About us!

What is SOFA?

SOFA is an organization that represents the filmmaking community of the tri-state area of southern Ohio, northern Kentucky and southeastern Indiana.

The mission of the Southern Ohio Filmmakers Association (SOFA) is to 
serve and develop the greater Cincinnati regional filmmaking community.

The vision of SOFA is to
 offer an open exchange of ideas, resources, knowledge, and professional
 opportunities to our members. Through this empowerment and our combined
 resources we will continue to expand the artistic and economic
 opportunities for locally produced media and the filmmakers who create
 it.

Is SOFA a film society?

No.
SOFA is a film community.

Film societies are organizations that exist to promote the appreciation of film as an art form. A film society is usually a club that arranges screenings of films which would otherwise not be shown in mainstream cinemas. In Spain they are known as Cineclubs, and in Germany they are known as Filmclubs. They usually have an educational aim, introducing new audiences to different audiovisual works through an organized and prepared program of screenings.

While SOFA does encourage the promotion of film as an art form and does organize screenings of local filmmaker's work through a program called Underneath Cincinnati, we are not a film society. The Cincinnati Film Society and Cincinnati World Cinema are two such organizations that whose efforts we endorse and support.

Is SOFA a film commission?

No.

Film Commissions exist as part of governments' chambers of commerce or travel and tourism boards. Their primary goal is local economic development by bringing big budget Hollywood and Madison Avenue productions to their area. Film Commissions are top-down organizations that work together with production companies and governmental bodies to help facilitate film production within their geographic region.

While SOFA does encourage area film production and can in some cases help producers in this process, it is not a film commission. Two such organizations whose efforts we endorse and support are The Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky Film Commission, and the Kentucky Film Office.

SOFA may share some of the same goals as a film commission, but SOFA is a bottom-up organization that works directly with and for locally based filmmakers.

Where did SOFA come from?

In the summer of 2000, The Union Institute invited a number of Cincinnati based filmmakers to show their work and provide questions and answers for their students. Following a summer long series of films the filmmakers (most of whom had never met) realized that they all had different skill sets and faced different challenges in making their films many of which could have been mitigated had they known each other. They decided to form a networking organization.

SOFA derived further inspiration from an existing group in nearby Indianapolis, the IFN (the Indiana Filmmakers Network).

SOFA is proud to have in turn inspired other filmmaking organizations including sister groups in Dayton, Louisville, Lexington, Michigan and most recently, MOFA (the Mid Ohio Filmmakers Association) based out of Columbus, Ohio. In so doing SOFA has become a flashpoint for a regional (and we hope a nationwide) movement of grassroots filmmaking organizations in the process.

What are some of the things SOFA does?

SOFA helps film professionals, students and freelance crew people build and grow through educational workshops, demonstrations and speakers. It provides members a venue to screen their work through a film festival called Underneath Cincinnati and SOFA Premiere members receive discounts on production services & more! We help filmmakers build their network, advance their skills, and introduce them to opportunities to make a living in the field they love.

Who is on the board?

Nikk Sutton - President
Zachery Riggins - Vice President
Chenney Chen - Secretary
Jerry Stone - Treasurer
Chris Strobel
e.E. Charlton Trujillo
Shai "Davi" Davis

Carla Shivener
Mark Burchett
Katharine "Kat" Steele
Angela Reasch