"As nurses wanting to help women reclaim their birthright and restore the nursing mother archetype, we saw film as a vehicle to help put this movement in motion. Thanks to Jon and ideas outlined in Filmmaking for Change, we were able to complete The Milky Way movie and launch our campaign."
Jennifer Davidson, Producer: The Milky Way
Jennifer Davidson, Producer: The Milky Way
author - Jon fitzgerald
.As a co-founder of the Slamdance Film Festival (1995), I had the pleasure of presenting a number of emerging filmmakers and their first films before becoming the Festival Director for the AFI Film Festival in 1997. After running AFI Fest for three years (1997-1999), I created a consulting business, guiding the launch of numerous film festivals (Bahamas, Lone Star, Orlando to name a few), directing several others (Santa Barbara, Abu Dhabi and Hollywood), and consulting to dozens more. Thanks to working in the film festival arena for more than a dozen years, I got the bug to make another film, one that would hopefully inspire others.
Walking down a fairway in Palm Springs, California an idea came to mind. A challenge. Would it be possible to become a professional athlete (golfer) after turning the age of 40? I said to myself, "It's time to take your shot." From this, The Back Nine documentary was born.
This project was the catalyst for a shift in direction, and a greater focus on supporting culturally relevant films, particularly with social impact documentaries that can inspire audiences to take action.
I have since had the opportunity to direct a few more of these film projects through Cause Pictures, and consult to many more, each with producers who had a strong core idea for a film, but were looking for a production partner with experience to help guide them through the process, from development through distribution. Recognizing this power of film to inspire change, I authored Filmmaking for Change: Make Films That Transform the World, in 2012, published by industry leader Michael Wiese Productions. I wanted to provide emerging social impact filmmakers with the tools to bring their films to life. With the escalating issues in the world around us, combined with the growing interest in social impact movies and the buzz for documentary films, we all agreed the time was right to release a 2nd Edition, which hit the street October of 2017.
Having taught several film courses at my alma mater UCSB, as well as leading many panels and workshops, with an understanding the democratization of storytelling, I look forward to supporting emerging filmmakers in leveraging the power of film to make a difference in the world. This has led to a more modern and comprehensive course around Filmmaking for Change, where I can share more about the development, production and distribution of these projects in this new era. Learn more here.
In 2019, we launched iGEMS.tv (Internet Guide to Engaging Movies & Series. Our hope is to guide audiences to movies and shows they may not know about, with links pointing to where they can watch them. And iGEMSpro will provide a directory for filmmakers to showcase their projects, take a deeper dive on distribution with The Mine, and get discounts on relevant film courses. Hope to see you there!
Jon Fitzgerald
Walking down a fairway in Palm Springs, California an idea came to mind. A challenge. Would it be possible to become a professional athlete (golfer) after turning the age of 40? I said to myself, "It's time to take your shot." From this, The Back Nine documentary was born.
This project was the catalyst for a shift in direction, and a greater focus on supporting culturally relevant films, particularly with social impact documentaries that can inspire audiences to take action.
I have since had the opportunity to direct a few more of these film projects through Cause Pictures, and consult to many more, each with producers who had a strong core idea for a film, but were looking for a production partner with experience to help guide them through the process, from development through distribution. Recognizing this power of film to inspire change, I authored Filmmaking for Change: Make Films That Transform the World, in 2012, published by industry leader Michael Wiese Productions. I wanted to provide emerging social impact filmmakers with the tools to bring their films to life. With the escalating issues in the world around us, combined with the growing interest in social impact movies and the buzz for documentary films, we all agreed the time was right to release a 2nd Edition, which hit the street October of 2017.
Having taught several film courses at my alma mater UCSB, as well as leading many panels and workshops, with an understanding the democratization of storytelling, I look forward to supporting emerging filmmakers in leveraging the power of film to make a difference in the world. This has led to a more modern and comprehensive course around Filmmaking for Change, where I can share more about the development, production and distribution of these projects in this new era. Learn more here.
In 2019, we launched iGEMS.tv (Internet Guide to Engaging Movies & Series. Our hope is to guide audiences to movies and shows they may not know about, with links pointing to where they can watch them. And iGEMSpro will provide a directory for filmmakers to showcase their projects, take a deeper dive on distribution with The Mine, and get discounts on relevant film courses. Hope to see you there!
Jon Fitzgerald
