Josh Welsh, longtime Film Independent president, has died. He was 62.
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“The work we do at Film Independent has never been more necessary, and we will honor his legacy by continuing to build on the foundation he established,” board chair Brenda Robinson said..
The organization announced that he died on New Year’s Eve, Dec 31, 2024, after a five-year battle with colon cancer. He died peacefully at home with wife and daughter at his side.
“We are devastated by the loss of Josh Welsh,” Film Independent board chair Brenda Robinson said in a statement. “Josh was a tireless champion of independent voices, a trusted arts leader and a cherished colleague and friend. The work we do at Film Independent has never been more necessary, and we will honor his legacy by continuing to build on the foundation he established. Our hearts go out to his family.”
Welsh earned his Ph.D. in philosophy from Johns Hopkins University and a B.A. in philosophy from Kenyon College. While working as an actor in Los Angeles, he began volunteering annually at the Film Independent Spirit Awards in 1996 before officially joining the staff more than 20 years ago.
In his rise to leadership, he first served as a co-president with Sean McManus in 2012 after Dawn Hudson resigned.
Before becoming president, Welsh for more than a decade was responsible for the design, strategic planning and implementation of Film Independent’s Artist Development programs, including the Filmmaker Labs for Directors, Screenwriters, Producers and Documentarians; Fast Track; and the Grants Program. He spent four years administering Film Independent’s diversity program, Project Involve, and managed the Grants Program.
Prior to working on the Filmmaker Labs, he was in Film Independent’s programming department.
After McManus stepped down in 2013, Welsh became the president of Film Independent where he directly oversaw all programs and operations and grew the organization across all metrics including staff, budget, programming slate and membership.
Under his leadership, Welsh helped the organization deepen strategic partnerships with studios, NGOs and governments and increased international reach by partnering with the State Department on the Global Media Makers Program. According to the organization, Welsh expanded its “commitment to promoting diversity in the film industry and amplified Film Independent’s role as an advocate for filmmakers.”
Welsh is survived by his wife of nearly 20 years, Bonnie Gavel, and daughter, Isla Welsh. A GoFundMe campaign has been created to help them with expenses.
