IFP Announces Ten Fiction & Non-Fiction Series Projects Selected for 2019 IFP Episodic Lab
by Chase Harrison on June 3, 2019
Brooklyn, NY (June 3, 2018) – IFP announced today the projects selected for the Episodic Lab, IFP’s yearlong fellowship for breakthrough content creators working on fiction and nonfiction series projects aimed for television and digital platforms. The program kicks off today, running June 3-7 at the Made in NY Media Center by IFP located in DUMBO, Brooklyn.
“The IFP Episodic Lab is the perfect place to incubate and workshop these great series projects: it offers the creators and their teams mentorship to pull off their vision in the TV and digital landscape. It is also the perfect place for the teams to strengthen their pitches before they go out to market – specifically IFP Week in September.” said Jeffrey Sharp, IFPs Executive Director.
The Lab provides multiple levels of mentorship throughout the process, to be overseen by 2019 Lab Leaders Neerja Narayanan (Creative Producer, Sony Pictures International Productions), Ryan O’Nan (Producer, Writer, and Actor, Hulu’s upcoming Wu-Tang: An American Saga, FX’s Legion, USA Network’s Queen of the South), and Randy Stulberg (Producer and Showrunner, Viceland’s Hamilton’s Pharmacopeia). Speakers and mentors include Industry executives from AMC Networks, CNN, Jigsaw Productions, Motto Pictures, National Lampoon, Part2 Pictures, and Topic Studios, among others.
ABOUT IFP EPISODIC LAB
During its 40-year history, IFP has supported over 10,000 projects and offered resources to more than 20,000 artists working at the intersection of film, television, VR and new media.
Inspired by the successful long-running IFP Filmmaker Labs that focus on helping directors complete, market and introduce audiences to cutting edge first-features, the Episodic Lab will support outstanding debut or “breakthrough” creators working on fiction and nonfiction series projects. After completing the Lab in June, the 10 projects will be included in the Project Forum’s slate at IFP Week 2019 (September 15-19, Brooklyn NY). At IFP Week, the 10 teams will pitch their projects to buyers, production companies, networks and other Industry players, as well as presenting the projects in the Episodic Day (set for Monday, September 16), an exclusive full day of series pitches for Industry.
Under the artistic direction of IFP Senior Program Manager, Episodic and International, Gabriele Capolino, the Lab will provide 10 teams of creators with the knowledge, resources and mentor support necessary for writing strong pitches and create solid development strategies. The 5-days program is composed of panels, case studies, workshops, and individualized meetings to better answer the needs of each project. Particular attention will be given to study the inner workings of the writer’s room for scripted projects, as well as working with series editors for the non-scripted teams to better shape their narrative.
2019 IFP EPISODIC LAB FELLOWS
The ten selected projects represent a mix of genres and formats: from fiction to nonfiction, from limited series to multiple-seasons concepts, from comedies to drama, from meta-mysteries to supernatural thriller:
• Adventures from the Bedrooms of African Women (Fiction, Comedy/Drama): Adapted from the popular blog by the same name, a show that dramatizes the actual interviews of women of African descent living around the world, and their adventures in the exploration of their sexualities. Nosarieme Garrick (Director, Writer, Executive Producer), Malaka Grant (Creator, Writer, Executive Producer)
• Celluloid Dreams (Nonfiction): A projected image, a video, a glimpse on a small screen, a window to the free world or to a better life. Five different parts of the world, five staggering stories of courage and wonder, show us how film can change us and sometimes, the world. Mara Adina (Creator, Producer, Executive Producer), Ilinca Calugareanu (Creator, Director, Writer, Executive Producer)
• The Devil and Gallup (Nonfiction): A small group of merchants in New Mexico commits one of the largest cases of art fraud in history, their deadly feud, and its devastating impact on the Native American community. William A. Kirkley (Creator, Director, Writer, Producer), Elisha Gustafson (Producer)
• Did You Ever Have a Family (Fiction, Drama): Did You Ever Have a Family is a limited drama series, adapted from Bill Clegg’s novel, featuring a trio of female characters coping with grief, guilt, regret, and ultimately forgiveness in the wake of unimaginable tragedy. Sloane Klevin (Producer), Jay Riedl (Writer)
• The Gallery of Madame Liu Tsong (Fiction, Drama/Mystery): A gallerist embroiled in solving art-world mysteries discovers that her biggest unsolved case is herself. Art is subjective. So is the truth about her past. Kirsten Tan (Creator, Writer, Director), Amanda Lee Koe (Creator, Writer)
• How Ya Like Me Now (Fiction, Drama): Hip hop pioneer Kool Moe Dee struggles to keep his music relevant with the emergence of a new rival on the scene, LL Cool J. Craig T. Williams (Creator)
• Next Generation Sex (Nonfiction): A character-driven, documentary series delving into unflinching teen stories around sexuality for this moment, through their lives and words. Julie Bridgham (Creator, Director, Producer, Executive Producer), Rebecca Haimowitz (Creator, Director, Producer, Executive Producer), Rachel Lears (Creator, Executive Producer)
• Tenebris (Fiction, Supernatural Thriller): Gabriel Hoffman, a washed out TV host, famous for his ability to interact with the paranormal, and Clara, his determined assistant, will face dark forces while trying to find an opportunity to resurrect his career. David Figueroa García (Creator, Writer), Mauricio Leiva Cock (Creator, Writer), Juan Diego Villegas Manrique (Producer, Executive Producer)
• A Town Called Victoria (Nonfiction): Hours after the first travel ban takes effect, a mosque in Victoria, Texas erupts in flames. As details of the arson emerge, this quiet community must reckon with the deep rifts that drove a man to hate. Li Lu (Creator, Director, Writer, Producer), Louise Henderson (Producer), Anthony Pedone (Producer)
• Who’s Annie (Fiction, Comedy/Drama): After jail time, 12-step programs and five marriages, Annie, an aspiring actor, will play a part in various scripted scenes to help us investigate women’s on-camera roles, learn about her real life story and answer the question – does zeal outweigh a lack of experience? Sophia Peer (Creator, Director, Writer)
SUPPORT FOR IFP EPISODIC LAB
The IFP Episodic Lab is made possible by the generous support the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York State Council on the Arts, SAGindie and Breaker. Together, we are partnering to discover, nurture and celebrate the next generation of storytellers.
ABOUT IFP
The Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP) champions the future of storytelling by connecting artists with essential resources at all stages of development and distribution. The organization fosters a vibrant and sustainable independent storytelling community through its year-round programs, which include IFP Week, IFP Labs (Film, Series & Audio Storytelling), Filmmaker Magazine, IFP Gotham Awards and the Made in NY Media Center by IFP, a tech and media incubator space developed with the New York Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment.
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