I’m writing to you now from a screening room in TriBeCa, where we are in the throes of the 2013 Documentary Labs! The Labs are easily my favorite thing to do at IFP, so even though I haven’t seen the sun in hours, hiding here, its a good place to be. Monday, we shared the titles with you (press release here) and we watched samples of each as a Labs group. What a joy to see a bit of all the films together! As programmers, we choose films somewhat individually. Instead of filling slots for an audience, as a festival does, we tend to answer ‘which filmmakers and projects do we think can best gain from the Labs?’

Such talent in this year’s class! And best of all, unique perspective. Each filmmaker seems to be taking a topic we thought we knew – food, family, crime, war, identity, youth, the arts – and giving it a very personal spin, reinvigorating the discussion.

So, in this, our 9th year of the Labs, it is really exciting to see this class work together, and to help them scheme on launching their films in the best way. I always say this is the ‘I have a great film, wtf do I do with it?!’ program. Yes, we can, and should, dream for the A-list festival premiere, the mini-major distributor and national television broadcast – not to mention the advance that’s large enough to cover deliverables *and* go out to dinner. But barring that rare Golden Ticket, what else is there? Luckily, the answer is LOTS! And we’re lucky to have incredible Lab Leaders in producers Lori Cheatle and Maureen A. Ryan, and direct distribution guru Jon Reiss, and a whole host of savvy industry to help guide our filmmakers thru the minefields – and hopefully a few fields of clover – that independent documentary can be.

Today, we are neck deep in examining all the elements of filmmaking, aside from actually making the film: marketing, distribution, festivals, audience engagement. Generally, what is the state of independent documentary distribution today, and how do these specific films fit into that?

While we’re working hard to fill Lab Fellows’ brains to bursting with all the info, abbreviations (I just learned AVOD and SVOD*), rights, terms, goals and guidelines, I’m grateful for these filmmakers who are continuing to inspire us IFPers with their incredible work, and bold enough to challenge themselves to get it out into the world so you can see it, too.

So, to that, give them some love in return and seek them out! Festival programmers and heads of acquisition, I’m looking at you! Fresh documentary, ripe for the picking, ready for you in 6-12months!

Here are some titles, to whet the appetite– check out the press release for more detail on each.

Approaching the Elephant

Fellows: Amanda Wilder (Director/DP), Jay Craven (Producer). Brooklyn, NY

Bringing Tibet Home

Fellows: Tenzin Tsetan Choklay (Director/ Producer /Writer/DP/Editor); Milica Zec (Editor). Queens, NY

Do I Sound Gay?

Fellows: David Thorpe (Director/Writer); Howard Gertler (Producer). Brooklyn, NY.

Evolution of a Criminal

Fellows: Darius Clark Monroe (Director); Jen Gatien (Producer); Doug Lenox (Editor). Brooklyn, NY.

Farmer Veteran

Fellows:  D.L. Anderson (Director/Producer/Editor); Alix Blair (Director/DP); Mikel Barton (Editor). Durham, NC.

In Country

Fellows: Meghan O’Hara (Director/Producer); Mike Attie ((Director/Producer/DP); Lindsay Utz (Editor).  San Francisco, CA; Seattle, WA.

Kasamayaki (Made in Kasama)

Fellow: Yuki Kokubo (Director/ Producer/DP/Editor). Brooklyn, NY

The Life and Mind of Mark DeFriest

Fellows:  Gabriel London (Director/Writer/DP); Daniel Chalfen (Producer); Nick Clark (Editor). New York, NY

Mateo

Fellows: Aaron Naar (Director/Writer/Producer/DP/Editor); Nicole Vaskell (Editor). Los Angeles, CA

Roots and Webs

Fellows: Sara Dosa (Director); Josh Penn (Producer). Berkeley, CA.

*AVOD – Ad-supported Video on Demand. A la Hulu or You Tube
*SVOD – Subscription Video On Demand. (Netflix, Amazon Prime, HBO Go)