ABOUT THE PROJECT

LOGLINE
The Producers Circle is a vehicle to bring donors together to incubate films and build community with artists, activists, and creatives all focused on changing the narrative for LGBTQ+ women.

SYNOPSIS
Queer people are under attack. More than 525 anti-LGBTQ+ bills designed to erase entire communities of people have been introduced in 41 states so far in 2023 alone. The people desperately committed to erasing us are also banning books written by and about queer people at an unprecedented rate.

What they understand—and the one place we agree—is that our stories are powerful. Our stories are where we develop empathy and expand an understanding of our shared humanity. As queer activist filmmakers, Jen Rainin and Rivkah Beth Medow believe that our power is our positionality. We lead Frankly Speaking Films, ensuring that the core creative team behind every project has lived experience and a stake in the communities represented by the project. We embrace inclusivity, work collaboratively and cultivate partnerships that build positive social change.

A New Model: We recognize that radical shifts in how independent films are acquired and distributed have resulted in a reality where there is a less than 1% opportunity for those films to break even, much less turn a profit. Because Frankly Speaking Films is mission-driven to effect societal change for LGBTQ+ women, we are shifting to a non-profit model.

The Producers Circle is our innovation to create an engine for this new model. We envision sharing our model widely in the field to make it available to other mission-driven filmmakers.

PROJECT TYPE Fund

DIRECTOR Jen Rainin, Rivkah Beth Medow

WEBSITE franklyspeakingfilms.com

The Film Collaborative (TFC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to providing programs and services for independent filmmakers. TFC’s federal tax ID number is 32-0295081. All donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Support a TFC Fiscal Sponsorship Project

Please help support this project with a tax deductible contribution. The “donate” button below will take you to PayPal, but a PayPal account is not required to make a donation. You can check out 2 ways:

1. Use your PayPal account
2. Check out as a guest by selecting “Donate with a Debit or Credit Card” (no PayPal account is required)

Transaction Fee

Please consider covering the PayPal transaction fee by selecting the “I’d like to add to my donation to help offset the cost of processing” box on the next page. This will ensure your intended full donation amount will be received for the project.

Alternate Donation Payment Methods

If you prefer to donate by check, Zelle, ACH, or wire transfer, please email us for instructions.

Stock Donations

TFC accepts stock donations. By donating stock that has appreciated for more than a year, you are giving 20% more than if you sold the stock and then made a cash donation, since you will not pay capital gains taxes on the donated stock. Learn more here.

Please email us for instructions to donate stock to a fiscally sponsored project.

Donor Advised Fund (DAF) Donations

A donor-advised fund, or DAF, is like a charitable investment account for the sole purpose of supporting charitable organizations. TFC accepts DAF donations and is on file with most major DAF companies. Provide your DAF TFC’s Tax ID: 32-0295081. If we are already on file with your DAF company, they will process the donation.

Tax Receipts

In compliance with IRS rules, tax receipts for your charitable gift are issued for the amount The Film Collaborative receives after payment processor fees are deducted. The Film Collaborative emails tax receipts in PDF format within 30 days of your online donation. The “receipt” that is immediately sent to you from PayPal after you donate is just a payment receipt, not the tax receipt.

Matching Donations

Many companies have matching gift programs and can help you double your donation to a project of your choosing. Sometimes these programs will match a donation up to a year after it was originally made! Check with your employer—if they have a matching gift program, they will provide you with instructions.

End of Year Giving

November, December, and January are big giving months each year. Donors top up their annual giving in November and December. January is a new fiscal year, and some donors start their giving for the next fiscal year early. Some donors even give at the end of the year and again in January since these donations fall into different fiscal years.

Donors tend to make their large year-end donation decisions before the holidays start. In 2024, that means before December 20. TFC can accept donations by wire, ACH, and Zelle until 5:00pm Eastern Time on December 31. Online donations by credit or debit card can be made until 11:59pm Pacific Time on December 31.