Tune In Tomorrow: Future Film Coalition to Testify at Senate Spotlight Hearing
“Lights, Camera, Competition: Promoting American Film Production” will livestream on Friday, March 20 at 10:00 AM PT/1:00 PM ET.
Future Film Coalition will represent the independent film community at a Senate spotlight hearing tomorrow, titled “Lights, Camera, Competition: Promoting American Film Production.” Convened by Senator Adam Schiff in Burbank, CA, the hearing will include testimony from Emmy-winning actor Noah Wyle (The Pitt), IATSE President Matt Loeb, former CNN chief White House correspondent Jim Acosta, and FFC Executive Director Jax Deluca.
If you would like to follow along, the hearing will be livestreamed on Senator Schiff’s YouTube channel tomorrow, Friday, March 20 at 10:00 AM PT/1:00 PM ET.
To capture what statistics alone cannot, FFC has been collecting stories for months via the #BlockTheMerger campaign at BlockTheMerger.com. The campaign gathers firsthand accounts from independent film professionals from those working across the film and media on how consolidation is reshaping the marketplace.
The independent film sector is a nationwide network of small businesses, creative workers, theaters, and festivals that all depend on competitive markets to thrive. Taken together, these stories point to a shrinking independent film ecosystem, with fewer financing and distribution opportunities, diminished bargaining power for creators, reduced visibility on streaming platforms, and broader ripple effects across local economies and cultural institutions.
If you have experienced changes in the film industry due to consolidation—fewer buyers, weaker deal terms, reduced visibility, or fewer opportunities—we encourage you to share your story. Our confidential story collection form is easy to fill out, and it will only take a few minutes of your time. There is also an option to submit anonymously.
These submissions help illustrate for regulators how mergers affect real markets, real workers, and real communities.
#BlockTheMerger: Why the Future of Independent Film Is at Stake
The proposed merger between Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount would combine two of the largest entertainment companies in the world. If approved, the transaction would further concentrate control over film libraries and archives, television networks, streaming platforms, and the pipelines through which films are financed, produced, distributed, and marketed.
And despite what some headlines suggest, the merger is not a done deal. Regulators—including State Attorneys General—still have the authority to challenge it if it is likely to reduce competition or harm the public interest.
This Is Not Just a Hollywood Issue
One of the most common misconceptions about media consolidation is that it only affects large studios or headline talent.
In reality, independent film functions as a complex economic ecosystem.
A single production supports editors, designers, technicians, marketers, festival programmers, publicists, theater staff, and small vendors. When fewer films are financed, acquired, or distributed, those jobs disappear as well.
Workers who submitted stories to the campaign described exactly this effect:
“People think this only affects studios, but it affects the entire workforce around every film.”
The ripple effects extend beyond workers.
Independent theaters rely on a steady flow of independent releases to serve their communities. When fewer films reach the market, or arrive with minimal marketing support, local cinemas lose programming flexibility and audiences lose choice.
This is why the issue matters not only to filmmakers, but also to local businesses, cultural organizations, and regional economies across the country.
Learn more and participate at: