Taking Place Virtually September 19-24, 2021

(July 29, 2021 – New York, NY) – Today, The Gotham Film & Media Institute (formerly, IFP), announced its slate for the Gotham Week Project Market, which will be held virtually, from September 19-24, 2021. It includes 135 fiction and nonfiction features, series, and audio projects, all in development and production stages. The Project Market, which turns 43 this year, has supported independent artists working in visual storytelling for decades and, over the last year, extended its support towards audio storytelling.

“We are proud to announce the extraordinary line up of new projects at this year’s Project Market – all of which feature distinctive and original voices. Our virtual format will again provide an exciting opportunity for independent artists to engage with a broader set of industry professionals and participants who can help support these new works,” said Jeffrey Sharp, The Gotham’s Executive Director. “The Gotham is indebted to our new and returning sponsors and partners who have continued to embrace our mission while working closely with us to expand our mandate in this new environment.”

The slate, featuring both U.S. and international projects, is comprised of 59 fiction feature and series projects, 50 documentary feature and series projects, and a range of 26 diverse audio projects in multiple genres. These numbers include 24 international projects across several programming sections chosen in collaboration with The Gotham’s international presenting partners.

The Gotham Week Project Market is a meetings-driven forum and the only international co-production market in the U.S. featuring stories for multiple platforms. The virtual event hosts pre-scheduled artist and industry meetings dedicated to furthering the work and careers of independent artists. A primary outcome for all artists participating in the Project Market is the facilitation of career-spanning relationships with distributors, financiers, production companies, festival programmers, sales/talent agents and collaborators among others. These invaluable relationships continue well beyond the five days of Gotham Week.

Over the past several years, industry attendees at Gotham Week have made early connections with the creators of works in recent distribution such as Crip Camp (Netflix); American Factory (Netflix); The Last Black Man in San Francisco (A24); Miss Juneteenth (Vertical Entertainment); Stray (Magnolia Pictures); Lingua Franca (ARRAY); Nine Days (Sony Pictures Classics); Selah and the Spades (Amazon Studios); Monos (NEON); Swallow (IFC Films); I’m No Longer Here (Netflix); The Man Who Sold His Skin (Samuel Goldwyn Films); House of Hummingbird (Well Go USA); Advocate (Film Movement/POV); Midnight Family (1091 Media); My Salinger Year (IFC Films); and The Truffle Hunters (Sony Pictures Classics).

The Gotham and Gotham Week are generously supported by a group of loyal corporate, foundation and government benefactors. The 2021 Sponsors include Premier Sponsors Amazon Studios and Netflix, Platinum Sponsor Audible; and Gold Sponsors SAGindie and WarnerMedia. Gotham Week is also supported by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, and the New York State Council on the Arts.

In its second year of going virtual, Gotham Week will also feature its traditional multi-day slate of panels, workshops, case studies, and keynote conversations, hosted online and centered on the current conversations and debates around contemporary independent storytelling. Additional details on The Gotham Week Conference schedule will be announced at a later date.

The full list of 135 projects participating in the 2021 Gotham Week Project Market is available here.

2021 Gotham Project Market Highlights

U.S. Fiction Features Highlights

New fiction feature films include Back Seat from Lana Wilson (After Tiller) and Fight from Musa Syeed (A Stray). Debut fiction features include Half Sweet by Julian Doan (“Raspberry”); Salt by Sushma Khadepaun (“Anita”); 1791 from Stefani Saintonge (“Fucked Like a Star”); Earthquake by Neo Sora (“The Chicken”); and Fancy Dance by Erica Tremblay (“Little Chief”).

New fiction feature films from notable producers and executive producers include Ale and the Boxer from Ramin Bahrani (The White Tiger); The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed from executive producer Sean Baker (The Florida Project); Old Haunts from producers Mollye Asher (Nomadland), Mynette Louie (I Carry You With Me), Shin Yamaguchi (37 Seconds), and executive producer Derek Nguyen (Catch the Fair One); Prone to Wander from executive producer Luca Borghese (Monsters and Men); and Salt from Monique Walton (Bull).

International Features Highlights

Michelle and Uri Kranot (The Hangman at Home, Best VR at Venice FF 2020) will present their first feature. Hope Dickson Leach (The Levelling) and Marcelo Martinessi (The Heiresses, winner of 2 Silver Berlin Bears at Berlinale 2018) will be presenting their second features. Johannes Nyholm (Koko-di Koko-da) will also be participating in the Project Market with a new project.

Notable producers and executive producers coming to Gotham Week with new fiction feature films include Bianca Balbuena (Season of the Devil), James Brown (Still Alice, Before You Know It), and Giancarlo Nasi (White on White).

Narrative Series Highlights

Series Producers/EPs who will be participating with their narrative series include Silas Howard (Pose), Jane Schoenbrun (The Eyeslicer, We’re All Going to the World’s Fair), and Kate Sullivan (Fosse/Verdon).

Narrative Series Creators/Writers like Joëlle Bourjolly and Alexandre Franchi (Happy Face), Mario Furloni and Kate McLean (Freeland), Stephanie Ouaknine (Carmilla) will also be participating.

​​Spotlight on Documentaries Highlights

Directors with new feature documentaries include Boycott from Julia Bacha (Budrus), Sansón and Me from Rodrigo Reyes (499), the Gender Project from Kimberly Reed (Dark Money), JFK8 [Working Title] from Brett Story (The Hottest August), HER from Geeta Gandbhir (Why We Hate), and Coexistence, My Ass! from Amber Fares (Speed Sisters).

New documentary features from top producers and executive producers include There Was, There Was Not from producer Mara Adina (Chuck Norris vs Communism); Light Darkness Light from Tom Yellin (Cartel Land); Third Act from producer Ursula Liang (Down a Dark Stairwell); and The Untitled 19th* News Film from producer Diane Quon (Minding the Gap) who is producing along with directors Heather Courtney (Where Soldiers Come From) and Chelsea Hernandez (Building the American Dream), and Princess A. Hairston. 

Audio Series and Originals Highlights

The Audio Series and Originals aims to highlight innovative projects from emerging and established artists and bridge the gap between them and the ever-growing audio industry. New audio work supported through Gotham Week includes new seasons of Tanisha Williams scripted dramedy Forties AF, Rebecca Duckert and Liz Beeson’s interview show, On the Virge; adaptations like Darkanas, an extension of Kelly Duda’s critically acclaimed documentary Factor 8: The Arkansas Prison Blood Scandal; series to be developed for film and TV like Chris Colbert and Adell Coleman’s Webby Award-Winning docuseries Say Their Name; and original work from notable artists including Freakish from creator James Kim (Moonface, Vermont Ave) as well as The Football Battalion, an audio feature from creator Jonathan Williamson (Men in Blazers).

About The Gotham Film & Media Institute

The Gotham champions the future of storytelling by connecting artists with essential resources at all stages of development and distribution. The organization, under the leadership of Executive Director and award-winning producer Jeffrey Sharp, fosters a vibrant and sustainable independent storytelling community through its year-round programs, which include Gotham Week, Gotham Labs, Filmmaker Magazine, the Gotham Awards, and Gotham EDU.

About Gotham Week

The Gotham Week Project Market nurtures both emerging and established artists by providing creative and business opportunities to groundbreaking storytellers working in film, TV, and audio. The goal of the market is to facilitate career-spanning relationships with distributors, financiers, production companies, festival programmers, sales and talent agents, collaborators, among others for all artists participating. The Gotham Week Conference explores the art and business of 21st century storytelling. Whether stories are told through film, TV, online, or new media channels, the Conference is the premiere place to interact with experts on how to connect with audiences and use new models to expand your story’s reach and sustain a long-term career.

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