IFP Market Shifts in '05, Highlighting Meetings Over Screenings

Dakota Fanning and Glenn Close in a scene from Rodrigo Garcia's "Nine Lives". Image provided by Magnolia Pictures

The IFP Market, now branded as the industry side of the larger Independent Film Week in New York City, will kick off tomorrow in Manhattan (followed Monday by a premiere screening party for Rodrigo Garcia's "Nine Lives"). The revamped event is running through September 22nd with a heavy focus on documentaries and a change in how narrative projects are presented. Just as the Independent Feature Project has evolved in recent years, seeing the Los Angeles chapter of the indie filmmaking group split from the national association this year, the venerable IFP Market has changed significantly. The event, a staple of the fall season once known as the Independent Feature Film Market, is now a wholly different market and conference that no longer offers screenings of narrative features, instead emphasizing networking, mentorship, education, shorts, and documentary works-in-progress.

This year organizers are boasting a roster of 199 projects, selected from the 1,407 submitted. 60 docs will screen in the Spotlight on Documentaries section, 10 doc shorts are on tap, 25 documentary features will be shown, 25 emerging narrative short films are set, 40 emerging narrative screenplays will be showcased, and 39 projects have been selected for the No Borders International Co-Production Market. In a major shift from the days when filmmakers would bring finished narrative projects to the event seeking a buyer, organizers have been steering the Market away from completed narrative work and this year have cut screenings of narrative features all together.

This year's Market sees a continuing shift in the focus of the 27-year-old event. The Market has evolved into a program aimed at connecting industry attendees with filmmakers who are in earlier stages of production. Today, the IFP Market is more about meetings than screenings.

"The switch from predominantly screenings, to predominantly meetings has been long in the works," explained Michelle Byrd, in an email interview with indieWIRE days before the debut of the '05 Market. "I don't think we would have anticipated it four years ago when we started introducing overhauls for each section, but it's become abundantly clear that those industry execs interested in IFP and our event want to maximize and make more personal their interaction with participating filmmakers."

This year's decision to cut the works-in-progress narrative section instead finds the IFP Market emphasizing rough cuts and mentoring as part of the Rough Cuts Lab. It’s a more private project aimed that Byrd says was designed to "provide a 'safe haven' where filmmakers far into completion could receive advice from editors, composers, music supervisors, delivery and sales experts that (is) practical and concrete and away from the glare of being in the moment of also trying to 'sell' their films."

Other changes in 2005 include the addition of the emerging narrative screenwriting section; about 40 producers will do informational meetings. The goal, Byrd explained, "Can we facilitate connections between emerging writers and writer/directors and our indie producing community that is often looking for new voices and new writers to work on re-writes, etc."

Elaborating a bit more on the changes, Michelle Byrd added, "I don't think we'd have many takers if we retreated to the 400+ projects of the IFP Market of yesteryear. And of course the Filmmaker Conference is really the place to educate and talk about the business of making and releasing movies. It's a conference, along with its 'classroom workshops', and expo open to all. As such, it's a substantial draw to people looking to get into the industry."

The Filmmaker Conference will include some 40 sessions and daily workshops, held all week at the Puck Building downtown, while doc screenings will take place at nearby the Angelika Film Center.

IFP Market organizers will present five prizes at this Thursday's lunchtime ceremony, with award values exceeding more than $50,000. In announcing this year's nominees, IFP Market organizers noted that the event acts as a talent showcase aimed at aiding in the development of new independent work. The complete list of nominees is available now on indieWIRE.com

A list of IFP Market projects follows, including the lists for the Spotlight on Documentaries, Documentary Features, and No Borders Screenplays sections (information provided by IFP):

SPOTLIGHT ON DOCUMENTARIES (works in progress)

America is Hard to Find
Directors: Susan Muska, Greta Ólafsdóttir
Producers: Susan Muska, Greta Ólafsdóttir
Writers: Taylor Sisk, Patrick Walsh

Angels in the Dust
Director: Louise Hogarth
Producer: Louise Hogarth

Anomaly
Director: Jessica Chen Drammeh
Producer: Jessica Chen Drammeh
Writer: Jessica Chen Drammeh

Antonia Pantoja: Abriendo Camino (Forging a Path)
Director: Lillian Jiménez
Producer: Beni Matías

At Home in Utopia
Director: Michal Goldman
Producers: Michal Goldman, Ellen Brodsky
Writer: Michal Goldman

Autumn’s Eyes
Directors: Paola Mendoza, Gabriel Noble
Producers: Paola Mendoza, Gabriel Noble

Autumn’s Harvest
Director: David Marshall
Producer: David Marshall
Writer: David Marshall

Bad Boys of Summer
Directors: Loren Mendell, Tiller Russell
Producers: Loren Mendell, Tiller Russell

Blacklist: Investigating the Life of Canada Lee
Director: Kenneth Kilfara
Producers: Kenneth Kilfara, Dr. Nate Kohn
Writers: Kenneth Kilfara, Dr. Allen Partridge

Born Without (Nacido Sin)
Director: Eva Norvind
Producer: Eva Norvind
Writer: Eva Norvind

The Breast Cancer Diaries
Director: Linda Pattillo
Producers: Ann Murray Paige, Kate Nelligan
Writers: Linda Pattillo, Ann Murray Paige

Bystander
Director: John Reilly
Producer: John Reilly
Writer: John Reilly

The Candidate
Director: Marlo Poras
Producer: Marlo Poras

The Fragrance of Orchids
Director: Gary Marks
Producer: Gary Marks

Freedom Dreams
Director: Marco Williams
Producer: Marco Williams
Writer: Marco Williams

Gary and the Romans
Director: Ted Gesing
Producer: Ted Gesing

Gershwin, Norway and the Artists’ Libido: A Dialogue with Anne Brown
Director: Nicole Franklin
Producer: Nicole Franklin
Writer: Nicole Franklin

Girls Rock!
Director: Arne Johnson
Producers: Arne Johnson, Shane King

Gone to Texas: The Lives of Forrest Carter
Director: Marco Ricci
Producer: Douglas Newman
Writer: Laura Browder

Heal My People
Directors: Bent-Jorgen Perlmutt, Nelson Walker III, Louis Abelman
Producers: Bent-Jorgen Perlmutt, Nelson Walker III, Louis Abelman
Writers: Bent-Jorgen Perlmutt, Nelson Walker III, Louis Abelman

The Healing Gardens of New York
Director: Alexandra Isles
Producer: Alexandra Isles
Writer: Alexandra Isles

I Remember Me
Director: Marilyn Braverman
Producer: Chuck Braverman

Imagining Peace
Director: Lisa Gossels
Producer: Lisa Gossels

It’s a Boy
Director: Danae Elon
Producers: Bob Lietar, Andrew T. Dunn

Joe Papp in Five Acts
Directors: Tracie Holder, Karen Thorsen
Producers: Tracie Holder, Karen Thorsen
Writers: Tracie Holder, Karen Thorsen

King Corn
Director: Aaron Woolf
Producer: Aaron Woolf
Writers: Curt Ellis, Ian Cheney

King George
Director: Elizabeth Tracy
Producers: Chris Carnel, Dan O’Brien
Writer: Dan O’Brien

Kingdom
Directors: Noam Cohen, Joseph C. Tedeschi
Producers: Noam Cohen, Joseph C. Tedeschi

Koko-yakyu: High School Baseball
Director: Kenneth Eng
Producers: Alex Shear, Takayo Nagasawa

Liemba
Directors:Andrew Subin, John Billingsley
Producers: Andrew Subin, John Billingsley

A Lion in the House
Directors: Steven Bognar, Julia Reichert
Producers: Steven Bognar, Julia Reichert

Manhattan, Kansas
Director: Tara Wray
Producers: Michel Negroponte, Alan Oxman
Writer: Tara Wray

The Narcotics Farm
Director: JP Olsen
Producer: JP Olsen

New Beginnings (working title)
Director: David Becker
Producers: Barbara Kopple, Maureen Dougherty

Off the Grid: Life on the Mesa
Directors: Jeremy Stulberg, Randy Stulberg
Producers: Eric Juhola, Jeremy Stulberg, Randy Stulberg

Orquesta Típica
Director: Nicolas Entel
Producer: Nicolas Entel
Writer: Nicolas Entel

The Other Side
Director: Bill Brown
Producer: Bill Brown
Writer: Bill Brown

Packin’ Up – Marion Williams and the Philadelphia Gospel Women
Director: Ashley James
Producer: Kathryn Golden

Picture This
Directors: George Kachadorian, Courtney Bent
Producers: George Kachadorian, Courtney Bent

Praying With My Legs
Director: Steve Brand
Producer: Steve Brand
Writer: Steve Brand

Red Without Blue
Directors: Todd Sills, Benita Naschold, Brooke Sebold
Producers: Todd Sills, Benita Naschold, Brooke Sebold

Revolution ’67
Director: Marylou Tibaldo-Bongiorno
Producer: Marylou Tibaldo-Bongiorno

Roots of Change: The Vision of Wangari Maathai
Directors: Alan Dater, Lisa Merton
Producer: Lisa Merton

Septentrional
Director: Whitney Dow
Producers: Jane Regan, Daniel Morel

Shared History
Director: Felicia Furman
Producer: Felicia Furman
Writers: Felicia Furman, Lillian Benson

The Shulgin Project
Director: Etienne Sauret
Producer: Sebastian Saville

Smart Black People (Revisit the ’80s)
Director: Nelson George
Producer: Nelson George
Writer: Nelson George

SPACEMAN: A Baseball Odyssey
Director: Brett Rapkin
Producer: Brett Rapkin, Josh Dixon

Starring the Extras
Director: Jonah Zeiger
Producers: Jonah Zeiger, Kimberly Harwood

Still Life
Director: Joshua Seftel
Producer: Joshua Seftel

The Tea Film (working title)
Directors: Gina Leibrecht, Les Blank
Producers: Gina Leibrecht, Les Blank

Terrorist George
Directors: Erica Soehngen, Robert Palumbo
Producers: Erica Soehngen, Robert Palumbo

Terrorist – SHAC 7
Director: Andy Roth
Producers: Andy Roth, Andy Bates

This is Gary McFarland
Director: Kristian St. Clair
Producers: Kristian St. Clair, Joel Ozretich

Thread
Director: Laurie Chock
Producers: Cindy Lamb-Aiello, Dana Kuznetzkoff

Tierra y Libertad
Director: Scott Hamilton Kennedy
Producers: Scott Hamilton Kennedy, Vivianne Nacif
Writer: Scott Hamilton Kennedy

United in Anger: A History of ACT UP
Director: Jim Hubbard
Producer: Jim Hubbard

Western Sahara, Africa’s Last Colony
Directors: Shantha Bloemen, JoMarie Fecci
Producers: Shantha Bloemen, JoMarie Fecci

White: A Study in Color
Director: Joel Katz
Producer: Tal McThenia

Who’s on First?
Director: Valerie Kontakos
Producer: Valerie Kontakos

DOCUMENTARY FEATURES

Been Rich All My Life
Director: Heather Lyn MacDonald
Producer: Heather Lyn MacDonald

Bike Wars
Directors: Jacob Septimus, Anthony Howard
Producer: Fredric King

Bound to Lose
Directors: Sam Douglas, Paul Lovelace
Producers: Sam Douglas, Paul Lovelace

Bullrider
Director: Josh Aronson
Producers: William Cheeseman, Maureen Holmes

Cruel & Unusual
Directors: Janet Baus, Dan Hunt
Producers: Janet Baus, Dan Hunt

Disarm
Directors: Mary Wareham, Brian Liu

The Guestworker
Directors: Cynthia Hill, Charles Thompson
Producers: Cynthia Hill, Charles Thompson

Inlaws & Outlaws
Director: Drew Emery
Producers: Lisa Halpern, Larry Schlessinger

Kathryn: The Story of a Teller
Director: Norton Dill
Producer: Anne P. Wheeler
Writer: Norton Dill

Keeper of the Kohn
Director: David Gaynes
Producer: David Gaynes

The Last Western
Director: Chris Deaux
Producers: Chris Deaux, Dexter N. Williams

Learning to Swallow
Director: Danielle Beverly
Producer: Danielle Beverly

little man
Director: Nicole Conn
Producers: Nicole Conn, Danny Jacobsen
Writer: Nicole Conn

Lover Other
Director: Barbara Hammer
Producer: Barbara Hammer
Writer: Barbara Hammer

Ned Rorem: Word & Music
Directors: James Dowell, John Kolomvakis
Producers: James Dowell, John Kolomvakis
Writer: James Dowell

No Time for Cold Feet
Directors: Jacqueline Garry, Trent Tooley
Producers: Jacqueline Garry, Trent Tooley

A Place Like This
Director: Yvonne Kenney
Producer: Yvonne Kenney

Sentenced Home
Directors: Nicole Newnham, David Grabias
Producers: Nicole Newnham, David Grabias

So Much So Fast
Directors: Steven Ascher, Jeanne Jordan
Producers: Steven Ascher, Jeanne Jordan
Writers: Steven Ascher, Jeanne Jordan

The Special: The Story of an American Anthem
Directors: Michael Majoros, Bestor Cram
Producers: Zachary Stauffer, Miguelangel Aponte-Rios

SQUONKumentary
Director: Peggy Sutton
Producers: Peggy Sutton, Rebecca Breckel

Sunny Intervals and Showers
Director: Jonathan Goodman Levitt
Producer: Jonathan Goodman Levitt

Two Square Miles
Director: Barbara Ettinger
Producers: Barbara Ettinger, Sven Huseby

Vajra Sky Over Tibet
Director: John Bush
Producer: John Bush
Writer: John Bush

Who Gets to Call it Art?
Director: Peter Rosen
Producer: Peter Rosen
Writer: Sara Lukinson

NO BORDERS SCREENPLAYS

Accidents Happen
Director: Andrew Lancaster
Producer: Anthony Anderson
Writer: Brian Carbee

Allan, Burning
Director: James Redford
Producers: Donald Everett Axinn, Elaine Rogers
Writer: James Redford

Beard’s Creek
Producers: Maureen Tilyou, Stella Nwimo
Writer: Maureen Tilyou

Both Your Houses
Director: Ernie Barbarash
Producer: Jason R. Savage
Writer: Jim Henerson

Catching a Glide
Director: Norman Maake
Producers: David Max Brown, Fiona Mitchell
Writers: Philip Roberts, Ashley Pharoah

Cheri
Director: Christopher Hampton
Producer: Bill Kenwright
Writer: Christopher Hampton

Cinemeiro
Director: Tetsuo Shinohara
Producers: Wakako Miyakuni, Ana Maria Bahiana
Writers: J. Emilio Rondeau, Wakako Miyakuni

Don’t Let Me Drown
Director: Cruz Angeles
Producer: Maria Topete
Writers: Cruz Angeles, Maria Topete

Down Bleecker
Director: Sean Skelton
Producers: Lillian LaSalle, Gill Holland
Writer: Sean Skelton

Dreamland
Director: Dante W. Harper
Producer: T. Todd Flinchum, Alicia Kratzer
Writers: Steve Grant, Dante W. Harper

End of a Primitive
Director: William Jennings
Producer: Noah Harlan
Writers: Arnold Barkus, William Jennings

Exposure
Director: Jim Threapleton
Producer: Andrew Noble
Writer: Jim Threapleton

Flaming Heterosexual Female
Director: Esther Bell
Producers: Esther Bell, Andrea Sperling
Writer: Esther Bell

Garden of Mirrors
Director: Ramin Niami
Producers: Ramin Niami, Mark Lavender
Writer: Ramin Niami

Handsome Harry
Director: Bette Gordon
Producer: Fred Berner
Writer: Nick Proferes

The Heart of the World
Director: Vanessa Jopp
Producers: Oliver Simon, K5 Film GmbH
Writers: Elisabeth Karsten, Verena Weese

Hello & Goodnight
Director: John Daschbach
Producers: Susan Leber, Jim Calabrese
Writer: John Daschbach

HERE
Director: Braden King
Producer: Julia King
Writers: Braden King, Dani Valent

High Life
Director: Gary Yates
Producer: Robin Cass
Writer: Lee MacDougall

Irina P.
Director: Sam Garbarski
Producer: Sébastien Delloye
Writers: Philippe Blasband, Martin Herron

Jakarta Orchid
Director: Ra’up McGee
Producer: Ra’up McGee
Writer: Ra’up McGee

Over the Edge
Director: Yanna Kroyt Brandt
Producer: Jim Jermanok
Writer: Jonathan Bloch

The Patchwork Bear
Director: Scott Reynolds
Producers: Angela Littlejohn, Rachel Gardner
Writer: Scott Reynolds

The Red Earth
Director: Liselle Mei
Producers: Liselle Mei, Trish Lake
Writers: Liselle Mei, Cory Taylor

Rites of Winter
Director: Paul Sorvino
Producers: Rene Smallwood, Koula Sossiadis
Writer: Koula Sossiadis

Silent Rebels
Director: John Goldschmidt
Producers: Josef Steinberger, Richard Schoeps, John Goldschmidt
Writer: Tim Rose Price

Smoke and Ochre
Director: Willem van de Sande Bakhuyzen
Producer: Arry Voorsmit
Writer: Greg Latter

Soldier Child
Director: Neil Abramson
Producers: Joni Sighvatsson, Neil Abramson
Writers: Neil Abramson, Hope Perello

Sparkle
Directors: Neil Hunter, Tom Hunsinger
Producers: Martin Pope, Michael Rose
Writers: Neil Hunter, Tom Hunsinger

Speedway
Director: Jennifer Arnold
Producers: Valerie Stadler, Steak House
Writer: Jennifer Arnold

Swan Lake
Director: Alan Brown
Producers: Alan Brown, Steven Shapiro
Writer: Alan Brown

Trafficking
Director: Barry Ackroyd
Producers: Elizabeth Stanley, Siddharth Kara, Mia Bays
Writer: Siddharth Kara

Unlocked
Director: Jo Kennedy
Producer: Robyn Kershaw
Writers: Jo Kennedy, Christine Rogers

Watermark
Director: Marylou Tibaldo-Bongiorno
Producer: Marylou Tibaldo-Bongiorno
Writers: Marylou Tibaldo-Bongiorno, Jerome Bongiorno

White Lightnin’
Director: Dominic Murphy
Producers: Sam Taylor, Mike Downey
Writers: Shane Smith, Eddy Moretti

Wooing Lamour
Director: John Paizs
Producers: Shawn Watson, Robert Sauvey
Writer: Brian Drader

Wrong Girl
Director: Michael Jenkins
Producer: Catriona Hughes
Writer: Nicholas Hammond

Young Love
Director: Andrew Hull
Producers: Andrew Boutilier, Jan Nathanson
Writer: Andrew Hull

Zenith
Director: Vladan Nikolic
Producer: Jim Stark
Writer: Vladan Nikolic