Guest Speakers include Sean Rameswaram (Today, Explained/Vox), Laura Beil (Dr. Death) Becca Tobin (Act Like A Lady) Juliet Litman (The Ringer), Jenna Weiss-Berman (Pineapple Street Studios)

NEW YORK, September 9, 2020 – IFP announced today the slate of audio-centric public programming for the 42nd  IFP Week, which will take place virtually Sunday, September 20th to Friday, September 25th. The audio programming caps off six full days of public programming that also include discussions about film and TV. 

The audio programming complements the first ever Audible Audio Hub at IFP Week’s Project Forum–for which 36 high quality audio projects will meet with some of the audio industry’s leading producers and financiers.

“We are thrilled to be expanding our programming into audio storytelling for the 42nd annual IFP Week,” said Jeffrey Sharp, Executive Director of IFP. “As the demand for audio entertainment increases, it is crucial that we continue to showcase the ways in which creatives are using their voices and telling stories.”

IFP Week’s audio programming will take place Thursday, September 24th and Friday, September 25th and consist of two days of robust conversations and events that will explore audio storytelling, real-time decision making, and what goes on behind the scenes in the world of audio. Highlights include:

“FIRST LISTEN” AUDIO CONTENT PREMIERES

Leading producers will offer an exclusive sneak peek of soon-to-launch audio projects at First Listen events taking place on both nights. Attendees will hear extended clips from a number of exciting, forthcoming audio projects from Audible, Pushkin, Penguin Random House, Wondery, and more. Hosts will introduce and briefly answer moderator questions about the projects.

PANEL PROGRAMMING

Making it Work: Business Models & Strategies for Audio – a conversation with Jenna Weis-Berman (Pineapple Street Media), Jen Sargent (Wondery), Veronika Taylor (Acast) and more discussing the business of podcasting and some strategies for monetization. 

“Did I Just Hear That?” – a conversation with Lisa Hagen (No Compromise/NPR) , Joshua Bloch (Escaping NXIVM/CBC), Laura Beil (Dr. Death/ Wondery), Josh Dean (The Clearing/Gimlet and Pineapple Street Media), Laura Beil (Dr. Death/Wondery), and Henry Molofsky (Wind of Change/Pineapple Street) and more about the sometimes unbelievable things they’ve heard and gotten on tape. 

“Podcasting In Real Time” – Juliet Litman (The Ringer), Neal Carruth (NPR), Sean Rameswaram (Today, Explained/Vox), Megan Marcus (CNN) and others will discuss how they are making editorial decisions in real time about what to cover and how to cover it in the face of a global pandemic and social unrest in the United States.

“Production Flow: Demystified” – Becca Tobin (Act Like A Lady/PRH), Vann R Newkirk II (Floodlines/The Atlantic), Mia Lobel (Revisionist History/Pushkin), Ashley Lusk (CNN), and others reveal the unexpected (and sometimes messy) ways ideas develop into fully-formed audio projects. 

“Imagined Futures: Data & Privacy” –  Dave Zorhob (Chartable), Blake Eskin (The New School),  and others will present imagined futures for metrics and data privacy in the podcasting space.  

DIRECT ACCESS

Throughout the programming, attendees will get access to leading industry decision makers and thought leaders via IFP’s signature “Direct Access” event series. Participants can register for hands-on workshops and intimate Q&A’s with veterans like Penguin Random House’s Lance Fitzgerald & Catherine Bucaria, Audible Originals Editor-in-Chief Dave Blum alongside theatre disruptor Kate Navin; and CNN’s Design Strategist for Podcast & Audio, Lindsay Abrams, among others.

This year’s public programming was created as a collaborative effort between Executive Director Jeff Sharp and the IFP team lead by Audio Hub Project Manager Alexandra Blair. 

For additional detailed information on IFP Week and programming, as well to purchase tickets please visit or website at www.IFPWeek.com/conference

LEADING SPONSORS

IFP and IFP Week are generously supported by a group of loyal corporate, foundation and government benefactors. The 2020 Sponsors are Premier Sponsors Netflix and WarnerMedia; Platinum Sponsor Audible; Gold Sponsors SAGindie and Spotify. IFP Week is also supported by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, and New York State Council on the Arts.

ABOUT IFP

The Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP) champions the future of storytelling by connecting film, series, digital and audio artists with essential resources at all stages of development through 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. www.ifp.org

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