Me and You and Everyone We Know. Pariah. Obvious Child. Lingua Franca. The first three titles? Music to my ears. That last one? Sounds like Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 to me, mostly because it’s my third feature screenplay (and English-language debut). It’s also been selected for No Borders at IFP Film Week, where those amazing films got their start. As a NYC-based Filipina filmmaker, I can’t be in better company this week. My debut feature, Senorita, a pulpy political noir that’s a love child of Fassbinder’s Lola and late-’90s Almodovar, had its world premiere in competition at Locarno. It has […]

The Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP) announced today the full slate of 140 projects selected for its esteemed Project Forum at the upcoming IFP Independent Film Week, running September 20-25, 2015 at Lincoln Center in New York City. Under the curatorial leadership of Deputy Director/Head of Programming Amy Dotson and Senior Director of Programming Milton Tabbot, IFP Project Forum is a meetings-driven forum connecting filmmakers who have new narrative and documentary projects in development, production, or post-production with key industry executives interested in identifying projects with which to become involved at the development, financing, or distribution stages. A primary outcome for […]

I had a series of epiphanies in the morning TAP session today. The most profound thought I had was a question, and I think it’s a question that must have an answer if you are pitching a film. I think this may be the toughest question in the world, because if the answer is not obvious you’ve got nothing. It’s such a great lesson, and after today it’s a new rule for projects we’ll take on in our company. What’s special about this? Today I also got another bit of what I came here for. There are very few places […]

Dear Gentle Reader, Tommy Minnix here again, after our first day of meetings at the No Borders section of Independent Film Week. Firstly, a big thanks to John Sylva, Susan Wrubel, and the IFP team and volunteers for their amazing coordination of dozens (hundreds even?) of industry and filmmakers, all shuttling from one table to the next to spend a brief but critical 25 minutes getting to know each other. From inside the elevator before the doors opened, it sounded like a beehive. And when you walked into the room, it could have been with all the activity. Writer/director Dean […]

Independent Film Week, the first day. Clearly I should have gotten more sleep last night. But to be honest, the insomnia wasn’t my fault. I was indeed in bed by 10pm but the Sandman refused to pay a visit so after a few hours of work, you can’t blame me for joining my fellow Transatlantic Partners for a nightcap in the hospitality suite. The morning came quickly as my flight from Halifax to Newark was at 8am. Unfortunately the flight was delayed two hours and I had to go directly to Manhattan for IFP industry meetings upon arrival. I’d arranged […]

(After world premiering at the 2011 South By Southwest Film Festival where it won an Audience Award, Weekend was picked up for distribution by Sundance Selects. It opens theatrically in New York City on Friday, September 23, 2011, before expanding to more cities in the coming weeks. It’s also available through cable VOD for three months beginning on September 30th. Visit the film’s official website to learn more.) It is Independent Film Week in New York City. As this is the first time that I’ve personally been involved in IFP’s annual program to the extent that I have (I’m pitching […]