IFP » IFP Staff

2013 Project Forum Slate

IFP Staff — Thu, 25 Jul 2013 18:22:39 +0000

Click Here to Read the Full Press Release

Click Here to Download a PDF Version of the Project Forum Slate

RBC’s Emerging Storytellers

The premier talent pool for new voices on the independent scene, RBC’s Emerging Storytellers presents 25 U.S. narrative features in early-stage development with little previous marketplace exposure. Writer/directors have a variety of experience, having previously established themselves through the festival circuit, as well as web, advertising and new media platforms.

Always Shine directed by Sophia Takal, written by Lawrence Michael Levine, produced by Kim Sherman and John Baker. Two best friends, Anna and Beth, take a weekend trip that turns deadly when Anna’s repressed jealousy and insecurities begin to surface. (Dramatic Thriller)

Awesome Asian Bad Guys directed by Patrick Epino and Stephen Dypiangco, written by Milton Liu, produced by Patrick Epino, Stephen Dypiangco, Milton Liu and Diana Williams, executive produced by Phil Yu, cinematography by Nasar Abich, edited by Soham Mehta. Two offbeat filmmakers must assemble a volatile group of Asian bad guy actors to take down LA’s most nefarious mobster. (Comedy)

Blues Run the Game directed and written by Alexander Jablonski. Out of jail and working on a cattle ranch, a recovering drug addict battles to solve a murder that no one will admit took place. (Mystery/Crime Thriller)

Claude is Waiting directed and written by Chris Mason Wells, produced by Jason Klorfein, Brendan McFadden and Rachel Wolther. A comic epic of self-delusion, crippling neurosis, intellectual posturing, and emotional devastation — a jagged and ragged portrait of the artist as a young mess. It’s a comedy? (Comedy)

Doubles with Slight Pepper directed and written by Ian Harnarine, produced by Christina Piovesan and Karina Rotenstein. A young Trinidadian street-vendor must travel to New York and decide if he will save his estranged father’s life. (Coming of Age)

Everything Beautiful is Far Away directed and written by Pete Ohs and Andrea Sisson, produced by Sarah Schutzki and Albert Uria, cinematography by Pete Ohs and Nandan Rao, edited by Pete Ohs and Andrea Sisson. A dystopian fable about a man, his robot girlfriend, and a beguiling young woman who all traverse a desert planet hoping to find a better life. (Sci-Fi)

Faith directed and written by Eli Daughdrill, produced by Mike S Ryan. After the tragic and untimely death of his son, a deeply religious man confronts God, his community, and himself as he tries to understand his new reality. (Drama)

Frail directed and written by Matthew Petock, produced by Daniel Carbone and Zachary Shedd. Over the course of a cold winter day, nineteen year-old Vanessa plots a petty theft that she hopes will lead to a better life for her and her young daughter -– but piece by piece, her plan unravels. (Dramatic Thriller)

Free the Town directed and written by Nikyatu Jusu, produced by Nikkia Moulterie and Vincho Nchogu, cinematography by Daniel Patterson. A Native virgin, a Brooklyn teen, and a European filmmaker collide in the midst of witch-hunting hysteria in Freetown, Sierra Leone. These three disparate lives build towards a deadly climax. (Dramatic Thriller)

The God of Rain and Thunder directed and written by Mesh Flinders, produced by Neda Armian. When the girl he loves is kicked out of his father’s commune, 15-year-old Indra goes to public high school to get her back. (Coming of Age)

The Highway Kind directed and written by J. Todd Walker. Two loners running from different wars meet on the American road. The farther they travel together, the closer they come to finding their ways home. (Drama)

I Like You Like You directed and written by Jac Schaeffer. Convinced that technology is the reason she’s still single, a woman searches for her grade school crush without any help from the Internet. (Romantic Comedy)

Just the Three of Us directed, written and produced by Angela Tucker. Regina and Hank, a couple in their early 70s, have lost the spark in their marriage. They decide to take a radical step to spice things up: What about a threesome? (Dark Comedy)

Little Sister directed and written by Zach Clark, produced by Daryl Pittman and Melodie Sisk, cinematography by Daryl Pittman, edited by Zach Clark. A young nun returns to the mountains of Asheville, North Carolina to visit her estranged parents and older brother, who was injured in the Iraq war. (Comedy)

Loners Together directed and written by Carlen Altman. A 29-year-old girl, obsessed with staying wrinkle-free at any cost, shares an eccentric, isolated life with her carefree mother in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, where they live surrounded by a menagerie of pills and pets. (Dark Comedy)

Lucky Grandma directed by Sasie Sealy, written by Angela Cheng and Sasie Sealy, produced by Krista Parris and Cara Marcous. A chain-smoking, gambling Chinese grandma ends up on the wrong side of luck… and the law. (Dark Comedy)

Nancy directed and written by Christina Choe, produced by Gerry Kim. Nancy, a 40-year-old serial imposter lives at home with her abusive, elderly mother. Desperate for love, she creates a fake blog and catfishes a lover, until her hoaxes grow to epic and tragic consequences. (Drama)

Raker directed by Andrew Rossi, written by Kate Novack and Andrew Rossi, produced by Josh Braun. A law student recruited to spy on a group of hacktivist classmates discovers that his professor is watching him to protect her own dark secret. (Dramatic Thriller)

Scape Goat directed, written and produced by Thom Woodley. A strange, anonymous performance artist in a goat costume turns the lives of several Brooklyn hipsters upside down. (Drama)

Shale directed and written by Jed Cowley. A submissive 70-year-old housewife makes the terrifying decision to leave her domineering husband after 50 years of marriage, and faces the consequences that follow. (Drama)

Slash directed and written by Clay Liford, produced by Brock Williams. A teen’s online erotic fiction leads him to discover truths about his own sexuality when his newfound notoriety forces him out into the real world. (Coming of Age)

Spare directed and written by Kevan Tucker. When a struggling model discovers that she has a more successful doppelganger, she kidnaps her and begins using her for spare parts. (Horror)

The Strange Ones directed and written by Christopher Radcliff and Lauren Wolkstein, written by Christopher Radcliff. A boy is found wandering alone on a rural highway. As his story is revealed, a deeper mystery emerges – one founded on lies, half-truths, and secrets. (Dramatic Thriller)

Varenya directed and written by Shripriya Mahesh, produced by Dev Benegal. Varenya, a South Indian Hindu priest accepts a young apprentice, and is forced to question the doctrines of his religion. (Drama)

We the Animals directed by Jeremiah Zagar, written by Dan Kitrosser and Jeremiah Zagar, produced by Jeremy Yaches. Three wild young boys come of age as their parents desperately try to navigate a marriage complicated by lust, joy, poverty, and madness. (Coming of Age)

Independent Filmmaker Labs

A year-long mentorship program supporting 20 U.S.first- features in post-production through completion, marketing and distribution.

Documentary Labs:

Approaching the Elephant directed by Amanda Wilder and produced by Jay Craven. One year in the lives of a group of children at a newly opened ‘free school,’ where classes are voluntary and rules created by all-school democratic vote.

Bringing Tibet Home directed by Tenzin Tsetan Choklay and produced by Tenzing Rigdol. A Tibetan artist smuggles 20 tonnes of native Tibetan soil from Tibet to India for an art project to bring Tibet closer to its people in exile–literally.

Do I Sound Gay? Directed by David Thorpe, produced by Howard Gertler and Jenny Raskin, and executive produced by Dan Cogan. Determined to overcome his shame about “sounding gay,” director David Thorpe embarks on a hilarious, poignant, taboo-shattering exploration of the phenomenon of the “gay voice.”

Evolution of a Criminal directed by Darius Clark Monroe, produced by Darius Clark Monroe and Jen Gatien, and executive produced by Spike Lee. Ten years after robbing a Bank of America, filmmaker Darius Monroe returns home to examine how his actions affected the lives of family, friends…and victims.

Farmer Veteran directed by Jeremy Lange and Alix Blair and produced by D.L. Anderson. Adrift after years of combat, a wounded U.S. veteran begins farming to cultivate new meaning in a life after war.

In Country directed by Mike Attie and Meghan O’Hara and produced by Mike Attie, Meghan O’Hara, Daniel Chalfen, and Jim Butterworth. Deep in the Oregon woods, the heat of a reenacted Vietnam battle sheds light on America’s complicated relationship with war and its veterans.

Kasamayaki (Made in Kasama) directed and produced by Yuki Kokubo. Shaken by the tsunami and nuclear disasters, a grown daughter returns to a rural Japanese artist community to reconnect with her estranged parents.

The Life & Mind of Mark DeFriest directed by Gabriel London, produced by Daniel Chalfen, and executive produced by Jim Butterworth, David Menschel, and Peter Brusik. When a legendary escape artist comes up for parole after 30 years behind bars, a chance for freedom must be weighed against his infamous past.

Mateo directed by Aaron Naar and produced by Benjamin Dohrmann. Mateo follows America’s most notorious troubadour on his misadventures to Cuba.

Roots and Webs directed by Sara Dosa and produced by Josh Penn. Amid the frontier world of Oregon’s mushroom-hunting camps, two soldiers discover a new family in the woods, helping them to heal the wounds of war.

Narrative Labs:

AWOL directed by Deb Shoval, written by Karolina Waclawiak and Deb Shoval, produced by Jessica Caldwell, cinematography by Gal Deren. Days before deployment to Afghanistan, Joey, 19, returns home to Pennsylvania with plans to go AWOL with her married older lover Rayna and Rayna’s kids. (Drama)

Below Dreams directed, written, and produced by Garrett Bradley, edited by Carlos Marques-Marcet and Garrett Bradley, cinematography by Milena Pastreich and Brian C. Miller Richard. Three 26-year-olds struggle to find themselves in the shifting streets of New Orleans. (Drama)

Beneath the Harvest Sky directed and written by Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly, produced by Kavita Pullapilly, Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly, executive produced by Allison Jones, cinematography by Steven Calitri, edited by Aron Gaudet. Two small town teens end up in a world of trouble as they get caught up in the illegal drug trade between Maine and Canada. (Drama)

Dig Two Graves directed and written by Hunter Adams, produced by Claire Connelly, PJ Fishwick and Hunter Adams, cinematography by Eric Maddison, edited by Scott Hanson. As a young girl takes desperate measures to save her broken family, she becomes entangled in a deadly quest for revenge. (Dramatic Thriller)

Dukhtar directed and written by Afia Nathaniel, produced by Cordelia Stephens, Khalid Ali and Afia Nathaniel, executive produced by Muhammad Nadeem Nawaz, cinematography and editing by Armughan Hassan. A mother pulls off a daring escape to save her daughter from a child marriage. A relentless hunt begins for them. (Dramatic Thriller)

Gabriel directed and written by Lou Howe, produced by Ben Howe and Luca Borghese, cinematography by Wyatt Garfield, edited by Jane Rizzo. A teenager’s obsessive search for his childhood girlfriend becomes increasingly frantic, and puts himself and everyone around him in danger. (Drama)

Homemakers directed and written by Colin Healey, produced by Dave Schachter, Ella Hatamian and Colin Healey, cinematography by Ben Powell, edited by Dave Schachter. A rootless young singer with a penchant for destruction must reconcile her domestic fantasies as she attempts to restore her late grandfather’s abandoned Pittsburgh home. (Comedy)

Kick Me directed, written, and edited by Gary Huggins, produced by Betsy Gran, cinematography by Michael Wilson. When a meek guidance counselor accidentally crosses a deadly criminal warlord, he must take to his feet in this urban-nightmare action-comedy. (Comedy)

Something, Anything directed and written by Paul Harrill, produced by Ashley Maynor, executive produced by Dee Bagwell Haslam and Ross Bagwell, Sr., cinematography by Kunitaro Ohi, edited by Jennifer Lilly. A would-be suburban mom’s life is upended in this movie about change and that which can be felt but not seen. (Drama)

Stay Then Go directed and written by Shelli Ainsworth, produced by Geoffrey Sass and Christine Walker, cinematography by Alan Canant, edited by Bo Hakala. Marian Baird is a wife, mother and event planner extraordinaire. When confronted with an unlikely incident that turns her life upside down, she is forced to choose whether or not to abandon the life she’s carefully created for herself and her family. (Drama)

No Borders International Co-Production Market

The premier U.S. forum for buyers, sales agents and financiers to meet with established, international independent producers presenting 42 new, narrative feature projects in late stage development (20% + financing in place).

#PostModem directed by Lucas Leyva and Jilian Mayer, produced by Brett Potter and Jon David Kane, written by by Lucas Leyva and Jilian Mayer. #PostModem is a comedic, satirical sci-fi pop musical about a young girl who frees a futuristic Miami on the verge of the singularity. (Musical)

Americana directed by Zachary Shedd, produced by Daniel Carbone and Matthew Petock. The brother of a murdered actress suspects that his sister’s death was meant to serve the box office returns on her last film. (Dramatic Thriller)

Bab El Gehenom (The Gateway to Hell) directed by Oded Ruskin, produced by Saar Yogev and Naomi Levari. A routine military navigation drill in the desert turns into a nightmare as the soil of a demolished Bedouin village comes to life. (Supernatural Thriller)

The Beach House directed by Jeff Brown, produced by Sophia Lin, Matthew Yeager, and Jeff Brown, written by Jeff Brown. A romantic getaway for two high school sweethearts turns into a struggle for survival when unexpected guests exhibit signs of a mysterious transformative affliction. (Horror)

Beast directed by Michael Pearce, produced by Kristian Brodie. When they kissed, a darkness opened within her… (Drama)

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea directed, and produced by Emre Akay, written by Emre Akay and Deniz Cuylan. Turkey, 1956. A small American base monitors Russian activity in the Black Sea. Meanwhile, a young Turkish Lieutenant falls desperately for the American Major’s wife. (Historical Fiction)

The Cavanaughs produced by Julie Lynn and Julien Favre. When an Evangelical mother suddenly falls in love with a woman, rejects motherhood and disavows her beliefs, her devout teenage son Luke is thrown into chaos, forcing him to forge new meaning from the ruins of love, family and faith. (Drama)

Curse the Darkness produced by Daniel Noah, Josh Waller, and Elijah Wood, written by Brandon Williams. A political activist advocating for workers’ rights in Miami discovers a corrupt plantation owner using Haitian toxins to turn illegal immigrants into zombie-like slaves. (Horror)

Dance for Me directed by Pia Marais, produced by Trish Lake and Dan Lake, written by Roger Monk. In the Afrikaans society of South Africa, a woman finds the lines between revenge, justice and love are blurred when she finally entraps her mother’s attacker. (Drama)

The Detective directed by Peter Andrikidis, produced by Sarah Boote and Michael Robertson, written by Roger Joyce. An Australian cop arrives in Afghanistan to investigate the death of a former colleague – his only ally is an Afghani policewoman and together they find his friend was caught up in the intrigue involving a village massacre. (Drama)

Dos Mujeres Y Una Vaca (Two Women and a Cow) written and directed by Efraín Bahamón, produced by José Antonio “Chepe” Calderón Gómez, executive produced by Alberto Amaya. Two illiterate women begin a journey to find someone that can read them a letter. Trapped in the war, they struggle to find their way back. (Drama)

The Edible Woman written and directed by Francine Zuckerman, produced by Judy Holm, Francine Zuckerman, and Michael McNamara. Marian is about to get married; it’s all she ever wanted. But when a free-spirited man comes into her life, Marian’s careful plans are upset. (Drama)

The Fire Dance written and directed by Rama Burshtein, produced by Assaf Amir. What happens to a woman when she falls deeply under the spiritual influence of a wise, honest, charismatic man? And what if this man isn’t her husband, and she and him belong to the biggest Hassidic group in New York? (Drama)

The Fixer directed by Ian Olds, produced by Caroline von Kuhn, written by Paul Felten and Ian Olds. An exiled Afghan journalist working in Northern California investigates the dark and morally complex backwoods of a seemingly peaceful bohemian community. (Drama)

The Innocent written and directed by Matthew Thompson, produced by Christine Alderson. John, a convicted murderer, takes a young girl hostage and escapes from prison, determined to prove his innocence. A powerful psychological thriller that keeps you guessing. (Dramatic Thriller)

Into the Light written and directed by Rowland Jobson, produced by Alastair Clark. A young mentally and physically scarred man, racked with guilt, is led to the truth behind his fractured dreams and nightmares on London’s unforgiving streets. (Dramatic Thriller)

Ivan Lendl Never Learnt to Volley directed by Justin Kurzel, produced by Anna McLeish and Sarah Shaw, written by Jed Kurzel. When a fatal accident of an opponent rocks the Moscow junior tennis circuit, 13-year-old Alexander and his father, Dimitri, begin a desperate journey across Europe to keep their dreams alive. (Based on a True Story)

Jätten (The Giant) written and directed by Johannes Nyholm; produced by Maria Dahlin and Morten Kjems Juhl; executive produced by Peter Hyldahl, Mimmi Spång, and Rebecka Lafrenz. Rikard, autistic and severely deformed, and haunted by the loss of his mother, escapes into an imaginary world where he is a 50-meter tall giant. (Drama)

Kashmir (working title) written, directed, and produced by Ashvin Kumar. Ten year old Noor’s father ‘disappeared’ after the Indian army arrested him in war-torn Kashmir, but when she goes looking for him, she stumbles upon mass-graves that implicate the Indian army. When her story makes national news, she herself is arrested and made to ‘disappear’. (Coming of Age)

King Jack written and directed by Felix Thompson, produced by Gabrielle Nadig. When shouldered with the responsibility of watching his younger cousin for the weekend, a delinquent 15 year-old finds himself stumbling towards maturity while struggling against the neighborhood bully in their small town. (Drama)

Love After Love directed by Russell Harbaugh, produced by Michael Prall, written by Eric Mendelsohn and Russell Harbaugh. In the tradition of Woody Allen and John Cassavetes, Love After Love is the sad, funny, romantic account of a mother and two grown sons as they struggle in the wake of a father’s death. (Drama)

The Love Songs of Nathan Swirsky written and directed by Peter Goldsmid; produced by Margaret Goldsmid and Peter Goldsmid. In 1951 Johannesburg, a shy white boy befriends an albino youth and, inspired by a flamboyant new pharmacist, rebels against his formidable, racist mother. (Coming of Age)

Manchild written and directed by Ryan Koo, produced by Chip Hourihan. A talented basketball player gets nationally ranked & must choose between schools, coaches, & faiths – all at the age of 13. (Drama)

Mimi & Me produced by Blake Corbet and Marly Reed, written by Marly Reed, executive produced by Jennifer Kawaja and Julia Sereny. Teenage misfit Em Dash and her gambling-addicted Grandma Mimi must become con-artists to save their family home from bikers in small town Vancouver Island. (Comedy)

Nervous Translation written and directed by Shireen Seno, produced by John Torres. Eight year-old Yael, shy to a fault, lives in her own private world. One day she finds out about a pen that can translate the thoughts and feelings of nervous people. (Drama)

Nowhere Road written and directed by Lea Nakonechny, produced by Christine Falco and Simon Nakonechny. An outlaw father’s shadow. A mother who’s in over her head. A brother and sister risking it all in an 18-wheeler bound for the border. (Drama)

Out of Range directed by Alexandra Roxo, produced by Kelly Williams and Jonathan Duffy, written by Devon Kirkpatrick and Alexandra Roxo. A neurotic gallery girl, forced to leave her posh NYC life and move to Texas for work, hitches a ride with a free-spirited college friend across the country. (Comedy)

Papaw Easy directed by Martha Stephens, produced by Brett Potter, written by Karrie Crouse and Martha Stephens. Under the watch of his vain, ‘Modern Christian’ uncle, a shy boy forges an unlikely partnership with a foul-mouthed, down and out playboy. (Drama)

Paramour directed by Phil Abraham, produced by Amy Rapp, written by Jordan Katz, executive produced by Meredith Vieira and Paul Brett. Paramour is a dramatic thriller, inspired by a true story, about a married German heiress who falls for a charming Swiss businessman with unforeseen motives. (Dramatic Thriller)

Pardon My Downfall directed by David Zellner, produced by Chris Ohlson and Nathan Zellner, written by David Zellner and Nathan Zellner. Pardon My Downfall tells the story of The Jibcutters, a country-western band as infamous for their debauchery as their musical talents, as they try to recapture their previous magic on one final tour through the American South. (Drama)

Saturn written and directed by Elan Gamaker, produced by Bridget Pickering. A domestic worker must protect two children from the spirit of their dead brother, out to wreak revenge on their father by capturing their souls. (Supernatural Thriller)

The Sky is Blue like an Orange directed by Caveh Zahedi, produced by Mike Ryan, written by Arnold Barkus and Caveh Zahedi. In 1962, the reclusive middle-aged artist Joseph Cornell falls in love with a young coffee shop waitress who pretends to reciprocate his affections in order to steal his artwork. (Based on a True Story)

Solidarity directed by Rungano Nyoni, produced by Juliette Grandmont. A fire breaks out in a large compound in the centre of Lusaka. The very next day, its residents continue their lives as if nothing happened. (Dark Comedy)

Solitaire King written and directed by Bassam Jarbawi, produced by Shrihari Sathe. Unable to relive past basketball glory, or attain the girl of his future, Solitaire King follows a hallucinating Ziad, an ex political prisoner determined to become the champion he believes is expected of him. (Drama)

Soller’s Point written and directed by Matt Porterfield; produced by Ryan Zacarias, Jordan Mintzer, and Steve Holmgren; executive produced by Dan Carey. Serving parole on detention in his father’s house, an ex-offender finds the adjustment to society and the workforce more difficult than the confines of home. (Drama)

Taminex directed by Anya Meksin, produced by Kristie Lutz , written by William Gerrard and Anya Meksin, executive produced by Lawrence Mattis, and cinematography by Ian Bloom. During a pandemic, a sheltered young woman must venture into the city’s most dangerous district to procure the drug that can save her boyfriend’s life. (Thriller)

Torchbearer directed by Charles Officer, produced by Paul Barkin, written by David Bradley Halls. A forensic-geologist risks his life to seek closure for the family of a cold-case murder victim, in a desperate attempt to atone for his own personal tragedy. (Dramatic Thriller)

Torus directed by Michael Axelgaard, produced by Michael Axelgaard and Matthew Holt. When a physics experiment creates a tear between parallel universes, a bereaved boy sets out to find a world where his mother is still alive. (Science Fiction)

Tramontane directed by Vatche Boulghourjian, produced by Spencer Kiernan and Caroline Oliveira. Rabih, a young blind man, searches for a record of his own birth after discovering that his identity card is a forgery. He travels across Lebanon and gradually descends into a Kafkaesque encounter with a nation unable to retell his or its own past. (Drama)

Tree of Crows directed, produced, and written by Stephen Abbott. Among the ruins of post-apocalyptic South Africa lives Cain, a violently desperate man who suppresses his murderous past—until he falls for an alluring traveler. (Thriller)

Twelve Hundred and Ninety Six Hits directed by Moon Molson, produced by Daniella Kahane and Diana Ossana, written by Mark Poirier and Bill U’ren. A character driven comedy about a seventeen year-old SKA obsessed boy whose entire life changes the day he accidentally steals a sheet of acid. (Comedy)

The Witch of New Canaan Woode written and directed by Robert Eggers, produced by Jodi Redmond. A devout Christian family starts a small farm at the edge of a wood in early New England, only to be torn apart and driven to madness by an evil witch. (Drama)

Spotlight on Documentaries

Presenting 50 documentary features at an early financing stage (i.e. early development/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.

Am I Don Quixote? Written, directed, and produced by Jimmy Ferguson. When a legendary circus star faces a broken marriage and career, he embarks on a fantastical quest to rediscover himself as the fabled knight Don Quixote.

The Autobiography of Michelle Maren directed by Michel Negroponte and Michelle Maren, written by Michel Negroponte, and produced by Michel Negroponte and Marie-Emmanuelle Hartness. The story of an abused child, who became a runaway, a beauty queen and a porn star in the 80’s. Today, barricaded in her apartment and impaired by multiple mental disorders, she attempts to reconcile with the past.

Ballet 422 (New York City Ballet Documentary) directed by Jody Lee Lipes and produced by Ellen Bar and Anna Rose Holmer. From first rehearsal to world premiere, Ballet 422 takes us backstage at New York City Ballet as emerging choreographer Justin Peck crafts a new work.

BE•HOLD directed by Richard Kroehling and produced by Sirad Balducci and Janet Kirchheimer. A performance film of Holocaust poetry. Poets, survivors, and actors perform poems from the Shoah to the present. A marriage of cinema and poetry.

Brick directed by Jessica Dimmock and Christopher LaMarca and produced by Kate Barry. Brick witnesses the loss and extraordinary risk experienced by five fathers and grandfathers finding courage to live as transgendered women within the Pacific Northwest’s hyper-masculine culture.

Brillo Box (3¢ off) directed and produced by Lisanne Skyler. In 1969, my parents bought a Warhol Brillo Box for $1,000. In 2010, it fetched $3,000,000. This is the story of what happened in between.

Children of the Inquisition written, directed and produced by Joseph Lovett. From medieval tortures, to the present, Children of the Inquisition follows descendants of the Iberian Inquisitions, as they unravel their complex—often buried—Jewish identity.

Cocaine Prison directed by Violeta Ayala and produced by Daniel Fallshaw, Cedric Bonin, and Alexandra Daly. From inside one of Bolivia’s notorious prisons, a cocaine worker, a drug mule, and his little sister reveal the country’s complex relationship with cocaine.

The Cure written and directed by Bernadette Wegenstein and produced by Bernadette Wegenstein and Jon Reiss. The Cure interweaves the intimate stories of a surgeon and her patients with the history, mythology, and current treatment battles in the breast cancer industry.

Dark Money written, directed, and produced by Kimberly Reed. After the Citizens United verdict, 501c4 dark money fuels corrupt politics across America, but one election cycle in Montana clarifies complex problems and offers solutions.

The Destruction of Memory directed by Tim Slade and produced by Joanna Buggy. Based on the acclaimed book, The Destruction of Memory is a vital, urgent exploration of the purposeful destruction of the built heritage, language, and culture of one people by another, and the disintegration of memory and identity that results.

Dinosaur 13 directed and produced by Todd Miller. The true tale of one of the greatest discoveries in history.

Elephant in the Room directed by Lucia Small and Ed Pincus and produced by Lucia Small, Ed Pincus, and Mary Kerr. Two filmmakers of different generations turn the camera on each other to explore friendship, legacy, loss, and living with terminal illness.

Evaporating Borders directed by Iva Radivojevic, produced by Landon Van Soest and Leandros Savvides, and executive produced by Laura Poitras. A visual essay about political migrants in Cyprus that explores the meaning of displacement and search for identity.

Flickering Time Bomb written, directed, and produced by Pietra Bretkelly. What is a country without a past? As Afghanistan teeters on an unpredictable future, Flickering Time Bomb unwraps the world of three dreamers and 8,000 hours of film covered by the dust of 100 years of war. What surprises will emerge from the cloak of time?

Freedom Fighters directed by Jamie Meltzer and produced by David Alvarado and Kate McLean. There’s a new detective agency in Dallas, Texas, started by a group of exonerated men who have all spent decades in prison.

The Girl Who Knew Too Much directed by Amy Benson and Ramyata Limbu, produced by Amy Benson and Scott Squire, and executive produced by Karol Martesko-Fenster. A bold girl with a golden opportunity takes her own life and reveals South Asia’s newest epidemic.

The Good, Bad, and Deadly: China, U.S. and their Relationship written and directed by Vanessa Hope, produced by Vanessa Hope and Ted Hope, and executive produced by Geralyn Dreyfous. Courageous blind lawyer Chen Guangcheng’s escape from house arrest to NYU highlights U.S. democratic dysfunction, U.S.-China relations, and the “Wild West” way China runs.

Good Men, Bad Men, and a Few Rowdy Ladies directed by Andrea Scott, produced by Andrea Scott and Dev Brand, and executive produced by Julie Goldman and David Menschel. Florence, Arizona is a cowboy town with a prison problem. In the historic Wild West, what does a culture of incarceration do to a place and its people?

The Hand That Feeds written and directed by Robin Blotnick and Rachel Lears and produced by Robin Blotnick, Rachel Lears, and Patricia Benabe. A scrappy crew of undocumented immigrant workers face long odds and the threat of deportation when they take on a well-known New York restaurant chain.

The Heist directed by Louie Psihoyos, written by Mark Monroe, and produced by Fisher Stevens and Olivia Ahnemann. An unlikely team of activists comes together to give threatened species a voice and stop a mass extinction.

How to Become an Extreme Action Hero directed by Catherine Gund and produced by Catherine Gund and Tanya Selvaratnam. Hero harnesses the forces of action architect and provocateur Elizabeth Streb – colliding her life and work, testifying to the power and necessity of art.

In the Middle directed by Lorena Luciano and Filippo Piscopo and produced by Filippo Piscopo. The collision of two epic crises unfolds in small-town Italy, hit by a ferocious economic downturn when African migrants fleeing the Arab revolutions arrive by the thousands, demanding work and visas.

In the Shadow of the Dream directed by Asa Mader and produced by Christoph Jorg and Corinne Weber. A portrait of Clarence B. Jones, one of Martin Luther King’s trusted allies, comes out of the shadows of civil rights history to tell his tale.

In Your Voice, In Your Heart directed by Edward Lovelace and James Hall and produced by Lucas Ochoa. In February 2005, musician Edwyn Collins suffered a serious stroke. Unable to move and barely able to speak, his spectacular recovery back to center stage is both courageous and life affirming.

Island Soldier written and directed by Nathan Fitch and produced by Nathan Fitch and Jeremy Levine. A character-driven documentary about the service of Micronesians in the U.S. military–service that occurs at very high rates per capita.

The Joneses directed by Moby Longinotto, produced by Aviva Wishnow, and executive produced by Caroline Spry and Peter Day. A portrait of Jheri, a73-year-old transgender trailer park matriarch, and her sons in Bible Belt Mississippi. Recently reunited, will new revelations tear this family apart?

Journey Story directed by Keren Shayo and produced by Osnat Trabelsi, Galit Cahlon, Hilla Medalia, and Neta Zwebner-Zaibert. Timnit, 20, escaped Eritrea in 2011 and disappeared on her way to Israel. We follow the search for her and reveal the secret Torture Housecamps ran by Bedouins in Sinai.

Letters from Baghdad directed by Zeva Oelbaum and Sabine Krayenbühl, produced by Zeva Oelbaum, and executive produced by Thelma Schoonmaker and Denise Benmosche. More famous in her day than colleague Lawrence of Arabia, Gertrude Bell created a country, a king, and a museum in Baghdad. Who was she?

Long Year Begin directed by David Osit, written by David Osit and Malika Zouhali-Worrall, and produced by David Osit, Malika Zouhali-Worrall, and Caleb Heller. A science fiction documentary that examines humanity’s perpetual quest for preservation, and the consequences of choosing what we lose and what we save.

Make Me Normal directed by Mitch McCabe and produced by Jeff Kusama-Hinte. Are we medicalizing “Normal?” 30% of Americans are diagnosed with a mental disorder and 20% are on psychiatric drugs. What’s led to our new “Disorder Culture?” And what happened to “normal?”

Mind/Game: The Unquiet Journey of Chamique Holdsclaw directed and produced by Rick Goldsmith. The rise from broken home to superstardom of “the female Michael Jordan” and her subsequent roller-coaster battle with mental illness.

Mudflow directed by Cynthia Wade and Sasha Friedlander and produced by Sasha Friedlander and Vanessa Bergonzoli. Villagers in East Java, Indonesia, living with the results of fracking gone terribly wrong, seek justice from the corporate powers responsible for this man-made disaster.

The Other Man: F.W. de Klerk and End of Apartheid in South Africa directed by Nicolas Rossier and produced by Nicolas Rossier, Naashon Zalk, and Tami Woronoff. F.W. de Klerk was the last apartheid president of South Africa. In less than four years he went from being Mandela’s jailor to his second deputy vice president. The Other Man is the definitive film on de Klerk’s political journey and legacy.

Out of Mind directed and produced by Kristi Jacobson and executive produced by David Menschel.� Out of Mind is a compelling journey into the most invisible corners of the American justice system, prompting us to confront what happens behind the locked door and how it impacts us all.

The Overnighters directed by Jesse Moss and produced by Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine. Moths to a flame, broken, desperate men chase their dreams and run from their demons in the North Dakota oil fields. A local Pastor risks everything to help them.

Run and Gun directed by Marshall Curry and produced by Marshall Curry and Matthew VanDyke. A young Baltimorean with a gun in one hand and a camera in the other sets off to become a rebel fighter in the Libyan revolution.

Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda directed by Stephen Schible and produced by Stephen Schible, Eric Nyari, and Amy Lo. Intimate portrait of one of the foremost composers of our era; from iconic star of techno-pop during Japan’s economic boom to leading anti-nuclear activist, post-Fukushima.

Science Fiction Land directed and produced by Judd Ehrlich and executive produced by Nancy Schafer. The stranger than science fiction story of the theme park that changed the world but was never built.

She’s Beautiful When She’s Angry directed by Mary Dore and produced by Mary Dore and Nancy Kennedy. Protesters, poets, and shameless hussies! These women fought for their rights, and made a revolution.

Shield and Spear directed by Petter Ringbom and produced by Petter Ringbom and Alysa Nahmias. An artist paints a caricature of South African president Jacob Zuma that provokes a lawsuit, death threats, and massive street protests.

A Slippery Slope directed and produced by Yael Melamede and executive produced by Dan Ariely. A Slippery Slope is an exploration of the architecture of dishonesty. How can human beings lie, cheat, steal and still sleep at night?

Soft Vengeance: Albie Sachs and the New South Africa directed and produced by Abby Ginzberg and written by Rick Goldsmith. Albie Sachs, maimed in a car bomb attack, becomes a leading spokesperson for democracy and reconciliation in the new South Africa and then the world.

Tough Love directed by Stephanie Wang-Breal and produced by Stephanie Wang-Breal, Kristi Jacobson, Carrie Weprin, Ursula Liang, and Evan Briggs. Fighting to reunite with their children, Tough Love follows the lives of two parents in their emotional and trying journey through the child welfare system.

Trapped written, directed, and executive produced by Dawn Porter. In the abortion wars, the fight for the hearts, minds, and bodies of black women may be a decisive factor in America’s fight over the right to choose.

Untitled Chris Burden Documentary directed by Timothy Marrinan and Richard Dewey. A probing portrait of the man who risked his life in the name of art.

Untitled Transgender Youth Documentary directed by Eric Juhola and produced by Eric Juhola, Randy Stulberg, and Jeremy Stulberg. The film follows a landmark transgender rights case in Colorado, where a 6-year-old transgender girl is banned from the girls bathroom at her elementary school.

The Visual Crash directed by Yael Hersonski and produced by Itay Ken-tor. Unseen footage of the Gaza flotilla raid exposes the gap between reality and the media.

Walking Thunder: The Last Stand of the African Elephant directed and produced by Marie Wilkinson and Cyril Christo and executive produced by Lori Cheatle and Wendy Blackstone. A family’s journey over the course of a decade, witnessing and documenting awe-inspiring stories and breathtaking images of East Africa’s people and wildlife, focusing on the iconic elephant.

The Yes Men Are Revolting directed by Andy Bichlbaum, Mike Bonanno, and Carl Deal; produced by Laura Nix; and executive produced by Adam McKay and Alan Hayling. Notorious activists the Yes Men are on a gonzo mission to save the planet, one stunning hoax after another… but this time, it’s personal.

Trans Atlantic Partners

A collaboration between IFP, The Erich Pommer Institute (Europe) and Strategic Partners (Canada), this international co-production training program presents 26 U.S. and international screenplays with established producers attached.

18% Gray directed by Viktor Chouchkov, produced by Borislav Chouchkov, written by Borislav Chouchkov, Viktor Chouchkov and Zachary Karabashliev. After his wife leaves him, a failed photographer stumbles upon a bag of marijuana, and determined to sell it, sets off to a wild trip that may lead him to the truth about his lost love and ultimately to himself. (Drama)

Afraid of the Dark produced by Magnus Ramsdalen. David is terrified of the dark. His therapist sends him to the North to go through exposure, but David quickly finds there’s a reason for his fear. (Horror)

Berlin Balagan produced by Sol Bondy, written by Rolf Basedow. Jewish spring breakers in post-war Berlin. (Drama)

Break a Leg directed by Francisco Padilla, produced by Germán Méndez. Two unemployed Mexican actors want to make it big in Hollywood but end up on the run in Texas from a real life mob boss. (Comedy)

Chained Melody written and directed by David Gleeson, produced by Nathalie Lichtenthaeler. A washed-up concert pianist finds redemption when he takes the only job on offer – teaching music to the inmates of a maximum-security prison. (Drama)

Cold Hands produced by Carole Sheridan. A fast-paced and exciting thriller that follows the story of Donnie Miller, a young husband and father whose extremely comfortable life in a small, remote Canadian town is suddenly wrecked by his past. (Drama)

Covet directed by Karen Lam, produced by Karen Wong. A young woman begins an adulterous affair with a rich man, unaware that he may be involved in the disappearance of her relative. (Drama)

Crush Season produced by Daniel Bekerman. A vineyard worker embarking on a new life in Canada fights to restore a community’s trust after a vindictive landowner tries to engineer his deportation to the country and past he has risked everything to escape. (Drama)

Cunningham produced by Kelly Gilpatrick. A 3D cinematic event about legendary American choreographer, Merce Cunningham, orchestrated through his dances. (Documentary- Experimental/Non-Traditional)

Dead and Buried directed by William Phillips, produced by Paula Devonshire. On an isolated farm, an intellectually disabled man struggles against a ghost who threatens to unearth a horrible secret from his past. (Supernatural Thriller)

Family Remains directed by Gaby Dellal, produced by Ailish McElmeel, written by Eoin O’Connor, executive produced by John Pinckard and Paul Donovan. Three American siblings are forced to fulfill their mother’s dying wish to have her ashes scattered in her home country – Ireland. (Comedy)

Get Happy written and directed by Jordan Christianson, produced by Lauren Grant and Lori Lozinski. Get Diploma, Get Girl, Get Job, Get Happy! (Comedy)

A Good Girl directed by Sean Garrity, produced by Marc Almon, written by Jonathan Williams. A thirty-something inventor tries to hold onto his youth by dating a free-willed eighteen-year-old, but it becomes an obsession that threatens his destiny with another woman. (Comedy)

Hungry For Love directed by Justin Ambrosino, produced by Soojin Chung. One lonely night, two depressed over-eaters make a suicide pact to eat until they have a heart attack. (Romantic Comedy)

League of Monster Slayers produced by Leonard Farlinger. Two orphaned children and their nanny battle an onslaught of monsters and confront a demon building a portal to a darker more evil nether world. (Drama)

Likho. Don’t Wake the Devil directed by Mitja Okorn, produced by Marcin Wierzchoslawski. A young boy discovers a dark family secret in the hostile world, full of imaginary monsters, created by his oppressive father. (Horror)

Man With Van written and directed by Ed Blythe, written by James Windeler, produced by Shrihari Sathe. An upright electrician bumbles into arson to provide for his daughter, until a lethal accident pits him against his best friend and their sociopathic boss. (Dramatic Thriller)

Nearly Dead directed by Christian Schwochow, produced by Katja Kuhlmann and Sebastian Storm. When Sarah realizes that her never-ending nightmares are reflections of a true murder, she enters the kingdom of the dead to find the killer. (Mystery/Crime Thriller)

Phantom Limbs written and directed by Michael Sladek, produced by Joseph Krings, Paul Schnee, Michael Sladek, and Mark Steele. Set in rural Nebraska, Phantom Limbs is an elegiac tale about two young sisters overcoming years of chronic abandonment by embarking on separate, precarious paths that force them to reconcile their shared history in ways they never expected. (Drama)

Record Breaking written and directed by Craig Abell-Champion, produced by T.R. Boyce, Jr. A British woman afflicted by long interval narcolepsy wakes from a world record breaking long coma with an irrepressible need to have a child. (Drama)

The Silver produced by Paul Pope. In a tale of redemption the life-or-death stakes of a perilous murder investigation reawakens the spirit of the beautiful but emotionally damaged Detective Vivien Ellis. (Dramatic Thriller)

Slightly Sane produced by Gaurav Dhingra. In 1947, the end of British colonial rule creates two nations by partitioning one motherland into; India and Pakistan. People have the freedom to choose their country. All people, even those in mental asylums. (Drama)

The Tale directed, produced, and written by Jennifer Fox, executive produced by Oren Moverman and Jack Lechner. Based on a true story, “The Tale” chronicles a woman’s journey to unravel the mystery of her first sexual relationship during the summer of 1973. (Drama)

Untitled Ryan Silbert Project, produced by Ryan Silbert.

Umrika written and directed by Prashant Nair, produced by Alan McAlex and Mathias Schwerbrock. To save his mother from heartbreak, a young Indian village boy invents letters from his missing brother in America, all the while searching for him. (Drama)

Vacationship produced by Yanick Létourneau, written by Cynthia Knight. A romantic comedy about love, sex, freedom and “vacationships” – relationships on vacation. No commitment. No long term prospects. No consequences. Or so the theory goes. (Romantic Comedy)

2013 NYC Spirit Award Screening Schedule

IFP Staff — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 16:05:02 +0000

To Gain Access, Join IFP Today!

Use discount code SPRT13 to get 20% off Individual Membership.

Screenings are for IFP and Film Independent members only on a first-come, first-served basis. Member ID is required for admittance.

Screenings Added at reRun Theater!

147 Front St. Brooklyn, NY 11201

Friday, February 1
Moonrise Kingdom – 7PM
Silver Linings Playbook – 9:45PM

Monday, February 4
Amour – 7PM
Rust & Bone – 9:45PM

Tuesday, February 5
How to Survive a Plague – 7PM
Keep the Lights On – 9:45PM

Wednesday, February 6
Gimme the Loot – 7PM
The Color Wheel – 9:45PM

Thursday, February 7
Beasts of the Southern Wild – 7PM
Middle of Nowhere – 9:45PM

All other screenings take place at NYIT Auditorium

1871 Broadway, New York, NY 10023

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16
7:00 pm Bernie
9:15 pm Gimme the Loot

THURSDAY, JANUARY 17
7:00 pm Sister
9:15 pm The Perks of Being a Wallflower

FRIDAY, JANUARY 18
7:00 pm Middle of Nowhere
9:30 pm The Waiting Room

SATURDAY, JANUARY 19
2:00 pm The Central Park Five
4:45 pm Amour
7:30 pm Silver Linings Playbook

TUESDAY, JANUARY 22
7:00 pm Compliance
9:00 pm Seven Psychopaths

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23
7:00 pm How to Survive a Plague
9:30 pm Magic Mike

THURSDAY, JANUARY 24
7:00 pm Your Sister’s Sister
9:00 pm Moonrise Kingdom

FRIDAY, JANUARY 25
7:00 pm Keep the Lights On
9:15 pm The Sessions

SATURDAY, JANUARY 26
12:00 pm Once Upon A Time in Anatolia
3:30 pm Celeste and Jesse Forever
5:30 pm The Loneliest Planet
8:00 pm Gayby

SUNDAY, JANUARY 27
2:00 pm Safety Not Guaranteed
4:15 pm Fill the Void
6:15 pm Here
9:00 pm Robot & Frank

MONDAY, JANUARY 28
7:00 pm Sound of My Voice
9:00 pm Killer Joe

TUESDAY, JANUARY 29
7:00 pm The Invisible War
9:30 pm End of Watch

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30
7:00 pm Valley of Saints
9:00 pm Return

THURSDAY, JANUARY 31
7:00 pm Marina Abramovic: The Artist is Present
9:30 pm Four

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 1
7:00 pm Beasts of the Southern Wild
9:15 pm Starlet

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5
7:00 pm Ruby Sparks
9:15 pm Smashed

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 6
7:00 pm War Witch
9:00 pm Rust and Bone

Stream the Gotham Awards 2012

IFP Staff — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 14:30:07 +0000

The stream begins right here at 7:30PM, Monday November 26th.

Hosted by Mike Birbiglia

Tributes

Matt Damon

Marion Cotillard

David O. Russell

Jeff Skoll

Best Feature

Bernie

Richard Linklater, director; Richard Linklater, Ginger Sledge, Celine Rattray, Martin Shafer, Liz Glotzer, Matt Williams, David McFadzean, Judd Payne, Dete Meserve, producers (Millennium Entertainment)

The Loneliest Planet

Julia Loktev, director; Jay Van Hoy, Lars Knudsen, Helge Albers, Marie Therese Guirgis, producers (Sundance Selects)

The Master

Paul Thomas Anderson, director; Joanne Sellar, Daniel Lupi, Paul Thomas Anderson, Megan Ellison, producers (The Weinstein Company)

Middle of Nowhere

Ava DuVernay, director; Howard Barish, Ava DuVernay, Paul Garnes, producers (AFFRM and Participant Media)

Moonrise Kingdom

Wes Anderson, director; Wes Anderson, Scott Rudin, Steven Rales, Jeremy Dawson, producers (Focus Features)

Best Documentary

Detropia

Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady, directors; Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady, Craig Atkinson, producers (Loki Films)

How to Survive a Plague

David France, director; Howard Gertler, David France, producers (Sundance Selects)

Marina Abramović: The Artist is Present

Matthew Akers, director; Jeff Dupre, Maro Chermayeff, producers (HBO Documentary Films and Music Box Films)

Room 237

Rodney Ascher, director; Tim Kirk, producer (IFC Midnight)

The Waiting Room

Peter Nicks, director; Peter Nicks, Linda Davis, William B. Hirsch, producers (International Film Circuit)

Best Ensemble Performance

Bernie

Jack Black, Shirley MacLaine, Matthew McConaughey (Millennium Entertainment)

Moonrise Kingdom

Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton, Jared Gilman, Kara Hayward, Jason Schwartzman, Bob Balaban (Focus Features)

Safety Not Guaranteed

Aubrey Plaza, Mark Duplass, Jake Johnson, Karan Soni, Jenica Bergere, Kristen Bell, Jeff Garlin, Mary Lynn Rajskub (Film District)

Silver Linings Playbook

Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Jacki Weaver, Chris Tucker, Anupam Kher, John Ortiz, Julia Stiles, Shea Wigham, Paulie Herman (The Weinstein Company)

Your Sister’s Sister

Emily Blunt, Rosemarie Dewitt, Mark Duplass (IFC Films)

Breakthrough Director

Zal Batmanglij for Sound of My Voice (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Brian M. Cassidy and Melanie Shatzky for Francine (Factory 25 and The Film Sales Company)

Jason Cortlund and Julia Halperin for Now, Forager (Argot Pictures)

Antonio Méndez Esparza for Aquí y Allá (Here and There) (Torch Films)

Benh Zeitlin for Beasts of the Southern Wild (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Breakthrough Actor

Mike Birbiglia in Sleepwalk with Me (IFC Films)

Emayatzy Corinealdi in Middle of Nowhere (AFFRM and Participant Media)

Thure Lindhardt in Keep the Lights On (Music Box Films)

Melanie Lynskey in Hello, I Must Be Going (Oscilloscope Laboratories)

Quvenzhané Wallis in Beasts of the Southern Wild (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You

Kid-Thing

David Zellner, director; Nathan Zellner, Producer

An Oversimplification of Her Beauty

Terence Nance, director; Terence Nance, Andrew Corkin, James Bartlett, producers

Red Flag

Alex Karpovsky, director; Alex Karpovsky, Michael Bowes, producers

Sun Don’t Shine

Amy Seimetz, director; Kim Sherman, Amy Seimetz, producers

Tiger Tail in Blue

Frank V. Ross, director; Adam Donaghey, Drew Durepos, producers

IFP at IDFA This Month

IFP Staff — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 17:35:20 +0000

IFP alumni are showing in full force at International Documentary Festival Amsterdam this week, the world’s largest documentary film festival. 11 features, all alumni of IFP’s Spotlight on Documentaries program, play in the festival. These include Alex Mellier’s Alias Ruby Blade (also an alumnus of IFP’s Documentary Labs), Jay Bulger’s Beware of Mr. Baker, Holly Hardman’s Good People Go To Hell, Saved People Go To Heaven, Kathy Leichter’s Here One Day, Daniel Anker’s Icebound, Jamie Meltzer’s Informant¸ Kahlil Hudson & Tyler Hughen’s Low & Clear, Lori Silverbush & Kristi Jacobson’s A Place at the Table, Peter Friedman’s Poor Consuelo Conquers the World, Lauren Greenfield’s The Queen of Versailles, Sasha Friedlander’s Where Heaven Meets Hell.

Four additional IFP alumni feature works in progress pitch in the IDFA Forum, the international Co-Production Market there: Yance Ford’s Strong Island, Yoruba Richen’s The New Black (SoD12), Hao Wu’s The Road to Fame, and Nancy Kates’ Regarding Susan Sontag.

In addition, IFP programmer Rose Vincelli Gustine will be at the Int’l Documentary Festival Amsterdam, participating in Doc Lab, Forum and other festival events there. For more information about IDFA, and the films, click here.

Call for Entries: Rotterdam Producers Fellowship 2013

IFP Staff — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 20:04:42 +0000

Through its long-standing partnership with CineMart, IFP annually selects two producers to participate in the Rotterdam Lab, which runs concurrently with the CineMart co-production market, January 27-30, 2013. The Fellowship is open to producers with at least one narrative feature producing credit who are current IFP Members at any level.

The Rotterdam Lab, a four-day training workshop for producers, is designed to build up their international network and experience. It is an initiative of the International Film Festival Rotterdam’s CineMart in cooperation with its international partnering organizations. The Rotterdam Lab consists of panel discussions illustrating the process by which a project in need of financing is completed and brought to its audience, as well as speed dating sessions in which selected producers meet with industry delegates in person and receive advice about their own projects. In addition, Rotterdam Lab producers participate in all other aspects of CineMart, including networking lunches, cocktails, and other panels.

IFP’s recent past participants have included: Matthew Parker (Higher Ground), Adele Romanski (The Myth of the American Sleepover), Jason Orans (Night Catches Us), Nekisa Cooper (Pariah), Alicia Van Couvering (Tiny Furniture), Anish Savjani (Meek’s Cutoff), and Mynette Louie (Children of Invention).

For more information about the Rotterdam Lab, go here.

For selected producers, IFP covers the cost of accreditation and hotel accommodations; producers must cover their own airfare and additional expenses.

To apply for this fellowship, please send your one-page letter of inquiry stating relevant producing experience, as well as why you are uniquely qualified to receive this fellowship and resume to IFP Producer & Program Manager Rose Vincelli Gustine, rvincelli@ifp.org by Friday, November 16. We will notify all applicants of their acceptance status by Friday, November 30.

The Early Days of Video: A Conversation with Jon Alpert & Keiko Tsuno

IFP Staff — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 17:09:55 +0000

DCTV Co-Founders Jon Alpert and Keiko Tsuno discuss their beginnings in filmmaking during the early days of video and what drove them to start DCTV in 1972.

Keiko: I came to this country to study fine arts and my main interest was video, so I bought Sony’s first black and white camera. It was very expensive back then. It cost $1600.

Jon: Rent was $65 a month. So it cost the equivalent of two years’ rent.

K: I was living in a loft building on Canal Street. I wanted it to be a kind of Zen retreat. Everything was painted white, with little more than a picnic table for furniture. I wanted to make my life very simple–to put all my energy into my artwork. Then Jon came into my life.

From the beginning, Jon wanted to use video to effect change. He thought that artists were self-centered. He would say, “I want to do something to help society.” Jon was organizing for a taxi drivers’ union. He asked if I wanted to videotape their strike. I agreed, but the equipment was very heavy and I needed someone to carry the deck while I worked the camera. So Jon and I went to the Bronx and videotaped the strike.

Later, we invited the drivers to a screening in Manhattan. About 50 showed up. The reaction was instant. It inspired debate and action. At the time people still didn’t know what video was. It was very new to see ordinary people’s stories being told in such a manner, with such immediacy.

J: The early creative ideas came from Keiko, but I was more reactive. When I saw the catalytic power that video had, I thought it would be a useful tool to accomplish the goals we were trying to reach. We were trying to improve healthcare and schools in lower Manhattan, to improve the quality of life of the city’s taxi drivers, to end the Vietnam War. We weren’t having much success. But once we began using video, our efforts started working.

The equipment in those days was so new and primitive. There was a real pioneer feeling to it.

K: Tape spooled out of the machine haphazardly. Editing the tape required cutting it with razors.

J: When the first editing machine came out, ours would always catch on fire. A fire extinguisher was a key part of our editing station. We were inventing our own equipment. Other people were also. It was a time of experimentation. Someone invented a method for getting a second audio track by using a piece of paper over the audio erase head. I made a directional mic by wrapping cardboard–the kind that comes with shirts from the cleaners–around a cheap mic. It didn’t work very well.

K: There was a lot of bonding between video artists at that time. Everything was so new and everyone was so hungry. Video had a kind of magic power. Knowing that we were involved in video bonded us together.

J: There were around a dozen video collectives in lower Manhattan. We were all pushing the envelope, learning from each other, going to watch each other’s tapes. There was a spirit of collectivism at the time.

In those days it was hard to reach an audience. Broadcast TV thought we were all crazy. We decided to make TV by the people, for the people, and bring it to the people. Using an old mail truck and televisions, we set up a mobile screening unit. It was a harsh and unforgiving environment for exhibiting our videos. There was poor lighting. We were usually parked on Canal Street, so it was noisy. All of this yielded an audience with a pretty short attention span.

Sometimes we thought we had made something great, only to realize it didn’t resonate with the public. It pushed us to try to tell a story in a concise fashion, in a way that connected with the audience. It was a great learning experience that kept us humble.

When we saw how effective video could be, and real change coming from our tapes, we felt it was our duty to do this work. But there was only so much we could do ourselves. We started DCTV to deputize others to join our cause. If people wanted to learn how to use equipment, we taught them. We let people use our cameras. All for free.

K: Over at Paper Tiger TV, there’s a quote attributed to me, although I don’t remember if I said it: “Give everyone a camera and change the world.” That was the ethos of what we were striving to do.

Support and celebrate 40 years of filmmaking at DCTV’s 40th Anniversary Celebration on October 11th! http://www.dctvny.org/40th

Conference Keynotes Live Broadcast on YouTube

IFP Staff — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 19:16:35 +0000

Click Here to Access the Video Stream (will be active Sunday, 9/16)

September 16-20

IFP has launched a new YouTube channel premiering with live broadcasts of the IFP Conference.

Keynotes streamed live include:

James Schamus (CEO of Focus Features)& Christine Vachon (Producer, Killer Films) Sunday, September 16^th @ 4PMET

JC Chandor (Director, Margin Call) Monday, September 17^th @ 10AM ET

Michel Reilhac (Transmedia Producer)- Wednesday, September 19^th @ 10AM ET

Orlando Bagwell (Ford Foundation)- Thursday, September 20^th @ 10AM ET

Subscribe to IFP Digital for reminders of these events AND for new videos on filmmaking every Tuesday and Thursday!

2012 Project Forum Slate

IFP Staff — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 12:59:01 +0000

Click Here to Read the Full Press Release

Click Here to Download a PDF version of the Project Forum Slate.

Emerging Narrative

25 Feature Scripts in Development

Arrow Written and directed by Emily Carmichael, produced by Adam Spielberg and Josh Hetzler, cinematography by Ben Richardson. In a madcap alternate-reality Brooklyn, three science-fiction heroes face their greatest challenge yet: not saving the world anymore. (Sci-fi/Comedy)

The Assumption Written and directed by Tom Quinn, produced by Steve Beal and Ellen Knechel. A young priest attempting to save his elementary school from closure becomes a local celebrity after a near-death experience. (Drama)

Baby Lu Written and directed by Emily Ray Reese, produced by Tati Barrantes and Caroline Oliveira. A forbidden crush forces 13-year-old Lucinda and her mountain man father to confront her developing sexuality in a small town in Northern New Mexico. (Coming of Age)

The Blandishments Written and directed by Kyle Smith. The Blandishments, a five-piece band from Indiana, weather the challenges that come with writing a hit alternative-rock song in 1993. (Comedy)

Brooklyn Flee Written and directed by Alexandra Roxo, written and produced by Devon Kirkpatrick. When two girls meet online and agree to drive across country together, their impromptu adventure brings them much closer than they’d anticipated. (Comedy)

Chicken Day Written by Melissa Brandt. A troublesome teenage girl must win a small town’s annual chicken competition in order to save the members of her dysfunctional family. (Drama)

Cutlet Written and directed by Clay Liford, produced by Angie Meyer and Brock Williams. A road trip to an isolated farm becomes a nightmare for two siblings when they are forced to battle a mutated herd of carnivorous cattle. (Dark Comedy / Horror)

Deprivation Written and directed by Jason Doty. Three days after his family dies mysteriously, a man discovers he can travel into the past as long as he never falls asleep. (Thriller)

The Doctor Written and directed by Musa Syeed. Nadir, a failed doctor from India, finds a way back into medicine when he lands a job at an illegal underground clinic in New York. (Drama)

Empty Vector Written, directed, and produced by Perry Blackshear, produced by Kiara Jones and Kimberly Parker. Two struggling young biologists stumble upon a startling breakthrough, the significance of which both men may be unable or unwilling to accept. (Dramatic Thriller)

Hands and Knees Written and directed by Zoje Stage. Driven nearly mad by domesticity, a stay-at-home mom is pushed to the edge when her mute daughter suddenly claims to be a 17th-century witch. (Drama)

In Eden Written and directed by Michael Choi, executive produced by Andrew Fierberg and Kyungmi Kim. Joe believes his mother was abducted by aliens and will return in three weeks, while his father discovers love and struggles to rebuild their family. (Coming of Age)

Incognito Written, directed and produced by Priyanka Kumar. 17-year-old Meena teams up with her father to help the Pakistani prime minister – who is on a secret pilgrimage in India – dodge an assassination attempt. (Drama)

Invisible Son Written and directed by Deron Albright, written by Yao B. Nunoo, produced by Deron Albright and Dede Maitre. Having lost legal status, a Ghanaian must negotiate the minefield of immigrant life to raise his infant daughter and reclaim the love of his life. (Drama)

La Marea Written and directed by Naftali Rutter, produced by David Targan, executive produced by Sabin Streeter. A troubled American soldier is drawn to a Mexican lagoon where three women, two ghosts, and a pod of mysterious whales will change his life forever. (Drama)

Min ha’Metzar Written and directed by Lawrence Horwitz, produced by Joshua Marston. When a young, Hasidic husband in Brooklyn learns he is infertile, he’s forced to enter a secular world he knows nothing about in order to save his marriage, his family, and his faith. (Drama)

The Oldest Man Alive Directed and written by Antonio Tibaldi, written by Ryan Brown. A suicidal octogenarian inventor finds a reason to live in the beautiful Romanian woman who saves him from drowning. But where will his infatuation lead? (Drama)

Papaw Easy Written by Martha Stephens and Karrie Crouse, directed by Martha Stevens, produced by Christina Jennings and Brett Potter. Under the watchful eye of his strict evangelical uncle, a shy young boy forges an unlikely partnership with a foul-mouthed, down-and-out playboy. (Coming of Age)

The Price of Flowers Written and directed by Ashley Charbonnet, produced by Christopher Brown. On poverty’s fringes, New Orleans street hustler Red and his dying lover Sal’s hopes for a home together are stifled when shadows of Red’s past resurface. (Drama)

Scenes from the Slope Written by Desiree Akhavan, produced by Cecilia Fruguiele. Based on the award-winning web series The Slope, the story of superficial, homophobic, lesbians. In love. (Romantic Comedy)

Sweet Lover Written and directed by Dustin Defa, produced by Ryan Zacarias and Brooke Bernard. A small-time hustler and his teenage lover flee New York City in hopes of becoming a normal domestic couple. (Drama)

Taminex Written by Anya Meksin and William Gerrard, directed by Anya Meksin, produced by Kristie Lutz. During a pandemic, a sheltered young woman must venture into the city’s most dangerous district to procure the drug that can save her boyfriend’s life. (Thriller)

Tokyo Cannonball Rising Sun Written, directed, and produced by Malcolm Murray, written by Michael Meyer, produced by Brandon Harris and executive producer Neda Armian. After the death of his wife, a middle-aged Japanese man seeks a fresh start on a New Mexico ranch, but he finds a world largely divorced from his long-harbored fantasies of the Southwestern cowboy lifestyle. (Drama)

The Whispering Giant Written by Kim Spurlock, Mai Spurlock, and Andrey Paounov, directed by Kim Spurlock, produced by Mollye Asher. Sometimes a broken heart is the only way to learn how to love. (Drama)

Zero Days Written and directed by Greg Gilpatrick. Amidst the shambles of future New York, a detective helps those abandoned by advancing technology. His latest case leads him to question everything he believes.

Independent Filmmaker Labs

20 Feature and Documentary Projects in Post-Production by first-time directors.

Narrative Selections:

Bastards of Young Written, directed and produced by Josiah Signor, produced by Mike Rossetti, Robert Profusek, Ryan Silbert, and Gigi Dement, and executive produced by Alexandre Rockwell. Kevin and Julie throw their last annual Halloween party, but instead of celebrating, friends are forced to confront darker realities: adultery, divorce, and pregnancy. Hijinks ensue. (Comedy)

Blue Caprice Written and directed by Alexandre Moors, written by R.F.I. Porto, produced by Isen Robbins, Aimee Schoof, Ron Simons, Kim Jackson, Stephen Tedeschi, and Brian O’Carroll, and executive produced by Hilary Stabb, Jonathan Gray, Will Rowbotham, Tara Kromer, and Isaiah Washington. Blue Caprice is a narrative feature film inspired by the events known as the Beltway sniper attacks. (Dramatic Thriller)

Concussion Written and directed by Stacie Passon, produced by Rose Troche, and executive produced by Anthony Cupo and Cliff Chenfeld. By day, as her kids sit in school, a bored, wealthy, lesbian housewife from the suburbs becomes a prostitute for women. (Drama)

El Empantanado (The Muddy) Written and directed by Felipe Echavarria, produced by Maggie Drayton, and executive produced by Dawson Peden and Egon Stephan Jr. While on vacation in the Florida Keys, a Colombian kidnap victim must decide whether to punish or forgive his best friend, his wife, and himself. (Drama/ International)

The Forgotten Kingdom Written, directed, and edited by Andrew Mudge, produced by Cecil Matlou and TR Boyce, and executive produced by Terry Leonard. Returning to Lesotho to bury his father, a young man rediscovers the beauty and hardships of the people and land he had forgotten. (Drama/ International)

Go Down Death Written and directed by Aaron Schimberg, and produced by Vanessa McDonnell and Caroline Oliveira. A frail schoolboy, a sinister doctor, a disfigured outcast, incompetent soldiers, and others await their demise in this adaptation of folktales by Jonathan Mallory Sinus. (Dark Comedy)

Hide Your Smiling Faces Written, directed and produced by Daniel Carbone, and produced by Matthew Petock, Zachary Shedd, and Jordan Bailey-Hoover. An atmospheric exploration of nature, grief, and mortality in rural America seen through the eyes of two adolescent brothers who lose a close friend. (Coming of Age)

I Believe in Unicorns Written and directed by Leah Meyerhoff, produced by Heather Rae, and executive produced by Allison Anders. A teenage girl avoids caring for her disabled mother by running away with an older boy, but not even unicorns can save her now. (Coming of Age)

Karaoke Girl Written and directed by Visra Vichit Vadakan and produced by Pornmanus Rattavanich and Samina Akbari. Balancing fact and fiction, dream and reality, “Karaoke Girl” follows Sa, a young country girl who works at a karaoke bar in Bangkok to support her family back home. (Drama/ International)

Land of Tomorrow Written and directed by Kimberly Levin, produced by Kurt Pitzer, and executive produced by Will Battersby and Julia Chasman. As financial pressures mount on her family’s farm-supply business, Betty commits an unthinkable crime for the sake of her husband and sons. (Drama)

Documentary Selections:

Alias Ruby Blade directed by Alex Meillier, produced by Alex Meillier and Tanya Ager Meillier, and executive produced by Abigail Disney and Gini Reticker. One courageous woman risks everything for love of the imprisoned leader of a nation struggling for freedom. Together they nurture the tumultuous birth of the world’s newest nation – Timor-Leste.

BIG JOY: The Adventures of James Broughton directed by Stephen Silha and Eric Slade; produced by Stephen Silha, Eric Slade, and Max St. Romain, and executive produced by Stephen Silha and Jok Church. “Big Joy” illustrates the power of art and poetry to change lives, using the life and work of pansexual poet/filmmaker James Broughton as a lens.

Brave New Wild directed and written by Oakley Anderson-Moore; produced by Alexander Reinhard. In 1950′s America, social outcasts risk their lives to start a revolution: climb rocks all the time.

For Thousands of Miles directed and produced by Mike Ambs, written by Mike Ambs and Erica Hampton, produced by Mike Ambs. A story of a young man split between two lives, struggling to feel at home after a 60-day bicycle ride across the northern United States.

Lucky directed by Laura Checkoway and produced by Laura Checkoway and Neyda Martínez. Orphaned as a child, Lucky Torres is a defiant survivor. Masked in tattoos, the Bronx lesbian is desperate to keep her son and escape poverty.

Our Nixon directed by Penny Lane and Brian Frye, produced by Penny Lane, and executive produced by Dan Cogan and Jenny Raskin. Never before seen Super 8 home movies of Richard Nixon’s closest aides – and convicted Watergate conspirators – offer an intimate and surprising glimpse into his presidency.

Purgatorio directed and produced by Rodrigo Reyes; executive produced by Hugo Perez. “Purgatorio” brings together a universe of stories into a compelling cinematic experience that takes audiences into the very soul of life on the border.

Survival Prayer directed and produced by Benjamin Greené. “Survival Prayer” celebrates the modern lifeways of a remote indigenous community against the backdrop of cultural loss and natural calamity.

These Birds Walk directed by Bassam Tariq and Omar Mullick and produced by Bassam Tariq, Omar Mullick, and Valentina Canavesio. A portrait of contemporary Pakistan is created through the eyes of an ambulance driver and a runaway boy who call a humanitarian and his mission-based organization home.

Where God Likes to Be directed by Nicolas Hudak and Anna Hudak, and produced by Anna Hudak. “Where God Likes to Be” portrays young Native Americans’ struggle to find their place in a 21st-century America that wants to forget the past.

No Borders International Co-Production Market

43 Narrative Projects in Development

A Royal Day produced by Damon D’Oliveira, Clement Virgo, and Nicolas Comeau, written by Gerald Wexler, and to be directed by Clement Virgo. “A Royal Day” charts the meteoric rise of Montreal Royals player Jackie Robinson and the desperate machinations of an assassin hired to exterminate the rising superstar. (Dramatic Thriller)

Atomic Love produced by Dror Shaul and Amir Feingold, written and to be directed by Dror Shaul. Two teenage girls from nuclear towns in Israel and Iran spill their countries’ most valuable secrets on Facebook – and almost cause a nuclear crisis. (Comedy)

Beirut Hold’em produced by Georges Schoucair, written and to be directed by Michel Kammoun. Ziko is released from prison and wants to restart his life in the city of Beirut, a place where everyday life tastes like Russian roulette. (Drama)

Beirut, I Love You produced by Marta Donzelli, written by Zena el Khalil, and to be directed by Gigi Roccati. If war were a disease, it would be cancer. If love were a person, her name would be Maya. When my soul found a home, it was in Beirut. (Drama)

Bill and Lena produced by Kate Ogborn, executive produced by Lisa Marie Russo, written and to be directed by Harry Wootliff. Bill tries to find a way back into his 18-year-old daughter’s life, but after a decade of neglect, it is going to take more than a summer holiday to repair the relationship. (Coming of Age)

Blue Potato produced by Gita Pullapily, written and to be directed by Aron Gaudet. A headstrong teen works the potato harvest to earn money to escape his northern Maine town, while he struggles to save his reckless best friend. (Drama)

Bright as Day produced by Tory Lenosky and Lucas Joaquin, written and to be directed by Ron Eyal and Elanor Burke. Against the backdrop of the recent London riots, a disaffected teenager finds refuge from the adult world as she bonds with a run-down horse. (Coming of Age)

Cockroach produced by Réal Chabot, written by Arto Paragamian, based on a novel by Rawi Hage, and to be directed by Charles-Oliver Michaud. “Cockroach” combines an uncompromising vision of humanity with razor-sharp portraits of society’s outsiders, and a startling, poetic sensibility with bracing jolts of dark humor. (Drama)

Confessions of a Super Man produced by Marian Macgowan, written and to be directed by Angela How. An Asian Australian teenage sociopath records his violent life via a superhero comic strip of his own creation. (Drama)

Cowboys Versus Indians produced by Geoffrey Quan, written by Ambarish Manepalli and Christopher VanDijk, and to directed by Ambarish Manepalli. Home to play football and attend a wedding, Raj discovers he’s in love with the bride and her fiancé is on the opposing team. (Romantic Comedy)

Dancing Arabs produced by Chilik Michaeli, written by Sayed Kashua and to be directed by Eran Riklis. Sayed, an Arab-Israeli citizen, is granted a scholarship to an elite Jewish bo,arding school where he struggles to disentangle his personal and national identities. (Drama)

Deshora produced by Jhonny Hendrix, written and to be directed by Barbara Sarasola Day. Desire can be vital but also the edge of an abyss. “DESHORA”, is about this feeling, is a slow downward spiral movement where every step, as all human actions, doesn’t allow a return. (Drama)

Embrace of the Serpent produced by Cristina Gallego, written and to be directed by Ciro Guerra. Over the course of a lifetime, an Amazonian paye and shaman, last survivor of his people, has life-altering encounters with two scientists, each travelling the northwest Amazon in search of ancestral knowledge. (Drama)

Hellion produced by Kelly G. Williams and written and to be directed by Kat Candler. In small town Texas, when thirteen-year old Jacobs delinquent behavior gets his brother taken away, hell go to extreme, destructive lengths to bring Wes home. (Drama)

Hickey produced by Steven Wolfe, Ricky Margois, Simon Graham-Clare, and Chris Hazzard, written and to be directed by Alex Grossman. In less than a day, Ryan must save the store he hates in order to win the heart of the girl he loves. (Coming of Age)

House of Trammel produced by Tom Davis, Susan Shopmaker, Laura Heberton, Mike Roberts, Ed Vassalo, and Ethan Palmer, written by Mike Roberts, and to be directed by Andrew Neel. When the wealthy Trammels learn that their estate is on the verge of bankruptcy, a would-be family reunion turns bloody. (Dark Comedy)

IO produced by Jason Berman, written by Clay Jeter, Charles Spano, and William Basanta, and to be directed by Clay Jeter. Teenage Sam races to find a cure for her poisoned world before the Exodus shuttle abandons Earth forever. An indie drama in a sci-fi setting. (Drama/Sci-fi)

Joy of Living produced by Ashley Maynor, written and to be directed by Paul Harrill. A lonely detective investigating a piano teacher’s murder forges an unlikely friendship with one of the victim’s former students who has returned to the South to help solve the case. (Drama)

Land of Enchantment produced by Christine Kunewa Walker, Jeremy Stulberg, and Reed Morano, written by Eric Juhola and Jeremy Stulberg, and to be directed by Eric Juhola, starring Patricia Arquette. A maternity nurse haunted by her past searches for her daughter who has joined a faction of anarchist teens in the New Mexico desert. (Drama)

Lee produced by Angela C. Lee and Mollye Asher, written and to be directed by Chloé Zhao. A quiet and daring Lakota boy takes on a dangerous job to keep his family together on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. (Drama)

Leroy produced by Katie Mustard and Adam Polonsky, executive produced by David Pupkewitz, written and to be directed by Marko Fuchs. Music, death and the open road. (Drama)

Life Partners produced by Jordana Mollick, and Brendan Bragg, written by Joni Lefkowitz, and to be directed by Susanna Fogel. A straight girl drunkenly promises her lesbian best friend she won’t get married until gay marriage is legal…a promise that gets awkward when her boyfriend proposes and her friend remains a slacker years away from even thinking about marriage. (Comedy)

Little Accidents produced by Anne Carey and Mindy Goldberg, written and to be directed by Sara Colangelo. “Little Accidents explores tragedy and redemption through the intersecting lives of a young coal miner, a mourning mother and a secretive 14 year-old boy. (Drama)

Memphis produced by Alicia Van Couvering and John Baker, written and to be directed by Tim Sutton, cinematography by Chris Dapkins, editing by Caspar Newbolt. A singer descends into madness while trying to record an album that could save his soul. (Drama)

Metal Gods produced by Ryan Zacarias, Dan Carey, and Steve Holmgren, executive produced by Laura Heberton, and written and to be directed by Matt Porterfield, cinematography by Jeremy Saulnier. Two damaged teenagers form an unlikely friendship when their lives are thrown together by a sudden act of violence. (Coming of Age)

My Zulu Wedding produced by Lineo Sekeleoane, written by Julie Hall. Zoe has problems making up her mind, but when she meets Tex, she knows he’s the man to marry. Until she meets Zulu. (Romantic Comedy)

Pope produced by Jan Nathanson and Andrew Boutilier, written by Tamara Faith Berger, and to be directed by Stephanie Weber-Biron. 1979, Toronto. A radical musical artist rises from the margins to center stage, falling in love, turning queer, and gambling her hard-won stardom in the process. This is the story of a sexual outlaw who changed the landscape of 1980′s music for good. (Based on a True Story)

Poppies & Olives produced by Jessica Caldwell, written and to be directed by Deb Shoval. An Israeli-Palestinian lesbian love triangle, between a Palestinian-American dancer, a Jewish-Israeli painter, and a frustrated Israeli soldier. (Drama)

Remarkable Creatures produced by Heather Ogilvie and Mark Gooder, written by Jan Sardi. On a windswept English beach in 1810, what two women discover will challenge the way we see the world and, ultimately, test their friendship. (Drama)

Retrace Your Steps produced by Howard Gertler, Jennifer Dana, and Shana Eddy, written and to be directed by Brian Crano. A family’s wildly divergent paths converge during an unexpected crisis, as they struggle (with pathos, humor and song) to overcome old rebellions and wounds. Starring Tom Hiddleston (Drama)

Scarlet Poppy produced by Peter Bussian and Siddig Barmak, written and to be directed by Peter Bussian. A forbidden encounter between a rogue ex-CIA operative and a trapped Afghan woman doctor leads to a showdown with the poppy lord who controls her fate. (Drama)

Sensation produced and to be directed by Alison Reid, produced by Jonathan Schwartz, written by Richard Beattie. A deaf boy locked in his own world witnesses a gang massacre. The lone survivor tracks him down, looking for revenge, but finds redemption. (Thriller)

Snow in Paradise produced by Christine Alderson, written by Andrew Hulme and Martin Askew, and to be directed by Andrew Hulme. A real story of one man’s journey to control his violence through religion. (Dramatic Thriller)

Stand Clear of the Closing Doors produced by Craig Shilowich, Andrew Neel, Veronica Nickel, Dave Saltzman, executive produced by Ari Kuschnir, written by Rose Lichter Marck, and to be directed by Sam Fleischner. When an autistic boy runs away from home, spending 11 days on the subway, his mother searches for him and learns to accept his unusual condition. (Drama)

Syncopated Rhythm produced by Elif Gurbey, written by Gaye Boralioglu, and to be directed by Denis Metin. A gypsy girl and a middle-aged man meet in an Istanbul intersection and form a lustful, yet vengeful, relationship that deadlocks two destinies. (Drama)

Tell me the Truth About Love produced by Anne Beresford, executive produced by Ruth Caleb, written by Neil Bartlett, and to be directed by Margaret Williams. A story of thrilling music and illicit love. How affection, anxiety, lust, and ambition gradual combine, turning an accident into a destiny. (Based on a True Story)

The Boda Boda Thieves produced by James Tayler, written by James Tayler and Donald Mugisha, and to be directed by Donald Mugisha. Sometimes you have to lose something to find yourself. (Drama)

The Changeover produced by Angela Littlejohn, written and to be directed by Stuart McKenzie. “The Changeover” is a coming-of-age romance about a troubled suburban teenager who must destroy an ancient spirit sucking the life out of her little brother. (Supernatural Thriller)

The Harder They Fall produced by Hilary Stabb and Kim Jackson, written and to be directed by Daoud Abeid and Dahkil Hausif. An apathetic urban “tween” becomes a compassionate human being. (Family/Coming of Age)

The Last Day of Rain produced by Adam Sigel, Thoma Kikis, and Krysanne Katsoolis, written and to be directed by Noel Qualter. When a mysterious cloud arrives over a Manhattan rife with strife, everyone reacts in fear, but one street kid discovers magic worth living for. (Transmedia)

The Warmth produced by Philippa Campey, written and to be directed by Rhys Graham. Retracing his dead sister’s footsteps through Vietnam, Toby encounters love and desire for this first time, but his past refuses to let him go. (Drama)

Tok Tokkie produced by Kisha Cameron Dingle and David Horler, written and to be directed by Jenna Bass. Louis, an embittered Cape Town demon, is banished to immortality on earth. He then discovers a ghost who might hold the key to his salvation. (Supernatural Thriller)

We Are Sisyphos produced by Arash T. Riahi, executive produced by Michael Seeber and Klara Veegh, written and to be directed by Peter Brunner. An obsessed filmmaker finds his soulmate in an action movie fan suffering from Marfan syndrome. Together they make a reckless film that will tear their world apart. (Drama)

Transatlantic Partners’ Projects

25 Narrative Projects in Various Stages of Development

Bitter Pills produced by Cher Hawrysh, written by Garfield Lindsay Miller. A small town doctor begins telling his healthy patients they are dying in order to give them a new perspective on life. (Drama)

Coconut Hero produced by Fabian Maubach and Jochen Laube, written by Elena von Saucken, and to be directed by Florian Cossen. A funny young man longs for death, then for life, and falls in love with a girl who could hardly be more different from him, but whom he will never forget. (Dark Comedy)

Code of Ethics produced by Monique Peterson and written by David Baugnon. A grieving ethics professor in New Orleans becomes a freelance mob hitman who persuades his marks to commit suicide for karmic redemption. (Drama)

Fleeing Dreams produced by Pauli Pentti, written by Petri Karra, and to be directed by Petri Kotwica. Fleeing dreams is a film about the world, where the kids are growing too fast. (Drama)

For King and Country – A Love Story produced and to be directed by Zaheer Goodman-Byat. A Zulu mine worker who joins the war against Hitler finds his greatest struggle is not surviving prejudice, but the love of a rebellious young nurse. (Based on a True Story)

Hear Me Move produced by Danie Bester, Fidel Namisa, and Wandile Molebatsi, written by Fidel Namisa and Scottnes Smith, and to be directed by Scottnes Smith. “Hear Me Move” is a dance film about Muzi’s journey of self-discovery and development of his own identity in an often confusing and Americanized global culture. (Drama)

Insane produced by Guneet Monga, written and to be directed by Vasan Bala. The B-Movie Queen is scorned and she is out for revenge. Vengeance leads to love. And love leads to doom. (Drama)

Khoya produced by Karen Shaw, written and to be directed by Sami Khan. A man travels from Canada to India on a desperate search for the birth family he’s never known, and uncovers the mystery surrounding his adoption. (Drama)

Kismet produced by Alexandra Johnes, executive produced by Gill Holland, and written and to be directed by Laura Davis. A darkly comedic drama – featuring outbursts of spontaneous dancing – about a public intellectual diagnosed with terminal cancer who must reconcile with his family’s imperfect love. (Drama)

Lucky Woman produced, written, and to be directed by Ewa Pytka, executive produced by Andrzej Besztak. Lucky Woman is inspired by the true story of a woman who was a secret agent for Polish counterespionage during World War II,Polish James Bond. (Based on a True Story)

Magnificent Girl produced by Jenny Schweitzer and Brian Bell, written and to be directed by Tatia Pilieva, story by Jenny Schweitzer and Tatia Pilieva. “Magnificent Girl” is the story of an unlikely friendship between a troubled family from Harlem and a young woman from Moldova who narrowly escapes the sex trade. (Drama)

Meadowlandz produced by Jodi Redmond, written and to be directed by Moon Molson. A black teen finds his African immigrant stepfather passed out drunk in their tenement building hallway, and is pressured by his friends, throughout a tenuous night in the New Jersey ghetto and swamplands, into murdering him. (Drama)

Miss Shirley Bassey produced by Nicole Carmen-Davis and Rebekah Gilbertson, executive produced by John L. Williams, written by Tamzin Rafn, and to be directed by Marc Evans. The rites of passage tale of a woman who set out to be extraordinary and, against all the odds succeeded to become an international superstar. (Based on a True Story)

Posheen produced by Ryan Zacarias, Brooke Bernard, and Amy Mitchell-Smith, written by Zach Godshall, and to be directed by Zack Godschall. A passionate and lovesick preacher fights to maintain order in his moonshine-addicted swamp community when a couple of chimney-building con men and a boy prophet come on the scene and disrupt the status quo. (Drama)

Ramingtons: Men of Steel produced by Mark Montefiore, written by Sacha Pavlovic. After becoming injured in a suspicious stripper pole accident, a stripper must learn to expose his heart to return to his former glory. (Comedy)

Rest Home produced by Serge Noel, written and to be directed by Michael Rowe. Love is the worst type of violence. (Drama)

Sailor Girl produced by Judy Holm, written by Johanna Schneller, based on a book by Sheree-Lee Olson. Summer, 1981. 19-year-old rebel Kate McLeod signs on to a Great Lakes freighter and sails off into an unexpected world of stormy, sexy, dangerous adventure. (Drama)

Saula (Working Title) produced by Kestutis Drazdauskas, written and to be directed by Ramunas Greicius. Saula, an exile from the island of winged people, teaches her humped daughter to be strong and truthful so that she can discover wings in her hump. (Drama)

The Assignment produced by Marco Gilles, written by Igor Hertzev, and to be directed by Neil Bell. A Western journalist is kidnapped by Muslim rebels. To regain his freedom he has to make a film of their resistance. What would you do if you were him? (Drama)

The Last Crossing produced by David Cormican and Kevin DeWalt, written by Rob King. Englishmen Charles and Addington Gaunt are ordered by their tyrannical father to find their brother, who has gone missing in the wilds of the North American West. (Drama)

The Timebender produced by Chantal Lafleur and Rock Demers, written by Kim Nguyen, and to be directed by Patrice Sauvé. When a prankish 15-year-old science prodigy embarks on a trip through time, he finds that the really hard part is getting back. (Sci-Fi)

Unspoken produced by Neil Thompson, written by Paddy Fletcher, and to be directed by Neil Thompson. Haunted by questions of the past, a classics lecturer follows his beloved wife to the Greek island where they first met and finds the truth behind the deadly secrets they tried to leave behind. (Drama)

Ole Wendorff-Østergaard Experienced in large co-production and film finance experience from projects such as Antichrist by Lars von Trier (as co-producer), Ole also started Zentropa Poland and is now running the feature film division of Platige Image, which is the market leader in VFX and Animation in Poland. He will present a number of projects in development at Independent Film Week.

Susan Lewis Susan is the head of development at Alicia Keys’ production company, Passion Projects. Among other credits, She was an executive producer on Dee Rees’ award winning Pariah, associate producer on Firelight, staring Cuba Gooding Jr. and executive produced by Alicia Keys, and is currently executive producing The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete, directed by George Tillman. She will present a number of projects in development at Independent Film Week.

Spotlight on Documentaries

50 documentary features at an early financing stage (i.e. early development/production) to those nearing completion (i.e. in postproduction or at the rough cut stage).

The 78 Project directed by Alex Steyermark and produced by Alex Steyermark and Lavinia Jones Wright. A musical journey across America to record today’s musicians with authentic 1930s technology in a quest to connect with the haunting recordings of the past.

99% – The Occupy Wall Street Collaborative Film directed by Audrey Ewell, Aaron Aites, Nina Krstic, and Lucian Read; produced by Audrey Ewell, Aaron Aites, and Williams Cole. The story of the Occupy Wall Street movement is told from many perspectives, but woven into a single, resonant portrait with an unprecedented collaborative process.

After Tiller directed and produced by Martha Shane and Lana Wilson and executive produced by Abigail Disney. “After Tiller” tells the dramatic stories of the last four late-term abortion doctors in America, who risk their lives daily in the name of choice.

Against the Clock directed and written by Bent-Jorgen Perlmutt and produced by Bent-Jorgen Perlmutt and Zelmira Gainza. As Cuba lifts its 50-year ban on car racing, five street racers prepare their vintage American cars for Cuba’s first official race since the Revolution.

American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs directed by Grace Lee, produced by Grace Lee and Austin Wilkin, and executive produced by Joan Huang. Grace Lee Boggs is a 97-year-old Chinese-American philosopher and activist in Detroit whose vision of revolution may surprise you.

Approaching the Elephant directed by Amanda Wilder and produced by Jay Craven. One year in the lives of four children at a newly opened “free school,” where classes are voluntary and rules are created by democratic vote.

Art and Craft directed and produced by Sam Cullman and Jennifer Grausman. Exploring the 30-year “career” and present-day exploits of a gifted art forger, “Art and Craft” uncovers a uniquely intriguing case of deception in art history.

The Audacity of Louis Ortiz directed by Ryan Murdock and produced by Dawn Porter. What if one day you looked in the mirror and saw the most powerful man in the world? Would you have the audacity of Louis Ortiz?

BaddDDD Sonia Sanchez directed and produced by Barbara Attie and Janet Goldwater. 77-year-old poet Sonia Sanchez has raised her voice against injustice since emerging in the 1960s as part of the Black Arts Movement.

Barge directed and produced by Ben Powell. The United States’ inland waterways play a vital role in our nation’s economic growth. What can the people who live and work near the main artery tell us about how the country is changing?

Barney’s Last Year directed and written by Michael Chandler and Sheila Canavan. He doesn’t own a home. He drives a 1998 Ford Escort. Never married, he’s deeply in love. Congressman Barney Frank is retiring.

Bayou Maharajah directed and written by Lily Keber and produced by Nate Kohn and Lily Keber. “Bayou Maharajah” introduces James Booker, whom Dr. John calls “the best black, gay, one-eyed junkie piano genius New Orleans has ever created.”

The Blind Cinema Club directed by Jennifer Redfearn and produced by Jennifer Redfearn and Tim Metzger. “The Blind Cinema Club” interweaves the stories of a blind flamenco singer, actor, and baseball player who meet at the movies in Havana, Cuba.

Church Forest directed and produced by Greg Vander Veer and Peter Buntaine. “Church Forest” reveals a mystical world where priests and scientists struggle to come together, despite vastly different beliefs, to save the last forests of Ethiopia.

Do I Sound Gay? directed and written by David Thorpe, produced by Howard Gertler and Jenny Raskin, and executive produced by Dan Cogan. Determined to overcome his shame about “sounding gay,” director David Thorpe embarks on a hilarious, poignant, taboo-shattering exploration of the phenomenon of the “gay voice.”

Do You Dream in Color? directed by Abigail Fuller and Sarah Ivy Dickerson, and produced by Regina Saldivar and Ravi Subramanian. Follow the dreams and the lives of five extraordinary blind teenagers as they journey toward accomplishing their goals.

A Dream of Iron directed by Kelvin Kyung Kun Park and produced by Kyungmi Kim. “A Dream of Iron” transforms shipbuilding into a primal ritual, chronicling the journey of steel from molten slabs to the hulls of ships at Hyundai Shipyards.

The Earth Moves: the making of Einstein on the Beach directed by John Walter; produced by Lianne Halfon, Elizabeth Westrate, and Svetlana Zill. Documenting the final production of the opera “Einstein on the Beach,” this film explores the connections between physics, opera, and the human imagination.

The Faun Experimentdirected by Tamar Rogoff and Daisy Wright and produced by Tamar Rogoff. Cerebral Palsy defined the limits of Gregg Mozgala’s life until choreographer Tamar Rogoff cast him to dance the part of The Faun.

Fight Church directed by Daniel Junge and Bryan Storkel and produced by Joseph McKelheer and Eben Kostbar. “Fight Church” explores the controversial world where Christianity meets mixed martial arts. Can you love your neighbor as yourself – and then punch him in the face?

Gabe Tomorrow directed and produced by Adams Wood and Francine Cavanaugh. A young cancer survivor and his mother confront the past and a bitterly divided community as they fight to clean up a contaminated site near their home.

Ghosts of the Aral Sea directed by Lucas Smith and produced by Lucas Smith, Donna Attallah, and Mira Myrzagazieva; executive produced by Miriam Ho. Two brothers, Islambek and Nurbek, live and fish on the Aral Sea. This inland sea was the world’s fourth-largest, but now it’s nearly disappeared.

Good Ol’ Freda directed by Ryan White, produced by Kathy McCabe, and executive produced by Jeff Blitz. Freda Kelly, The Beatles’ trusted secretary and friend throughout their rise to fame, tells her inside story for the first time.

Here One Day directed and produced by Kathy Leichter. “Here One Day” documents the impact of mental illness and suicide on an American family. The personal and the universal collide.

An Honest Liar directed, written, and produced by Tyler Measom and Justin Weinstein. After a lifetime of exposing psychics, paranormalists, and faith healers as hoaxes, magician-turned-skeptic James “The Amazing” Randi is now himself embroiled in an incredible deception.

Miss Hill directed by Greg Vander Veer and produced by Vernon Scott. “Miss Hill” tells the unknown story of a courageous woman who quietly fought against insurmountable odds to solidify modern dance as a legitimate American art form.

Mississippi Messiahdirected by Dylan Nelson and Clay Haskell; produced Dylan Nelson, Lindsay Gillette, and Lauren McCauley. “Mississippi Messiah” follows civil rights icon and iconoclast James Meredith, now age 76, on a journey across Mississippi past and present.

Mosquito directed and produced by Jesse Epstein and Hannah Rosenzweig and executive produced by Mike Lerner. A trio of Hungarian astrophysicists is on a mission to stop the world’s most dangerous animal.

Music of the Hemispheres directed and written by Elisa Da Prato; produced by Elisa Da Prato, James Fideler, Zach Layton, and Greg Vander Veer. “Music of the Hemispheres,” a non-fiction science-fiction film, explores one philosopher’s controversial theory that consciousness operates within a musical structure.

The New Black directed by Yoruba Richen and produced by Yvonne Welbon, Yoruba Richen, and Angela Tucker. “The New Black” is a documentary that uncovers the complicated and often combative histories of the African-American and LGBT civil rights movements.

One Bullet Afghanistan directed by Carol Dysinger and produced by Carol Dysinger and Su Kim. One bullet, fired at random in darkness, has surprising and profound ramifications for a family, a community, a nation, and a war.

Out Run directed and produced by S. Leo Chiang and Johnny Symons. A transgender Filipina and a gay Kenyan man fight hostility and discrimination in their quest to become their countries’ first openly LGBT elected officials.

The Peacemaker directed and produced by James Demo. Padraig O’Malley works his peacemaking model: “Cultures in conflict are in the best position to help other cultures in conflict,” born from his recovery from addiction.

Pride directed and written by Mohammed Naqvi and produced by Mohammed Naqvi and Jared Ian Goldman. Exiled former Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf, despite having a flawed legacy as a dictator and being sought for arrest on murder charges, decides to return to Pakistan and run for president.

Remote Area Medical directed by Jeff Reichert and Farihah Zaman and produced by Jeff Reichert, Farihah Zaman, and Dan O’Meara. Over three days, Remote Area Medical, the pioneers of “no-cost” health care, treat nearly 2,000 patients on the infield of Bristol, Tennessee’s NASCAR speedway.

Rich Hill directed and produced by Tracy Droz Tragos and Andrew Droz Palermo. Filmed over a year, “Rich Hill” vividly captures the struggle of families isolated in a dying Missouri town – and their unexpected source of hope.

The Road to Fame directed by Hao Wu, produced by Hao Wu and Changying Liu, and executive produced by Jean Tsien. Five students at China’s top drama academy struggle with family pressure, outdated pedagogy, industry corruption, and their own insecurities in order to stage the American musical “Fame.”

Roots and Webs directed by Sara Dosa and produced by Josh Penn. Amid the frontier world of Oregon’s mushroom-hunting camps, two men of war set out for a hunt – perhaps the last of one of their lives.

The Seventh Fire directed by Jack Riccobono; produced by Jihan Robinson and Jack Riccobono; and executive produced by Joey Carey, Stefan Nowicki, and Chris Eyre. “The Seventh Fire” tells the story of two Native American gang members as they struggle to change their lives on a rural reservation in Minnesota.

Solarize This directed by Shalini Kantayya; produced by Catherine Gund, Ian Inaba, and Cedric Troadec. “Solarize This” asks the hard questions of how a clean energy economy may actually be built, using the stories of three unemployed Americans seeking to retool at a solar power jobs training program in Richmond, California.

Some Kind of Spark directed and produced by Ben Niles. “Some Kind of Spark” follows inner-city kids over a two-year, life-changing experience as they take part in Juilliard’s Music Advancement Program.

Street Fighting Man directed by Andrew James and produced by Sara Archambault and Katie Tibaldi. Three inner-city men, each a generation apart, struggle to build a future for themselves in post-industrial Detroit.

Strong Island directed by Yance Ford and produced by Yance Ford and Esther Robinson. Set in the suburbs of the black middle class, “Strong Island” chronicles the director’s investigation into her brother’s violent death twenty years ago.

Tomorrow We Disappear directed and produced by Jim Goldblum and Adam Weber. When their home is illegally sold to real-estate developers, the traditional artists of the Kathputli Colony retreat from an uncertain future into a mythic past.

Town Hall directed and produced by Sierra Pettingill and Jamila Wignot. Katy and John believe the nation is on a path to total destruction. Will their work in the Tea Party save it?

Untitled Gay Retiree Documentary directed by P.J. Raval and produced by Sara Giustini. Three gay seniors navigate the adventures, challenges, and surprises of love and life in their “golden years.”

A Whole Lott More directed, written, and executive produced by Victor Buhler; produced by Victor Buhler and Mike Lerner. Lott Industries, outside of Detroit, employs 1,200 auto workers, all with developmental disabilities. Can the company survive the collapse of the car industry?

You Ain’t Heard Nothin’ Yet: The Story of Cinema Sound directed by Midge Costin; produced by Karen Johnson, Bobette Buster, and Midge Costin. Visionary directors and sound designers reveal the secrets and magic they employ to give cinema its emotional power.

Zanta directed by Jocelyn Ford, produced by Hao Wu, and executive produced by Mikaela Beardsley. A headstrong Tibetan widow confronts her father-in-law, who refuses to school her son. She flees to Beijing with her boy and leverages a foreign journalist to outrival her in-laws.

Apply Now for IFP’s Rio Market Fellowship

IFP Staff — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 16:55:03 +0000

The IFP / Rio Market Fellowship is a week-long program which runs concurrently with the Rio International Film Festival in October 2012. Conceived to boost international co-productions and encourage production in Latin America, the fellowship with LATC will be offering many formal and informal networking opportunities specific to our IFP delegation to assist U.S. producers in finding partners for their projects and expanding their international contacts.

IFP will select up to three American independent producers to participate in their Rio Market; Open to emerging and established feature producers and filmmakers, the Fellowship will cover the cost of full program registration fees and 4 nights hotel accommodations for the selected participants (airfare not included).

Applicants should have at least one feature-film producing credit and be a current IFP member. Applicants should clearly state why they are interested in participating by citing either a history of Latin American co-production experience OR current projects in their slate that require Latin American and/or Spanish Language co-production partners. Documentary and Narrative producers are welcome.

If you – or someone you know – is interested in consideration for the program should apply with a one-page letter of interest describing the project(s) that would be presented and a resume to Amy Dotson, Deputy Director, IFP, at� adotson@ifp.org by Tuesday, August 14th.