@desireereports: After opening night of the SCREAMFEST Film Festival, here’s what I learned from independent filmmakers and others working across the industry: Media consolidation appears to be largely a symptom of a much bigger challenge: everyone is fighting for the attention of audiences who are increasingly on their phones. Another issue raised is funding. Unlike countries such as Canada, the United States doesn’t have the same kind of federal grant infrastructure supporting independent film production. So, if Congress truly wants to help rebuild Hollywood, perhaps it’s time to start from the bottom up by supporting the independent filmmakers and creators trying to get projects off the ground, rather than continuing to focus primarily on solutions from the top down. The people actually making these films have a lot to say and I’m bringing their message back to Capitol Hill.

Desirée Townsend

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Wednesday 07 October 2026 05:40:07 GMT