Internationally acclaimed filmmaker and educator James Blue and founding director Ed Hugetz founded SWAMP in 1977. With initial financial support of Houston philanthropists John and Dominique de Menil, SWAMP became the first Texas independent nonprofit organization focused on the citizen filmmaker. SWAMP is committed to Texas film and video art and independent media artists. SWAMP works to develop and expand audiences for artistic voices that reflect, celebrate, and examine the cultural, social, and political diversity in Texas. It has supported the work of noted filmmakers Richard Linklater, Robert Rodriguez, and Jane Campion, and helped Texas filmmakers receive over $2 million to support non-commercial filmmaking. It offers professional development workshops, after-school programs, summer film classes, special screenings, fiscal sponsorship, grant opportunities, collaborative events, and other initiatives to promote the creation and appreciation of film and new media as art forms chronicling Houston’s diverse multicultural community.