IMAG Regional Initiatives: Selected Projects

In June 2025, BAVC Media utilized remaining funds from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to subcontract other regional initiatives across the US.

A call for proposals was issued to members of the Independent Film & Media Arts Group (IMAG) to redistribute over $20,000 in support of organizations across the national indie media field. A review process was undertaken by the BAVC Media team and eighteen organizations were selected for contracts in support of their work before the end date of the early-terminated agreement with the NEA.

“With less than a month to wrap up activities and spend down our funds, our team leapt into action to pull together a subcontracting program and get funds to IMAG members before May 31. As we reviewed the proposals, we looked for activities with clear outcomes that reflect the priorities of the initiative and requests that outlined a clear plan for the funds. Proposals that supported regional field building across multiple organizations and sectors of the field were also given priority.

It was thrilling to read about the incredible work that is happening in our field, and so difficult to narrow down the pool of applicants by more than half, but we’re proud to be supporting the wide array of activities across the country and our field in the end with contracts ranging from $500 to $1500.”

– Brittney Réaume, Associate Director of Artist Development

IMAG is focused on creating a space for knowledge exchange and relationship-building, with an emphasis on promoting regional networks, equity, and career sustainability for individuals working in the film and media arts industry.

Selected organizations for support include:

• Film Festival Alliance
  • Planning for the Audience Development Forum with the goal to make professional development more accessible while fostering regional connections among participants. Through hands-on workshops and collaborative activities, attendees will develop practical strategies for audience identification, engagement, and retention that they can immediately implement in their organizations.
• Alliance for Community Media
  • Convening conversations with community media organizations across the US to determine the best ways the ACM national Conferences can serve their educational and networking needs, including questions about the value of training and professional development that occurs at ACM events; their periodicity and regional focus; and affordability. Conversations will include rural and small town community media organizations which have an average budget less than $400K per year and lack professional development opportunities or the capacity to take full advantage of those opportunities that exist.
• Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival
  • Attending the PBS Annual Meeting to gather information, make contacts and develop programming for the 2025 Filmmaker Forum at the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival, which will will bring together independent filmmakers and industry leaders for three days of panels, meetings and workshops. The Forum, while national in scope, has a strong emphasis on supporting the Mid-Southern and Southern filmmaking communities. 
• Media Burn Archive
  • Preparing for participation in FootageFest with the goal of strengthening relationships with archival footage researchers, promoting nonprofit archives, and engaging in conversation about the future of GenAI in archival producing.
• The D-Word
  • Supporting two initiatives: 1. Upgrades to DocuMentality’s newly launched directory of therapists who work specifically with documentary filmmakers – adding more resources for a more robust toolkit. 2. Weekly virtual meet-ups (called F2Fs) that bring documentary film professionals from all over the world together to learn from each other. 
• Undocumented Filmmakers Collective
  • Planning for an in-person gathering focused on digital security for undocumented artists that will serve as an opportunity for information-sharing and community-building among Southern-based members of the Collective. In a time when many feel isolated and vulnerable, fostering solidarity and sharing tools will strengthen creative collaboration and ensure that stories from and about the South continue to be told with courage and care.
• The Central Pennsylvania Film Commission / Film Arts Culture & Tourism Specialist (FACTS)
  • Planning and pre-production efforts for FACTS FEST 2025, a multi-day, multi-county media arts and culture festival in Central Pennsylvania. By investing in regional storytelling and equitable access, FACTS FEST strengthens the local creative economy while connecting Central PA to national networks in film and media; empowering emerging artists, particularly BIPOC creatives and those from rural or working-class communities, to see themselves as producers, not just consumers, of culture.
• Art House Convergence
  • Enabling AHC to plan an event specifically for regional community organizations and, if feasible, a limited number of small distributors who may be unable to afford a sponsored table in their trade show.
• Filmshop (Docshop South)
  • Docshop South (the southern documentary chapter of Filmshop) is taking on a significant role in SDF’s 2025 Convening in Durham including planning a networking event that is part of the official Convening schedule.
• FilmNorth
  • Attendance at Arthouse Convergence ahead of completing a capital campaign for a new, media arts center serving the Upper Midwest, which will include a new 54-seat microcinema. 
• Indie Media Arts South
  • Providing bulk purchase of passes and travel stipends for members to attend the Southern Documentary Convening who would otherwise not be able to be there. Indie Media Arts South is a regional collective of arts organizations, film festivals, and media makers working to strengthen the independent sector across the greater U.S. South, with a focus on equity and sustainability. 
• Women Make Movies 
  • Attending DC/DOX, convening with IMAG members, and reporting back on discussions about the field, including immediate and long-term needs, so that the creativity and generative thinking that takes place there can be included in the larger field conversations. 
• iowa city video zine
  • A low-budget road trip from Iowa City to Chicago to forge connections between legacy (video data bank, chicago film archive) and emerging media arts co-ops and share knowledge about archiving and public access. This project will expand networks, strengthen community resources, and come together in a short documentary to be shared publicly.
• Portland Community Media dba Open Signal
  • Planning an event series bringing together artists, activists, media-makers, and neighbors to explore how film, television, and digital media can spark dialogue, amplify underrepresented voices, and drive collective action. These community-focused events in partnership with Oregon Media Production Association, Oregon Film Office, Outside the Frame, Indigenous Media Guild and others, showcase local media productions, honor emerging creators from Open Signal’s programs, and create space for intergenerational dialogue and cultural exchange. 
• Access:Horror
  • Planning and logistics for Access:Horror Film Festival, uplifting disability and genre at DCTV Firehouse Cinema. There will be screenings of short films by disabled filmmakers with Q&A’s, a “Black Women in Horror” panel, a live Podcast taping, and more.
• Proud Stutter
  • An intimate gathering of disabled storytellers, in partnership with the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) – part of a growing national effort to increase visibility and support for filmmakers who stutter, and to challenge the dominant narratives around speech, fluency, and communication in media. 
• Queer Women of Color Media Arts Project (QWOCMAP)
  • Planning for the 21st annual International Queer Women of Color Film Festival with industry partners including Jingletown Films, Superfest Disability Film Festival, Berkeley Film Foundation, BIPOC Doc Editors, The Redford Center, SF Film Commission, and SAG AFTRA, along with many QWOCMAP Filmmakers. 
• Re-Present Media
  • Leading a session at the annual Color Congress convening in collaboration with Justice for My Sister and the Documentary Accountability Working Group called “Caring for Our Communities: Accountability Standards and Practices for Documentaries.”
• Reading Film Office
  • Supporting two strategic initiatives in collaboration with the Association of Film Commissioners International (AFCI). These activities will directly support the development of a sustainable media arts ecosystem in Berks County, PA.

IMAG was originally a collaborative initiative between the National Endowment for the Arts and BAVC Media. We are grateful to the Perspective Fund for continuing its generous support of the IMAG initiative beyond the initial 2-year project period.

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