Links to Industry Organizations

INTERNATIONAL AFFILIATION OF WRITERS GUILDS
FILM AND TELEVISION INDUSTRY GUILDS AND UNIONS
FILM & TELEVISION ORGANIZATIONS
FILM FESTIVALS
FINANCIAL AND OTHER ASSISTANCE
INTERACTIVE ORGANIZATIONS
ARTISTS' RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS

INTERNATIONAL AFFILIATION OF WRITERS GUILDS

International Affiliation of Writers Guilds (IAWG)
The International Affiliation of Writers Guilds (IAWG) was established in 1986 to address the globalization of the entertainment industry and improve the working conditions of professional film and television writers worldwide through collective action, mutual support and common representation internationally. Its member guilds work on behalf of 50,000 writers in the areas of collective bargaining, standard contracts, credit disputes, government lobbying, and the promotion of the essential role of the writer as first creator in the filmmaking process.

FILM AND TELEVISION INDUSTRY GUILDS AND UNIONS

American Film Institute (AFI)
AFI is a national institute providing leadership in screen education and the recognition and celebration of excellence in the art of film, television and digital media. AFI trains the next generation of filmmakers at its world-renowned Conservatory, maintains America's film heritage through the AFI Catalog of Feature Films and explores new digital technologies in entertainment and education through AFI's New Media Ventures. As the largest nonprofit exhibitor in the U.S., AFI On Screen encompasses the annual AFI Fest presented by Audi: AFI Los Angeles International Film Festival and Silverdocs: AFI/Discovery Channel Documentary Festival, while offering year-round programming at ArcLight Hollywood and the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center in Silver Spring, Maryland. AFI Awards, the annual almanac for the 21st century, honors the most outstanding motion pictures and television programs of the year, while AFI's 100 Years… series has ignited extraordinary public interest in classic American movies. And, during the past 32 years, AFI'S Life Achievement Award has become the highest honor for a career in film.

Directors Guild of America (DGA)
The Directors Guild of America represents members who work in theatrical, industrial, educational and documentary films, as well as live, filmed and taped television programs, radio, videos and commercials.

The Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF)
The Entertainment Industry Foundation, as the leading charitable organization of the industry, has distributed hundreds of millions of dollars -- and provided countless volunteer hours -- to support charitable initiatives that address some of the most critical issues facing our society. The Entertainment Industry Foundation helps raise awareness and funds for important causes such as childhood hunger, cancer research, creative arts, education, cardiovascular research, and much more. Annually, EIF funds more than 300 charitable organizations within the greater Los Angeles area and throughout the nation.

International Affiliation of Writers Guilds
The International Affiliation of Writers Guilds (IAWG) is an international body representing guilds of professional screenwriters. The IAWG works to further the cause of screenwriters worldwide by lobbying governments to adopt writer-friendly legislation and through collective action, mutual support and common representation internationally.

International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States and Canada (IATSE)
The IATSE is the labor union which represents technicians, artisans and craftpersons in the entertainment industry, including live theater, film and television production.

International Documentary Association 
Founded in 1982, the IDA is a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to supporting the efforts of nonfiction film and video makers throughout the United States and the world; promoting the documentary form; and expanding opportunities for the production, distribution, and exhibition of documentary. The IDA is committed to continuing its efforts to increase public appreciation and demand for documentary films, videos, and television programs across all ethnic, political and socioeconomic boundaries.

SAG - AFTRA
SAG-AFTRA represents more than 160,000 actors, announcers, broadcasters journalists, dancers, DJs, news writers, news editors, program hosts, puppeteers, recording artists, singers, stunt performers, voiceover artists and other media professionals.

Studio Teachers (IATSE Local 884)
This union represents teachers who educate child performers. The website includes a Blue Book of regulations concerning children in the entertainment industry.

FILM & TELEVISION ORGANIZATIONS

Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences
website of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Several kinds of information are available about the Academy, the Academy Awards, and the other programs and activities of the Academy and its affiliated organization, the Academy Foundation.

Academy of Television Arts & Sciences
The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences is a non-profit corporation devoted both to the advancement of telecommunications arts and sciences and to fostering creative leadership in the telecommunications industry.

The Ad Council
A private, non-profit organization, the Ad Council has been the nation's leading provider of public service campaigns for more than 60 years. Through partnerships with non-profit organizations and government agencies, the Ad Council has unprecedented access to the critical information and resources needed to address many of the nation's most important social issues. Ad Council icons and slogans are woven into the very fabric of American culture - from Smokey the Bear's "Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires" and McGruff the Crime Dog's: "Take A Bite Out of Crime," to the United Negro College Fund's: "A Mind is a Terrible Thing To Waste," and "Friends Don't Let Friends Drive Drunk."

Association of Film Commissions
This site links to film commissions around the world. A useful aid for location scouting from your computer monitor.

Film Independent
Film Independent, a non-profit membership organization for independent filmmakers, cultivates the careers of independent filmmakers, builds the audience for independent films, and increases diversity in the film industry. Film Independent provides its members with more than 250 annual events and screenings, along with professional advice, educational programs, affordable camera and equipment rentals, and discounts to hundreds of industry-related businesses. Film Independent also offers Filmmaker Labs, giving filmmakers the opportunity to develop their projects, and Project:Involve, a mentorship and job placement program that pairs filmmakers from culturally diverse communities with film industry professionals. Film Independent produces the Independent Spirit Awards and Los Angeles Film Festival, celebrating the best of American and international cinema.

Filmmakers Alliance
Started in 1993 as a collective answer to the practical needs of independent filmmakers, FA has evolved into a multi-layered support organization with an emphasis on aesthetic empowerment. FA also aggregates key filmmaking information, tools, resources and other benefits that can be accessed online.

Green Production Guide
The Green Production Guide (GPG) is the premier industry online toolkit designed to reduce the film, television, and streaming industry’s carbon footprint and environmental impact. The GPG was established in 2010 in a joint effort between the Producers Guild of America Foundation’s PGA Green committee and a major studios partner group, now known as the Sustainable Production Alliance (SPA).

Independent Film & Television Alliance
The Independent Film & Television Alliance (IFTA) is the trade association of independent producers and distributors of motion picture and television programming worldwide. This non-profit organization was established in 1980 by a group of independents whose main goal was to expand the independent film business by creating a world-class trade show, the American Film Market (AFM). Headquartered in Los Angeles, the organization now represents more than 150 member companies from 22 countries, consisting of independent production and distribution companies, sales agents, television companies, studio-affiliated companies, and financial institutions engaged in film finance.

International Academy of Web Television
The International Academy of Web Television (IAWTV) is a non-profit membership organization for digital entertainment creators and leaders that promotes and recognizes artistic excellence and technological innovation in the Web television and digital entertainment industries. IAWTV oversees the annual Streamy Awards, which honors and recognizes excellence in original episodic Web television programming. As the leading voices of open entertainment on the web, IAWTV members play an important role in guiding the future of this emerging medium by way of over 21 peer groups, including writers.

Motion Picture Association of America
The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and its international counterpart, the Motion Picture Association (MPA) serve as the voice and advocate of the American motion picture, home video and television industries, domestically through the MPAA and internationally through the MPA. Today, these associations represent not only the world of the theatrical film, but serve as leader and advocate for major producers and distributors of entertainment programming for television, cable, home video and future delivery systems not yet imagined.

The Paley Center for Media
The Paley Center for Media, with locations in New York and Los Angeles, leads the discussion about the cultural, creative, and social significance of television, radio, and emerging platforms for the professional community and media-interested public.

Organization of Black Screenwriters (OBS)
OBS is a non-profit organization committed to the development and advancement of African-American writers.

Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers
The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE), is the leading technical society for the motion imaging industry. There are more than 10,000 SMPTE members spread throughout 85 countries. Touching on every discipline, SMPTE members include engineers, technical directors, cameramen, editors, technicians, manufacturers, educators and consultants.

Sundance Institute
The Sundance Institute is a non-profit organization dedicated to the discovery and development of independent artists and audiences. Through its programs, the Institute seeks to discover, support, and inspire independent film and theatre artists from the United States and around the world, and to introduce audiences to their new work. The Institute programs include the annual Sundance Film Festival and the Feature Film Program, which offers year-round support and a series of Labs for emerging independent screenwriters and directors for the development of their feature film projects. Other programs include the Documentary Film Program, Film Music Program, Sundance Institute Theatre Program, and the Native American and Indigenous Program.

FILM FESTIVALS

Austin Film Festival and Conference
Each October, the Austin Film Festival and Conference celebrate the art of storytelling through film, with a special emphasis on screenwriting.  AFF features a four-day conference, eight days of films and parties with one-of-a kind networking opportunities for screenwriters, filmmakers and film lovers.

Cannes Film Festival
Ever since its creation, the Festival de Cannes has remained faithful to its founding purpose: to draw attention to and raise the profile of films with the aim of contributing towards the development of cinema, boosting the film industry worldwide and celebrating cinema at an international level.

City of Lights/City of Angels (COLCOA)
COLCOA is committed to promoting new French films in Hollywood and to showcasing the vitality and the diversity of French cinema. This LA-based April festival was created in 1996 by the Franco-American Cultural Fund, a unique collaborative effort between the Writers Guild of America West, the Directors Guild of America, the Motion Picture Association and France’s Society of Authors, Composers and Publishers of Music (SACEM), and is supported by l’Association des Auteurs-Realisateurs-Producteurs (ARP), the Film and TV Office of the French Embassy in Los Angeles and UNIFRANCE.

Los Angeles Film Festival  
The Los Angeles Film Festival is held in downtown Los Angeles in June, and showcases the new American filmmaking and international cinema, connecting the movie-loving public with critically acclaimed filmmakers, film industry professionals and emerging talent from around the world.

Slamdance Film Festival
Slamdance started in January 1995, when a group of first-time filmmakers screened their films concurrently with the Sundance Film Festival. Today, Slamdance has expanded into a support system for emerging writers and filmmakers, and includes a screenplay competition.

Sundance Film Festival
Held in and around Park City, Utah each January, the Sundance Film Festival is widely regarded as the premier U.S.  showcase for American and international independent film.

FINANCIAL AND OTHER ASSISTANCE

Entertainment Community Fund
The Entertainment Community Fund is a national human services organization that helps all professionals in performing arts and entertainment. We are a safety net, providing programs and services for those who are in need, crisis or transition.

The Motion Picture and Television Fund
MPTF supports our entertainment community in living and aging well, with dignity and purpose, and in helping each other in times of need.

INTERACTIVE ORGANIZATIONS

IGDA (International Game Developers Association)
The IGDA is an independent, non-profit professional association for developers of interactive entertainment.

Scriptwriters Network
The Scriptwriters Network is a non-profit organization of writers supporting emerging writers with knowledge about the entertainment industry. The Network hosts an assortment of programs to help writers in both the television and feature film mediums, including monthly meetings featuring notable guest speakers.

The Society of Internet Professionals (SIP)
The Society of Internet Professionals (SIP) is a not-for-profit, membership based organization representing the interest of Internet professionals.

ARTISTS' RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS

American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
The ACLU is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, public interest organization devoted exclusively to protecting the basic civil liberties of all Americans.

Authors Guild
The Authors Guild is the nation's largest society of published authors and a leading advocate for fair compensation, free speech and copyright protection.

California First Amendment Coalition
The California First Amendment Coalition (CFAC) is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization whose purpose is to "promote and defend the people's right to know"--that is, our freedom of information (to find out) and freedom of expression (to speak out) about matters of public interest.

Confederation Internationale des Societes d'Auteurs et Compositeurs (CISAC)
CISAC is a non-profit, non-governmental organization embracing 161 members (159 societies and two organizations) representing creators in 87 countries.

Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF)
The Electronic Frontier Foundation is a non-profit civil liberties organization working in the public interest to protect privacy, free expression, and access to public resources and information online, as well as to promote responsibility in new media.

The Film Foundation
The Film Foundation is a nonprofit organization established in 1990 by Martin Scorsese, dedicated to protecting and preserving motion picture history by providing annual support for preservation and restoration projects at the leading film archives.

National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC)
The National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC), founded in 1974, is an alliance of over 40 national non-profit organizations, including literary, artistic, religious, educational, professional, labor, and civil liberties groups. United by a conviction that freedom of thought, inquiry, and expression must be defended, we work to educate our own members and the public at large about the dangers of censorship and how to oppose it. NCAC strives to create a climate of opinion hospitable to First Amendment freedoms in the broader community.

PEN
PEN American Center is a membership association of prominent literary writers and editors. The organization seeks to defend the freedom of expression wherever it may be threatened, and promote and encourage the recognition and reading of contemporary literature.

World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is one of the 16 specialized agencies of the United Nations system of organizations. WIPO is responsible for the promotion of the protection of intellectual property throughout the world.

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