We were lucky to catch up with Jon Fitzgerald recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Jon , really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
I learned fairly early in childhood that you should never give up, and persevere. I played competitive sports growing up and developed the will to win. The older I got, the more the competitive drive opened up to provide for others, and not just myself.
When my film didn’t get into the most prestigious film festival in the US (Sundance), I joined two other filmmakers to launch our own festival to support a number of independent filmmakers. And following the success of this Cinderella story, with a demand for us to return, I set aside my personal filmmaking goals to run this event in support of other emerging talent. I ran the fest another two years, before being offered the Festival Director position for the American Film Institute (AFI). After running AFI for 3 years, I was bit by the dot com bug and became VP of Programming for the first online movie exhibition platform. Bandwidth could only handle shorts back then (2000), but it was a very entrepreneurial outfit and I had never had so much fun, working so hard.
Then, of course, the dot com bubble burst and I I went back to running festivals. I became the Director in Santa Barbara. As a graduate of UCSB, it has great to be back there. I was also brought in to teach 2 film classes at the college.
Slamdance paved the way for many new festivals to take shape, and there were hundreds more events than we had 10 years prior. Filmmakers needed guidance, on which festivals could help them reach their goals, so I started a consulting firm to help them. It was very gratifying to help them navigate the circuit, while also advising festivals on how to establish the right foundation for their events.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
After running festivals for many years, I gravitated towards more socially relevant projects, and produced a number of documentaries through my Cause Pictures umbrella. From there, I decided there needed to be a resource for emerging filmmakers to develop these social impact stories, so I authored Filmmaking for Change: Make Movies that Transform the World.
As these movies continued to evolve, along with new streaming platforms, audiences were gravitating to this type of content. Yet, the proliferation of content and a growing number of platforms created a challenge for audiences to find the best movies and series. I created iGEMS (internet Guide to Engaging Movies and Series) to solve that problem. We were acquired by a parent company out of Canada. Unfortunately, they were not fully transparent about their financial problems, and without the support they had promised, to help grow the business, I resigned in 2022. Again, I turned my attention back to Cause Cinema guiding audiences to socially relevant content, also introducing Cause Changes to support Impact Campaigns.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Perseverance is key. Especially in the entertainment business. You don’t have control of the decision-makers around you, so you have to keep knocking on doors, and keep working on your craft until you get your shot. Then work hard to make the most of it, which tends to lead to other opportunities.
Engaging with others and being social helps. Relationships and reputation go a long way. The assistant or coordinator is eventually going to be a leader. Be social, and kind and see opportunities to connect with others.
Gratitude is also important. It is a skill that can grow over time. I feel very lucky for the family, people, and opportunities I’ve had throughout my journey. Don’t take anything for granted and appreciate the baby steps along the way.
As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?
The Daily Stoic – Ryan Holiday
It’s very challenging in modern society to find balance. There is a lot of noise and a lot of judgment. Career and parenting. Worth ethics and recharging batteries.
Combined with meditation, the words of wisdom sprinkled throughout this book helps keep me grounded. It’s a constant reminder that we can only control certain things in our lives. And we control our thoughts. We need to continue to learn and make an effort to contribute where we can. While accepting what comes our way.
He includes a quote from a stoic and then comments on it. Here is a great example, around CONTROL AND CHOICE
“The chief task in life is simply this; to identify and separate matters so that I can say clearly to myself which are externals not under my control, and which have to do with the choices I actually control.” Epictetus, Discourses 2.5.4-5
Ryan says that “the single most important practice in Stoic philosophy is differentiating between what we can change and what we can’t. What we have influence over and what we do not.”
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.causepictures.com/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-fitzgerald-causepictures/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@hollywoodonthegreen
