Films have the power to change our culture. And the filmmakers who tell these stories can also have a significant impact on our industry and communities. The 2025 Changemaker Award winners embody this spirit of impact, and that’s why we’re proud to announce that this year’s Film Independent Changemaker Awards are going to Andrew Ahn, Aaron T. Edmonds and Jomo Fray.
Andrew Ahn is a queer Korean American filmmaker based in Los Angeles. His film The Wedding Banquet premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival and his films Fire Island, Driveways and Spa Night have premiered at festivals like Sundance and Berlinale and have won numerous awards including the John Cassavetes Film Independent Spirit Award. He has served as a mentor for Pacific Arts Movement’s Reel Voices, Outfest’s OutSet and the Sundance Institute’s Native Filmmaker Lab.
Aaron T. Edmonds is Vice President of Film at Hartbeat.
Andrew Ahn is a queer Korean American filmmaker based in Los Angeles. His film The Wedding Banquet premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival and his films Fire Island, Driveways and Spa Night have premiered at festivals like Sundance and Berlinale and have won numerous awards including the John Cassavetes Film Independent Spirit Award. He has served as a mentor for Pacific Arts Movement’s Reel Voices, Outfest’s OutSet and the Sundance Institute’s Native Filmmaker Lab.
Aaron T. Edmonds is Vice President of Film at Hartbeat.
- 7/10/2025
- by Film Independent
- Film Independent News & More
On Friday nights, IndieWire After Dark takes a beat to honor fringe cinema in the streaming age.
In February 2025, we’re celebrating Valentine’s Day with a short and sweet Romantic Midnight Tryst.
First, read the Bait: a weird and wonderful pick from any time in film. Then, try the Bite: a behind-the-scenes breakdown of the project’s ending, impact, and any other spoilers you’d want.
The Bait: The Pizza Guy Doesn’t Get to Just Decide What Pizza Is Worth
In a time when not every midnight movie passes the political sniff test, “Make Me a Pizza” earns five-star reviews from all the right customers. Filmmaker Talia Levin’s cult-hit short film has been described as a “Marxist pizza porno” by its mostly LA-based creative team — who in turn call themselves “an artistic collective of hot queer dorks.”
“One of the best parts in all of...
In February 2025, we’re celebrating Valentine’s Day with a short and sweet Romantic Midnight Tryst.
First, read the Bait: a weird and wonderful pick from any time in film. Then, try the Bite: a behind-the-scenes breakdown of the project’s ending, impact, and any other spoilers you’d want.
The Bait: The Pizza Guy Doesn’t Get to Just Decide What Pizza Is Worth
In a time when not every midnight movie passes the political sniff test, “Make Me a Pizza” earns five-star reviews from all the right customers. Filmmaker Talia Levin’s cult-hit short film has been described as a “Marxist pizza porno” by its mostly LA-based creative team — who in turn call themselves “an artistic collective of hot queer dorks.”
“One of the best parts in all of...
- 2/15/2025
- by Alison Foreman
- Indiewire
The Changemaker Awards are back! Now in their second year, the Changemaker Awards spotlight outstanding Film Independent Fellows whose contributions have significantly impacted the entertainment industry and their communities.
This year the award will be presented to Linda Yvette Chávez, Tze Chun, and Grace Lee (Documentary Lab 2012).
Linda Yvette Chávez, known for her fearless storytelling and inclusive narratives with projects like the Oscar-nominated Flamin’ Hot and the acclaimed Netflix series Gentefied. Tze Chun, a versatile writer, director, and showrunner, has garnered praise for his work on shows like Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai, and I’m a Virgo, showcasing his talent and creativity across different genres. Grace Lee, an award-winning documentary director and producer, has grappled with issues like politics and race with works like And She Could Be Next and American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs.
“It is our privilege in Artist Development to nurture and support talented...
This year the award will be presented to Linda Yvette Chávez, Tze Chun, and Grace Lee (Documentary Lab 2012).
Linda Yvette Chávez, known for her fearless storytelling and inclusive narratives with projects like the Oscar-nominated Flamin’ Hot and the acclaimed Netflix series Gentefied. Tze Chun, a versatile writer, director, and showrunner, has garnered praise for his work on shows like Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai, and I’m a Virgo, showcasing his talent and creativity across different genres. Grace Lee, an award-winning documentary director and producer, has grappled with issues like politics and race with works like And She Could Be Next and American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs.
“It is our privilege in Artist Development to nurture and support talented...
- 7/24/2024
- by Film Independent
- Film Independent News & More
Exclusive: Film Independent has selected the 30 filmmakers that will participate in 2020 Project Involve, a nine-month program for writers, directors, producers, editors, cinematographers and entertainment executives from diverse backgrounds.
Now in its 27th year, the program is an opportunity for filmmakers to meet and have one-on-ones with film industry mentors, create short films, attend master-workshops taught by top film professionals and participate in industry networking events.
More from DeadlineRespectAbility Opens Submissions For Annual Summer Lab ProgramNew Hollywood Podcast: 'Gentefied's Marvin Lemus And Linda Yvette Chávez Talk Latinx Representation And How Netflix Series Reflects Their Own LivesBilly Porter On Playing Genderless Fairy Godmother In New 'Cinderella': "The Kids Are Ready"
Project Involve program fosters the careers of talented filmmakers from underrepresented backgrounds and gives them the chance to give a voice to seldom-heard narratives. Previous Project Involve mentors include Janicza Bravo, Ava DuVernay, Catherine Hardwicke (Twilight), Alma Har’el (Honey Boy), Barry Jenkins, Mako Kamitsuna, Charles D. King, Christine Vachon, Forest Whitaker and others.
The roster of past fellows features some of today’s most talented and trailblazing creators including Lulu Wang (The Farewell), Linda Yvette Chávez, Marvin Lemus and Aaliyah Williams (Gentefied) as well as Effie T. Brown (Dear White People), Jon M. Chu and Justin Simien.
“Film Independent is thrilled to welcome the 2020 Project Involve Fellows, who join the ranks of such prestigious alumni,” said Francisco Velasquez, Senior Manager of Project Involve. “We look forward to shining a light on their unique stories that are so needed. As always, we are extremely grateful to all of our supporters who are an integral part of making change.”
You can read this year’s Project Involve Fellows by track below:
Cinematographers
Vittoria Campaner
Becky Baihui Chen
Allen E. Ho
Frances Kroon
Andrew Truong
Directors
Ruth Du
Cris Gris
Andrew Reid
Diante Singley
Andrew Vasquez
Editors
Amber Bansak
Nailah Robinson
Marco Rosas
Katelyn Wright
Bowei Yue
Executives
Olutoye Adegboro
Jennifer Gottesfeld
Greta Hagen-Richardson
Producers
Brian Grigsby
Takara Joseph
Tabatha Laanui
Lauren López de Victoria
Sabrina Stoll
Brandon Tarver
Writers
Mary Ann Anane
Agam Darshi
Jeanette Lim
Jesenia Ruiz
Karan Sunil
Writer/Directors
Gauri Adelkar
Past shorts produced in the program include Liberty which won the 2019 SXSW Narrative Short Film Jury Award, the 2019 Special Prize of the Generation 14plus International Jury for the Best Short Film at the Berlin International Film Festival as well as the 2019 AFI Special Jury Prize – Live Action. Also produced in the program, was Emergency, which went on to win the 2018 Sundance Special Jury Award and the 2018 SXSW Narrative Short Film Jury Award.
Film Independent also announced continued support of the program through donor-named fellowships. The Easterseals Disability Services Fellowship, which is presented to a Project Involve filmmaker who identifies as a person with a disability, will be given to Andrew Reid. The Loyola Marymount University School of Film and Television Fellowship (Lmu Sftv) will be presented to alum Tabatha Laanui. The donor-named fellowships for the 2020 Project Involve program to be awarded at a later date are: Amazon Studios Film Fellowship, which will be presented to a visionary filmmaker; the Participant Fellowship; and the ninth annual Sony Pictures Entertainment Fellowship. Each Fellowship provides essential program support to Project Involve and includes a $10,000 unrestricted cash grant for a selected filmmaker participating in the program.
For the second year, the Panavision Fellowship will provide an outstanding cinematographer in the program with a camera rental package valued at $60,000 for use on a future project produced in the Us. This year’s Panavision Fellow is Allen E. Ho.
Now in its 27th year, the program is an opportunity for filmmakers to meet and have one-on-ones with film industry mentors, create short films, attend master-workshops taught by top film professionals and participate in industry networking events.
More from DeadlineRespectAbility Opens Submissions For Annual Summer Lab ProgramNew Hollywood Podcast: 'Gentefied's Marvin Lemus And Linda Yvette Chávez Talk Latinx Representation And How Netflix Series Reflects Their Own LivesBilly Porter On Playing Genderless Fairy Godmother In New 'Cinderella': "The Kids Are Ready"
Project Involve program fosters the careers of talented filmmakers from underrepresented backgrounds and gives them the chance to give a voice to seldom-heard narratives. Previous Project Involve mentors include Janicza Bravo, Ava DuVernay, Catherine Hardwicke (Twilight), Alma Har’el (Honey Boy), Barry Jenkins, Mako Kamitsuna, Charles D. King, Christine Vachon, Forest Whitaker and others.
The roster of past fellows features some of today’s most talented and trailblazing creators including Lulu Wang (The Farewell), Linda Yvette Chávez, Marvin Lemus and Aaliyah Williams (Gentefied) as well as Effie T. Brown (Dear White People), Jon M. Chu and Justin Simien.
“Film Independent is thrilled to welcome the 2020 Project Involve Fellows, who join the ranks of such prestigious alumni,” said Francisco Velasquez, Senior Manager of Project Involve. “We look forward to shining a light on their unique stories that are so needed. As always, we are extremely grateful to all of our supporters who are an integral part of making change.”
You can read this year’s Project Involve Fellows by track below:
Cinematographers
Vittoria Campaner
Becky Baihui Chen
Allen E. Ho
Frances Kroon
Andrew Truong
Directors
Ruth Du
Cris Gris
Andrew Reid
Diante Singley
Andrew Vasquez
Editors
Amber Bansak
Nailah Robinson
Marco Rosas
Katelyn Wright
Bowei Yue
Executives
Olutoye Adegboro
Jennifer Gottesfeld
Greta Hagen-Richardson
Producers
Brian Grigsby
Takara Joseph
Tabatha Laanui
Lauren López de Victoria
Sabrina Stoll
Brandon Tarver
Writers
Mary Ann Anane
Agam Darshi
Jeanette Lim
Jesenia Ruiz
Karan Sunil
Writer/Directors
Gauri Adelkar
Past shorts produced in the program include Liberty which won the 2019 SXSW Narrative Short Film Jury Award, the 2019 Special Prize of the Generation 14plus International Jury for the Best Short Film at the Berlin International Film Festival as well as the 2019 AFI Special Jury Prize – Live Action. Also produced in the program, was Emergency, which went on to win the 2018 Sundance Special Jury Award and the 2018 SXSW Narrative Short Film Jury Award.
Film Independent also announced continued support of the program through donor-named fellowships. The Easterseals Disability Services Fellowship, which is presented to a Project Involve filmmaker who identifies as a person with a disability, will be given to Andrew Reid. The Loyola Marymount University School of Film and Television Fellowship (Lmu Sftv) will be presented to alum Tabatha Laanui. The donor-named fellowships for the 2020 Project Involve program to be awarded at a later date are: Amazon Studios Film Fellowship, which will be presented to a visionary filmmaker; the Participant Fellowship; and the ninth annual Sony Pictures Entertainment Fellowship. Each Fellowship provides essential program support to Project Involve and includes a $10,000 unrestricted cash grant for a selected filmmaker participating in the program.
For the second year, the Panavision Fellowship will provide an outstanding cinematographer in the program with a camera rental package valued at $60,000 for use on a future project produced in the Us. This year’s Panavision Fellow is Allen E. Ho.
- 3/17/2020
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
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