The Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP), Filmmaker Magazine‘s parent organization, announced the first five projects to get weeklong theatrical runs at the state of the art Made In NY Media Center’s theater as part of the Screen Forward program. Starting October 17^th, the program will give filmmakers in the process of self-distribution the unique opportunity to gain a much-coveted NYC theatrical week-run, with IFP working with each filmmaking team on comprehensive audience engagement and grassroots outreach strategies, publicity support, coverage in Filmmaker Magazine, and a revenue split to all participating filmmakers.

The fall slate includes: Josephine Decker’s Butter on the Latch and Thou Wast Mild and Lovely; Paul Harrill’s Something, Anything, Onur Tukel’s Summer of Blood; and Madeleine Olnek’s The Foxy Merkins.

“Screen Forward is a natural outgrowth of our mission to foster and celebrate the work of emerging artists,” said Joana Vicente, Executive Director of IFP and the Made in NY Media Center. “With the Media Center’s state-of-the-art facilities, and IFP’s 36-year-history elevating new works in the marketplace, we’re able to provide filmmakers with a truly unique theatrical launch.”

• • Opening October 17th, Onur Tukel’s Summer of Blood centers on a irascible loner whose romantic failures are suddenly in turnaround after being bitten by a Williamsburg-dwelling vampire. After world premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival earlier this year, the film was picked up by MPI for distribution.
• • Opening November 14^th, are two films: Josephine Decker’s Butter on the Latch and Thou Wast Mild and Lovely. Deemed by The New Yorker’s Richard Brody as “the most original independent filmmaker to surface in the past few years,” Josephine Decker’s two films are wildly unique and a testament to the independent spirit. Both films screened earlier this year at the Berlinale, and were picked up for distribution recently by Cinelicious. Decker is one of Filmmaker Magazine’s “25 New Faces of Independent Film.” (Official website: http://josephinedecker.squarespace.com)
• • Opening December 5^th, Madeleine Olnek’s The Foxy Merkins is a wildly funny toss-up to the hustlter films of old such as The Midnight Cowboy, except in Olnek’s take we follow Margaret: a new-to-New-York lesbian prostitute who, under the tutelage of a straight woman, plans to make it big with Manhattan’s elite. A brilliant buddy-comedy, The Foxy Merkins world premiered at the NEXT Fest in Los Angeles, and has gone on to screen at the Seattle International Film Festival and Frameline. (Official website: http://foxymerkins.wordpress.com)
• • Opening January 9th, Paul Harrill’s Something, Anything is a meditative study of a life-altering tragedy that forces a newlywed woman to embark on a journey towards recovery. An alumnus of IFP’s Narrative Labs and No Borders Co-Production Market, as well as a Filmmaker Magazine “25 New Faces of Independent Film,” Something, Anything premiered at the Sarasota Film Festival and Wisconsin Film Festival, and has gone on to screen at the Edinburgh  International Film Festival and BAMCinemaFest. (Official website: http://somethinganythingfilm.com/#about)

Tickets will go on sale in October at www.nymediacenter.com, where filmmakers will also be able to submit their projects for consideration for the spring slate.  Films will be programmed based on artistic merit and perceived marketplace and audience engagement potential.