I’m saddened to listen to of the passing of Josh Welsh, the longtime president of Film Independent, and on behalf of all of us at RogerEbert.com we provide our deepest condolences to his spouse Bonnie and his daughter Isla. He was solely 62 years outdated when he handed away on New 12 months’s Eve, December 31, 2024, after a five-year battle with colon most cancers.
Throughout his 21 yr tenure with Movie Unbiased, Josh was enthusiastic about giving unbiased filmmakers a a lot wanted increase via grants and particular packages emphasizing each schooling and hands-on filmmaking expertise. I, and my late husband Roger, collaborated with Josh when Roger was requested over a number of years to emcee what was then referred to as the Unbiased Spirit Awards.
Josh was universally praised for making vital enhancements to the group. I additionally bought to see Josh’s dedication to amplifying the voices of unbiased filmmakers via Mission Contain when he requested me to chair its twenty fifth Anniversary where we celebrated Effie T. Brown, Jon M. Chu, Cherien Dabis and Charles D. King. The mission of Mission Contain was to supply 30 up-and-coming movie professionals from under-represented communities the chance to hone their expertise and acquire business entry. It was this dedication to inclusion that garnered my best admiration.
Movie Unbiased Board of Administrators head Brenda Robinson was laudatory in her reward of Josh and resolved in her willpower to hold on the nice work of the group. She informed me:
“Presently, our ideas are with Josh’s household and family members. We’re profoundly grateful for his three many years of service to Movie Unbiased, together with his extraordinary tenure as President. Josh reworked the group into a worldwide chief in filmmaker schooling and tirelessly championed unbiased voices. His passing is a horrible loss, however his legacy is enduring, and we’re assured that the group he constructed will proceed to thrive and encourage.”
Josh Welsh acquired a Ph.D. in philosophy from Johns Hopkins College and a BA in philosophy from Kenyon Faculty. He then began working as an actor in Los Angeles, earlier than volunteering for the annual Movie Unbiased Spirit Awards in 1996. Later, he formally joined the employees.
Previous to changing into co-president in 2012 alongside Sean McManus (then sole president in 2013), Welsh oversaw the general design, strategic planning, and implementation of Movie Unbiased’s Artists Improvement packages. He was a tireless ambassador for the group, serving on competition juries and talking at movie colleges. His experience in increasing the funds, programming, and employees of Movie Unbiased was mentioned to lead to a greater than 100% improve in membership.
On stage, at Movie Unbiased occasions, Josh got here throughout easy and relaxed, so I used to be stunned when he informed me how nervous he was earlier than strolling on. He had expertise each from his earlier performing and his stint with a band. I used to be personally completely happy to see him out and about at one of many final huge Movie Unbiased occasions just a few months in the past once we thought his most cancers was in remission. He greeted everybody with an enormous smile and he shared with us his pleasure for future occasions. It jogged my memory of Roger’s sense of function and the way essential it’s to keep up it for so long as we will. Bless you for that braveness Josh.
Gregory Nava, director and co-founder of Movie Unbiased (then generally known as IFP West), mentioned:
“Welsh was a robust chief at a crucial time within the historical past of Movie Unbiased. As one of many founders of Movie Unbiased I used to be at all times deeply impressed together with his vitality and imaginative and prescient in rising the group. He took unbiased filmmaking worldwide with the World Media Makers program, planting the seed of unbiased filmmaking throughout the globe. He will likely be missed however his legacy will stay on within the lots of of filmmakers each right here and all around the world that he impressed.”
Exterior of his work at Movie Unbiased, Welsh was the lead singer of the alt-country band Meatyard, which is able to launch a brand new album later this yr. In an Instagram post, the band paid tribute to Welsh:
“Expensive associates, Josh put down his guitar and left to sing with the angels on the final day of 2024. With damaged hearts, we have fun his great life drive; his generosity and his love of connection. We are going to carry him in our hearts perpetually.”
