In the awakening of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, I decided to start a “Hall of Fame” to recognize individuals in the film industry who deserve some major recognition, mainly in global and independent films as well as those who aren’t known for their work in films, but promote films as a whole as well, i.e. podcast hosts and YouTube stars.

So let’s meet those who were inducted in the Hall of Fame from its inception of 2020 to the present…

The First Class, 2020: Tracey Birdsall, Harley Wallen, Lin Shaye, Alexander Nevsky, Scott Adkins and Martial Club

The Second Class, 2021: Reine Swart, Bill Oberst Jr., Felissa Rose, Bradley James Allan (RIP), Dick Maas, and Eric Jacobus

The Third Class, 2022: (1st Row, L-R): Barbara Crampton, Udo Kier, Darrell Roodt, Kelli Maroney, (2nd Row) Jeff Wincott, Rob Van Vuuren, and The Last Drive-In

The Fourth Class, 2023: (Top Row, L-R) Diane Franklin, Mark Patton, Dawna Lee Heising, Bruce Willis, and Dustin Ferguson. (Bottow Row, L-R): Louis Mandylor, Casper Van Dien, and Horror Movie Survival Guide (Julia Marchese and Teri Gamble)

The Fifth Class, 2024: (Top Row, L-R): Brooke Lewis Bellas, Joe Cornet, Jen and Sylvia Soska, Lloyd Kaufman, Debbie Rochon (Bottom Row, L-R): Mark Dacascos, Gregory Lamberson, Dead Meat, Roger Corman (RIP), and Brinke Stevens.

The Sixth Class, 2025: (Top Row, L-R): Sarah French, Franklin Correa, Tiffany Shepis, Sasha Mitchell, Jamie Bernadette (Bottow Row, L-R): Costas Mandylor, Amy Johnston, James Ryan, Sybil Danning, Art Camacho.

The Seventh Class, 2026 (Top Row, L-R): Kimberly Cole Zemke, Lynn Lowry, Kelly Barlow, Monique Parent, and Rhonda Shear (Bottom Row, L-R): Donald Farmer, Patrick Kilpatrick, James Cullen Bressack, Sam Firstenberg, and Rock Demers.

The first two inductees of the 2027 Indie World Cinema Hall of Fame will be named at this year’s Indie World Cinema Awards in December.