Grantee: We F.E.W. (Filmmakers of Eastern Washington)

We F.E.W. has grown from a small group of filmmakers and artists into a thriving Spokane creative network with more than 2,400 members, built around collaboration, accessibility, and helping people make things together. Daniel Schaefer serves as the organization’s lead, producer, and co-founder. Co-founder Shaun Springer’s feature film “The Garageland Chronicles” received a SAGA award in 2018 and went on to screen internationally, and he continues to support local filmmaking through mentorship and production leadership, alongside Cynthia Fischer, who brings more than 35 years of international feature-film experience as equipment and studio manager for The Northwest Package and Studio A.

We F.E.W. is expanding Spokane’s filmmaking community through free workforce training, shared production resources, community workspaces, and public screenings that showcase Spokane artists. SAGA funding will support four free workforce development classes in Grip/Electric, Camera Department, Directing, and a Writer’s Room Roundtable–each taught by working industry professionals, along with catered meals to keep the classes welcoming and accessible. Additional funding will support small-scale Community Film Projects, strengthen We F.E.W.’s developing community office above the historic Garland Theater with equipment and technology upgrades, and fund two public screening events hosted in partnership with the Garland Theater showcasing completed and in-progress Spokane-based work.