Angeles-based professional organization that aims to "recognize, develop, and actively promote the unique visions of women" in the industry. Its web site features articles, interviews, and an event calendar.

Women Make Movies, the largest distributor of women's media in North America, is a national non-profit feminist media arts organization whose multicultural programs provide resources for both users and producers of media by women. WMM was established in 1972 to address the under representation and misrepresentation of women in the media.

Associations and Guilds

The American Film Institute is one of the largest film associations based in Los Angeles that hosts the AFI Los Angeles International Film Festival, as well as AFI Conservatory, the AFI National Film Theater, and many other events and educational programs.

The Association of Independent Video and Filmmakers (AIVF) was established by a group of independent filmmakers to offer support and resources to independent artists. Today, with nearly 5,000 members internationally, AIVF has not only been in the forefront of many media advocacy efforts, but it has been serving individuals and the field at large through its commitment to supporting artists throughout their entire career.

The Filmmakers Alliance is a collective of filmmakers - film and video artists, technicians and craftspeople - dedicated to empowering, educating and supporting fellow filmmakers and aspirants who share a common desire to express themselves creatively through the artistry, language and grammar of the moving picture and who might otherwise experience exclusion from this culturally important medium of expression. It provides, through workshops, internships, and membership productions, the human, material, educational, technological and inspirational resources to produce professional-quality narrative, documentary and experimental films benefiting the arts, while nurturing and honoring individual artistic expression.

The Independent Feature Project is a not-for-profit service organization dedicated to providing resources, information and avenues of communication for its members: independent filmmakers, industry professionals and independent film enthusiasts. It is committed to the idea that independent film is an important art form and a powerful voice in our society. The IFP provides services to independent filmmakers of varying levels of experience which assist them in expressing their unique points of view. It facilitates a connection between the creative and business communities. Other goals of the organization are to expand and educate the audience for independent film, and to encourage the diversity and quality of independent production. The IFP has regional representation in Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis and New York, and the organization recognizes that American independent filmmaking has no one address and speaks to people everywhere.

The National Alliance for Media Arts and Culture (NAMAC) is a nonprofit association composed of diverse member organizations who are dedicated to encouraging film, video, audio and online/multimedia arts, and to promoting the cultural contributions of individual media artists.

The Screenwriters Guild of America (SGA) is a proactive confederation of industry professionals united for the mutual aid and promotion of common interest. Our experience and expertise is derived from the cooperative, collective wisdom of the industry's most sought after Screenwriters, Directors, Producers, Literary Agents, Managers, Educators, Authors, and Studio Executives.

Writers Guild of America (East and West). The WGA is a labor union representing professional writers in motion pictures, television, and radio.

Community

CineWomen NY is a member-run, nonprofit organization of women in the film, television, and related arts and industries, whose purpose is supporting the advancement of women, their goals, and their visions in a non-competitive environment. It is dedicated to providing a secure forum, to developing the number and range of opportunities available in these industries, and to fostering a strong, independent, creative spirit.

The D-Word Community is a private, online discussion forum for documentary professionals comprised of a few hundred folks from all over the world who share hard-won wisdom and take part in passionate, thoughtful, fun conversations. The community is structured around a wide-ranging list of documentary discussion topics that are easily navigated and permanently archived. Some are information-oriented (DV Production, Documentary Festivals and Distribution, for example), some inspire lively debate (Documentary Ethics, Three-Act Structure) and some are for shooting the breeze and howling at the universe (the ever-popular Doc Bar & Grill).

Docuweb provides a searchable online library of documentary films free of charge and on-demand.

Filmmaker.com is an online resource and community where filmmakers can exchange information about film production and distribution through chat, threaded discussion, and links to other film resources on the Web.

The Virtual Studio is a submission destination and collaboration tool for filmmakers—a community where artists can submit and workshop original work and where producers can make movies using built-in production tools.

Databases

The Internet Movie Database (IMDB) is the most comprehensive and regularly-updated,searchable database replete with features, full credits for films, and detailed filmographies beginning with early cinema and continuing through films still in production.

Filmfinder is a reference tool and database of movie reviews and recommendations. It uses Firefly personalization software that suggests films based on your preferences and lets you meet other members who share your taste. www.mandy.com Mandy's International Film and TV Production Directory details information about technicians, facilities, producers and job listings worldwide. Also features an industry homepage service, where filmmakers can list their credentials and projects.

Education

The AdmitOne.org Film School was made possible with the help and support of the Artists Rights Foundation Vice President George Lucas. We want to thank Mr. Lucas for his extraordinary vision as a film artist and his dedication to promoting inspired learning and teaching --where students are challenged and engaged, have access to interactive technologies, and are supported by inspired teachers and involved parents and communities.

The AFI Conservatory is world-renowned for its dedication to the moving image arts and as a place where advanced professional training nurtures the talents and enhances the skills of the men and women who will become the leading storytellers in the motion picture and television arts. Its faculty includes exceptional professionals who act as mentors and guides to Conservatory Fellows as they master their chosen disciplines of Cinematography, Directing, Editing, Producing, Production Design or Screenwriting. The AFI Conservatory relies on hands-on collaboration as its primary teaching tool, thereby mirroring the professional world of filmmaking.

The Internet Film Group Inc.’s Cyber Film School offers a one-stop resource for individuals interested in all areas of the craft of movie-making.

The Los Angeles Film School offers a year long hands-on training course in filmmaking.

The New York Film Academy was founded ten years ago on a belief that a top quality education in filmmaking should be accessible to anyone with the drive and ambition to make films. The New York film Academy occupies a building, formerly known as Tammany Hall, as well as a complete school facility at Universal Studios in Los Angeles, California and locations in numerous countries.

The NYU Department of Film and Television offers BFA and MFA Programs to provide a variety of creative experiences in the conceptual and production phases. Intensive course work is offered in directing, producing, writing and acting, as well as in the craft and technical skills of film editing, video post-production and sound mixing.

UCLA's Department of Film, Television and Digital Media offers programs of study in the history and theory as well as the creative and technical aspects of the moving image. The department provides a scholarly, creative and professional approach to the study of both media and seeks to help each student discover his or her powers as an independent artist and communicator.

The School of Cinema - Television at USC is an unique and dynamic place where students and faculty from a variety of backgrounds gather to create and analyze the moving image. Within the school are six main areas of study: Division of Critical Studies; Division of Film and Television Production; Division of Screen and Television Writing; Division of Animation and Digital Arts; The Peter Stark Producing Program; Division of Interactive Media.

Festivals

D. Film Digital Film Festival D.FILM Digital Film Festival presents The New Venue, an online showcase for movies made specifically for the Internet. Go to the Online Festival section of their website.

FilmFestivals.com is a comprehensive film festival site and has a weekly newsletter, which announces and reviews film festivals.

Funding

The National Black Programming Consortium is a non-profit media service organization devoted to the production, distribution, promotion and preservation of diverse films and videos about African Americans and African diaspora experiences. Founded in 1979, NBPC is one of five ethnic minority consortia funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). NBPC aims to increase the quantity and quality of Black films and videos on the national schedule of the Public Broadcasting System (PBS) where many of NBPC-supported programs have aired nationally.

Film Arts Foundation (FAF) is a non-profit leader in the media arts field, providing comprehensive training, equipment, information, consultations, and exhibition opportunities to independent filmmakers. Now in its twenty-fifth year, Film Arts has more than 3,400 members working in film, video, and multimedia, and is the largest regional organization of independent producers in the country.

Since 1956, the Foundation Center has offered an information clearinghouse for grantseekers and grantmakers. The Center has libraries in five U.S. focusing on materials relating to philanthropy. The website provides an electronic reference desk, information on seminars, and hours and locations of the libraries.

Grantmakers In the Arts is a nonprofit membership organization comprised of private foundations, family foundations, community foundations, corporate foundations, corporate giving programs, and nonprofit organizations that make arts grants. GIA aims to Strengthen the field of private sector arts grantmaking by improving communication, information exchange, and peer learning within the field as a whole; Increase the presence of arts philanthropy within the broader foundation and policy making communities, thereby promoting more meaningful support of arts and culture; and support individual arts grantmakers in increasing their effectiveness and their capacity to meet their objectives.

Independent Television Service ITVS funds innovative proposals by independent producers and provides production, promotion, marketing, and distribution support. www.macfdn.org John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation The MacArthur Foundation has recently revised most of its programs and guidelines. "The Foundation is dedicated to helping groups and individuals foster lasting improvement in the human condition. The Foundation seeks the development of healthy individuals and effective communities; peace within and among nations; responsible choices about human reproduction; and a global ecosystem capable of supporting healthy human societies. The Foundation pursues this mission by supporting research, policy development, dissemination, education and training, and practice."

NAATA's mission is to present stories that convey the richness and diversity of the Asian Pacific American experience to the broadest audience possible. NAATA does this by funding, producing, distributing and exhibiting films, videos and new media.

The National Endowment for the Arts portal offers four channels of information: Arts.community, a monthly on-line journal with articles and news on artists, resources, and information on nonprofit arts in America; a hypertext Guide to the NEA which includes an up to date staff directory; Arts Resource Center, a listing of publications; Arts.community Archive, back issues of the on-line journal.

The New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA)is a nonprofit arts service organization, one of the largest providers of grants and services to individual artists and arts-related organizations in all artistic disciplines in the United States. Through its fellowships, residencies, sponsorships, loans, telecommunications, information and advocacy services, the Foundation works with and for artists and arts organizations throughout New York State and other parts of the country to bring the work of contemporary artists to the public.

The Sundance Institute’s International Program is proud to announce the creation of The Sundance Documentary Fund, formerly the Soros Documentary Fund of the Open Society Institute. The Sundance Documentary Fund is dedicated to supporting international documentary films and videos focused on current and significant issues and movements in contemporary human rights, freedom of expression, social justice, and civil liberties. In supporting such works, the Sundance Documentary Fund hopes to give voice to the diverse exchange of ideas crucial to developing an open society, raise public consciousness about human rights abuses and restrictions of civil liberties, and engage citizens in a lively, ongoing debate about these issues.

Thousand Words is an independent production and finance company devoted to creating innovative and engaging entertainment.

Online Distribution

AtomShockwave Corp. is a leading entertainment provider for businesses and consumers in emerging media channels. It distributes entertainment properties across the Internet, broadband services, and mobile devices, as well as traditional outlets such as television, theaters, and airlines.

BuyIndies.com is a community to buy and sell movies on VHS, DVD, 16mm film, etc. BuyIndies.com offers buyers a wide selection of over 45,000 independent, educational and hard-to-find titles in a central location and sellers the opportunity to promote and sell their films to a national audience.

HOLLYWOOD MEDIA CORP. (Nasdaq: HOLL) is a leading provider of news, information and ticketing covering the entertainment and media industries. On the strength of its history in developing comprehensive entertainment industry databases, as well as its major strategic partners and unique content, the Company has launched a network of consumer and b2b businesses.

IFILM is a comprehensive guide to finding and watching feature and short films online. With over 80,000 films, IFILM offers news, reviews, trailers and movie showcases, as well as robust user communities and a comparison DVD and video shopping guide.

Reelplay’s mission is to enhance the marketing, sales and distribution of entertainment media by creating innovative service applications around industry-specific core business processes and interactions. Launched in October 1999, Reelplay is the leading B2B digital marketplace and global trading platform centered around the buying and selling of feature films and television programming

Screenwriting

Hollywood Screenwriters Network

Screenwriters Online is a professional Screenwriter's subscription site offering screenplay analysis, chats, seminars, and a magazine.

Script Magazine is a bimonthly publication dedicated to craft and business of screenwriting.

Writers' Script Network helps screenwriters to promote their screenplays to Hollywood, London, Canadian and New York movie producers, agents, managers and established directors and actors.

The Writers Store, based in Los Angeles, offers one of the most comprehensive selection of software, books, tapes, supplies, and seminars for creative/screenwriters and filmmakers.

WebZines

OpenDemocracy is an online global magazine of politics and culture dedicated to opening up a democratic space - free thinking for the world.

FILMMAKER: The Magazine of Independent Film is a joint publication of the www.ifp.org Independent Feature Project (IFP) and the IFP/West that highlights independent film.

Film Threat is one of the best known film review sites on the Internet, founded by Chris Gore, a man unafraid to offer the “gorey” and inspiring details of the independent world.

The Hollywood Reporter is one of the industry’s most complete entertainment news and information network.

indieWIRE offers the most comprehensive coverage of independent film on the Internet. indieWIRE’s web site features articles culled from indieWIRE Express, their daily email news service, as well as bulletin boards and an online directory of filmmakers, producers, and industry professionals.

The Independent is a magazine published by the www.aivf.org Association of Independent Video and Filmmakers (AIVF) featuring articles and interviews with independent filmmakers, highlighting their journeys, challenges, and triumphs.

Moviemaker Magazine offers excellent stories on the personalities that shape film with special emphasis on independent filmmakers.

RES The Magazine of Digital Filmmaking is devoted to digital filmmaking, and brought to you by the folks who produce the Res Fest. www.variety.com Variety is one of the entertainment industry’s leading new sources in the world.

Variety.com offers a comprehensive box office database and over 12,000 archival film reviews.






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