join renew donate

Press Releases

IFP, Royal Bank of Canada, and The Mayor’s Office of Media & Entertainment To Launch “Future of Film Today” Short Film Series During IFP’s Independent Film Week

by Website Update on September 26, 2011

New York, NY (Tuesday, September 20, 2011) – In partnership with Royal Bank of Canada and the Mayor’s Office of Media & Entertainment, IFP announced the launch of the “The Future of Film Today” short film series, highlighting the work and personal stories of six talented New York-based independent filmmakers during Independent Film Week. Formerly known as the IFP Market, Independent Film Week is the leading forum in the U.S. dedicated to discovering and showcasing new independent film projects and talent. It is the place where filmmakers, film lovers and film professionals can come together to support new projects in development and new voices on the independent film scene.

Created specifically to help filmmakers build audience for their work and shine a spotlight on the talented emerging artists living and working in New York City, the series will be featured in taxis, on the City’s flagship TV station NYC life and online on the NYC Media Video on Demand Player. NYC life, the flagship station of NYC Media and the official network of the City of New York, is viewed by almost 1.5 million New Yorkers each week on television and online and is available in over 18 million homes across the tri-state region.

“As IFP has helped discover and support these emerging talents, we are thrilled to share their work and present the filmmakers of tomorrow today” said Joana Vicente, Executive Director, IFP.

The series will be unveiled on Tuesday, September 20th at a reception hosted at Film Society of Lincoln Center’s Elinor Bunin Center by Royal Bank of Canada. The short films featured are directed by Jamie Stewart (Man in a Blizzard) and produced by Editor-in-Chief of FILMMAKER Magazine and acclaimed independent producer, Scott Macaulay (Gummo).

“New York City enjoys the reputation of being an indie film capital,” said Commissioner Katherine Oliver, Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment. “Our City is home to some of the most creative people in the world, and this series gives us a chance to showcase the unique perspectives of our local filmmakers through the City’s different distribution platforms.”

The six selected filmmakers represent a cross-section of working filmmakers in New York City; they are all also alumni of IFP’s Independent Film Week, and have been recently featured as FILMMAKER Magazine’s “25 New Faces of Independent Film.” They include:

Alrick Brown (director, Kinyarwanda)
Ron Eyal & Eleanor Burke (director, Stranger Things)
Ryan Koo & Zachary Lieberman (co-creators, The Westside)
Paola Mendoza (director, Entre Nos)
Jessica Oreck (director, Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo)
Dee Rees (director, Pariah)

“I love being a New York-based filmmaker because I run into new scripts, new characters and new inspiration on every corner, in a subway car or just looking out over a window’s fire escape. The international and culturally diverse faces of New York also give me an invaluable window to the rest of the world,” says featured director Alrick Brown. “IFP’s work helping filmmakers build audiences and engage the public is a key part of the success of independent films. Making a film is just one part of the puzzle. Getting the film seen, getting it to your audience is paramount.”

The video series airs each night at 8:30pm from September 20-26 on NYC life, the flagship station of NYC Media, the official network of the City of New York. NYC life is available in the New York tri-state area on broadcast, cable and satellite channels, Channel 25 on most systems and Channel 22 on Cablevision. It will re-encore on NYC life Monday-Friday at 11:30pm and Saturday-Sunday at 11pm.

The series will also be available to watch online on the NYC Media Video on Demand player – nyc.gov/vod. Part of the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, NYC Media is the official TV, radio and online network of the City of New York, informing, educating and entertaining New Yorkers about the City’s diverse people and neighborhoods, government, services, attractions and activities.

For more information about the featured filmmakers and 2011 Independent Film Week: www.ifp.org
_______________

About IFP
The Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP) is the nation’s oldest and largest not-for-profit advocacy organization for independent filmmakers. Since its debut at the 1979 New York Film Festival, IFP has supported the production of over 7,000 films and offered resources to more than 20,000 filmmakers, providing an opportunity for many diverse voices to be heard. IFP believes that independent films enrich the universal language of cinema, seeding the global culture with new ideas, kindling awareness, and fostering activism. The organization championed the early work of pioneering independent filmmakers Charles Burnett, Todd Haynes, Mira Nair, Michael Moore, Joel and Ethan Coen, Kevin Smith, and Todd Solondz. IFP continues to play a vital role in launching first films of many of today’s rising stars on the independent scene including Debra Granik (“Down to the Bone”), Miranda July (“Me, You and Everyone We Know”), and Ryan Fleck & Anna Boden (“Half Nelson”).

www.ifp.org

About RBC
Royal Bank of Canada (RY on TSX and NYSE) and its subsidiaries operate under the master brand name RBC. We are Canada’s largest bank as measured by assets and market capitalization, and among the largest banks in the world, based on market capitalization. We are one of North America’s leading diversified financial services companies, and provide personal and commercial banking, wealth management services, insurance, corporate and investment banking and transaction processing services on a global basis. We employ approximately 79,000 full- and part-time employees who serve close to 18 million personal, business, public sector and institutional clients through offices in Canada, the U.S. and 51 other countries.

For more information, please visit rbc.com

The Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment

The Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment consists of the Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting, the Office of Digital Coordination and NYC Media, the official TV, radio and online network of the City of New York. The agency’s mission is to streamline government communications by making information accessible, leveraging technology to aid in the transparency of government and by supporting relevant media and entertainment industries in New York City.

Visit nyc.gov/mome to learn more or follow NYC Media on Twitter at twitter.com/nyc_media