6 7 The Documentary Freelancer Relief Fund provided nearly 580 freelancers across 71 countries with funding. Of the freelancers who received funds, 65% self-identified as BIPOC; nearly 30% self-identified at LGBTQIA; 44% were from outside of the U.S.; 7% identified as having a disability; 6% identified as being a refugee, forced migrant, or otherwise displaced person; 3% identified as being undocumented; and 1% identified as being a veteran. PFDF also joined forces with the National Press Photographers Association to provide legal assistance to journalists facing arrest or injury while covering social justice protests such as those following the death of George Floyd. This support totaled $100,000. These emergency responses are a natural extension of FLI’s mission to support documentary filmmaking and serious journalism that bring to light information in the public interest necessary for a functioning democracy. “The economic fallout from Covid-19 has triggered an unprecedented crisis in the news business that requires everyone who cares about journalism in America to pitch in. Right now. We need journalists to report on both the pandemic and on the national protests over police brutality. Helping journalists weather this economic crisis is an investment in the future of American journalism.” – JAMES RISEN, DIRECTOR, PRESS FREEDOM DEFENSE FUND To ensure sustainable support, Lawyers for Reporters (L4R), established in 2019 as a joint project of PFDF and the Cyrus R. Vance Center for International Justice, deepened its commitment to providing pro bono legal support to local news organizations. The collaboration provides these services to nonprofit news organizations to support their operations from their inception through development to ultimate sustainability. The rapid disappearance of local and community-based news organizations is sparking a robust rise of hyperlocal replacements. L4R leverages its resources by channeling top-tier legal advice from an array of leading firms to make these crucial resources accessible for free to organizations who need them the most. L4R served 23 clients in 2020, 61% of which are led by people identifying as women, BIPOC, or LGBTQ+. Nineteen law firms deployed 52 attorneys to serve these clients, donating more than $1 million in in-kind service. “Five years ago, First Look Institute launched Field of Vision. The mission was clear: to support work that uses innovative and artistic ways to explore contemporary global issues through a cinematic lens. Field of Vision is here to push the boundaries of nonfiction storytelling, to expand those who tell stories, how they’re told and to advocate for the field. The reflection that comes in tandem with a five- year anniversary is even more poignant when it is coupled with a global pandemic. It caused Field of Vision to look back in gratitude while scanning the horizon for opportunities to create new initiatives, resources, and support for both filmmakers and filmmaking.” – CHARLOTTE COOK, CO-CREATOR AND EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, FIELD OF VISION In 2020, Field of Vision built on its foundational commitment to short-form filmmaking and to creating greater equity, inclusion, sustainability, and support within the industry. Field of Vision acquired IF/Then shorts from the Tribeca Film Institute, after the Institute suspended its activities. IF/Then aims to break down barriers in the film industry — barriers which are a direct product of systemic and structural racism — by working with creators who experience inequity based on their personal background. IF/Then’s programming focuses on supporting regional creative communities and fostering compelling, character-led, community-inspired stories that embody the breadth and diversity of the people and places they represent. As productions shut down, festivals shuttered, film sales halted, and job losses grew, uncertainty spread across the industry. Field of Vision first launched an “office hours” service for the documentary community in early March, which facilitated 200 meetings across 21 countries in the first three months alone. The team provided a range of virtual mentorship and consultation services and responded to the array of issues created by the pandemic, spanning project development, pitch training, feedback on proposals and grant applications, and more. Field of Vision created the Covid-19 Risk Assessment for Documentary Filmmakers in partnership with the Sundance Institute and Doc Society. As independent filmmakers considered resuming their work, one question loomed: Should I be filming at all? The assessment served as a guide for professionals across the industry and around the world.