Take action to block the WBD merger
Plus, where to find the Future Film Coalition at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival.
As Sundance gets underway, the Future Film Coalition is arriving with urgency, momentum, and a clear message: media consolidation is no longer an abstract policy issue. It’s shaping who gets seen, who gets paid, and which stories reach the public.
That’s why we’re officially launching BlockTheMerger.com, FFC’s first public-facing advocacy campaign, and why so many of our Sundance conversations this year will center on media consolidation and public policy interventions to ensure audiences, industry workers, and local communities benefit from a diverse and thriving indie film ecosystem for generations to come.
Turning Experience into Evidence
Over the past few months, antitrust regulators and policymakers have made clear that they are actively seeking real-world evidence about how media consolidation affects creators, workers, audiences, and local cultural ecosystems. What has often been missing is a clear pathway for independent film communities to contribute that evidence in a coordinated, accessible way.
BlockTheMerger.com is designed to fill that gap.
The campaign builds on momentum from FFC’s recent Media Consolidation Teach-In, which drew nearly 1,000 registrants from across the independent film ecosystem, including filmmakers, exhibitors, festivals, distributors, educators, and cultural workers. The response confirmed that this issue is resonating widely, and that the field is ready to engage.
BlockTheMerger.com explains, in plain language, how media consolidation harms independent film, from fewer buyers and places to show work, increased pressure on local theaters and festivals, lower pay and reduced job stability for creative workers, loss of long-term income and ownership for creators, and fewer opportunities for new voices to build careers. The site also outlines why these impacts matter for audiences and communities, and how sharing lived experience can inform policy decisions.
Share Your Story
If you have been impacted by media consolidation, your experience matters. We are collecting short, first-hand accounts from filmmakers, film workers, producers, sales agents, exhibitors, audiences, and other professionals to document how media consolidation is affecting the independent film ecosystem. Our goal is to collect these stories now, so we can help ensure that regulators can work with the independent film community to mitigate harms from media consolidation as part of current and future merger reviews.*
Sharing your experience:
Helps antitrust regulators understand real-world impacts of consolidation to inform the review of future mergers
Helps policymakers assess harm to competition, culture, and local economies
Helps the film industry advocate with credible, evidence-based stories
(*Information can be provided confidentially and anonymously.)
Show Your Support
If you would like to show support for the independent film sector, audiences, and local communities impacted by media consolidation, please fill out the form below to have your individual name, company or organization listed as a supporter on BlockTheMerger.com.
Where You’ll Find Us at Sundance
FFC will be active throughout the festival, hosting and participating in conversations that connect policy, community organizing, and the lived realities of those working in independent film. We’ll have some campaign materials at The Solidarity House, and we hope you pick up a stack to circulate in your hometown!
Thursday, January 22 | 10:45–11:15am MT
Crossing the Threshold: Landscape Discussion
Impact Lounge, Prospector Square
Part of the Pull Focus series, this conversation takes stock of the current film and media landscape, including shifts in funding and distribution, the effects of consolidation, and the growing need for collective organizing across filmmakers, artist support organizations, exhibitors, distributors, and sales agents.
Presenters: Jax Deluca, Brian Newman, Barbara Twist
Moderator: Richard Rushfield, The Ankler
Friday, January 23 | 11:30am–1:30pm MT
FFC at Liberation Lab: Block the Merger!
The Solidarity House (1205 Iron Horse Drive), Table 10
Join us as we publicly launch BlockTheMerger.com. Media consolidation is not abstract. It determines who gets work, which films are released, and which communities are served. Stop by our table to learn more, share your experience, and find ways to engage!
Friday, January 23 | 2:30–3:30pm MT
The Public Investment Renaissance: A New Vision for Publicly Supported Documentary Film
Impact Lounge, Prospector Square
With federal disinvestment pushing documentary film into crisis, this panel explores how public investment at local, state, and national levels can function as durable infrastructure for independent storytelling. The conversation looks beyond short-term survival toward long-term sustainability, equity, and public value.
Moderator: Jax Deluca
Panelists include leaders from public media and the documentary field.
Sunday, January 25 | 2:00–3:00pm MT
How Policy Will Shape the Future of Independent Film
The Solidarity House (1205 Iron Horse Drive)
This panel examines how emerging policies across labor, technology, funding, and distribution are reshaping independent film. Panelists will discuss regulatory shifts, the opportunities and constraints they introduce, and what filmmakers and institutions need to understand to navigate the current environment.
Moderator: Orly Ravid
Panelists include Dawn Porter, Don Young, Jax Deluca, and Loira Limbal.
Monday, January 26 | 9:00pm MT
Informal FFC Meet-Up
Yarrow Bar @ Doubletree Hilton (1800 Park Ave)
Join Jax and members of the FFC Board for a casual late-night gathering. Come by for a drink or to catch up on conversations about mergers, censorship, policy, and the future of indie film. All are welcome!
A Field-Building Moment
Sundance has always offered a snapshot of where independent film stands. This year, it is clear that creativity alone will not determine what comes next. Policy choices, market rules, and collective action will play a defining role in whether independent film remains a vibrant, sustainable part of our cultural and civic life.
If you believe independent film matters—as part of our culture, our livelihoods, and public good—we invite you to connect with us this week, share your story at BlockTheMerger.com, and stay involved through futurefilmcoalition.org.
We’re grateful for the conversations already underway and look forward to continuing them in Park City and beyond!