Film Independent, the nonprofit arts organization celebrating 40 years of the Spirit Awards, announced the 2024 Changemaker Awards, which will be presented to three outstanding Film Independent Fellows: Linda Yvette Chávez (Project Involve 2010, Screenwriting Lab 2015), Tze Chun (Project Involve 2008, Fast Track 2010), and Grace Lee (Documentary Lab 2012). The ceremony will take place during Film Independent’s annual Artist Development Showcase on Wednesday, July 24, at the DGA Theater, Los Angeles.
This is the second year of the Changemaker Awards, presented annually to outstanding Film Independent Fellows. The awards exemplify Film Independent Artist Development’s mission to champion independent voices and create impactful, positive change by highlighting individuals whose work has made a wide-reaching impact on the industry and in their communities. Past honorees include Smriti Mundhra (Documentary Lab 2016, Grant Recipient 2016), Pamela Ribon (Directing Lab 2017) and Kim Yutani (Project Involve 2004).
“It is our privilege to nurture and support talented artists early on in their careers. To see them flourish as storytellers while remaining deeply committed to giving back and mentoring the next generation of artists is exceptionally gratifying,” said Angela C. Lee, director of Artist Development. “Linda, Tze and Grace are the embodiment of what the Changemaker Awards represent. We are thrilled to spotlight their contributions to our community and culture.”
Named one of the “Top Latinas Changing the Game for Representation” by Glamour Magazine, and the recipient of Women In Films’ Crystal Award for Advocacy, creator, director, writer, showrunner and producer Chávez has emerged in the entertainment industry as a powerful voice, bringing fearless, inclusive and impactful stories to the big and small screens. Chávez penned the Oscar-nominated Searchlight Pictures feature film Flamin’ Hot, directed by Eva Longoria. Flamin’ Hot premiered at the 2023 SXSW Film Festival, winning the Audience Award, and was released on Disney+ and Hulu simultaneously, becoming Searchlight’s most watched streaming film of all time. Chávez’s groundbreaking, critically acclaimed, award-nominated Netflix series Gentefied was praised for navigating larger themes of gentrification. During its run, it was nominated for a prestigious Peabody Award, a GLAAD Media Award nomination for Outstanding Comedy Series, and 10 Imagen Foundation Awards, including Best Comedy Series and Best Directing for Chávez. Seasons one and two of the show can currently be streamed on Netflix.
Tze (pronounced “Z”) Chun is an L.A.-based writer/producer/director/showrunner. He recently showran and executive produced the critically acclaimed shows Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai (MAX) and I’m a Virgo (Prime Video). Prior to that, he wrote and directed the award-winning films Windowbreaker (Sundance 2007), Children of Invention (Sundance 2009), and the Bryan Cranston thriller Cold Comes the Night (Sony), as well as an episode of Little America (Apple TV+). Chun also co-founded graphic novel publisher TKO Studios, which boasts eleven Amazon #1 bestsellers and works with some of the top creators in the field.
Lee directed and produced two episodes of the Peabody Award-winning Asian Americans series, as well as And She Could Be Next, a two-part film about women of color transforming U.S. politics and civic engagement, which was nominated for an NAACP Image Award. Other credits include American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs; The Grace Lee Project; Makers: Women In Politics; K-Town’92 and the podcast Viewers Like Us, examining inequities in public television. She co-founded the Asian American Documentary Network (A-Doc), is on the board of the International Documentary Association, and is a member of the AMPAS Documentary branch.
The Artist Development Showcase is a curated program of short films spotlighting the work of talented Film Independent Fellows; artists who have been supported through various Film Independent Labs and Programs.
The participating films include Baca, from directors/editors Sam Osborn and Alejandra Vasquez (2020 CNN Docuseries Intensive 2020); Boys, from cinematographer Kunitaro Ohi (Project Involve 2019); Grace from writer/director/producer Natalie Jasmine Harris (Fast Track 2022); Jude from writer/director/producer Jimmy Goldblum (Fast Track 2013) and producer Maddy Askwith (Fast Track 2020); Make Me a Pizza from cinematographer Vittoria Campaner (Project Involve 2020); Mara Has Three Jobs in San Juan, Puerto Rico from producer Lauren Lukow (Project Involve 2024); The Nectar Instead from writer/director/producer Yoo Lee (Project Involve 2021) and editor Mengyao Mia Zhang (Project Involve 2021); Reframe from writer/director/producer/editor Michael Yuchen Lei (Screenwriting Lab 2017, Documentary Lab 2017, Project Involve 2024); and The Silent Echo from producer/co-writer Bijon Imtiaz (Fast Track 2021).
For over 30 years, Film Independent Artist Development has been supporting talented creators who provide fresh voices and diverse perspectives to independent film and television by connecting filmmakers to the resources and networks they need to advance their projects and build sustainable careers. Film Independent Fellows, who have been selected to participate in Artist Development and Global Media Makers programs, are recognized around the world for their artistry and changing the cultural landscape through their work. Today, there is a robust community of over 2,400 Film Independent Fellows, including Mollye Asher, Shane Boris, Elegance Bratton, Linda Yvette Chávez, Jon M. Chu, Siân Heder, Bing Liu, LaToya Morgan, Beth Schacter, Justin Simien, Lulu Wang and Chloé Zhao.
