Independent Film & Media Arts Field-Building Initiative
The Independent Film & Media Arts Field-Building Initiative took place between 2019 and 2025 and focused on creating a space for knowledge exchange and relationship-building for individuals working in the film and media arts industry. The NEA partnered with Sundance Institute from 2019-2022, and with Bay Area Video Coalition (BAVC) from 2023-2025.
This initiative contributed to strengthening regional arts infrastructure by exploring the following areas of special interest:
- Providing a national forum for ideas exchange, peer learning, and technical assistance
- Strengthening connectivity between existing networks and media arts communities across the United States
- Elevating strategies, best practices, and exemplary models for building career pathways into the film and media arts industry
- Promoting the contributions of the independent film and media arts field to the wider arts sector and beyond
With Sundance Institute as the inaugural partner from 2019-2022, the initiative established the Independent Media Arts Group (IMAG), a nationwide network of more than 800 individuals representing local, regional, and national stakeholders across the United States, including artists and collectives, film and media arts organizations, film festivals, art house cinemas, cultural institutions, content distributors, broadcast entities, arts service organizations, and funders. IMAG activities included quarterly field meetings open to the public, which serve to provide a continuous forum for ideas exchange; peer learning; and technical assistance led by practitioners within and outside the IMAG network.
Archived IMAG Field Meetings
November 2024
Meeting agenda with Presenters | Meeting archive
May 2024
Meeting agenda with Presenters | Meeting archive
March 2024
Meeting agenda with presenters | Meeting archive
December 2023
Meeting agenda with Presenters | Meeting Archive
August 2023
Meeting Agenda with Presenters | Meeting archive