IFP Announces Feature Film Slate for 2017 IFP Week
by Erik Luers on July 19, 2017
For our previously announced 2017 series slate, please click here.
July 20, 2017 (New York, NY) –Today, IFP (Independent Filmmaker Project) announced its 2017 IFP Week feature film slate, highlighting over 110 narrative and documentary projects in development from over 15 countries. This follows the earlier announcement of 37 television, digital and web series in development that have also been selected for the annual event. Combined, over 145 projects will be presented in DUMBO, Brooklyn September 17-21, 2017.
Under the curatorial leadership of Amy Dotson (Deputy Director/Head of Programming, IFP) and Milton Tabbot (Senior Director of Programming, IFP), the slate showcases original and provocative work, across a broad range of budgets, genres, sensibilities and platforms. Selections ranges from highly commercial indie fare to as well as work that tackles controversial subject matter, introduces wildly engaging and often hilarious worldviews, and challenges traditional form. Selected directors and producers will attend IFP Project Forum during IFP Week, the only International Co-Production Market in the U.S. featuring stories for all platforms.
IFP has played a vital role in launching the first and second features of now-established directors including Barry Jenkins (Moonlight), Derek Cianfrance (Blue Valentine), Robert Eggers (The Witch), Ciro Guerra (Embrace of the Serpent), David Lowery (A Ghost Story), Laura Poitras (CitizenFour), Dee Rees (Mudbound), Denis Villeneuve (Arrival), Roger Ross Williams (Life, Animated), and Benh Zeitlin (Beasts of the Southern Wild). IFP via Filmmaker Magazine-produced “25 New Faces of Independent Film” were early champions of a litany of creative visionaries who have gone on to make their mark in the creative community and popular culture including Cam Archer, Antonio Campos, Ryan Coogler, Lena Dunham, Shana Feste, Cary Fukunaga, Rachel Grady & Heidi Ewing, Patty Jenkins, Casey Neistat, Matt Porterfield, The Safdie Brothers, Sebastian Silva, and Craig Zobel.
“This year’s feature film program doesn’t shy away from tackling the controversial and key issues of our time. Art often reflects the times we live in, and this slate certainly represents a multitude of points of view and perspectives on America today,” says IFP Executive Director Joana Vicente. “Through the lens of race, religious expression, disability, female empowerment, immigration, truth, political correctness, radical inclusion and disenfranchisement, our artists pull no punches sharing their stories, demanding attention for the visions they share. ”
NARRATIVE HIGHLIGHTS
On the narrative side, U.S. feature projects are helmed by 70% diverse creators; 45% are women.
Highlighted projects include:
- The directorial debuts of singular actors Franka Potente (Run, Lola, Run), Clea DuVall (Better Call Saul), Colman Domingo (The Scottsboro Boys) as well as a new feature project produced by Elisabeth Moss (Handmaid’s Tale).
- New work from Tahir Jetter (How to Tell You’re a Douchebag), Adam Pinney (The Arbalest), Clay Liford (Slash), and Meera Menon (Equity).
- New talent supported by established producers include Jason Michael Berman (The Birth of a Nation), Marttise Hill & Julius Pryor (Cronies), James M. Johnston (A Ghost Story), Amy Lo (If Not Love), Seith Mann (The Breaks), Billy Mulligan (Yelling to the Sky), Sev Ohanian (Fruitvale Station), Pacho Velez (Manakamana), and Shin Yamaguchi (Enter The Void).
- International features in development from over 15 countries include new work from producers Eilon Razkovsky (Zero Motivation), Cristina Gallego (Embrace of the Serpent), Gaston Pavlovich (Silence), Alice Braga (City of God) Luc Dery & Kim McCraw (Incendies), Sylvain Corbell (It’s Only The End of the World), Martin Katz (Cosmopolis), and Ryan Zacarias (Mediterranea).
DOCUMENTARY HIGHLIGHTS:
On the documentary side, projects are helmed by 68% diverse creators; 55% are by women.
- New projects from directors Lyric Cabral ((T)error), Elizabeth Lo (Hotel 22), Stephen Maing (High Tech, Low Life), Stig Björkman (Ingrid Bergman: In Her Own Words), Brett Story (The Prison in Twelve Landscapes), Martha Shane (After Tiller), Ian Cheney (The City Dark), Lynn True & Nelson Walker (In Transit), Pernille Rose Grønkjær (The Monastery), Cristina Ibarra (Las Marthas), Clayton Brown & Monica Ross (The Atom Smashers), Mike Day (The Islands and the Whales)
- New projects supported by established producers Susan Bedusa (Kate Plays Christine), Shane Boris (All These Sleepless Nights), Chanelle Aponte Pearson (An Oversimplification of Her Beauty), and Femke Wolting (Nobody Speak: Trials of the Free Press) are featured in this year’s slate.
The 2017 IFP Week Film Slate is as follows :
NO BORDERS INTERNATIONAL CO-PRODUCTION MARKET
Presenting 41 narrative features ranging from an early-late financing stage (i.e. early development/production) to those nearing completion (i.e. in postproduction or at the rough cut stage), this section includes emerging and established filmmakers from the U.S. and 15 countries.
African America directed by Mfundo Mkhize, written by Muzi Mthembu and Phumelele Mthembu, produced by Muzi Mthembu and Phumelele Mthembu, and executive produced by Betty Mthembu, Muzi Mthembu and Phumelele Mthembu. A cynical South African steals money from her workplace and leaves her fiancé to pursue her misguided dream of being a Broadway star in New York city, only to find that there is no place like home. (Drama)
After Birth written and directed by Ben Nabors and produced by Brendan McHugh. A wealthy reclusive couple invites old friends to their rural estate where the prying house guests uncover a terrible secret about the couple’s sick baby. (Dramatic Thriller)
Almost in Love written and directed by Leonardo Brzezicki, produced and executive produced by Violeta Bava and Rosa Martínez Rivero. A chaotic summer in Argentina and Brazil becomes a turning point in the lives of a heart-broken man and his teenage daughter. (Drama)
Apacheria directed by Joey Grossfield, written by Andrew Reuland, and produced by Joey Grossfield and Andrew Reuland. 1896 New Mexico: an Apache reservation cop leads a posse of white ranchers on a manhunt for members of his own tribe. (Historical Fiction)
Blanquita directed by Fernando Guzzoni and produced by Giancarlo Nasi. Blanca, a young Chilean mother, returns to her former foster home and is suddenly embroiled in a national abuse scandal, cast as the victim, key witness and executioner of a case that shakes the foundations of society. (Dramatic Thriller)
Cantering written and directed by HIKARI and produced by Peter Maestrey, HIKARI, and Shin Yamaguchi. A naïve paraplegic artist submits her drawings to an adult comic magazine. Having no sexual experience, she initiates an unraveling adventure to get the job. (Drama)
City on Fire directed by Colman Domingo, written by Corey Miller, and produced by Jason Michael Berman. City on Fire tells the incendiary true story of an escalating conflict between the city of Philadelphia and the radical group MOVE, which led to an armed siege in a residential neighborhood and one of the most shocking decisions ever made by a city against its citizens. (Based on a True Story)
Clara Sola directed by Nathalie Álvarez Mesén, written by Nathalie Álvarez Mesén and Maria-Camila Arias, produced by Cristina Gallego, Katrin Pors and Nima Yousefi, and executive produced by Peter Krupenin. A magical and moving coming-of-age about special Clara and her inner struggle to defend her womanhood in a remote mountain village in Colombia. (Drama)
Close directed by Tahir Jetter, written by Tahir Jetter and Ellie Foumbi, and produced by Billy Mulligan and Tommy Oliver. A strong-willed, but emotionally unstable woman spirals out of control when her feelings for a new coworker are not reciprocated. (Thriller)
The Competition written and directed by Shelagh McLeod and produced by Jessica Adams and Sean Buckley. One old man with one last dream battles his family, ill health – and time – to win a golden ticket for the trip of a lifetime. (Family)
D-Days written and directed by Tamika Guishard, produced by Marttise Hill and Julius Pryor, and executive produced by Seith Mann. Three foster siblings from East New York struggle to forgive their birth-mothers – while healing from invisible wounds inflicted by PTSD, addiction & leukemia – through African rhythms. (Coming of Age)
Death on the Streets directed by Johan Carlsen, written by Johan Carlsen and Micah Magee, and produced by Micah Magee. Unemployed Kenneth leaves his family and rural Indiana hometown and takes to the road in search of work and self-validation. (Drama)
Deliver Us from Evil written and directed by Agnieszka Lukasiak and produced by Peter Krupenin. Interactive camp goes out of hand when students experience intolerance and discrimination in a WW2 exercise. (Drama)
Home written and directed by Franka Potente and produced by Maximilian Leo. Home is the story of someone willing to take on the full consequences of his gruesome past – no matter what it costs… (Drama)
Josephine written and directed by Beth de Araújo. An obedient eight-year-old girl unintentionally witnesses a rape in a park. Unraveling with fear and paranoia, her violent outbursts put her family and classmates in jeopardy. (Dramatic Thriller)
King of the Earth written and directed by Kevan Tucker. A young boy in the Reconstruction Era must stop his father, who has been possessed by a violent supernatural force that is pushing him to restore the former social order of the South. (Thriller)
Layne written and directed by Clea DuVall and produced by Sev Ohanian. When a grief-stricken woman catches a young thief in the act of stealing her car, they form the unlikeliest of friendships through home improvement and grand theft auto. (Drama)
Leventhal directed by Adam Sanderson, written by Adam Sanderson and Dina Sanderson, and produced by Yochanan Kredo and Eilon Ratzkovsky. A New York copywriter tries to figure out how guilty he is in ruining an ex colleague’s life. (Drama)
Light from Light (working title) written and directed by Paul Harrill and produced by James M. Johnston and Elisabeth Moss. In East Tennessee, a single mom and amateur ghost hunter must enlist her teenage son to investigate a grieving widower’s farmhouse. (Drama)
Little written and directed by Logan George and Celine Held and produced by Kara Durrett. Beneath New York City, a five-year-old girl lives in the tunnels with her heroin addicted mother. After a police-mandated eviction, they are forced to flee topside and face the world above, threatening their future as mother and daughter. (Drama)
Lolly directed and produced by John Barker. The somewhat true story of the selftitled King of Sleaze, Lolly Jackson, who struggled against his animal nature to find love and having failed chose notoriety instead. (Based on a True Story)
A Mall and the Night written and directed by Erin Vassilopolous. In a dying mall, a Sleepy’s employee sets out to reexamine her marriage and becomes embroiled in a heist of the mall jewelry store. (Drama)
The Man Who Sold His Skin directed by Kaouther Ben Hania and produced by Habib Attia and Nadim Cheikhrouha. What would happen if a renowned artist proposed to a refugee to become his own artwork to solve his paper problems? (Drama)
Mickey and the Bear written and directed by Annabelle Attanasio and produced by Lizzie Shapiro and Taylor Shung. In rural Montana, teenager Mickey Peck must break out of her oppressive relationship with her unstable, veteran father in order to forge her own independent identity as a woman. (Coming of Age)
Miss Juneteenth written and directed by Channing Godfrey Peoples and produced by James M. Johnston and Neil Creque Williams. A former beauty queen turned hardworking single mom prepares her rebellious teenage daughter for the pageant, hoping to keep her from repeating the same mistakes in life that she did. (Drama)
My Salinger Year written and directed by Philippe Falardeau, produced by Luc Déry and Kim McCraw. A young aspiring writer lands a day-job at J.D. Salinger’s literary agency: will her dreams be choked by the industry, or will she find inspiration? (Drama)
Nieves written and directed by Alejandra Marquez, produced by Nicolas Celis and Eduardo Donjuan. Nieves, 17, comes back to Mexico to meet her biological mother and little sister. New wounds appear and destiny threatens to be reshaped. (Drama)
A Nightmare Wakes written and directed by Nora Unkel, produced by Devin Shepherd, and executive produced by Cory McCrum and DJ Dodd. A Nightmare Wakes is a psychological thriller about the torrid love affair between Mary Shelley and Percy Shelley as Mary writes her famous book, Frankenstein. (Dramatic Thriller)
Nudes written and directed by Stephen Cone. A famous photographer moves back to her small South Carolina town and promptly launches a nude series, providing a much-needed jolt to the sleepy community and causing uneasy ripples in her estranged family. (Drama)
Quetzal (The Feathered Snake) written and directed by Alejandro Sugich, produced by Gaston Pavlovich, Alejandro Sugich and Kjartan Thor Thordarson, and executive produced by Gaston Pavlovich and Kjartan Thor Thordarson. Viking Baldur Helgason’s ship wrecked, and with a small raft made of wood and rope, he managed to find land. A group of natives find him unconscious on the shore and take him to their leader. It was the year 392 AC. (Historical Fiction)
Punch City directed by Bruce Smolanoff, written by Emilie McDonald and Bruce Smolanoff, and produced by Emilie McDonald, Matt Grady, and Bruce Smolanoff. Mel, living with her autistic brother and pill-popping mother, escapes nightly to perform underground comedy, driven by her dream to perform on The Tonight Show. (Drama)
The Room directed by Christian Volckman, written by Eric Forestier and Christian Volckman, and produced by Yaël Fogiel, Laetitia Gonzalez and Reginald de Guillebon. The Room follows a young couple who move deep into the New Hampshire woods to escape the stress of the big city. When they discover a mysterious room that fulfills every wish, their lives will be forever changed. (Supernatural)
Rustic Oracle written and directed by Sonia Bonspille Boileau and produced by Jason Brennan. Eight-year-old Ivy embarks on a desperate road trip with her mother in the hopes of finding her older sister Heather who has mysteriously gone missing from their Mohawk community. (Drama)
Selah and the Spades written and directed by Tayarisha Poe, produced by Lauren McBride, and executive produced by Terence Nance. Once upon a time, 17-year-old Selah’s desire for power and security led her to form her school’s most merciless faction: The Spades. (Drama)
So Long, Farewell written and directed by Adam Pinney. An exploration, physically and metaphysically, into the lives of several people involved in a series of revenge killings in a small Georgia town. (Drama)
Social Justice Warrior directed by Brett Weiner and written by Emma Fletcher and Brett Weiner. A privileged white college sophomore clashes with her history professor and throws her university into chaos when she attempts to ban offensive language on campus. (Dark Comedy)
The Sound of Animals Fighting written and directed by Sibs Shongwe-La Mer and produced by Neil Brandt and Laura Colucci. When two brothers from Johannesburg are accused of a friend’s death, they escape both the law and their demons by skipping the country and hiding out in a fog of hedonism in the megatropolis of Sao Paulo. (Crime Thriller)
Sticks & Stones directed by Martin Skovbjerg, written by Christian Gamst Miller- Harris, produced by Eva Jakobsen, and executive produced by Mikkel Jersin and Katrin Pors. Simon arrives in Vesterby from Copenhagen, ready to start the 10th grade. He is an outsider in a brand new place and alone, until he meets Bjarke – Vesterby’s 15-year-old alpha male. The two teens start challenging each other in intimate and transgressive actions whilst creating their graduation project for school. (Coming of Age)
The Texas High School Regional Theater Festival Murders written and directed by Clay Liford and produced by Steve Berger and Brock Williams. After witnessing a murder at a prestigious theater festival, a teacher and her star pupil must decide what to do in order to still win. (Comedy)
Turquoise written and directed by Brian M. Cassidy and Melanie Shatzky and produced by Sylvain Corbeil and Ryan Zacarias. Following the tragic death of his older brother, 13 year-old Antoine and his family retreat to a seaside town to grieve. When Antoine falls quietly in love with an enigmatic older girl, obsessive feelings of paranoia and jealousy are aroused in the boy’s mother. (Dramatic Thriller)
The Witchdoctor’s Apprentice directed by Meera Menon, written by Amy Tofte and produced by Reena Dutt and Pacho Velez. Nicole Maxwell’s true quest to discover a legendary fertility plant used by tribes of the Amazon rain forest, in the process learning more about herself in the jungle around her. (Based on a True Story)
IFP NARRATIVE LABS
A yearlong mentorship program supporting 10 U.S. first-features in post-production through completion, marketing and distribution.
American Thief directed by Miguel Silveira, written by Miguel Silveira and Michel Stolnicki, co-written by Melissa Hernandez, produced by Michel Stolnicki, and executive produced by Charles Martinez. A teen hacker seeking revenge for his father’s murder is caught by the darker elements of the deep web. (Thriller)
Cubby directed by Mark Blane and Ben Mankoff, written by Mark Blane, produced by Carolina GImenez, and executive produced by David France. A depressed and unfocused Brooklyn babysitter finds self-discipline and his artistic calling in the arms of a male dominatrix who appears thanks to a psychedelic cupcake.(Coming of Age)
Dead Pigs written and directed by Cathy Yan, produced by Clarissa Zhang and Jane Zheng, and executive produced by Jia Zhangke. A bumbling pig farmer, a feisty salon owner, a sensitive busboy, an ambitious expat architect and a disenchanted rich girl converge and collide as thousands of dead pigs float down the river towards a rapidly modernizing Shanghai. Based on true events. (Drama)
The Garden Left Behind directed by Flavio Alves. written by John Rotondo, and produced by Kristen Lovell and Roy Wol. A Mexican trans woman struggles to build a life for herself as an undocumented immigrant in New York City. (Drama)
Gepetto written and directed by Z Behl, produced by Carlos Zozaya, and executive produced by Emilia Mello. A disgruntled female carpenter paints her entire body with wood grain, transforming herself into Pinocchio, a wildly destructive creature, who wreaks havoc on the town. (Adventure)
Jinn written and directed by Nijla Mu’min and produced by Avril Speaks. A shape-shifting, pepperoni-loving, black teenage Instagram celebrity converts to Islam. Here’s what happens. (Coming of Age)
Jules of Light and Dark written and directed by Daniel Laabs and produced by Liz Cardenas Franke, Daniel Laabs, Judd Myers, Cameron Nelson, Russell Sheaffer, and Jeff Walker. A Texas-set chronicle of a young woman’s relationship with her girlfriend, Jules, and the man who saved them from a near fatal car wreck. (Drama)
Kids Go Free to Fun Fun Time written and directed by Ben Hicks and produced by Rene Jermal. A young couple is moving from country to country in search of adventure and purpose. Until an incident forces them to come to terms with the relationship problems they’ve had for years. (Drama)
Nancy written and directed by Christina Choe, produced by Amy Lo, Michelle Cameron, and Andrea Riseborough, and executive produced by Michael G. Wilson, Barbara Broccoli, Mynette Louie, and Rachel Song. A psychological thriller about an invisible woman desperate to be seen, who blurs the line between truth and fiction. (Dramatic Thriller)
The Third Wife written and directed by Ash Mayfair and produced by Ngoc Tran Thi Bich. 19th century rural Vietnam, 14-year-old May is ready to become the third wife of a wealthy landowner. Little does she know that her hidden desires will take her by surprise and force her to make a choice between living in safety and being free. (Drama)
SPOTLIGHT ON DOCUMENTARIES
Presenting 50 documentary features ranging from an early financing stage (i.e. early development/production) to those nearing completion (i.e. in postproduction or at the rough cut stage), this section includes emerging and established filmmakers in non-fiction.
100 Million Views directed by Itamar Rose; written by Itamar Rose, Noam Pinchas, and Tal Barda; and produced by Noam Pinchas and Tal Barda. Itamar Rose, a failed YouTuber, sets out to uncover the secret of virality and discovers the untold truths about YouTube and the viral world.
Advocate (working title) directed by Rachel Leah Jones and Philippe Bellaiche, written by Rachel Leah Jones, and produced by Rachel Leah Jones, Philippe Bellaiche, and Paul Cadieux. In the quest for justice, Israeli human rights lawyer Lea Tsemel isn’t afraid to get her own hands dirty.
The Angola Project: Detroit (working title) directed by Jeremy Xido, written by Jeremy Xido and Igor Dobricic, and produced by Amanda Burr, Sigrid Dyekjaer, and Susanne Guggenberger. A film about traveling the world in an attempt to understand who you are and where you’re from. And returning home to find it in ruins.
The Bellingcat Method directed and written by Hans Pool and produced by Femke Wolting. Online collective Bellingcat investigates the net 24/7 for true information to make people accountable for their deeds. Bellingcat’s main source: open data from smart phones.
Busy Inside directed by Olga Lvoff, produced by Victor Ilyukhin, and executive produced by Alexandra Shiva. Karen, a therapist, treats those with Dissociative Identity Disorder — a multiple personality condition she also has. She and her patients seek to be themselves.
Charlotte So Far directed by Douglas Tirola, written by Douglas Tirola and Charlotte Tirola, and produced by Susan Bedusa. A teenage girl explores the intricacies of maintaining friendships in the age of social media, all while trying to determine who she really is.
A Cops and Robbers Story directed by Ilinca Calugareanu, produced by Mara Adina, and executive produced by John Battsek. Growing up in Queens in the 70s, Corey Pegues played Cops and Robbers like all the other kids but he never expected to become both.
Crime + Punishment directed by Stephen Maing, produced by Stephen Maing and Ross Tuttle, and executive produced by Laura Poitras. Amidst a landmark lawsuit over illegal policing quotas, Crime + Punishment intimately observes the real lives and struggles of a group of black and Latino whistleblower cops and the young minorities they are pressured to arrest and summons in New York City.
Crip Camp directed and written by Jim LeBrecht and Nicole Newnham and produced by Jim LeBrecht, Nicole Newnham, and Sara Bolder. The improbable story of the revolution sparked in a radical summer camp for disabled teens in the 1970’s. Not overcoming. Becoming.
Dawnland directed by Adam Mazo and Ben Pender-Cudlip, produced by Adam Mazo and N. Bruce Duthu, and executive produced by Beth Murphy and Heather Rae. A story of stolen children and cultural survival: inside the first truth and reconciliation commission for Native Americans.
The Drum Also Waltzes: In Search of Max Roach directed and produced by Sam Pollard and Ben Shapiro. The Drum Also Waltzes explores the life of percussionist, composer Max Roach—his surprising musical legacy, cultural activism, and times of struggle and creative triumph.
The Emoji Project directed by Martha Shane and Ian Cheney, and produced by Martha Shane, Ian Cheney, and Jennifer Lee. The Emoji Project explores the complex, conflict-prone, and often hilarious world of the designers, lovers, and arbiters of emoji, our world’s newest pictorial language.
The Evidence of Things Not Seen directed by Ja’Tovia Gary and produced by Gina Duncan. The filmmaker embarks on an intimate and nonconventional journey to explore her most foundational relationships as well as the pivotal events that shape her identity.
The Fight directed and written by Violeta Ayala and produced by Dan Fallshaw, Violeta Ayala, and Redelia Shaw. What happens when people with disabilities in Bolivia have to fight for their survival?
Game Girls directed by Alina Skrzeszewska and produced by Jean-Laurent Csinidis, Meike Martens, and Kelly Parker. Can the love between two women survive Los Angeles’ skid row?
Glass Under My Skin directed and written by Moara Passoni and produced by Moara Passoni and Mariana Lima. Glass under my Skin is a road trip through the mind of Beatriz (19), a woman struggling to overcome anorexia.
The Great Experiment directed and produced by Eric Daniel Metzgar and Stephen Maing. A cinematic mosaic of the “great experiment” of American democracy as it teeters on a precipice during one of our most tumultuous and defining years.
The Hottest August directed by Brett Story, produced by Brett Story and Danielle Varga, and executive produced by Maida Brankman. A portrait of New York during the sweltering heat and persistent tension of August, The Hottest August offers an intimate and unnerving portrait of our time.
How to Have an American Baby directed by Leslie Tai and produced by Leslie Tai and Jillian Schultz. How to Have an American Baby is a kaleidoscopic voyage behind the closed doors of the booming Chinese birth tourism industry in Los Angeles.
Hunting for Hedonia directed by Pernille Rose Grønkjær, written by Lone Frank, and produced by Sigrid Jonsson Dyekjær. What if electrodes inserted in the brain could alter your mind and change pain into pleasure?
The Infiltrators directed and produced by Cristina Ibarra and Alex Rivera and executive produced by Daniel Chalfen. When two young immigrant-activists get detained by Border Patrol, on purpose, their mission to expose the abuses inside a detention center becomes much more complex and dangerous than they imagined…
Joyce Carol Oates: I’ll Take You There directed by Stig Björkman, written by Stig Björkman and Stina Gardell, produced by Stina Gardell and Cynthia Kane. Joyce Carol Oates, iconic writer, takes us on a journey through landscapes, histories and mythologies, celebrating the power of language and imagination.
The Jump directed by Giedre Zickyte and produced by Daniel Chalfen. When a renowned cold-war asylum seeker dramatically makes it to the US, his dream of freedom is complicated by an immigrant’s reality.
Leftover Women directed by Shosh Shlam and Hilla Medalia and produced by Hilla Medalia, Shosh Shlam, and Jürgen Kleinig. Single women in their mid-20’s, living in China’s big cities are deemed “Leftover Women” by society. This is their grueling quest to find “Mr. Right.”
Life Crime directed by NC Heikin and produced by NC Heikin, Su Kim, and Redelia Shaw. Criminal injustice as seen through the eyes of a brilliant musician and convicted murderer.
Love Gilda directed and written by Lisa D’Apolito and produced by Lisa D’Apolito and James Tummina. The story of how one beloved comedienne found her humor in the midst of the unfunniest thing to ever happen to her.
Madame Tran’s Last Battle directed and produced by Kate Taverna and Alan Adelson, written by Alan Adelson, and executive produced by Abigail Disney and Gini Reticker. Madame Tran is suing twenty-six American manufacturers of Agent Orange, seeking accountability for the devastation it has wrought on the Vietnamese people and their environment.
Midnight Family directed by Luke Lorentzen, produced by Kellen Quinn, and executive produced by Daniela Alatorre and Elena Fortes. In Mexico City, 16-year-old Juan Ochoa struggles to legitimize his family’s unlicensed ambulance business as corrupt police in the neighborhood begin to target this cutthroat industry.
Missing in Brooks County directed and written by Lisa Molomot and Jeff Bemiss; produced by Lisa Molomot, Jeff Bemiss, and Jacob Bricca; and executive produced by Abigail Disney and Gini Reticker. In a small town in Texas, the border wall has already arrived.
The Mountain and The Magic City directed by Bridget Besaw and Ben Severance, produced by Ben Severance, and executive produced by Bridget Besaw. An intimate portrait of neighbors forced to confront the issues dividing America today when a controversial national park comes to town.
My Fugitive directed and written by Nina Gilden Seavey and produced by Nina Gilden Seavey, Cheryl Thompson, and Linda Morgenstern. We are all being watched. What if our actions are interpreted through a political lens that ensnares us in an unyielding net? Welcome to My Fugitive.
NIGHT/vision (working title) directed by Eva Weber and produced by Nicole Stott. A love song and eulogy to London – a city irrevocably changing – through the eyes of those who inhabit, work, and travel through the urban night.
Out in the Cold directed by Alison Millar, produced by Rachel Hooper, and executive produced by Sam Collyns. A secret birth; a newborn baby found dead in a park. How did young mother Ashley Ard become Alaska’s most hated woman, now facing prison for murder?
The Poetry of Cowboys directed by Mike Day and produced by Charlotte Cook. A tale of the American west and a nation at a crossroads. The Poetry of Cowboys takes us on an unexpected journey busting myths and stereotypes.
A Prince from Outer Space: Zeki Muren directed by Beyza Boyacioglu and produced by Beyza Boyacioglu, Steve Holmgren, and Selin Murat. Before Bowie, there was Zeki! The film unpacks the legend of Turkey’s greatest popstar and queer icon while contemplating on the power of star mythology and fandom.
The Prophet directed and written by Ilan Rubin Fields and produced by Naomi Levari and Saar Yogev. Life and times of American Rabbi Meir Kahane: Activist turned terrorist turned politician turned martyr, and the mainstream revival of his extreme ideas in Israel.
Queen of the Battling Butterfly Brigade directed by Daniel Hymanson, produced by Kellen Quinn, and executive produced by Josh Penn and Noah Stahl. A film about evolution, ecstasy, and finding the infinite in the infinitesimal.
The Rashomon Effect directed by Lyric Cabral and produced by Lyric Cabral and Jessica Devaney. What happened when unarmed Black teen Michael Brown was fatally shot by White police officer Darren Wilson? The government has one truth, eyewitnesses have many.
Reentry (Working Title) directed by Jennifer Redfearn and produced by Jennifer Redfearn and Tim Metzger. When a mother goes to prison for addiction, her family does time too.
The Roar of a Lion Cub directed by Martina Radwan, produced by Martina Radwan and Amanda Spain, and executive produced by Jonathan Gray. Three Mongolian street kids nearly become the “bad kids” society expects them to be, when an outsider offers them a second chance.
Silicon Valley Project directed by David Carr-Brown, produced by Christoph Jorg, and executive produced by Erin Griffin. An investigation into Silicon Valley’s imperial ambitions, and the underlying political project that is transforming our lives, and defining our future.
Stray directed by Elizabeth Lo and produced by Elizabeth Lo and Shane Boris. Stray enters the world of Turkish dogs and the oftentimes marginalized people around them who together face a nation in a profound state of flux.
Theater of Conflict (working title) directed and produced by Lynn True and Nelson Walker. A United Nations media producer goes rogue in the Congo and launches an unorthodox art project aimed at provoking urgent reflection on conflict and peacekeeping.
Time for Ilhan directed by Norah Shapiro; produced by Chris Newberry, Jennifer Steinman, and Sabrina Schmidt Gordon, and executive produced by Annie Sundberg. Ilhan Omar, a young, refugee mother-of-three, takes on two formidable opponents as she campaigns to become the first Somali Muslim woman elected to State Legislature.
Untamed directed by Simon Wood. Facing his approaching death, Poet Ian McCallum, spends his last days retracing his former lives as wilderness guide, Jungian analyst, psychiatrist, divorcee, international sports star, homesick schoolboy and young child in rural Zambia. Spanning seven decades, weaving through an archival journey that moves backwards in time, reflecting on landscape and memories, we seek out the ancient wild origins of the human psyche.
Untitled Devil Project directed by Michael Palmieri and Donal Mosher and produced by Charlotte Cook. A town becomes a microcosm for the complexities and contradictions of society’s divides. Evangelical Christians and Drag Queens alike dismantle stereotypes to explore the meaning of belief.
Untitled Race & Criminal Justice Project directed by Ursula Liang and produced by Chanelle Aponte Pearson and Rajal Pitroda. A nuanced look at how two communities of color navigate an uneven criminal justice system, anchored by one polarizing New York City case.
Watermelon Thump Queen directed and produced by Farihah Zaman and Jeff Reichert. In the “toughest town in Texas”, a high stakes election plays out as seven high school girls compete to become the next Watermelon Thump Queen.
We Believe In Dinosaurs directed by Clayton Brown and Monica Ross; written by Monica Ross; produced by Clayton Brown, Monica Ross, and Amy Ellison; and executive produced by Morgan Spurlock and Jeremy Chilnick. Creationists build a life-sized replica of Noah’s Ark to convince us all that the Earth is only 6,000 years old.
The Youth directed and produced by Eunice Lau and Arthur Nazaryan. A father seeks to understand why his son is accused of terrorism after an FBI sting operation puts him in prison. “The Youth” follows the lives of Somali-Americans in Minnesota as they struggle against Islamophobia in contemporary America.
IFP DOCUMENTARY LABS
A year-long mentorship program supporting 10 U.S. first-feature documentaries in post-production through completion, marketing and distribution.
The Area directed by David Schalliol and produced by David Schalliol, Brian Ashby, and Yana Kunichoff. On the South Side of Chicago, an activist and a former gang member negotiate the meaning of community as a rail yard engulfs their neighborhood.
Baato directed by Lucas Millard and Kate Stryker and produced by Lucas Millard. Deep in the Himalayan mountains the first road is coming, and this new highway to China will forever change Nepali village life.
¡Las Sandinistas! directed and written by Jenny Murray and produced by Jenny Murray and Sarah Winshall. ¡Las Sandinistas! uncovers the disappearing stories of women who shattered barriers to lead combat and social reform during Nicaragua’s 1979 Sandinista Revolution.
Leave The Bus Through The Broken Window directed by Andrew Hevia. A broken-hearted filmmaker navigates an unfamiliar city, an international art fair and his own emotional turmoil in this dark, playful and unexpectedly comedic documentary.
Personal Statement directed by Juliane Dressner and Edwin Martinez and produced by Juliane Dressner and Beth Levison. Three Brooklyn public school seniors overcome considerable challenges to get themselves and their classmates to college.
A Photographic Memory directed by Rachel Elizabeth Seed, produced by Rachel Elizabeth Seed and Danielle Varga, and executive produced by Maida Brankman. A daughter attempts to piece together a portrait of her mother, a woman she never knew, through their shared passion for photography.
Shadow of His Wings directed by Lucas Habte and produced by Lucas Habte, Isidore Bethel, and Tigist Schmidt. In Addis Ababa, a young filmmaker falls in love with an Ethiopian man who flees homophobic death threats to become France’s first Ethiopian LGBT refugee.
Shirkers directed and produced by Sandi Tan and executive produced by Jessica Levin. In 1992, a mysterious American shot Singapore’s first indie… then stole the footage! 20 years later, the reels are found in New Orleans: What now?
TransMilitary directed by Gabriel Silverman, written and produced by Jamie Coughlin, and executive produced by Fiona Dawson. With transgender service in the U.S. military banned, four transgender troops risk discharge by fighting to attain the freedom they so fiercely protect.
We Are Not Princesses directed by Bridgette Auger and Itab Azzam and produced by Itab Azzam and Hal Scardino. Antigone, the ancient Greek heroine, ignites the spirits of a group of Syrian women living in Beirut’s refugee camps.
LEADING SPONSORS
The IFP and IFP Week are generously supported by a group of loyal corporate, foundation and government benefactors. The 2017 Sponsors are Premier Sponsors HBO and Amazon Studios; Gold Sponsors A&E IndieFilms, SAGIndie and Vimeo; and Silver Sponsors Kodak, National Film & Video Foundation of South Africa and Telefilm Canada. IFP Week is also supported by grants from the Ford Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, the New York State Council on the Arts and the Time Warner Foundation.
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, Filmmaker Magazine, IFP Gotham Awards and the Made in NY Media Center by IFP, a new incubator space developed with the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment. IFP represents an ever-growing network of 10,000+ storytellers around the world, and plays a key role in developing 350 new feature and documentary works each year. During its 39-year history, IFP has supported over 12,000 projects and offered resources.