The Filmmakers Collaborative (FMC) enables and advances alternative models to media production. Through charitable support and individual grants, FMC fosters the development of a body of work that may not otherwise be created and inspires the widespread adoption of sustainable, non-commercial approaches to media production and distribution.

The Filmmakers Collaborative (FMC) is a tax-exempt, not-for-profit organization that provides an alternative voice for thought, discourse and production in independent film. This new organization will replace, revise and improve the old Filmmakers Collaborative, a for-profit haven for low-budget independent filmmakers. The new FMC has redrafted the old mission to include the underwriting of independent film and media projects and the support, through forums and symposia, of a critical dialogue around media production and distribution in the 21st century.

Services Overview
Affiliates
Resumé

SERVICES OVERVIEW
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Filmmakers Collaborative (FMC) was founded in SoHo, New York City in 1996 to provide an environment in which independent media makers are able to foster their creativity at an affordable price by giving artists the opportunity to develop and realize projects through collective resources and open discussion.

FMC was located on Greene Street and its services included office space, cubicles, conference and screening facilities, and editing services to artists at lower than industry market rates. FMC supported work includes narrative shorts and features, documentaries, museum exhibited video art, and student pieces.

AFFILIATES
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Films that have been affiliated with FMC and its facility include the casting of "Roger Dodger", recent winner at the 2002 TriBeCa Film Festival and the 2002 Sundance hit "XX/XY"; the editing of documentaries "Trembling Before G-d" by Sandi Dubowski and "Ruth and Connie" by 3 time Academy Award nominee Deborah Dickson, Jordan Crandall's video pieces "Heatseeking" and "Drive", which have been exhibited in museums around the world; and festival favorites "Chutney Popcorn" and "Whatever".

FMC has also been affiliated with numerous film festivals, providing space or services that they otherwise might have had to pay for or go without. The festivals include, past and present, The Nantucket Film Festival, The Newport International Film Festival, MIXnyc, The Newfest, Gen Art Film Festival, Slamdance, New York Underground Film Festival, and Film Fleadh - The Irish International Film Festival.

As a benefit to local college students, FMC created a "student rate" to edit projects while studying at schools such as School of Visual Arts and Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, including the award winning short "Slo-Mo" by John Krokidas.

We have involved ourselves with other not for profit organizations, donating time and services, in the hopes that our support will help attract contributions on behalf of their causes. We have supported Change for Kids, breast cancer campaigns, National Mobilization Against Sweatshops (NMASS), and tolerance.org.

RESUMÉ
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Production companies and individual artists who have utilized the resources and services offered by FMC have completed the following projects.

Produced:
"Office Party" which featured Jon Stewart, Carol Kane and Ralph Macchio.
"Food for Thought"
"Reel Jokes"

Cast:
"Roger Dodger", recent winner at the TriBeCa Film Festival and Sundance
"Secretary", Special Jury Prize winner at Sundance, plus the 2002 Gotham Breakthrough Actor Award for the leading lady, Maggie Gyllenhaal, released by Lion's Gate
"XX/XY", starring Mark Ruffalo, released by IFC Films in Feb. '03
"Love The Hard Way", starring Adrien Brody, won Silver Prize at Locarno Festival
"Poof!", for American Shorts, starring Rosie Perez and Viola Davis, airing on PBS in Spring '03

Edited:
"Trembling Before G-d" by Sandi Dubowski
"Ruth and Connie" by Academy Award nominee Deborah Dickson,Jordan Crandall's video pieces "Heatseeking" and "Drive"
"Chutney Popcorn", by Nisha Ganatra
"trans", by Jullian Goldberger
"Whatever" directed by Susan Skoog, picked up by Sony classics.
"Reel Jokes"
"Office Party" which featured Jon Stewart, Carol Kane and Ralph Macchio.
Segments for the "HUGE" and "RAW" projects
Alannis Morrisette music video, cut by Steve Hamilton (Hal Hartley's editor)
"Our Song" by Jim McKay
"Baby Steps" starring Kathy Bates.
"Trust Dance"
"Neovoxer"
Several clips were compiled for DGA (Director's Guild of America) award ceremonies/tributes, as well as a "Women in Film" campaign for the Sundance channel, directed by Rose Troche and edited by Ann T. Rossetti (director and DP of "Go Fish.")

Editing for non-profit organizations:
Bill Bradley Campaign
Change for Kids
Breast cancer awareness campaign
"Check your Body" campaign
National Mobilization Against Sweatshops (NMASS), Tolerance.org

Film Festivals:
Genart Film Festival
MIX NYC
New York Underground Film Festival,
NewYork Bicycle Film Festival
Nantucket Film Festival
Newport Film Festival
NewFest (NY Gay and Lesbian Film Festival)
Slamdance
Film Fleadh - The Irish International Film Festival
NY Comedy Film Festival

Production Philosophy

Major challenges face FMC for the future. FMC's model of production exempting financial speculation's influence on the creative process is unique in the U.S. While this greatly benefits the independent media community as a whole, it necessitates great transparency on FMC's part in all aspects of its operations, especially project selection. Other challenges include breaking new ground in providing health insurance for media makers, and forming supportive relationships with film and television production unions.

PRODUCTION PHILOSOPHY
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Independent Film, the process and the product, has been compromised by its own financial success. Its relatively low capital needs and potentially wide profit margins have, understandably, lured investors intent on minimizing their risk and maximizing returns. Good returns are hard to argue with but standard independent film production practice excludes all but a privileged few from sharing in these returns. The diminished risk of lower necessary capital rested and still rests largely on the backs of the team who works for peanuts, knocking themselves out for the vision of this or that writer/director. If a film's success comes, while the writer/director meets with a major motion picture studio, the crew is out breaking their necks for someone else. Certain laudable directors have perceived this unfairness and have distributed 'points' among their crew, but this is a long way from standard practice.

These present conditions have contributed to pernicious results. The increased presence and pressure of financial speculators have raised mass-marketability and profit standards for films seeking funding. Terms of success have moved further and further away from critical rigor and fulfillment of artistic vision to box office and more importantly for independent film, video sales. The production process has become one that compromises the integrity of those involved and frequently exploits them as well.

FMC seeks to provide an alternative option to this production scenario by examining and substituting what currently appear to be the unspoken first principles of independent film: I. Make a marketable film, II. Make it as cheaply as possible without jeopardizing I.

With a different set of principles: I. Create a production condition where everyone is supported to achieve excellence in his/her craft and II. Create a condition where no one is exploited, profound changes in the independent film production process occur, no matter what one's beliefs are concerning fairness and integrity in the filmmaking process. Beyond certain guidelines, each filmmaker working within the FMC process will discover for themselves how to best implement these principles on their film production process. FMC believes that putting strong new ideas and good work ethic first will lead to better films.

Phase One - Partial Production Grant
Phase Two - Endowment

FMC plans to fund its operations from grants, private contributions, and the interest from a production endowment. It is the goal of FMC to employ a solid financial approach to managing these resources and run the organization from this revenue stream, predicating the ultimate size of operations on the scope of that revenue. The ultimate financial strategy for FMC is to build an endowment that allows for the underwriting of all operations, including feature film production, distribution and marketing.

PHASE ONE
Partial Production Grant
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FMC will create a rotating Selection Committee, consisting of art professionals and experts, who will nominate artists to submit a project proposal for a potential grant opportunity. The Partial Production Program Selection Committees will make a limited number of grants each year in support of projects that adhere to the vision of our production philosophy. Grants will be open to numerous mediums including narrative and documentary features, shorts, video art, on line projects, and museum installations.

PHASE TWO
Endowment
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Using money raised from private donations, grants and public funds; an endowment will be established to provide a perpetual source of operating funds and grant money to be distributed to artists through the FMC Partial Production Program. The endowment will also enable FMC to continue educational, curatorial and distribution collaborations with other art organizations.