Nonprofit Vet Cassidy Dimon To Lead FWD-Doc: Filmmakers With Disabilities, Org Dedicated To Championing Disabled Media-Makers And Ending Able-ism

Matthew Carey
·3-min read

Nonprofit leader Cassidy Dimon, a film industry accessibility and inclusion veteran, has been named the inaugural executive director of FWD-Doc: Filmmakers with Disabilities.

Dimon assumes her role immediately, leading an organization founded in 2020 that describes itself as “a global, intersectional community of over 1200 disabled creators and allies working in media to build a more inclusive, accessible, and equitable entertainment industry.”

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Dimon takes over from FWD-Doc’s interim director Amanda Upson, who now joins the nonprofit’s board alongside FWD-Doc founders author-filmmaker Day Al-Mohamed, Oscar-nominated filmmaker Jim LeBrecht (Crip Camp), Emmy-winning filmmaker Lindsey Dryden (Queer Futures, Unrest, Trans In America) and Emmy-winning filmmaker Alysa Nahmias (Art & Krimes by Krimes, Wildcat), and advising member Kyla Harris, a filmmaker, writer, and activist.

“I am beyond excited to join FWD-Doc as its inaugural Executive Director,” Dimon said in a statement. “Having worked alongside the organization since its inception, I have seen first-hand how FWD-Doc drives equity in our field. I look forward to working with the board to support our organization and its members through this exciting new phase.”

Dimon previously served as director of programs & accessibility at Full Spectrum Features, a Chicago-based nonprofit arts organization and independent film company with a mission of “uplifting the stories of women, LGBTQ+, disabled, and BIPOC communities through film production, exhibition, and field-wide initiatives.” She is one of the co-creators of the Film Event Accessibility Scorecard launched in 2022, an initiative created by FWD-Doc in partnership with Film Event Accessibility Working Group.

“On behalf of the Board, I am thrilled to welcome Cassidy to the team,” said Jim LeBrecht, chair of FWD-Doc’s Board. “Her experience in the documentary field and her long commitment to inclusion and accessibility are beautifully aligned with our work. Her leadership, vision and energetic approach to equity across communities will be invaluable as we move into a new phase, with FWD-Doc now a 501(c)(3) organization. We are so excited for our members, supporters and collaborators to experience working with Cassidy, and together we will continue nurturing disabled, deaf and neurodivergent filmmaking talent, while advocating for a more equitable industry for all.”

LeBrecht continued, “We want to express our gratitude to Interim Director Amanda Upson for her dedication and guidance as we’ve moved through our recent phase of growth and development. With her leadership, FWD-Doc has grown and more deeply engaged with its membership, become an independent 501(c)(3) with global reach, and achieved essential strategic priorities. Amanda also conceived of and spearheaded our Accessibility Scorecard initiative, which has become a new standard of accountability across the industry.”

The FWD-Doc executive director recruitment process was managed by NPAG: the Nonprofit Professionals Advisory Group.

FWD-Doc is supported by the Ford Foundation, Perspective Fund, Field of Vision/First Look Media Works, Jonathan Logan Family Foundation, deNovo Initiative, Meadow Fund and Frances and Jen Rainin. FWD-Doc notes, “We cultivate and champion disabled media-makers, and we elevate stories by, for, and about disabled people. Our roots are in independent documentary film, and our long-term vision extends to the broader entertainment and creative industries through many forms of storytelling. FWD-Doc’s vision is to end ableism and create a more inclusive society for all.”

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