Your Future Film Coalition News Digest #8
This week, we cover: the immediate threat to public media funding, ethical AI usage in film and television, and more news.
The Latest in Indie Film as of June 19
Public Media Faces Senate Test Next: Last week, the Trump administration’s rescission package passed in the House by just two votes (214–212). The Senate can still stop the bill that would claw back $1.1 billion in funding for public radio and TV—resources that impact all of us, especially in rural and underserved areas.
Your voice matters—especially if you are a constituent of Senators Susan Collins (ME), Lisa Murkowski (AK), Dan Sullivan and John Boozman (AR), Shelley Capito (WV), Jerry Moran (KS), Mike Rounds (SD), John Barrasso (WY), Deb Fischer (NE), or Mitch McConnell (KY). These senators might abstain or even vote yes, which could spell disaster for local stations.
What you can do right now:
Call or email your senator(s). Use Protect My Public Media’s patch-through system and include talking points from their site (as well as any personal connection to public media or local stations).
Forward this message to anyone you know who may have a connection to Senators Susan Collins (ME), Lisa Murkowski (AK), Dan Sullivan and John Boozman (AR), Shelley Capito (WV), Jerry Moran (KS), Mike Rounds (SD), John Barrasso (WY), Deb Fischer (NE), or Mitch McConnell (KY)—personal emails and calls from people who know a senator or live in their districts can make the difference.
Every single vote counts. This bill requires only a simple majority to pass in the Senate. It would effectively reverse bipartisan federal funding for CPB, NPR, PBS, and vital local stations.
⏰ Deadline: We encourage outreach today, as the Senate is expected to take up the vote in the immediate weeks.
Ethical AI Usage in Film and Television: Two major U.S. studios, Disney and NBCUniversal, have filed a landmark federal lawsuit against Midjourney, a generative AI company, for copyright infringement. As we have previously covered, artist-backed lawsuits against tech companies are moving forward and the U.S. Copyright Office is examining policy issues raised by AI. Now with major studios taking action as well, the next 12–24 months will be highly consequential for how domestic policy will influence the role of AI in film and media.
In partnership with the Costar Foresight Lab, the British Film Institute (BFI) published “AI in the Screen Sector: Perspectives and Paths Forward.” Conducted through expert interviews, industry surveys, and an analysis of available data, this report reviews the current landscape of AI in the UK screen sector (films, television, and gaming) and offers nine recommendations designed to “harness AI’s benefits while mitigating its risks.” While the study is published for the UK sector, much of its analysis translates to similar issues AI is posing for arts and media around the world. The recommendations include reducing AI’s carbon footprint through sustainability standards, requiring disclosures when using AI in media, and increased investment in creative technologies; however, we are going to focus on three recommendations that would have a profound impact for independent film professionals if adopted in the U.S.
#1 Rights: Set the UK in a position as a world-leading IP licensing market.
Tech companies are arguing in the U.S. that they can train generative AI models with copyrighted material under “fair use” law to circumvent paying or receiving permission from creators and rightsholders. The BFI report emphasizes that this current practice of training AI models is “a threat to the fundamental economics of the screen sector.” Laying out the case for why intellectual property should be licensed and the creators and rightsholders compensated, the report quotes the U.S. Copyright Office, “making commercial use of vast troves of copyrighted works to produce expressive content that competes with them in existing markets, especially where this is accomplished through illegal access, goes beyond established fair use boundaries.” The report also makes clear copyrights are dominating the legal conversations regarding AI now, but other issues loom on the horizon, including employment and training, carbon and sustainability, authorship and attribution, bias and cultural output, and data security.
#2 Skills: Develop the sector to build skills complementary to AI.
Arts and media organizations are anticipating hundreds of thousands of jobs to be adversely impacted by AI over the next three years. As AI automates and replaces skills throughout the production process, from development through distribution, the report anticipates “new opportunities for roles that require human oversight, creative direction, and technical fluency” will be required. Most workers are unfamiliar with how AI complements their current skills, so it will require training and education for the workforce to transition.
#3 Independent creation: Empower U.K. creatives to develop AI-supported independent creativity.
AI ostensibly lowers barriers and reduces costs, making it easier for independent creators to enter the field. However, as the report points out, indie creators and freelancers lack access and resources to train and develop AI skills. BFI argues “by investing in accessible tools, training, and funding for independent creators, and developing market-preferred, ethical AI products, the UK can foster a more inclusive and dynamic creative economy where AI enhances, rather than replaces, human imagination.”
More on the Top Story
Public Media Faces Senate Test Next
“House Republicans vote to claw back $9.4 billion in funding for foreign aid, NPR and PBS,” Sahil Kapur and Scott Wong, NBC News, June 12, 2025.
Last month, Senator Murkowski (AK) wrote in support of public broadcasting saying, “Alaska’s local stations received $12 million from CPB last year, accounting for anywhere from 30-70 percent of their overall budgets. Not only would a large portion of Alaska communities lose their local programming, but warning systems for natural disasters, power outages, boil water advisories, and other alerts would be severely hampered. What may seem like a frivolous expense to some has proven to be an invaluable resource that saves lives in Alaska.” As Kapur and Wong report, “the $9.4 billion in savings is a drop in the bucket compared to the $2.4 trillion in new deficits that Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act would create.”
Ethical AI Usage in Film and Television
“Hollywood Drops The Hammer On AI, Midjourney And Stable Diffusion,” Charlie Fink, Forbes, June 14, 2025.
Disney and NBCUniversal’s lawsuit against Midjourney accuses them of “systematic, ongoing, and willful” copyright infringement. In the complaint, the studios emphasized their argument that Midjourney’s practices amount to theft by comparing the original source material of popular characters to images of the characters recreated using Midjourney. Comparing the images side-by-side, the studios concluded the AI generator is a “bottomless pit of plagiarism.”
“The Real Reason Bob Iger Declared War on A.I.,” Eriq Gardner, Puck News, June 17, 2025.
Most copyright cases regarding generative AI to date have focused on the use of copyrighted material to train AI models. NBCUniversal and Disney’s lawsuit differs in that it focuses on what the system produces, in this case, images of copyrighted characters. Gardner describes this approach as part of a growing trend in “2.0 AI Cases,” where lawsuits focus on system outcomes instead of system training. Now with their own copyright suit working its way through the court system, Disney is “considering filing amicus briefs in support of other copyright plaintiffs.”
What We Are Following
Federal Communications Commission Deregulations
“Kicking off a Summer of Change,” Brendan Carr, FCC, June 4, 2025.
At the FCC Open Meeting on June 26, Chairman Brendan Carr plans to propose removing 77 rules and requirements for cable television rates regulations “that have no meaningful application today.” This would be one of the first actions to come from the FCC’s public notice, “In Re: Delete, Delete, Delete,” to eliminate rules and regulations. Future Film Coalition will follow how this possible deregulation might impact independent media professionals and what it means for the major studios that are spinning off their cable TV businesses. The June 26 meeting will be webcast at www.fcc.gov/live and the agenda is available here.
State and Local Funding
“Wisconsin tourism sets records for the third consecutive year,” Lauryn Abozeid, WKOW, June 10, 2025.
After three consecutive years of growth for tourism, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers proposed an executive budget with new investments in creative sectors, including $10 million to create an Office of Film and Creative Industries and attract film and television productions, $5.9 million to support nonprofit arts organizations, and $1 million to launch a rural creative economy grant program.
ICYMI
“Once-Segregated Theater Becomes a Creative Community Hub for All,” Susannah Broun, The Daily Yonder, June 13, 2025.
When Ryan Coogler’s Sinners opened this spring, the residents of Clarksdale, MS had to drive more than an hour in any direction to be able to see their community represented on screen. Now, Griot Arts, a local nonprofit arts organization, is renovating a formerly segregated and abandoned movie theater into a multidisciplinary arts center for film, arts programming, career development, education, and more. “As an under-resourced rural community, where arts opportunities often require hours of travel, the ability to access training, mentorship, and performances locally is vital,” Broun writes.
“There Are Movie Jobs in Los Angeles If You’re Prepared to Go Vertical,” Dana Harris-Bridson, IndieWire, June 9, 2025.
Some indie filmmakers, recent film school grads, and industry veterans are finding work in vertical dramas, full-length features shot in 9:16. Popularized in China at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, vertical dramas are designed for mobile-only viewing on platforms like ReelShort and MyDrama. Compared to B-movies, soap operas, and romance novels, these ultra low budget productions are expanding in the U.S. and creating paid opportunities. “It’s funny, I feel like I’m living a double life,” filmmaker Yun Xie told IndieWire. “On one hand, I’m running these high-output vertical shoots. On the other, I’m prepping my next feature.”
