I am saddened to hear of the passing of Josh Welsh, the longtime president of Film Independent, and on behalf of all of us at RogerEbert.com we offer our deepest condolences to his wife Bonnie and his daughter Isla. He was only 62 years old when he passed away on New Year’s Eve, December 31, 2024, after a five-year fight with colon cancer.
During his 21 year tenure with Film Independent, Josh was passionate about giving independent filmmakers a much needed boost through grants and special programs emphasizing both education and hands-on filmmaking experience. I, and my late husband Roger, collaborated with Josh when Roger was asked over multiple years to emcee what was then called the Independent Spirit Awards.
Josh was universally praised for making significant improvements to the organization. I also got to see Josh’s commitment to amplifying the voices of independent filmmakers through Project Involve when he asked me to chair its 25th Anniversary where we celebrated Effie T. Brown, Jon M. Chu, Cherien Dabis and Charles D. King. The mission of Project Involve was to provide 30 up-and-coming film professionals from under-represented communities the opportunity to hone their skills and gain industry access. It was this commitment to inclusion that garnered my greatest admiration.
Film Independent Board of Directors head Brenda Robinson was laudatory in her praise of Josh and resolved in her determination to carry on the good work of the organization. She told me:
“At this time, our thoughts are with Josh’s family and loved ones. We are profoundly grateful for his three decades of service to Film Independent, including his extraordinary tenure as President. Josh transformed the organization into a global leader in filmmaker education and tirelessly championed independent voices. His passing is a terrible loss, but his legacy is enduring, and we are confident that the organization he built will continue to thrive and inspire.”
Josh Welsh received a Ph.D. in philosophy from Johns Hopkins University and a BA in philosophy from Kenyon College. He then started working as an actor in Los Angeles, before volunteering for the annual Film Independent Spirit Awards in 1996. Later, he officially joined the staff.
Prior to becoming co-president in 2012 alongside Sean McManus (then sole president in 2013), Welsh oversaw the overall design, strategic planning, and implementation of Film Independent’s Artists Development programs. He was a tireless ambassador for the organization, serving on festival juries and speaking at film schools. His expertise in expanding the budget, programming, and staff of Film Independent was said to result in a more than 100% increase in membership.
On stage, at Film Independent events, Josh came across smooth and relaxed, so I was surprised when he told me how nervous he was before walking on. He had experience both from his previous acting and his stint with a band. I was personally happy to see him out and about at one of the last big Film Independent events a few months ago when we thought his cancer was in remission. He greeted everyone with a big smile and he shared with us his excitement for future events. It reminded me of Roger’s sense of purpose and how important it is to maintain it for as long as we can. Bless you for that courage Josh.
Gregory Nava, director and co-founder of Film Independent (then known as IFP West), said:
“Welsh was a powerful leader at a critical time in the history of Film Independent. As one of the founders of Film Independent I was always deeply impressed with his energy and vision in growing the organization. He took independent filmmaking international with the Global Media Makers program, planting the seed of independent filmmaking across the globe. He will be missed but his legacy will live on in the hundreds of filmmakers both here and all over the world that he inspired.”
Outside of his work at Film Independent, Welsh was the lead singer of the alt-country band Meatyard, which will release a new album later this year. In an Instagram post, the band paid tribute to Welsh:
“Dear friends, Josh put down his guitar and left to sing with the angels on the last day of 2024. With broken hearts, we celebrate his tremendous life force; his generosity and his love of connection. We will carry him in our hearts forever.”
