The FAF Board and Staff have been working hard to determine how best to sustain these filmmaker services that have been such an important part of Film Arts’ mission, and we strongly believe that the San Francisco Film Society is the organization best equipped to carry on the FAF legacy.

Knowing that FAF, itself, cannot continue this work, we sincerely hope that you will be excited at the new energy, broader programming, organizational strength and increased reach within the funding community and the film industry that the Film Society can offer.

Now it’s time to let you know what’s coming next.

SFFS is launching a full slate of filmmaker services programs, effective noon today. These include most of the programs you’ve enjoyed as a member of Film Arts—in fact the Film Society has engaged key Film Arts staff to run them. These include professional-level filmmaking courses, fiscal sponsorship and grantmaking, publications and information resources, career-development and networking events.

And the new Film Society programs also include new additional member benefits…

For starters, SFFS is thrilled to announce the Herbert Filmmaking Grants, which will present awards totaling $25,000 to films by Bay Area filmmakers. Calls for entry will be published in November.

The Film Society, in partnership with the San Francisco Film Commission, has created SFFS FilmHouse Residencies, which will offer 2,800 square-feet of production-office space at Pier 27 on the Embarcadero – free of charge – to Bay Area filmmakers. Residencies are for one- to six-month terms; application will be published in September.

SFFS will also present the new Film Arts Forum, a new large-scale monthly evening screening/conference/networking event that brings together and showcases Bay Area filmmakers and filmmaking. Members receive discounted admission; event is slated to begin in November.

SFFS is also assembling an SFFS Filmmakers Advisory Board, an active group of established professionals whose role is to aid in further developing SFFS filmmaker services. The complete Advisory Board list will be released next month as well.

More information about these broad-reaching programs – including a new SFFS publication, edited by Film Arts magazine’s Michael Read, mailed free to members, that will begin publication in early 09 – and other new initiatives is detailed on the Filmmaker Services page of the SFFS website.

But, more immediately: What does this means for you, a current Film Arts member?

Your FAF membership automatically makes you a member of the Film Society. So, welcome aboard.

Your new Film Society membership is free and remains active for the term of your existing Film Arts membership. When your current term ends, we will invite you to renew with us.

All Film Arts members at the Basic ($50) level will now be SFFS Film Enthusiast members. And all current Film Arts members at the Filmmaker ($80) level and above – Assistant Director, Director, Producer, Executive Producer, etc – will now be SFFS Filmmaker Pro members. View the complete list of benefits for both levels here.

As you’ll see, the basic SFFS Film Enthusiast membership includes some familiar benefits – discounts and advance enrollment on our classes, invitations and discounts to networking events like our new monthly Film Arts Forum, and discounts on products from local and national companies, such as Kodak and Apple.

And it includes new ones, like discounts and advanced sales to SFFS events, like the SF International Film Festival, and discounts to the SFFS Screen at the Sundance Kabuki Cinemas, and more.

The Filmmaker Pro level also combines old benefits with new, such as discounts on Festival entry fees. The Filmmaker Pro membership includes all Film Enthusiast benefits and the below:

• • Eligibility for Fiscal Sponsorship
• • Eligibility for The Herbert Filmmaking Grants and other awards
• • Eligibility for FilmHouse Residencies
• • Discounts on the SFIFF entry fees
• • Free and discounted legal consultation

In the coming weeks, you’ll receive a formal welcome letter, along with your new membership card and benefits. To that end, email members@sffs.org if you’ve changed your contact information in the last few weeks or, really, if you have any questions at all about this transition.

There will be much more information about all of these new services in the coming weeks and months, so please keep an eye on your inbox.

In particular please keep an eye out for the announcement of the big Fall 08 Members Night that we are planning for late September. At that event we’ll welcome everyone from our new combined membership, talk more about our new services and give you plenty of information on the upcoming Fall 08 SFFS Festival Season, Course Schedule and other special events.

In the meantime, we’d love to hear from you, so feel free to call the Film Society’s membership department 415-561-5013 or email members@sffs.org with any questions or comments.

Sincerely,