As awards season finally comes to a close and spring arrives in full swing, today we’re excited to celebrate and welcome our newest cohort of six incredible Fellows into the 2024 Film Independent Amplifier Fellowship, supported by founding sponsor Netflix and its Fund for Creative Equity. Now in its third year, the program provides direct support to emerging and mid-career Black or African American filmmakers.
Over the course of the twelve-month program, Amplifier Fellows will receive bespoke support to propel their careers and a selected project forward both creatively and strategically, as well as customized mentorship pairings including a Netflix executive as an industry advisor and also a board member from Film Independent.
Each Fellow will also receive professional coaching in partnership with Renee Freedman & Co, and financial and coaching in partnership with The Jill James. Each Fellow will also receive a $30,000 unrestricted grant (!) to provide sustainability and/or support their creative endeavors.
Over the course of the twelve-month program, Amplifier Fellows will receive bespoke support to propel their careers and a selected project forward both creatively and strategically, as well as customized mentorship pairings including a Netflix executive as an industry advisor and also a board member from Film Independent.
Each Fellow will also receive professional coaching in partnership with Renee Freedman & Co, and financial and coaching in partnership with The Jill James. Each Fellow will also receive a $30,000 unrestricted grant (!) to provide sustainability and/or support their creative endeavors.
- 3/13/2024
- by Film Independent
- Film Independent News & More
Exclusive: Film Independent has named the Fellows and projects selected for the 2024 edition of its Amplifier Fellowship, a program that provides direct support to emerging and mid-career Black or African American filmmakers. They are Zandashé Brown (The Matriarch), Moira Griffin (The Prince of 7th Ave: The Legend of WilliWear/Willi Smith), Crystal Kayiza (The Gardeners), Mobolaji Olambiwonnu (Chosen Fathers), Avril Speaks (Pure), and Monique Walton (Anita).
Over the course of the year-long program, supported by Netflix and its Fund for Creative Equity, Fellows will receive bespoke support to further both their career and current projects as well as customized mentorship pairings with a Netflix executive and board member from Film Independent. Each will also receive professional coaching in partnership with Renee Freedman & Co, financial and business advisement in partnership with The Jill James, and a $30,000 unrestricted grant, intended to support the sustainability of their creative endeavors.
“The Amplifier Fellowship provides...
Over the course of the year-long program, supported by Netflix and its Fund for Creative Equity, Fellows will receive bespoke support to further both their career and current projects as well as customized mentorship pairings with a Netflix executive and board member from Film Independent. Each will also receive professional coaching in partnership with Renee Freedman & Co, financial and business advisement in partnership with The Jill James, and a $30,000 unrestricted grant, intended to support the sustainability of their creative endeavors.
“The Amplifier Fellowship provides...
- 3/13/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
To celebrate the end of another great year in independent film, Film Independent is re-posting some of our favorite blogs of 2023. And here’s a reminder: there’s still time to make a tax-deductible donation to Film Independent in support of all the hard work our community does year-round. Not a Member yet? Become one by January 5 to watch the nominees for the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards and vote for the winners. Happy New Year!
If you watched our livestream of the Film Independent Spirit Awards on March 4, then you very well know that this year’s ceremony was about way more than just making fun of the 2008 Will Ferrell vehicle Semi-Pro. The 2023 awards show kicked off a year-long celebration of the 30th anniversary of our Artist Development efforts – known on these streets as #AD30. That’s right, ever since Project Involve debuted in 1993, Film Independent Artist Development has been...
If you watched our livestream of the Film Independent Spirit Awards on March 4, then you very well know that this year’s ceremony was about way more than just making fun of the 2008 Will Ferrell vehicle Semi-Pro. The 2023 awards show kicked off a year-long celebration of the 30th anniversary of our Artist Development efforts – known on these streets as #AD30. That’s right, ever since Project Involve debuted in 1993, Film Independent Artist Development has been...
- 12/29/2023
- by Matt Warren
- Film Independent News & More
Film Independent and FX have come together to support Latino creators in television.
In collaboration with the National Association of Latino Independent Producers, the entities have teamed to launch the Imaginar TV Incubator for Fearless Latinx Creators. Over two weeks, six said creators will participate in workshops and direct meetings with industry leaders to help develop their drama pilots, starting with a three-day intensive that will include honing their pitching skills and learning about FX’s development process.
At the end of three days, the creators will pitch their pilots to FX, then spend the rest of their 11 days or so meeting individually with creative advisors and execs to create a second original drama idea that will be pitched to the network on the last day of the incubator program. Each participant will receive a $3,000 grant as well as travel grants as necessary.
“Earlier this year, we launched the groundbreaking...
In collaboration with the National Association of Latino Independent Producers, the entities have teamed to launch the Imaginar TV Incubator for Fearless Latinx Creators. Over two weeks, six said creators will participate in workshops and direct meetings with industry leaders to help develop their drama pilots, starting with a three-day intensive that will include honing their pitching skills and learning about FX’s development process.
At the end of three days, the creators will pitch their pilots to FX, then spend the rest of their 11 days or so meeting individually with creative advisors and execs to create a second original drama idea that will be pitched to the network on the last day of the incubator program. Each participant will receive a $3,000 grant as well as travel grants as necessary.
“Earlier this year, we launched the groundbreaking...
- 12/14/2023
- by Rebecca Sun
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Even amid the concurrent strikes of the past year, there’s been a lot of bonus hand-wringing over the state of the independent producer. Producers, after all, have no SAG or WGA equivalent. Where then does the workaday, blue-collar movie producer find community support? Or work with peers to advance their collective interests?
Well… linking up with a good Artist Development cohort is a great place to star. Which is why we’re thrilled to announce seven new Fellows representing six new projects to kick off the 2023 edition (and 23rd overall!) of the Film Independent Producing Lab.
“We’re delighted to shepherd this group of devoted creative producers through the Lab and give them a dedicated space to further their projects and careers,” says Dea Vazquez, Film Independent’s Associate Director of Fiction Programs.
“We’re thrilled to have feature films in both development and post-production, to support producers at...
Well… linking up with a good Artist Development cohort is a great place to star. Which is why we’re thrilled to announce seven new Fellows representing six new projects to kick off the 2023 edition (and 23rd overall!) of the Film Independent Producing Lab.
“We’re delighted to shepherd this group of devoted creative producers through the Lab and give them a dedicated space to further their projects and careers,” says Dea Vazquez, Film Independent’s Associate Director of Fiction Programs.
“We’re thrilled to have feature films in both development and post-production, to support producers at...
- 10/11/2023
- by Film Independent
- Film Independent News & More
Exclusive: Film Independent, the nonprofit arts organization that produces the Spirit Awards, announced the 2023 Film Independent Forum, the preeminent conference for independent filmmakers and content creators.
This year’s edition of the annual event, beginning on Friday, September 29, 2023 at the Directors Guild of America Theatre in Los Angeles, will be held entirely in-person for the first time since 2019. The Forum will kick off with a screening of Billy Luther’s Frybread Face and Me, the new feature film from executive producer Taika Waititi, followed by a Q&a with writer/director and Film Independent Fellow Luther and a Filmmaker Keynote by writer/director and Film Independent Fellow Justin Simien the next day. The full program will take place over the course of two days, September 29–30, 2023, during which the inaugural Changemaker Award will be presented to three outstanding Film Independent Fellows: Smriti Mundhra...
This year’s edition of the annual event, beginning on Friday, September 29, 2023 at the Directors Guild of America Theatre in Los Angeles, will be held entirely in-person for the first time since 2019. The Forum will kick off with a screening of Billy Luther’s Frybread Face and Me, the new feature film from executive producer Taika Waititi, followed by a Q&a with writer/director and Film Independent Fellow Luther and a Filmmaker Keynote by writer/director and Film Independent Fellow Justin Simien the next day. The full program will take place over the course of two days, September 29–30, 2023, during which the inaugural Changemaker Award will be presented to three outstanding Film Independent Fellows: Smriti Mundhra...
- 8/18/2023
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
When in the midst of an unfocused crowd struggling to be heard, it helps to have a bullhorn. That’s the idea behind amplification, right? A little extra help to shape and project your voice over an increasingly cacophonous din? And though it’s something philosophers may debate, our general feeling is that you just don’t hand a bullhorn to just anyone. And we have 30 years’ worth of Film Independent Artist Development success stories to support our assertion—including this year’s six new Amplifier Fellows.
Supported by Founding Sponsor Netflix, the second annual Amplifier Fellowship is a nine-month program designed to propel a marquee project from each Fellow forward both creatively and strategically, as well as provide Fellows with a customized mentorship pairings with both a Netflix Executive Industry Advisor as well as a Film Independent Board Member.
“This year’s Amplifier Fellows bring an incredible passion to...
Supported by Founding Sponsor Netflix, the second annual Amplifier Fellowship is a nine-month program designed to propel a marquee project from each Fellow forward both creatively and strategically, as well as provide Fellows with a customized mentorship pairings with both a Netflix Executive Industry Advisor as well as a Film Independent Board Member.
“This year’s Amplifier Fellows bring an incredible passion to...
- 3/28/2023
- by Film Independent
- Film Independent News & More
Exclusive: Film Independent announced today the six Fellows and their projects selected for its Amplifier Fellowship. The 2023 Film Independent Amplifier Fellowship is supported by Founding Sponsor Netflix’s Fund for Creative Equity, a dedicated effort to help build new opportunities for underrepresented communities within entertainment.
Over the course of the nine-month program, the Amplifier Fellows will receive creative support to propel a selected project forward, both creatively and strategically, as well as customized mentorship pairings, including with a Netflix executive as an industry advisor and a board member from Film Independent. Each Fellow will also receive professional coaching in partnership with Renee Freedman & Co, and financial and business advisement and coaching in partnership with The Jill James. Each Fellow will receive a $30,000 unrestricted grant to provide sustainability and/or support their creative endeavors.
“The Amplifier Fellowship supports Black artists on the verge of career breakthrough with a bespoke program that includes impactful granting,...
Over the course of the nine-month program, the Amplifier Fellows will receive creative support to propel a selected project forward, both creatively and strategically, as well as customized mentorship pairings, including with a Netflix executive as an industry advisor and a board member from Film Independent. Each Fellow will also receive professional coaching in partnership with Renee Freedman & Co, and financial and business advisement and coaching in partnership with The Jill James. Each Fellow will receive a $30,000 unrestricted grant to provide sustainability and/or support their creative endeavors.
“The Amplifier Fellowship supports Black artists on the verge of career breakthrough with a bespoke program that includes impactful granting,...
- 3/28/2023
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
Film Independent has unveiled the three filmmakers who will participate in its inaugural Imaginar Producers Residency, first announced in November.
“The Imaginar Producers Residency is an innovative and holistic program that provides Latinx producers tailored support with the goal to help achieve long-term sustainability,” Film Independent director of artist development Angela C. Lee said in a statement. “We couldn’t be more thrilled to launch this program with these three immensely talented artists.”
The program, made possible by Disney and its subsidiary Searchlight Pictures and in collaboration with the National Association of Latino Independent Producers, will provide each fellow with a $50,000 unrestricted grant, professional coaching from Renee Freedman & Co. and financial and business coaching from The Jill James, as well as support from Disney and Searchlight executives on how to make the leap from independent producing to packaging projects for studios.
“Our goal with this initiative is to build community...
“The Imaginar Producers Residency is an innovative and holistic program that provides Latinx producers tailored support with the goal to help achieve long-term sustainability,” Film Independent director of artist development Angela C. Lee said in a statement. “We couldn’t be more thrilled to launch this program with these three immensely talented artists.”
The program, made possible by Disney and its subsidiary Searchlight Pictures and in collaboration with the National Association of Latino Independent Producers, will provide each fellow with a $50,000 unrestricted grant, professional coaching from Renee Freedman & Co. and financial and business coaching from The Jill James, as well as support from Disney and Searchlight executives on how to make the leap from independent producing to packaging projects for studios.
“Our goal with this initiative is to build community...
- 3/21/2023
- by Rebecca Sun
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: Film Independent has set Lexi Tannenholtz (Booger), Robert Colom (Mountains), Aya Hamdan (Out of Water), Shao Min Chew Chia (The Plutonians), Sabrina Stoll (Tiny Birds with Broken Brains) and Pin-Chun Liu (Wonderland) as the participants and projects for its annual Producing Lab, now in its 22nd year.
Film Independent’s Producing Lab is an intensive that looks to help creative, independent producers develop their skills and further their careers by introducing them to professionals who can advise them on both the craft and business of independent producing. This year’s roster of creative advisors and guest speakers includes Carly Hugo, Sarah Kim, Amy Lo, Amanda Marshall, Lena Vurma, Mollye Asher, Liz Cardenas, Dr. Nicole Friedman, Christine Hsu, Lauren Mann, Diego Najera, Ross Putman, Lizzie Shapiro, Anita Surendran, Sheila Hanahan Taylor and Elliott Whitton.
Related Story Stowe Story Labs Sets 2022 Launch Fellows; Filmmakers Receive Creative Development Funds And Mentorship Related...
Film Independent’s Producing Lab is an intensive that looks to help creative, independent producers develop their skills and further their careers by introducing them to professionals who can advise them on both the craft and business of independent producing. This year’s roster of creative advisors and guest speakers includes Carly Hugo, Sarah Kim, Amy Lo, Amanda Marshall, Lena Vurma, Mollye Asher, Liz Cardenas, Dr. Nicole Friedman, Christine Hsu, Lauren Mann, Diego Najera, Ross Putman, Lizzie Shapiro, Anita Surendran, Sheila Hanahan Taylor and Elliott Whitton.
Related Story Stowe Story Labs Sets 2022 Launch Fellows; Filmmakers Receive Creative Development Funds And Mentorship Related...
- 10/28/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: The Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment and Janet Yang Productions announced the four winners of the inaugural Julia S. Gouw Short Film Challenge, which awards a 15,000 production grant to four Aapi women or non-binary filmmakers.
Selected from a pool of over 400 applicants, four grantees will be offered networking opportunities with Emmy and Golden Globe-winning producer Janet Yang and the Cape network, as well as the chance to submit films to potential buyers and platforms.
Julia S. Gouw, a former member of the board of directors of East West Bancorp, Inc. and East West Bank, helped fund the Short Film Challenge to uplift Aapi and non-binary filmmakers.
“There was no better team than Janet [Yang] and the all-women-led team at Cape to fulfill my vision to create more representation in the Aapi community,” Gouw said. “I hope this Film Challenge will provide more opportunities, particularly for Aapi women and non-binary filmmakers,...
Selected from a pool of over 400 applicants, four grantees will be offered networking opportunities with Emmy and Golden Globe-winning producer Janet Yang and the Cape network, as well as the chance to submit films to potential buyers and platforms.
Julia S. Gouw, a former member of the board of directors of East West Bancorp, Inc. and East West Bank, helped fund the Short Film Challenge to uplift Aapi and non-binary filmmakers.
“There was no better team than Janet [Yang] and the all-women-led team at Cape to fulfill my vision to create more representation in the Aapi community,” Gouw said. “I hope this Film Challenge will provide more opportunities, particularly for Aapi women and non-binary filmmakers,...
- 5/27/2022
- by Brandon Choe
- Deadline Film + TV
Film Independent has set Lanre Olabisi (A Storybook Ending), Sari Arambulo (Family Style), Sanford Jenkins (Joy and Pain), Rob Connolly (Lavender Country), Elise H. Greven (Silent Spring) and Phumi Morare (There is Salt in the Water) as the participants and projects for its 2022 Screenwriting Lab/
All of of this year’s participants are from communities underrepresented in film and half the participants are women. Over the course of the intensive program, they will workshop their feature projects under the guidance of creative advisors Javier Fuentes-León, Pamela Ribon, Ellen Shanman, Robin Swicord, and Christopher Makoto Yogi. Additional guest speakers and advisors will include Ruth Atkinson, Alex Camilleri, Angela Cheng Caplan, Kd Davila, Matthew Dy, Greta Fuentes, Sam Intili, Amanda Marshall, Alex Moratto, Sheila Hanahan Taylor and Elliott Whitton.
Film Independent also announced today that the inaugural Hyde Park Entertainment & Warner Music Group Screenwriting Fellowship is being awarded to Arambulo, who will...
All of of this year’s participants are from communities underrepresented in film and half the participants are women. Over the course of the intensive program, they will workshop their feature projects under the guidance of creative advisors Javier Fuentes-León, Pamela Ribon, Ellen Shanman, Robin Swicord, and Christopher Makoto Yogi. Additional guest speakers and advisors will include Ruth Atkinson, Alex Camilleri, Angela Cheng Caplan, Kd Davila, Matthew Dy, Greta Fuentes, Sam Intili, Amanda Marshall, Alex Moratto, Sheila Hanahan Taylor and Elliott Whitton.
Film Independent also announced today that the inaugural Hyde Park Entertainment & Warner Music Group Screenwriting Fellowship is being awarded to Arambulo, who will...
- 3/18/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: The Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment and Janet Yang Productions today announced that they’re partnering for a new Short Film Challenge, which will provide production grants of $15,000 to four Aapi women or non-binary filmmakers.
Those looking to take part in the inaugural challenge supported by Julia S. Gouw must identify as an Aapi woman or non-binary person, and submit a narrative live-action or animated short film script featuring an Aapi woman or non-binary protagonist.
The four grantees chosen will be offered networking opportunities with Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning producer Janet Yang and the Cape network, as well as the chance to submit films to potential buyers and platforms, with access to industry professionals including agents, managers, producers and studio executives.
Creatives serving as ambassadors for the challenge include actor-producer Gemma Chan, EP-actor Kelly Marie Tran and actor Richa Moorjani (Never Have I Ever). Tran will also serve on its jury, alongside The Walt Disney Company’s Karen Chau, PictureStart’s Samie Kim Falvey, Miramax’s Munika Lay, Film Independent’s Angela C. Lee, the Sundance Institute’s Ianeta Le’i, screenwriter Adele Lim, Searchlight Pictures’ DanTram Nguyen, Sri & Company’s Mirsada Abdool Raman, Gettin’ Rad Productions’ Naomi Scott, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Niti Shah.
“With the welcome increase in representation for both Aapi’s and women in general, the Aapi woman ironically is still an anomaly both in front of and behind the camera, or in any positions of power for that matter,” said Yang. “This is both a cause and effect of public perceptions that we aim to shift through powerful storytelling.”
“According to a recent USC Annenberg study with Professor Nancy Wang Yuen, of the top 1,300 films from 2007-2019, only 3 out of 1,447 directors were Api women (0.2%). That is abysmal and must change,” added Cape Executive Director Michelle K. Sugihara. “By awarding funds to make their films, this Challenge eliminates (or at least mitigates) one of the major threshold barriers Api women and non-binary filmmakers face.”
Submissions for the Julia S. Gouw Short Film Challenge are open now through January 26. More information on the submission process can be found here.
Those looking to take part in the inaugural challenge supported by Julia S. Gouw must identify as an Aapi woman or non-binary person, and submit a narrative live-action or animated short film script featuring an Aapi woman or non-binary protagonist.
The four grantees chosen will be offered networking opportunities with Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning producer Janet Yang and the Cape network, as well as the chance to submit films to potential buyers and platforms, with access to industry professionals including agents, managers, producers and studio executives.
Creatives serving as ambassadors for the challenge include actor-producer Gemma Chan, EP-actor Kelly Marie Tran and actor Richa Moorjani (Never Have I Ever). Tran will also serve on its jury, alongside The Walt Disney Company’s Karen Chau, PictureStart’s Samie Kim Falvey, Miramax’s Munika Lay, Film Independent’s Angela C. Lee, the Sundance Institute’s Ianeta Le’i, screenwriter Adele Lim, Searchlight Pictures’ DanTram Nguyen, Sri & Company’s Mirsada Abdool Raman, Gettin’ Rad Productions’ Naomi Scott, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Niti Shah.
“With the welcome increase in representation for both Aapi’s and women in general, the Aapi woman ironically is still an anomaly both in front of and behind the camera, or in any positions of power for that matter,” said Yang. “This is both a cause and effect of public perceptions that we aim to shift through powerful storytelling.”
“According to a recent USC Annenberg study with Professor Nancy Wang Yuen, of the top 1,300 films from 2007-2019, only 3 out of 1,447 directors were Api women (0.2%). That is abysmal and must change,” added Cape Executive Director Michelle K. Sugihara. “By awarding funds to make their films, this Challenge eliminates (or at least mitigates) one of the major threshold barriers Api women and non-binary filmmakers face.”
Submissions for the Julia S. Gouw Short Film Challenge are open now through January 26. More information on the submission process can be found here.
- 12/16/2021
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Producers of the Spirit Awards, and non-profit arts organization, Film Independent, announced the five filmmakers and projects selected for their 21st annual producing Lab. The fellows will participate in a program set up to help develop their skills and further their careers by pairing them with a creative advisor who will advise on both the craft and business of independent producing.
The 2021 Producing Lab is supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. The Sloan Producers Grant, a $30,000 grant to further develop a project that explores science and technology themes or characters in engaging and innovative ways, was awarded to Cecilia Otero with her project, Upstreamers. Additional support comes from the National Endowment for the Arts.
“We are thrilled to support this year’s talented cohort of Producers who are championing global stories that speak to the universal human experiences of ambition, redemption and connection.” said Angela C. Lee, Associate Director of Artist Development.
The 2021 Producing Lab is supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. The Sloan Producers Grant, a $30,000 grant to further develop a project that explores science and technology themes or characters in engaging and innovative ways, was awarded to Cecilia Otero with her project, Upstreamers. Additional support comes from the National Endowment for the Arts.
“We are thrilled to support this year’s talented cohort of Producers who are championing global stories that speak to the universal human experiences of ambition, redemption and connection.” said Angela C. Lee, Associate Director of Artist Development.
- 10/22/2021
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
Film Independent has selected six women from underrepresented communities for its fifth annual Episodic Lab, also naming the recipient of this year’s grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.
The writers selected, who will hone their original pilots during their time in the Lab, are Carmen Brie, Marissa Díaz, Razan Ghalayini, Steph Ouaknine, Lisa Sanaye Dring and Anna Vecellio.
Vecellio is also the recipient of the $10,000 Alfred P. Sloan Episodic Grant, and will use these funds to support the development of her pilot, Mary Mallon, uncovering the true story of the Irish-born cook otherwise known as Typhoid Mary.
This year’s Episodic Lab will be a two-week virtual program helping to further the careers of its Fellows by introducing them to industry veterans, including showrunners, creative producers and executives, who can offer guidance on both the craft and business of writing episodic content. A final networking and pitch event...
The writers selected, who will hone their original pilots during their time in the Lab, are Carmen Brie, Marissa Díaz, Razan Ghalayini, Steph Ouaknine, Lisa Sanaye Dring and Anna Vecellio.
Vecellio is also the recipient of the $10,000 Alfred P. Sloan Episodic Grant, and will use these funds to support the development of her pilot, Mary Mallon, uncovering the true story of the Irish-born cook otherwise known as Typhoid Mary.
This year’s Episodic Lab will be a two-week virtual program helping to further the careers of its Fellows by introducing them to industry veterans, including showrunners, creative producers and executives, who can offer guidance on both the craft and business of writing episodic content. A final networking and pitch event...
- 8/26/2021
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Creative advisors include Andrew Ahn, Derek Cianfrance, Javier Fuentes Leon, Ellen Shanman.
Film Independent on Wednesday (May 5) announced the five screenwriters selected for the 23rd annual Screenwriting Lab, with four coming from underrepresented communities and half being women.
Iesh Thapar with Alien Kulture; Jing Ai Ng (Forge); Anna Greenfield (h.g.o.p.), Alfonso Johnson (The Legend of) Man-Child Kenny); and Rochée Jeffrey (Not Your Average Queen) will take part in the programme designed to provide story and career development for emerging screenwriters with fiction feature screenplays.
Film Independent is also presenting the Loyola Marymount University School of Film and...
Film Independent on Wednesday (May 5) announced the five screenwriters selected for the 23rd annual Screenwriting Lab, with four coming from underrepresented communities and half being women.
Iesh Thapar with Alien Kulture; Jing Ai Ng (Forge); Anna Greenfield (h.g.o.p.), Alfonso Johnson (The Legend of) Man-Child Kenny); and Rochée Jeffrey (Not Your Average Queen) will take part in the programme designed to provide story and career development for emerging screenwriters with fiction feature screenplays.
Film Independent is also presenting the Loyola Marymount University School of Film and...
- 5/5/2021
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Creative advisors include Andrew Ahn, Derek Cianfrance, Javier Fuentes Leon, Ellen Shanman.
Film Independent on Wednesday (May 5) announced the five screenwriters selected for the 23rd annual Screenwriting Lab, with four coming from underrepresented communities and half being women.
Iesh Thapar with Alien Kulture; Jing Ai Ng (Forge); Anna Greenfield (h.g.o.p.), Alfonso Johnson (The Legend of) Man-Child Kenny); and Rochée Jeffrey (Not Your Average Queen) will take part in the programme designed to provide story and career development for emerging screenwriters with fiction feature screenplays.
Film Independent is also presenting the Loyola Marymount University School of Film and...
Film Independent on Wednesday (May 5) announced the five screenwriters selected for the 23rd annual Screenwriting Lab, with four coming from underrepresented communities and half being women.
Iesh Thapar with Alien Kulture; Jing Ai Ng (Forge); Anna Greenfield (h.g.o.p.), Alfonso Johnson (The Legend of) Man-Child Kenny); and Rochée Jeffrey (Not Your Average Queen) will take part in the programme designed to provide story and career development for emerging screenwriters with fiction feature screenplays.
Film Independent is also presenting the Loyola Marymount University School of Film and...
- 5/5/2021
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Film Independent has announced the seven producers who been chosen for its 19th annual Producing Lab. The fellows will participate in a program set up to help develop their skills and further their careers by pairing them with film professionals who can advise on both the craft and business of independent producing.
Among the 2019 participants are include Camila Zavala, who also won the $30,000 Sloan Producers Grant to further develop her film, Malpelo, and Lebanese filmmaker Myriam Sassine, who is the recipient of the Global Media Makers Fellowship, an exchange program sponsored through a partnership between Film Independent, the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational, and Cultural Affairs.
This year’s industry advisors include Lauren Craniotes (Gersh), Greta Fuentes (MacRo), Lauren Mann (Swiss Army Man), Valerie Stadler (Big Swing Productions) and Solome Williams (Bron Studios). In addition, mentors and guest speakers in the program include Rebecca Green (It...
Among the 2019 participants are include Camila Zavala, who also won the $30,000 Sloan Producers Grant to further develop her film, Malpelo, and Lebanese filmmaker Myriam Sassine, who is the recipient of the Global Media Makers Fellowship, an exchange program sponsored through a partnership between Film Independent, the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational, and Cultural Affairs.
This year’s industry advisors include Lauren Craniotes (Gersh), Greta Fuentes (MacRo), Lauren Mann (Swiss Army Man), Valerie Stadler (Big Swing Productions) and Solome Williams (Bron Studios). In addition, mentors and guest speakers in the program include Rebecca Green (It...
- 10/15/2019
- by Amanda N'Duka
- Deadline Film + TV
Film Independent has announced the producers selected for its 16th annual Producing Lab. Participating with a project they’re in the process of producing, the four-week program is designed to help the filmmakers develop their skills as independent producers.
Seven projects and a total of nine producers will participate, and through the Lab will develop a strategy and action plan to bring their project to life, as well as meet professionals who can advise them on their craft and the business of independent producing.
Read More: San Francisco Film Society Announces Fall 2016 Narrative Filmmaking Grant Finalists
This year’s Creative Advisors are Karin Chien (“Circumstance”), Heather Rae (“Tallulah”) and Daniel Wagner (“Miles Ahead”). Guest speakers include Charles Howard, Tri-Star Pictures President Hannah Minghella CAA Agents Maren Olson and Tristen Tuckfield, and Jason Berman (“The Birth of a Nation,” “Mediterranea”).
“We are thrilled to welcome this dynamic group of producers to the Lab.
Seven projects and a total of nine producers will participate, and through the Lab will develop a strategy and action plan to bring their project to life, as well as meet professionals who can advise them on their craft and the business of independent producing.
Read More: San Francisco Film Society Announces Fall 2016 Narrative Filmmaking Grant Finalists
This year’s Creative Advisors are Karin Chien (“Circumstance”), Heather Rae (“Tallulah”) and Daniel Wagner (“Miles Ahead”). Guest speakers include Charles Howard, Tri-Star Pictures President Hannah Minghella CAA Agents Maren Olson and Tristen Tuckfield, and Jason Berman (“The Birth of a Nation,” “Mediterranea”).
“We are thrilled to welcome this dynamic group of producers to the Lab.
- 10/25/2016
- by Liz Calvario
- Indiewire
Film Independent, the nonprofit arts organization that produces the Film Independent Spirit Awards, the La Film Festival and Film Independent at Lacma, announced nominations for the 2016 Spirit Awards this morning. Film Independent President Josh Welsh presided over the press conference held at W Hollywood, with actors John Boyega and Elizabeth Olsen presenting the nominations.
Nominees for Best Feature included Anomalisa, Beasts of No Nation, Carol, Spotlight and Tangerine.
“This year’s nominees are a testament to the strength, vitality and diversity of independent, artist-driven filmmaking,” said Film Independent President Josh Welsh. “It’s an astonishingly strong group of films and performances this year and we look forward to celebrating them all at the Spirit Awards.”
Spotlight was selected to receive the Robert Altman Award, which is bestowed upon one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast. The Altman Award was created in 2008 in honor of legendary director Robert Altman...
Nominees for Best Feature included Anomalisa, Beasts of No Nation, Carol, Spotlight and Tangerine.
“This year’s nominees are a testament to the strength, vitality and diversity of independent, artist-driven filmmaking,” said Film Independent President Josh Welsh. “It’s an astonishingly strong group of films and performances this year and we look forward to celebrating them all at the Spirit Awards.”
Spotlight was selected to receive the Robert Altman Award, which is bestowed upon one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast. The Altman Award was created in 2008 in honor of legendary director Robert Altman...
- 11/24/2015
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
The premiere post-tiff destination (September 20-25th) in the film community and a major leg up for narrative and non-fiction films in development, the Independent Filmmaker Project (Ifp) announced a whopping 140 projects selected for the Project Forum at the upcoming Ifp Independent Film Week. Made up of several sections (Rbc’s Emerging Storytellers program, No Borders International Co-Production Market and Spotlight on Documentaries), we find latest updates from the likes of docu-helmers Doug Block (112 Weddings) and Lana Wilson (After Tiller), and among the narrative items we find headliners in Andrew Haigh (coming off the well received 45 Years), Sophie Barthes (Cold Souls and Madame Bovary), Terence Nance (An Oversimplification of Her Beauty), Lawrence Michael Levine (Wild Canaries), Jorge Michel Grau (We Are What We Are), Eleanor Burke and Ron Eyal (Stranger Things) and new faces in Sundance’s large family in Charles Poekel (Christmas, Again) and Olivia Newman (First Match). Here...
- 7/22/2015
- by admin
- IONCINEMA.com
Sundance Institute has announced the participants for its weeklong Creative Film Producing Initiative at the Sundance Resort in Utah, July 27 – August 3, including nine feature film and documentary projects for the Creative Producing Labs and more than 50 industry leaders for the Creative Producing Summit.
The Institute’s Creative Producing Initiative encompasses a year-round series of Labs, Fellowships, granting and events focusing on nurturing the next generation of independent producers and renewing the community of veteran producers who sustain the vibrancy and vitality of independent film.
The Feature Film Creative Producing Lab (July 27 – July 31) identifies emerging producers and, under the guidance of Creative Advisors, allows them to develop their creative instincts and evolve their communicating and problem-solving skills at all stages of their feature film project. This year’s Creative Advisors include producers Lindsay Doran ("Sense and Sensibility"), Lynette Howell Taylor (The Place Beyond the Pines), Gina Kwon ("Me You and Everyone We Know"), Paul Mezey ("Beasts of the Southern Wild"), Jay Van Hoy (
"Beginners" ) and director Matthew Ross ("28 Hotel Rooms" ).
The Documentary Film Creative Producing Lab (July 27 – August 1) brings together documentarians with award-winning Advisors to focus on their current projects to explore the wide range of creative approaches to distribution, outreach and impact strategies. This year’s Creative Advisors include producers Julie Goldman ( "Best of Enemies"), Bonni Cohen ("3 1/2 Minutes," "10 Bullets"), Ryan Werner (Cinetic), Maxyne Franklin (Britdoc), and Wendy Cohen (Picture Motion).
The Creative Producing Summit takes place immediately following the Labs, July 31 – August 3. More than 50 industry leaders will participate in a series of curated panels, case studies, roundtables, and one-on-one meetings addressing critical issues producers face including financing, distribution, audience engagement, marketing and sustainability. Panelists this year include Len Amato (HBO Films),
Michael Barker (Sony Pictures Classics), Dori Begley (Magnolia Pictures), Josh Braun (Submarine), Dan Cogan (Impact Partners), Victoria S. Cook (Frankfurt Kurnit), Danielle Di Giacomo (The Orchard), Fred Dust (Ideo), Ted Hope (Amazon), Micah Green (CAA), John Hoffman (Discovery Channel), Marcus Hu (Strand Releasing), Charles King (MacRo), Jessica Lacy (ICM Partners), Stephanie Langhoff (Duplass Brothers), David Magdael (Tcdm Associates), Victor Moyers (Broad Green), Annie Roney (ro*co Films), John Sloss (Cinetic Media), Graham Taylor (William Morris Endeavor), and Jay Van Hoy (Parts & Labor).
The Fellows and projects selected for the 2015 Feature Film Creative Producing Lab are:
"50 Miles From Boomtown"
Producing Fellow: Alex Scharfman
After years of saving for her hard-earned dream, the only woman working on the fracking fields of North Dakota can finally quit but unexpectedly finds herself falling in love with the young man she's training to take her place. (writer/director Flo Linus Baumann).
Alex Scharfman is a New York-based producer whose past feature credits include "The Heart Machine" and "Lyle," as well as the short film "Superior," which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2015, and the WGA Award-nominated webseries "F to 7th." He is an executive at Parts & Labor Films where he worked on films including "Keep The Lights On" and "Loitering with Intent." He has also produced content for Vice, Google, the Ford Foundation, and At&T. Alex received his BA from Cornell University, is a former Mfa candidate from Nyu’s Tisch School of the Arts, and received his Mba from Nyu’s Stern School of Business.
"Bexar County"
Mark Silverman Honorees and Producing Fellows: Blake Pickens and Stephen Love Jr.
In sunny San Antonio, Texas, where nothing ever changes, a town is turned on its head when a delusional Texas housewife accidentally poisons her son’s fiancée, learning that killing people is an efficient way to solve her problems. (Co-writer/director Catherine Grieve, co-writer Dylan Slocum)
Blake Pickens is from the south side of Oklahoma City, from a neighborhood known as the Flats. Despite the community’s rampant drug use and gang wars, Blake found his way into storytelling with a writing position at National Lampoon. He later attended the Peter Stark Producing Program at USC where he and his producing partner, Stephen Love Jr., formed their company Bs Pictures. They are currently in pre-production on the Steven Caple Jr.’s film The Land and in development on "The Friendship Nine" with producer Nina Yang Bongiovi. Blake’s aspirations are to tell the stories that make people laugh, cry, and ultimately impact their lives.
Stephen Love Jr. grew up in the rural towns of Filbert and Bennettsville, South Carolina. During his time as a business major at Morehouse College, Love founded the Morehouse Filmmakers' Association, for which Spike Lee is the honorary advisor. He also received his Mfa from USC’s Peter Stark Producing Program and formed Bs Pictures with fellow graduate Blake Pickens. Love’s primary career goal is to produce film and television that gives "a voice to the voiceless" while challenging the confines of the business of filmmaking.
"Dolores"
Producing Fellow: Drew Houpt
A restless teenager becomes obsessed with a mysterious Colombian woman who exploits his desire and lures him into her plot for revenge. (Writer/director Mary Angélica Molina)
Drew Houpt is an independent producer based in Brooklyn. For over ten years he was the head of operations at Mike Zoss Productions, Joel and Ethan Coen’s Tribeca-based production company. During that time he worked on the Academy Award-winning "No Country For Old Men" and the Academy Award-nominated "A Serious Man" and "True Grit." He served as Associate Producer on the Coens’ Grand Prix-winning "Inside Llewyn Davis" and Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s Academy Award-winning film "Birdman: or The Unexpected Virtue Of Ignorance." This past year he co-produced Maris Curran’s directorial-debut "Five Nights in Maine" and produced "Every Day,' a short documentary for Espn’s 30 for 30 Shorts series that had its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in 2015. He has also produced music videos for the Pulitzer Prize-winning composer David Lang and an experimental documentary, "When A Priest Marries A Witch," by Suzanne Bocanegra.
"Rita Mahtoubian Is Not A Terrorist"
Producing Fellow: Deanna Barillari
When Iranian-born Rita Mahtoubian sets out to change her life from ordinary to extraordinary, she accidentally captures the attention of a homeland security agent in this satirical comedy about romance, terrorism and trying to be a better person. (Co-writers/directors Roja Gashtili & Julia Lerman)
Upon graduating Nyu Tisch, Deanna Barillari co-founded a non-profit theater company producing Off-Off-Broadway plays, including the NYC premiere of Leslye Headland's "Cinephilia" (2008), which funded in-school arts initiatives in the NYC Public School system. She then went on to work in TV on NBC's "Mercy" (2009), CBS’ "Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior" (2010), ABC’s "Pan Am," 86th Oscars (Ellen DeGeneres; 2014) and in Drama Development at Universal Television. Recently, she collaborated with AFI Dww Fellows Roja Gashtili and Julia Lerman, producing their web-series K(ID) starring Caterina Scorsone ("Grey's Anatomy") and their short "Rita Mahtoubian Is Not A Terrorist" starring Patrick Fugit ("Almost Famous") which made its World Premiere at the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival. She also produces for the La based Ovation Award-winning Iama Theatre Company.
"The Space Between"
Producing Fellow: Angela C. Lee
A female body builder devotes her life to turning ‘pro’ when she unexpectedly falls in love, forcing her to confront her fractured past with her dying father. (Writer/director Philiane Phang)
Angela C. Lee is a Los Angeles based independent producer. She produced "Songs My Brothers Taught Me," which premiered in competition at the Sundance Film Festival and recently screened in the Directors’ Fortnight program at the Cannes Film Festival. Angela is also the Artist Development Manager at Film Independent, where she oversees the selection process and curriculum for the Filmmaker Labs program, including Screenwriting, Directing, Producing, and Documentary Labs, the Fast Track Finance Market and the Fox Writers Intensive, managed in conjunction with Fox Audience Strategy. Previously, Angela served as Director of Creative Affairs at New York based Vox3 Films. Prior to her career in film, Angela was an Associate at Goldman Sachs. A native Chicagoan, Angela graduated from the University of Chicago with a degree in Economics and is on the Board of Directors for the University of Chicago National Arts Alumni Network.
The Fellows and projects selected for the 2015 Documentary Film Creative Producing Lab are:
"Brick"
Co-Directors/Producers: Jessica Dimmock & Christopher Lamarca
"Brick" reveals the raw emotional and physical experience of being a middle aged to senior transgender woman coming out for the first time in the Pacific Northwest. The film follows three intersecting stories of individuals who have lived their whole lives as men and decided this burdensome secret is one they can no longer keep.
Jessica Dimmock is the recipient of the 2013 World Press Photo Multimedia Contest as the director and cinematographer of the online feature, "Too Young to Wed." In 2010, Dimmock won Kodak's Best Cinematography Award at the Hamptons International Film Festival for "Without." The film premiered at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, received an Independent Spirit Award, and was nominated for a Gotham Independent Film Award. Dimmock contributed two short films to Doctors Without Borders' Emmy-nominated campaign, “Starved for Attention.” Her first photojournalism project, “The Ninth Floor” was published as a monograph. Most recently, she worked as photographer and videographer for Emmy-nominated HBO series, "The Weight of the Nation." She is represented by VII agency.
Christopher Lamarca is an award-winning photographer and filmmaker and based in Portland, Oregon. Lamarca has recently entered post-production on his first feature length film, "Boone." In 2012, it was chosen as one of eight films for Film Independent's Documentary Film lab. Lamarca's monograph, “Forest Defenders: The Confrontational American Landscape ” was published by PowerHouse Books in 2008. He was chosen to participate in the International Center of Photography’s triennial exhibition (2007), New York Photo festival (2009) and Lishui photo festival in China (2010). He reported on environmental and energy issues for magazines such as Rolling Stone, GQ, Fortune, and Newsweek.
"The Island and the Whales" (working title)
Directore/Producer: Mike Day
The pilot whale hunters of the Faroe Islands believe that hunting is vital to their way of life, but when a local professor makes a grim discovery about the effects of marine pollution, and the seabirds populations collapse, environmental changes threaten to change the community and their way of life forever.
Mike Day is a Scottish director and producer. Formerly a lawyer in London and the Middle East he founded Intrepid Cinema in 2009 before heading out into the North Atlantic to make his previous film. His debut documentary "The Guga Hunters of Ness" broadcast on the BBC in 2011 and screened at festivals internationally to critical acclaim. It was while at sea in the Atlantic that he met a group of Faroese sailors, leading to his next film. Mike was listed as one of '10 Filmmakers to Watch' by Filmmaker Magazine, he was one of Edn's ’12 for the Future 2012’, and is supported by the Scottish Documentary Institute's Docscene programme. Intrepid Cinema also has two other feature documentaries in development.
"The Road From Hainan"
Director/Producer: Nanfu Wang
State surveillance. Harassment. Imprisonment. Human rights activist Ye Haiyan, Aka Sparrow, knew she faced these risks when she went to Hainan Province to seek justice for six elementary school girls who were sexually abused by their principal. But the scale and intensity of the government's reaction surprised even the most seasoned activists across China.
"The Road From Hainan" follows Sparrow as she was chased from town to town by local governments, national secret police, and even her own neighbors. Nanfu Wang is a documentary filmmaker based in New York. Originally from a remote village in China, Wang overcame poverty and lack of access to formal secondary education and went on to earn graduate degrees in communications and documentary film from universities in China and the United States. Her work often features the stories of marginalized or mistreated people, from Chinese blood donors stricken with HIV after being issued used needles by the government to the left-behind children of migrant laborers. During the production of her first full-length documentary, Wang lived on the streets of Miami with a homeless former drug dealer who relied on the kindness of strangers for his survival. Wang’s short films have been distributed on many platforms and translated into several languages, and she continues to seek out and tell the stories of people who have been ignored by their societies.
"Southwest of Salem: The Story of the San Antonio Four"
Director/Producer: Deborah Esquenazi
"Southwest of Salem: The Story of the San Antonio Four" excavates the nightmarish persecution of Elizabeth Ramirez, Cassandra Rivera, Kristie Mayhugh, and Anna Vasquez — four Latina lesbians wrongfully convicted of allegedly gang-raping two little girls in San Antonio, Texas. The film also unravels the sinister interplay of mythology, homophobia and prosecutorial fervor which led to this modern day witch hunt during the 'Satanic Sexual Abuse Panic' of the late-80's and early-90's in the United States.
Deborah S. Esquenazi is an Austin, Texas-based documentary film and radio producer, instructor, and journalist. Her in-progress documentary feature, "Southwest of Salem: The Story of the San Antonio Four," has received international attention for its investigation into this controversial criminal case, and has been mentioned in Forbes Magazine, New York Times, Texas Observer, Vice Magazine, among others. Her film and radio documentaries have been funded by Chicken & Egg Pictures, Paul Robeson Fund for Independent Media, Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program | John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Initiative, Humanities Texas, Astraea Global Arts Fund, and many others.
The Institute’s Creative Producing Initiative encompasses a year-round series of Labs, Fellowships, granting and events focusing on nurturing the next generation of independent producers and renewing the community of veteran producers who sustain the vibrancy and vitality of independent film.
The Feature Film Creative Producing Lab (July 27 – July 31) identifies emerging producers and, under the guidance of Creative Advisors, allows them to develop their creative instincts and evolve their communicating and problem-solving skills at all stages of their feature film project. This year’s Creative Advisors include producers Lindsay Doran ("Sense and Sensibility"), Lynette Howell Taylor (The Place Beyond the Pines), Gina Kwon ("Me You and Everyone We Know"), Paul Mezey ("Beasts of the Southern Wild"), Jay Van Hoy (
"Beginners" ) and director Matthew Ross ("28 Hotel Rooms" ).
The Documentary Film Creative Producing Lab (July 27 – August 1) brings together documentarians with award-winning Advisors to focus on their current projects to explore the wide range of creative approaches to distribution, outreach and impact strategies. This year’s Creative Advisors include producers Julie Goldman ( "Best of Enemies"), Bonni Cohen ("3 1/2 Minutes," "10 Bullets"), Ryan Werner (Cinetic), Maxyne Franklin (Britdoc), and Wendy Cohen (Picture Motion).
The Creative Producing Summit takes place immediately following the Labs, July 31 – August 3. More than 50 industry leaders will participate in a series of curated panels, case studies, roundtables, and one-on-one meetings addressing critical issues producers face including financing, distribution, audience engagement, marketing and sustainability. Panelists this year include Len Amato (HBO Films),
Michael Barker (Sony Pictures Classics), Dori Begley (Magnolia Pictures), Josh Braun (Submarine), Dan Cogan (Impact Partners), Victoria S. Cook (Frankfurt Kurnit), Danielle Di Giacomo (The Orchard), Fred Dust (Ideo), Ted Hope (Amazon), Micah Green (CAA), John Hoffman (Discovery Channel), Marcus Hu (Strand Releasing), Charles King (MacRo), Jessica Lacy (ICM Partners), Stephanie Langhoff (Duplass Brothers), David Magdael (Tcdm Associates), Victor Moyers (Broad Green), Annie Roney (ro*co Films), John Sloss (Cinetic Media), Graham Taylor (William Morris Endeavor), and Jay Van Hoy (Parts & Labor).
The Fellows and projects selected for the 2015 Feature Film Creative Producing Lab are:
"50 Miles From Boomtown"
Producing Fellow: Alex Scharfman
After years of saving for her hard-earned dream, the only woman working on the fracking fields of North Dakota can finally quit but unexpectedly finds herself falling in love with the young man she's training to take her place. (writer/director Flo Linus Baumann).
Alex Scharfman is a New York-based producer whose past feature credits include "The Heart Machine" and "Lyle," as well as the short film "Superior," which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2015, and the WGA Award-nominated webseries "F to 7th." He is an executive at Parts & Labor Films where he worked on films including "Keep The Lights On" and "Loitering with Intent." He has also produced content for Vice, Google, the Ford Foundation, and At&T. Alex received his BA from Cornell University, is a former Mfa candidate from Nyu’s Tisch School of the Arts, and received his Mba from Nyu’s Stern School of Business.
"Bexar County"
Mark Silverman Honorees and Producing Fellows: Blake Pickens and Stephen Love Jr.
In sunny San Antonio, Texas, where nothing ever changes, a town is turned on its head when a delusional Texas housewife accidentally poisons her son’s fiancée, learning that killing people is an efficient way to solve her problems. (Co-writer/director Catherine Grieve, co-writer Dylan Slocum)
Blake Pickens is from the south side of Oklahoma City, from a neighborhood known as the Flats. Despite the community’s rampant drug use and gang wars, Blake found his way into storytelling with a writing position at National Lampoon. He later attended the Peter Stark Producing Program at USC where he and his producing partner, Stephen Love Jr., formed their company Bs Pictures. They are currently in pre-production on the Steven Caple Jr.’s film The Land and in development on "The Friendship Nine" with producer Nina Yang Bongiovi. Blake’s aspirations are to tell the stories that make people laugh, cry, and ultimately impact their lives.
Stephen Love Jr. grew up in the rural towns of Filbert and Bennettsville, South Carolina. During his time as a business major at Morehouse College, Love founded the Morehouse Filmmakers' Association, for which Spike Lee is the honorary advisor. He also received his Mfa from USC’s Peter Stark Producing Program and formed Bs Pictures with fellow graduate Blake Pickens. Love’s primary career goal is to produce film and television that gives "a voice to the voiceless" while challenging the confines of the business of filmmaking.
"Dolores"
Producing Fellow: Drew Houpt
A restless teenager becomes obsessed with a mysterious Colombian woman who exploits his desire and lures him into her plot for revenge. (Writer/director Mary Angélica Molina)
Drew Houpt is an independent producer based in Brooklyn. For over ten years he was the head of operations at Mike Zoss Productions, Joel and Ethan Coen’s Tribeca-based production company. During that time he worked on the Academy Award-winning "No Country For Old Men" and the Academy Award-nominated "A Serious Man" and "True Grit." He served as Associate Producer on the Coens’ Grand Prix-winning "Inside Llewyn Davis" and Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s Academy Award-winning film "Birdman: or The Unexpected Virtue Of Ignorance." This past year he co-produced Maris Curran’s directorial-debut "Five Nights in Maine" and produced "Every Day,' a short documentary for Espn’s 30 for 30 Shorts series that had its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in 2015. He has also produced music videos for the Pulitzer Prize-winning composer David Lang and an experimental documentary, "When A Priest Marries A Witch," by Suzanne Bocanegra.
"Rita Mahtoubian Is Not A Terrorist"
Producing Fellow: Deanna Barillari
When Iranian-born Rita Mahtoubian sets out to change her life from ordinary to extraordinary, she accidentally captures the attention of a homeland security agent in this satirical comedy about romance, terrorism and trying to be a better person. (Co-writers/directors Roja Gashtili & Julia Lerman)
Upon graduating Nyu Tisch, Deanna Barillari co-founded a non-profit theater company producing Off-Off-Broadway plays, including the NYC premiere of Leslye Headland's "Cinephilia" (2008), which funded in-school arts initiatives in the NYC Public School system. She then went on to work in TV on NBC's "Mercy" (2009), CBS’ "Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior" (2010), ABC’s "Pan Am," 86th Oscars (Ellen DeGeneres; 2014) and in Drama Development at Universal Television. Recently, she collaborated with AFI Dww Fellows Roja Gashtili and Julia Lerman, producing their web-series K(ID) starring Caterina Scorsone ("Grey's Anatomy") and their short "Rita Mahtoubian Is Not A Terrorist" starring Patrick Fugit ("Almost Famous") which made its World Premiere at the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival. She also produces for the La based Ovation Award-winning Iama Theatre Company.
"The Space Between"
Producing Fellow: Angela C. Lee
A female body builder devotes her life to turning ‘pro’ when she unexpectedly falls in love, forcing her to confront her fractured past with her dying father. (Writer/director Philiane Phang)
Angela C. Lee is a Los Angeles based independent producer. She produced "Songs My Brothers Taught Me," which premiered in competition at the Sundance Film Festival and recently screened in the Directors’ Fortnight program at the Cannes Film Festival. Angela is also the Artist Development Manager at Film Independent, where she oversees the selection process and curriculum for the Filmmaker Labs program, including Screenwriting, Directing, Producing, and Documentary Labs, the Fast Track Finance Market and the Fox Writers Intensive, managed in conjunction with Fox Audience Strategy. Previously, Angela served as Director of Creative Affairs at New York based Vox3 Films. Prior to her career in film, Angela was an Associate at Goldman Sachs. A native Chicagoan, Angela graduated from the University of Chicago with a degree in Economics and is on the Board of Directors for the University of Chicago National Arts Alumni Network.
The Fellows and projects selected for the 2015 Documentary Film Creative Producing Lab are:
"Brick"
Co-Directors/Producers: Jessica Dimmock & Christopher Lamarca
"Brick" reveals the raw emotional and physical experience of being a middle aged to senior transgender woman coming out for the first time in the Pacific Northwest. The film follows three intersecting stories of individuals who have lived their whole lives as men and decided this burdensome secret is one they can no longer keep.
Jessica Dimmock is the recipient of the 2013 World Press Photo Multimedia Contest as the director and cinematographer of the online feature, "Too Young to Wed." In 2010, Dimmock won Kodak's Best Cinematography Award at the Hamptons International Film Festival for "Without." The film premiered at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, received an Independent Spirit Award, and was nominated for a Gotham Independent Film Award. Dimmock contributed two short films to Doctors Without Borders' Emmy-nominated campaign, “Starved for Attention.” Her first photojournalism project, “The Ninth Floor” was published as a monograph. Most recently, she worked as photographer and videographer for Emmy-nominated HBO series, "The Weight of the Nation." She is represented by VII agency.
Christopher Lamarca is an award-winning photographer and filmmaker and based in Portland, Oregon. Lamarca has recently entered post-production on his first feature length film, "Boone." In 2012, it was chosen as one of eight films for Film Independent's Documentary Film lab. Lamarca's monograph, “Forest Defenders: The Confrontational American Landscape ” was published by PowerHouse Books in 2008. He was chosen to participate in the International Center of Photography’s triennial exhibition (2007), New York Photo festival (2009) and Lishui photo festival in China (2010). He reported on environmental and energy issues for magazines such as Rolling Stone, GQ, Fortune, and Newsweek.
"The Island and the Whales" (working title)
Directore/Producer: Mike Day
The pilot whale hunters of the Faroe Islands believe that hunting is vital to their way of life, but when a local professor makes a grim discovery about the effects of marine pollution, and the seabirds populations collapse, environmental changes threaten to change the community and their way of life forever.
Mike Day is a Scottish director and producer. Formerly a lawyer in London and the Middle East he founded Intrepid Cinema in 2009 before heading out into the North Atlantic to make his previous film. His debut documentary "The Guga Hunters of Ness" broadcast on the BBC in 2011 and screened at festivals internationally to critical acclaim. It was while at sea in the Atlantic that he met a group of Faroese sailors, leading to his next film. Mike was listed as one of '10 Filmmakers to Watch' by Filmmaker Magazine, he was one of Edn's ’12 for the Future 2012’, and is supported by the Scottish Documentary Institute's Docscene programme. Intrepid Cinema also has two other feature documentaries in development.
"The Road From Hainan"
Director/Producer: Nanfu Wang
State surveillance. Harassment. Imprisonment. Human rights activist Ye Haiyan, Aka Sparrow, knew she faced these risks when she went to Hainan Province to seek justice for six elementary school girls who were sexually abused by their principal. But the scale and intensity of the government's reaction surprised even the most seasoned activists across China.
"The Road From Hainan" follows Sparrow as she was chased from town to town by local governments, national secret police, and even her own neighbors. Nanfu Wang is a documentary filmmaker based in New York. Originally from a remote village in China, Wang overcame poverty and lack of access to formal secondary education and went on to earn graduate degrees in communications and documentary film from universities in China and the United States. Her work often features the stories of marginalized or mistreated people, from Chinese blood donors stricken with HIV after being issued used needles by the government to the left-behind children of migrant laborers. During the production of her first full-length documentary, Wang lived on the streets of Miami with a homeless former drug dealer who relied on the kindness of strangers for his survival. Wang’s short films have been distributed on many platforms and translated into several languages, and she continues to seek out and tell the stories of people who have been ignored by their societies.
"Southwest of Salem: The Story of the San Antonio Four"
Director/Producer: Deborah Esquenazi
"Southwest of Salem: The Story of the San Antonio Four" excavates the nightmarish persecution of Elizabeth Ramirez, Cassandra Rivera, Kristie Mayhugh, and Anna Vasquez — four Latina lesbians wrongfully convicted of allegedly gang-raping two little girls in San Antonio, Texas. The film also unravels the sinister interplay of mythology, homophobia and prosecutorial fervor which led to this modern day witch hunt during the 'Satanic Sexual Abuse Panic' of the late-80's and early-90's in the United States.
Deborah S. Esquenazi is an Austin, Texas-based documentary film and radio producer, instructor, and journalist. Her in-progress documentary feature, "Southwest of Salem: The Story of the San Antonio Four," has received international attention for its investigation into this controversial criminal case, and has been mentioned in Forbes Magazine, New York Times, Texas Observer, Vice Magazine, among others. Her film and radio documentaries have been funded by Chicken & Egg Pictures, Paul Robeson Fund for Independent Media, Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program | John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Initiative, Humanities Texas, Astraea Global Arts Fund, and many others.
- 7/20/2015
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Chloé Zhao’s drama, which debuted at Sundance last week, snapped up in France.
Diaphana has acquired French rights to Chloé Zhao’s feature debut, Songs My Brothers Taught Me, from Fortissimo Films.
The deal was negotiated between Diaphana’s Karin Beyens and Fortissimo’s Nicole Mackey.
The film premiered last week at Sundance in the Us Dramatic Competition section and Fortissimo fielded multiple offers from various international territories.
Fortissimo holds international rights to the film, for which sales are to take place at the European Film Market (Efm) (Feb 5-13).
The film, also written by Zhao, is a portrait of modern day life on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation that explores the bond between a brother (John Reddy) and his younger sister (Jashaun St. John), who find themselves on separate paths to rediscovering the meaning of home.
Diaphana’s slate now includes Boyhood, Two Days, One Night and Mommy.
Songs My Brothers Taught Me was produced...
Diaphana has acquired French rights to Chloé Zhao’s feature debut, Songs My Brothers Taught Me, from Fortissimo Films.
The deal was negotiated between Diaphana’s Karin Beyens and Fortissimo’s Nicole Mackey.
The film premiered last week at Sundance in the Us Dramatic Competition section and Fortissimo fielded multiple offers from various international territories.
Fortissimo holds international rights to the film, for which sales are to take place at the European Film Market (Efm) (Feb 5-13).
The film, also written by Zhao, is a portrait of modern day life on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation that explores the bond between a brother (John Reddy) and his younger sister (Jashaun St. John), who find themselves on separate paths to rediscovering the meaning of home.
Diaphana’s slate now includes Boyhood, Two Days, One Night and Mommy.
Songs My Brothers Taught Me was produced...
- 2/4/2015
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
More time in post-production means more time for nips, tucks, another Sundance lab (2014′s Music and Sound Design Lab at Skywalker Sound) and even a title change. Formerly going by the title of “Lee”, Chloé Zhao’s more descriptive moniker in Songs My Brothers Taught Me was on our radar last year, but obviously was a little ways off from completion. Thesps Irene Bedard (from 1998′s Sundance selected Smoke Signals from helmer Chris Eyre) and Eleonore Hendricks (Heaven Knows What) support newbie John Reddy in a project that was supported by a laundry list of orgs: both Sundance Labs, the Ang Lee Scholarship for Filmmaking and the Time Warner Storytelling Fellowship and Christopher Columbus/Richard Vague Film Production Grant, a very successful 80+ grand Kickstarter campaign, was recently the Ifp Filmmaker lab and is in line for some possible funds from the Sffs / Kenneth Rainin Foundation Filmmaking Grant.
Gist: This is...
Gist: This is...
- 11/13/2014
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
Chances are slim that Chloe Zhao manages to break into the 2014 edition of the Sundance Film Festival and it isn’t because there is a lack of room for a pair of Native American portraits from female filmmakers (the other being Drunktown’s Finest). Supported by both Sundance Labs (read her experience here), and solid coin from Ang Lee Scholarship for Filmmaking and the Time Warner Storytelling Fellowship and Christopher Columbus/Richard Vague Film Production Grant and top that off with a successful 80+ grand Kickstarter campaign, lensing on Lee, was completed this past month (she got the chance to work with Andrea Arnold’s right-hand man Robbie Ryan), thus the 25 New Faces of Independent Film of 2013 personality would have to work at breakneck speed in post. Ingredient worth mentioning: the participation of Eléonore Hendricks.
Gist: Lee is a seventeen-year-old Lakota boy who idly spends his days in young love with...
Gist: Lee is a seventeen-year-old Lakota boy who idly spends his days in young love with...
- 11/20/2013
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
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