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IFP ANNOUNCES HEADLINERS AT INDEPENDENT FILM WEEK
Announced today, IFP‘s 30th annual Independent Film Week (formerly the IFP Market) will include Kevin Smith, filmmaker/activist Robert Greenwald and SnagFilms CEO Rich Allen as the headliners for this year’s festivities. Read full release below.
KEVIN SMITH, ROBERT GREENWALD AND RICK ALLEN
TO HEADLINE IFP’S 30th ANNUAL
INDEPENDENT FILM WEEK SEPT. 14-19
Film Screenings, Panel Discussions, and Networking Highlight Six-Day Event
www.independentfilmweek.com
New York, NY (August 5, 2008) – IFP announced today that IFP alumnus
Kevin Smith (Clerks), filmmaker and activist Robert Greenwald (Outfoxed:
Rupert Murdoch’s War on Journalism), and SnagFilms.com CEO Rick Allen will
headline public events during the 30th Annual Independent Film Week,
September 14-19. For the first time, Independent Film Week will be held at
Chelsea’s Fashion Institute of Technology (F.I.T.).
Formerly known as the IFP Market, Independent Film Week is the leading
forum in the U.S. dedicated to discovering, showcasing, and supporting new
independent film projects and talent. The six-day event consists of: the
Independent Filmmaker Conference; free screenings of films by IFP alumni and
emerging short filmmakers; and the Project Forum, a showcase for over 150
works-in-progress. It is presented by IFP, the nation’s oldest and largest
organization of independent filmmakers.
Smith will kick off the daily “Conversations With” series during the
Independent Filmmaker Conference on September 14th with a discussion on
making a first feature. His classic 1994 debut feature, Clerks, got its start as
a work-in-progress at IFP in 1993. His new film, Zack and Miri Make a Porno
stars Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks and is scheduled for release by The
Weinstein Company on Halloween. Greenwald will discuss the power of film to
spur social change on September 18th, while Allen, who recently launched
SnagFilms.com with AOL Vice-Chairman Ted Leonsis and AOL founder Steve
Case, will explore the future of film distribution on September 17th.
In addition to the “Conversations With” series, the conference showcases a
range of panels on the art and business of independent film. Each day’s
panels are structured around a specific theme: Making Your First Feature,
Filmmaking 2.0, The Global Marketplace, Alternative Distribution, The Truth
About Non-Fiction, and Film and Philanthropy. The full schedule of panels can
be found at www.filmmakerconference.com.
For the second year, in partnership with Rooftop Films, Independent Film
Week will also showcase two free public screenings of films by IFP alumni.
New this year is NextGenNYC, a short film showcase featuring the work of
City University of New York (CUNY) graduates.
Screenings include:
* Trinidad (86 min.) directed by PJ Raval and Jay Hodges, alumni of IFP’s
2006 Independent Filmmaker Lab. Premiering at the 2008 Los Angeles Film
Festival in June, the documentary provides a fascinating look at Trinidad,
Colorado’s transformation from Wild West outpost to “sex change capital of
the world. (September 16th, 8:30pm, Hudson River Park, 10th Avenue
between 14th and 15th. FREE and open to the public.)
* IFP’s Independent Filmmaker Lab “Sneak Preview” Showcase (120 min.) –
Be the first to see previews of films poised to make it big on the festival
circuit in the coming year. This screening features excerpts from the 20
works-in-progress – both documentaries and narratives – which participated
in the IFP’s Labs, a mentorship program for works-in-progress. Previous IFP
Lab films already garnering awards on the film festival circuit include this
year’s Slamdance Grand Jury Prize Winner The New Parade and GenArt Grand
Jury Prize Winner Half-Life. (September 17th, 8:30pm, Hudson River Park,
10th Avenue between 14th and 15th. FREE and open to the public.)
* IFP’s NextGenNYC Short Film Showcases (90 min. each) – Documentary
and narrative short films by CUNY graduates. NextGenNYC is a new program
initiated by IFP and the New York City Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre &
Broadcasting and is designed to provide a spotlight on New York City’s
emerging talent from four colleges within the City University, including:
Brooklyn College, City College of New York, the College of Staten Island and
Hunter College. (Narrative Showcase, September 16th, 1:30pm, Chelsea
Cinemas, 260 West 23rd Street between 7th and 8th Avenues; Documentary
Showcase, September 17th, 2pm, Chelsea Cinemas) There is complimentary
access with a ticket or pass to the Independent Filmmaker Conference.
The full schedule of film screenings open to the public during Independent
Film Week can be found at: www.independentfilmweek.com.
“The annual state of the union on independent film began 30 years ago with
IFP’s founding event, now known as Independent Film Week,” says Michelle
Byrd, Executive Director of IFP. “Since then we’ve expanded our mandate to
give the public a greater opportunity to experience the films we nurture
through our programs and meet the innovators who are shaping the future of
independent film.”
Tickets and passes for IFP’s Independent Filmmaker Conference range from
$20 for single events to a variety of passes ranging from $70 per day to $320
for the week including all 35 panels, workshops and case studies. Tickets can
be purchased at www.filmmakerconference.com.
Sponsors of Independent Film Week include: Premiere sponsors Eastman
Kodak Company and HBO; and Gold Sponsors A&E IndieFilms, Panasonic, and
SAGIndie.
About IFP
Founded as a satellite program of the 1979 New York Film Festival, the
nonprofit IFP has evolved into the nation’s oldest and largest organization of
independent filmmakers, and also the premier advocate for them. Since its
start, IFP has supported the production of 7,000 films and provided resources
to more than 20,000 filmmakers–voices that otherwise might not have been
heard. IFP believes that independent films enrich the universal language of
cinema, seeding the global culture with new ideas, kindling awareness, and
fostering activism. The organization has fostered early work by leading
filmmakers including Charles Burnett, Edward Burns, Jim Jarmusch, Barbara
Kopple, Michael Moore, Mira Nair and Kevin Smith.
For more information: www.ifp.org.
About Independent Film Week
While the Independent Filmmaker Conference and special screenings are open
to the general public, the centerpiece of Independent Film Week is
the “Project Forum,” a showcase for over 150 new works in development. The
Forum is divided into three sections: Emerging Narrative, for writers and
writer/directors seeking producers; No Borders International Co-Production
Market, for experienced producers seeking financing partners; and Spotlight
on Documentaries, for projects in production and post-production that are
currently seeking financing partners and festival invitations. IFP expects to
arrange more than 2,000 one-on-one pitch meetings between filmmakers and
executives from production companies, distributors, exhibitors, broadcasters,
and film festivals. For information: www.independentfilmweek.com.
