Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP, and Filmmaker‘s publisher) announced today that the 2020 edition of its long-running signature program, IFP Week, will be virtual. The program, which has drawn thousands of directors, producers, screenwriters, financiers and executives to panels, workshops and one-on-one meeting events in IFP’s Brooklyn home, will, this September 20 – 25, take place through digital platforms. The announcement today makes IFP one of the first film organizations to announce a virtual Fall event in response to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

“Given the ever-changing landscape of today’s world we have decided to host IFP Week virtually this year to provide a safe and creative vision for the event, while also providing an opportunity for us to expand our reach to creators, audiences and the industry at large,” said Jeffrey Sharp, IFP’s Executive Director, in a press release. “We are beyond grateful to all of our sponsors and partners who continue to embrace the spirit of IFP and our mission of independent storytelling in launching this virtual edition of IFP Week with us.”

Also announced today by IFP is a new “audio hub” intended to address the growth of independent podcasts and audio storytelling. The section will include a separate project forum for audio creators that will connect them to industry reps and buyers.

More about IFP and IFP Week from the press release:

The virtual 2020 IFP Week will include IFP’s Project Forum, which supports both emerging and established artists by providing creative and business opportunities to groundbreaking storytellers working in a wide variety of formats.  It is the only international co-production market for narrative fiction and non-fiction features and series in the U.S. The goal of the forum is to facilitate career-spanning relationships with distributors, financiers, production companies, festival programmers, sales and talent agents, collaborators, among others for all artists participating.  In addition, IFP Week will also virtually present a multi-day conference of panels and workshops open to the public on a range of topics impacting the film and episodic industries as well as screenings, Q&As, and community focused experiences….

Over the past several years IFP Week has helped to build early connections with industry attendees and creators and filmmakers, helping with the launch of projects including: Moonlight (A24); American Factory (Netflix); The Last Black Man in San Francisco (A24); Crip Camp (Netflix); The Witch (A24); Selah and the Spades (Amazon Studios); Knock Down the House (Netflix); Swallow (IFC), The Hottest August (ITVS/Independent Lens/Grasshopper Film); Monos (Neon); Love, Gilda (CNN Films and Magnolia Pictures); Roll Red Roll (POV); Shirkers (Netflix); Crime + Punishment (Hulu); House of Hummingbird (Well Go USA); The Tale (HBO); Monsters and Men (Neon), Bathtubs over Broadway (Focus Features); Sorry to Bother You (Annapurna Pictures); Jinn (Orion Classics), and The Third Wife (Film Movement).

IFP and IFP Week are generously supported by a group of loyal corporate, foundation and government benefactors. 2020 IFP Week Gold Sponsor includes SAGindie; Silver Sponsors include Edinburgh International Film Festival/Screen Scotland, National Film and Video Foundation of South Africa/KwaZulu Natal Film Commission, and Telefilm Canada; Bronze Sponsors include BMI, French in Motion/Cultural Services of the French Embassy in New York City/Centre National du Cinéma et de l’image animée, Mississippi Film Office, Missouri Film Office, paus, and Virginia Film Office, and Premier Sponsors include Netflix and WarnerMedia.  IFP Week is also supported by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, and the New York State Council on the Arts.

Additional information on industry registration, the Project Forum slate, and public programs and community events will be announced in the coming weeks.  For further information please visit www.ifp.org.