Go backBack to selection

IFP ANNOUNCES 150 TITLES FOR PROJECT FORUM 2011

The IFP announced today the slate for this year’s Project Forum, which will take place during the 33rd edition of Independent Film Week on Sept. 18-22 at the Film Society of Lincoln Center’s Elinor Bunin Monroe Film Center.

The centerpiece of Independent Film Week, Project Forum is designed specifically as a place for industry to meet with new talent, as well as discover fresh projects from emerging and veteran filmmakers.

Read the complete press release and full list of titles in this year’s Project Forum.

All 150 projects showcased in the Project Forum this year are narrative and documentary features ranging from films in development, or the early stages of production, to those nearing completion.

Some of the notable directors in this year’s Project Forum include: Bruce La Bruce (Otto: Or, Up With Dead People), Alrick Brown (Kinyrwanda), Adam Bowers (New Low), David Lowery (St. Nick), David Robert Mitchell (The Myth of the American Sleepover), Calvin Reeder (The Oregonian), Michael Tully (Septien), Judith Ehrlich (The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers), Caveh Zahedi (I Am a Sex Addict), Peter Gilbert (At the Death House Door), Rebecca Richman Cohen (War Don Don), Jessica Oreck (Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo) and Matt Wolf (Wild Combination: A Portrait of Arthur Russell).

All selected participants in Project Forum take part in one of four sections:  

— Emerging Narrative has become the premiere U.S. talent pool for producers, agents and managers, and development execs to discover projects in development from new voices on the independent scene. Presenting 20 scripts in early development by up-and-coming writers and writer/directors, all projects and participants have minimal previous exposure to the marketplace.

As part of the program, IFP is proud to present three scripts in conjunction with our partners at Rooftop Films, who have co-curated projects written by alumni of their screening series.

–IFP’s Independent Filmmaker Labs is currently the only program in the nation that supports 21 diverse filmmakers throughout the completion, marketing and distribution of their first feature film. The program has become the leading U.S. forum for executive producers, agents and managers, sales agents and festival programmers to discover and support fresh talent on the independent scene just prior to their introduction to the marketplace. All projects presented in the Labs section are completing post-production and will be premiering at domestic and international film festivals over the next 18 months.

–Over the years, No Borders International Co-Production Market has become the premiere U.S. forum for buyers, sales agents and financiers to meet with established independent producers who have strong track records for producing films in the international marketplace.  All 45 projects presented at No Borders have at least 15% financing in place; many also have additional cast and/or principal attachments. Of the projects selected for presentation this year, 50% will be represented by producers from the U.S. including six projects from our sole U.S. Partner, The Sundance Institute.

–Documentary has played an important role in IFP’s history from the very beginning of the organization. In particular, the Spotlight on Documentaries program has been an extremely successful and viable forum for U.S. and international buyers, sales agents, and financiers to meet with filmmakers with new documentary feature projects.  Presenting 60 documentaries ranging from those at an early financing stage (i.e. early development or in production) to those nearing completion (i.e. in postproduction or at the rough cut stage), this section includes emerging and established filmmakers in non-fiction.

The Project Forum has had a prolific history in the independent community supporting both emerging and established independent filmmakers at critical stages in their development processes. The organization championed the early work of pioneering independent filmmakers Charles Burnett, Todd Haynes, Mira Nair, Michael Moore, Joel and Ethan Cohen, Kevin Smith and Todd Solondz. Recently, it has also played a vital role in launching the first films of many of today’s rising stars on the independent scene including Debra Granik (Down to the Bone), Miranda July (Me and You and Everyone We Know) and Ryan Fleck & Anna Boden (Half Nelson).

Learn more about Project Forum and Independent Film Week at independentfilmweek.com.

© 2024 Filmmaker Magazine. All Rights Reserved. A Publication of The Gotham