2012 Project Forum Slate
by The Gotham Staff on August 10, 2012 in What's New at IFP?
Click Here to Read the Full Press Release
Click Here to Download a PDF version of the Project Forum Slate.
Emerging Narrative
25 Feature Scripts in Development
Arrow Written and directed by Emily Carmichael, produced by Adam Spielberg and Josh Hetzler, cinematography by Ben Richardson. In a madcap alternate-reality Brooklyn, three science-fiction heroes face their greatest challenge yet: not saving the world anymore. (Sci-fi/Comedy)
The Assumption Written and directed by Tom Quinn, produced by Steve Beal and Ellen Knechel. A young priest attempting to save his elementary school from closure becomes a local celebrity after a near-death experience. (Drama)
Baby Lu Written and directed by Emily Ray Reese, produced by Tati Barrantes and Caroline Oliveira. A forbidden crush forces 13-year-old Lucinda and her mountain man father to confront her developing sexuality in a small town in Northern New Mexico. (Coming of Age)
The Blandishments Written and directed by Kyle Smith. The Blandishments, a five-piece band from Indiana, weather the challenges that come with writing a hit alternative-rock song in 1993. (Comedy)
Brooklyn Flee Written and directed by Alexandra Roxo, written and produced by Devon Kirkpatrick. When two girls meet online and agree to drive across country together, their impromptu adventure brings them much closer than they’d anticipated. (Comedy)
Chicken Day Written by Melissa Brandt. A troublesome teenage girl must win a small town’s annual chicken competition in order to save the members of her dysfunctional family. (Drama)
Cutlet Written and directed by Clay Liford, produced by Angie Meyer and Brock Williams. A road trip to an isolated farm becomes a nightmare for two siblings when they are forced to battle a mutated herd of carnivorous cattle. (Dark Comedy / Horror)
Deprivation Written and directed by Jason Doty. Three days after his family dies mysteriously, a man discovers he can travel into the past as long as he never falls asleep. (Thriller)
The Doctor Written and directed by Musa Syeed. Nadir, a failed doctor from India, finds a way back into medicine when he lands a job at an illegal underground clinic in New York. (Drama)
Empty Vector Written, directed, and produced by Perry Blackshear, produced by Kiara Jones and Kimberly Parker. Two struggling young biologists stumble upon a startling breakthrough, the significance of which both men may be unable or unwilling to accept. (Dramatic Thriller)
Hands and Knees Written and directed by Zoje Stage. Driven nearly mad by domesticity, a stay-at-home mom is pushed to the edge when her mute daughter suddenly claims to be a 17th-century witch. (Drama)
In Eden Written and directed by Michael Choi, executive produced by Andrew Fierberg and Kyungmi Kim. Joe believes his mother was abducted by aliens and will return in three weeks, while his father discovers love and struggles to rebuild their family. (Coming of Age)
Incognito Written, directed and produced by Priyanka Kumar. 17-year-old Meena teams up with her father to help the Pakistani prime minister – who is on a secret pilgrimage in India – dodge an assassination attempt. (Drama)
Invisible Son Written and directed by Deron Albright, written by Yao B. Nunoo, produced by Deron Albright and Dede Maitre. Having lost legal status, a Ghanaian must negotiate the minefield of immigrant life to raise his infant daughter and reclaim the love of his life. (Drama)
La Marea Written and directed by Naftali Rutter, produced by David Targan, executive produced by Sabin Streeter. A troubled American soldier is drawn to a Mexican lagoon where three women, two ghosts, and a pod of mysterious whales will change his life forever. (Drama)
Min ha’Metzar Written and directed by Lawrence Horwitz, produced by Joshua Marston. When a young, Hasidic husband in Brooklyn learns he is infertile, he’s forced to enter a secular world he knows nothing about in order to save his marriage, his family, and his faith. (Drama)
The Oldest Man Alive Directed and written by Antonio Tibaldi, written by Ryan Brown. A suicidal octogenarian inventor finds a reason to live in the beautiful Romanian woman who saves him from drowning. But where will his infatuation lead? (Drama)
Papaw Easy Written by Martha Stephens and Karrie Crouse, directed by Martha Stevens, produced by Christina Jennings and Brett Potter. Under the watchful eye of his strict evangelical uncle, a shy young boy forges an unlikely partnership with a foul-mouthed, down-and-out playboy. (Coming of Age)
The Price of Flowers Written and directed by Ashley Charbonnet, produced by Christopher Brown. On poverty’s fringes, New Orleans street hustler Red and his dying lover Sal’s hopes for a home together are stifled when shadows of Red’s past resurface. (Drama)
Scenes from the Slope Written by Desiree Akhavan, produced by Cecilia Fruguiele. Based on the award-winning web series The Slope, the story of superficial, homophobic, lesbians. In love. (Romantic Comedy)
Sweet Lover Written and directed by Dustin Defa, produced by Ryan Zacarias and Brooke Bernard. A small-time hustler and his teenage lover flee New York City in hopes of becoming a normal domestic couple. (Drama)
Taminex Written by Anya Meksin and William Gerrard, directed by Anya Meksin, produced by Kristie Lutz. During a pandemic, a sheltered young woman must venture into the city’s most dangerous district to procure the drug that can save her boyfriend’s life. (Thriller)
Tokyo Cannonball Rising Sun Written, directed, and produced by Malcolm Murray, written by Michael Meyer, produced by Brandon Harris and executive producer Neda Armian. After the death of his wife, a middle-aged Japanese man seeks a fresh start on a New Mexico ranch, but he finds a world largely divorced from his long-harbored fantasies of the Southwestern cowboy lifestyle. (Drama)
The Whispering Giant Written by Kim Spurlock, Mai Spurlock, and Andrey Paounov, directed by Kim Spurlock, produced by Mollye Asher. Sometimes a broken heart is the only way to learn how to love. (Drama)
Zero Days Written and directed by Greg Gilpatrick. Amidst the shambles of future New York, a detective helps those abandoned by advancing technology. His latest case leads him to question everything he believes.
Independent Filmmaker Labs
20 Feature and Documentary Projects in Post-Production by first-time directors.
Narrative Selections:
Bastards of Young Written, directed and produced by Josiah Signor, produced by Mike Rossetti, Robert Profusek, Ryan Silbert, and Gigi Dement, and executive produced by Alexandre Rockwell. Kevin and Julie throw their last annual Halloween party, but instead of celebrating, friends are forced to confront darker realities: adultery, divorce, and pregnancy. Hijinks ensue. (Comedy)
Blue Caprice Written and directed by Alexandre Moors, written by R.F.I. Porto, produced by Isen Robbins, Aimee Schoof, Ron Simons, Kim Jackson, Stephen Tedeschi, and Brian O’Carroll, and executive produced by Hilary Stabb, Jonathan Gray, Will Rowbotham, Tara Kromer, and Isaiah Washington. Blue Caprice is a narrative feature film inspired by the events known as the Beltway sniper attacks. (Dramatic Thriller)
Concussion Written and directed by Stacie Passon, produced by Rose Troche, and executive produced by Anthony Cupo and Cliff Chenfeld. By day, as her kids sit in school, a bored, wealthy, lesbian housewife from the suburbs becomes a prostitute for women. (Drama)
El Empantanado (The Muddy) Written and directed by Felipe Echavarria, produced by Maggie Drayton, and executive produced by Dawson Peden and Egon Stephan Jr. While on vacation in the Florida Keys, a Colombian kidnap victim must decide whether to punish or forgive his best friend, his wife, and himself. (Drama/ International)
The Forgotten Kingdom Written, directed, and edited by Andrew Mudge, produced by Cecil Matlou and TR Boyce, and executive produced by Terry Leonard. Returning to Lesotho to bury his father, a young man rediscovers the beauty and hardships of the people and land he had forgotten. (Drama/ International)
Go Down Death Written and directed by Aaron Schimberg, and produced by Vanessa McDonnell and Caroline Oliveira. A frail schoolboy, a sinister doctor, a disfigured outcast, incompetent soldiers, and others await their demise in this adaptation of folktales by Jonathan Mallory Sinus. (Dark Comedy)
Hide Your Smiling Faces Written, directed and produced by Daniel Carbone, and produced by Matthew Petock, Zachary Shedd, and Jordan Bailey-Hoover. An atmospheric exploration of nature, grief, and mortality in rural America seen through the eyes of two adolescent brothers who lose a close friend. (Coming of Age)
I Believe in Unicorns Written and directed by Leah Meyerhoff, produced by Heather Rae, and executive produced by Allison Anders. A teenage girl avoids caring for her disabled mother by running away with an older boy, but not even unicorns can save her now. (Coming of Age)
Karaoke Girl Written and directed by Visra Vichit Vadakan and produced by Pornmanus Rattavanich and Samina Akbari. Balancing fact and fiction, dream and reality, “Karaoke Girl” follows Sa, a young country girl who works at a karaoke bar in Bangkok to support her family back home. (Drama/ International)
Land of Tomorrow Written and directed by Kimberly Levin, produced by Kurt Pitzer, and executive produced by Will Battersby and Julia Chasman. As financial pressures mount on her family’s farm-supply business, Betty commits an unthinkable crime for the sake of her husband and sons. (Drama)
Documentary Selections:
Alias Ruby Blade directed by Alex Meillier, produced by Alex Meillier and Tanya Ager Meillier, and executive produced by Abigail Disney and Gini Reticker. One courageous woman risks everything for love of the imprisoned leader of a nation struggling for freedom. Together they nurture the tumultuous birth of the world’s newest nation – Timor-Leste.
BIG JOY: The Adventures of James Broughton directed by Stephen Silha and Eric Slade; produced by Stephen Silha, Eric Slade, and Max St. Romain, and executive produced by Stephen Silha and Jok Church. “Big Joy” illustrates the power of art and poetry to change lives, using the life and work of pansexual poet/filmmaker James Broughton as a lens.
Brave New Wild directed and written by Oakley Anderson-Moore; produced by Alexander Reinhard. In 1950’s America, social outcasts risk their lives to start a revolution: climb rocks all the time.
For Thousands of Miles directed and produced by Mike Ambs, written by Mike Ambs and Erica Hampton, produced by Mike Ambs. A story of a young man split between two lives, struggling to feel at home after a 60-day bicycle ride across the northern United States.
Lucky directed by Laura Checkoway and produced by Laura Checkoway and Neyda Martínez. Orphaned as a child, Lucky Torres is a defiant survivor. Masked in tattoos, the Bronx lesbian is desperate to keep her son and escape poverty.
Our Nixon directed by Penny Lane and Brian Frye, produced by Penny Lane, and executive produced by Dan Cogan and Jenny Raskin. Never before seen Super 8 home movies of Richard Nixon’s closest aides – and convicted Watergate conspirators – offer an intimate and surprising glimpse into his presidency.
Purgatorio directed and produced by Rodrigo Reyes; executive produced by Hugo Perez. “Purgatorio” brings together a universe of stories into a compelling cinematic experience that takes audiences into the very soul of life on the border.
Survival Prayer directed and produced by Benjamin Greené. “Survival Prayer” celebrates the modern lifeways of a remote indigenous community against the backdrop of cultural loss and natural calamity.
These Birds Walk directed by Bassam Tariq and Omar Mullick and produced by Bassam Tariq, Omar Mullick, and Valentina Canavesio. A portrait of contemporary Pakistan is created through the eyes of an ambulance driver and a runaway boy who call a humanitarian and his mission-based organization home.
Where God Likes to Be directed by Nicolas Hudak and Anna Hudak, and produced by Anna Hudak. “Where God Likes to Be” portrays young Native Americans’ struggle to find their place in a 21st-century America that wants to forget the past.
No Borders International Co-Production Market
43 Narrative Projects in Development
A Royal Day produced by Damon D’Oliveira, Clement Virgo, and Nicolas Comeau, written by Gerald Wexler, and to be directed by Clement Virgo. “A Royal Day” charts the meteoric rise of Montreal Royals player Jackie Robinson and the desperate machinations of an assassin hired to exterminate the rising superstar. (Dramatic Thriller)
Atomic Love produced by Dror Shaul and Amir Feingold, written and to be directed by Dror Shaul. Two teenage girls from nuclear towns in Israel and Iran spill their countries’ most valuable secrets on Facebook – and almost cause a nuclear crisis. (Comedy)
Beirut Hold’em produced by Georges Schoucair, written and to be directed by Michel Kammoun. Ziko is released from prison and wants to restart his life in the city of Beirut, a place where everyday life tastes like Russian roulette. (Drama)
Beirut, I Love You produced by Marta Donzelli, written by Zena el Khalil, and to be directed by Gigi Roccati. If war were a disease, it would be cancer. If love were a person, her name would be Maya. When my soul found a home, it was in Beirut. (Drama)
Bill and Lena produced by Kate Ogborn, executive produced by Lisa Marie Russo, written and to be directed by Harry Wootliff. Bill tries to find a way back into his 18-year-old daughter’s life, but after a decade of neglect, it is going to take more than a summer holiday to repair the relationship. (Coming of Age)
Blue Potato produced by Gita Pullapily, written and to be directed by Aron Gaudet. A headstrong teen works the potato harvest to earn money to escape his northern Maine town, while he struggles to save his reckless best friend. (Drama)
Bright as Day produced by Tory Lenosky and Lucas Joaquin, written and to be directed by Ron Eyal and Elanor Burke. Against the backdrop of the recent London riots, a disaffected teenager finds refuge from the adult world as she bonds with a run-down horse. (Coming of Age)
Cockroach produced by Réal Chabot, written by Arto Paragamian, based on a novel by Rawi Hage, and to be directed by Charles-Oliver Michaud. “Cockroach” combines an uncompromising vision of humanity with razor-sharp portraits of society’s outsiders, and a startling, poetic sensibility with bracing jolts of dark humor. (Drama)
Confessions of a Super Man produced by Marian Macgowan, written and to be directed by Angela How. An Asian Australian teenage sociopath records his violent life via a superhero comic strip of his own creation. (Drama)
Cowboys Versus Indians produced by Geoffrey Quan, written by Ambarish Manepalli and Christopher VanDijk, and to directed by Ambarish Manepalli. Home to play football and attend a wedding, Raj discovers he’s in love with the bride and her fiancé is on the opposing team. (Romantic Comedy)
Dancing Arabs produced by Chilik Michaeli, written by Sayed Kashua and to be directed by Eran Riklis. Sayed, an Arab-Israeli citizen, is granted a scholarship to an elite Jewish bo,arding school where he struggles to disentangle his personal and national identities. (Drama)
Deshora produced by Jhonny Hendrix, written and to be directed by Barbara Sarasola Day. Desire can be vital but also the edge of an abyss. “DESHORA”, is about this feeling, is a slow downward spiral movement where every step, as all human actions, doesn’t allow a return. (Drama)
Embrace of the Serpent produced by Cristina Gallego, written and to be directed by Ciro Guerra. Over the course of a lifetime, an Amazonian paye and shaman, last survivor of his people, has life-altering encounters with two scientists, each travelling the northwest Amazon in search of ancestral knowledge. (Drama)
Hellion produced by Kelly G. Williams and written and to be directed by Kat Candler. In small town Texas, when thirteen-year old Jacobs delinquent behavior gets his brother taken away, hell go to extreme, destructive lengths to bring Wes home. (Drama)
Hickey produced by Steven Wolfe, Ricky Margois, Simon Graham-Clare, and Chris Hazzard, written and to be directed by Alex Grossman. In less than a day, Ryan must save the store he hates in order to win the heart of the girl he loves. (Coming of Age)
House of Trammel produced by Tom Davis, Susan Shopmaker, Laura Heberton, Mike Roberts, Ed Vassalo, and Ethan Palmer, written by Mike Roberts, and to be directed by Andrew Neel. When the wealthy Trammels learn that their estate is on the verge of bankruptcy, a would-be family reunion turns bloody. (Dark Comedy)
IO produced by Jason Berman, written by Clay Jeter, Charles Spano, and William Basanta, and to be directed by Clay Jeter. Teenage Sam races to find a cure for her poisoned world before the Exodus shuttle abandons Earth forever. An indie drama in a sci-fi setting. (Drama/Sci-fi)
Joy of Living produced by Ashley Maynor, written and to be directed by Paul Harrill. A lonely detective investigating a piano teacher’s murder forges an unlikely friendship with one of the victim’s former students who has returned to the South to help solve the case. (Drama)
Land of Enchantment produced by Christine Kunewa Walker, Jeremy Stulberg, and Reed Morano, written by Eric Juhola and Jeremy Stulberg, and to be directed by Eric Juhola, starring Patricia Arquette. A maternity nurse haunted by her past searches for her daughter who has joined a faction of anarchist teens in the New Mexico desert. (Drama)
Lee produced by Angela C. Lee and Mollye Asher, written and to be directed by Chloé Zhao. A quiet and daring Lakota boy takes on a dangerous job to keep his family together on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. (Drama)
Leroy produced by Katie Mustard and Adam Polonsky, executive produced by David Pupkewitz, written and to be directed by Marko Fuchs. Music, death and the open road. (Drama)
Life Partners produced by Jordana Mollick, and Brendan Bragg, written by Joni Lefkowitz, and to be directed by Susanna Fogel. A straight girl drunkenly promises her lesbian best friend she won’t get married until gay marriage is legal…a promise that gets awkward when her boyfriend proposes and her friend remains a slacker years away from even thinking about marriage. (Comedy)
Little Accidents produced by Anne Carey and Mindy Goldberg, written and to be directed by Sara Colangelo. “Little Accidents explores tragedy and redemption through the intersecting lives of a young coal miner, a mourning mother and a secretive 14 year-old boy. (Drama)
Memphis produced by Alicia Van Couvering and John Baker, written and to be directed by Tim Sutton, cinematography by Chris Dapkins, editing by Caspar Newbolt. A singer descends into madness while trying to record an album that could save his soul. (Drama)
Metal Gods produced by Ryan Zacarias, Dan Carey, and Steve Holmgren, executive produced by Laura Heberton, and written and to be directed by Matt Porterfield, cinematography by Jeremy Saulnier. Two damaged teenagers form an unlikely friendship when their lives are thrown together by a sudden act of violence. (Coming of Age)
My Zulu Wedding produced by Lineo Sekeleoane, written by Julie Hall. Zoe has problems making up her mind, but when she meets Tex, she knows he’s the man to marry. Until she meets Zulu. (Romantic Comedy)
Pope produced by Jan Nathanson and Andrew Boutilier, written by Tamara Faith Berger, and to be directed by Stephanie Weber-Biron. 1979, Toronto. A radical musical artist rises from the margins to center stage, falling in love, turning queer, and gambling her hard-won stardom in the process. This is the story of a sexual outlaw who changed the landscape of 1980’s music for good. (Based on a True Story)
Poppies & Olives produced by Jessica Caldwell, written and to be directed by Deb Shoval. An Israeli-Palestinian lesbian love triangle, between a Palestinian-American dancer, a Jewish-Israeli painter, and a frustrated Israeli soldier. (Drama)
Remarkable Creatures produced by Heather Ogilvie and Mark Gooder, written by Jan Sardi. On a windswept English beach in 1810, what two women discover will challenge the way we see the world and, ultimately, test their friendship. (Drama)
Retrace Your Steps produced by Howard Gertler, Jennifer Dana, and Shana Eddy, written and to be directed by Brian Crano. A family’s wildly divergent paths converge during an unexpected crisis, as they struggle (with pathos, humor and song) to overcome old rebellions and wounds. Starring Tom Hiddleston (Drama)
Scarlet Poppy produced by Peter Bussian and Siddig Barmak, written and to be directed by Peter Bussian. A forbidden encounter between a rogue ex-CIA operative and a trapped Afghan woman doctor leads to a showdown with the poppy lord who controls her fate. (Drama)
Sensation produced and to be directed by Alison Reid, produced by Jonathan Schwartz, written by Richard Beattie. A deaf boy locked in his own world witnesses a gang massacre. The lone survivor tracks him down, looking for revenge, but finds redemption. (Thriller)
Snow in Paradise produced by Christine Alderson, written by Andrew Hulme and Martin Askew, and to be directed by Andrew Hulme. A real story of one man’s journey to control his violence through religion. (Dramatic Thriller)
Stand Clear of the Closing Doors produced by Craig Shilowich, Andrew Neel, Veronica Nickel, Dave Saltzman, executive produced by Ari Kuschnir, written by Rose Lichter Marck, and to be directed by Sam Fleischner. When an autistic boy runs away from home, spending 11 days on the subway, his mother searches for him and learns to accept his unusual condition. (Drama)
Syncopated Rhythm produced by Elif Gurbey, written by Gaye Boralioglu, and to be directed by Denis Metin. A gypsy girl and a middle-aged man meet in an Istanbul intersection and form a lustful, yet vengeful, relationship that deadlocks two destinies. (Drama)
Tell me the Truth About Love produced by Anne Beresford, executive produced by Ruth Caleb, written by Neil Bartlett, and to be directed by Margaret Williams. A story of thrilling music and illicit love. How affection, anxiety, lust, and ambition gradual combine, turning an accident into a destiny. (Based on a True Story)
The Boda Boda Thieves produced by James Tayler, written by James Tayler and Donald Mugisha, and to be directed by Donald Mugisha. Sometimes you have to lose something to find yourself. (Drama)
The Changeover produced by Angela Littlejohn, written and to be directed by Stuart McKenzie. “The Changeover” is a coming-of-age romance about a troubled suburban teenager who must destroy an ancient spirit sucking the life out of her little brother. (Supernatural Thriller)
The Harder They Fall produced by Hilary Stabb and Kim Jackson, written and to be directed by Daoud Abeid and Dahkil Hausif. An apathetic urban “tween” becomes a compassionate human being. (Family/Coming of Age)
The Last Day of Rain produced by Adam Sigel, Thoma Kikis, and Krysanne Katsoolis, written and to be directed by Noel Qualter. When a mysterious cloud arrives over a Manhattan rife with strife, everyone reacts in fear, but one street kid discovers magic worth living for. (Transmedia)
The Warmth produced by Philippa Campey, written and to be directed by Rhys Graham. Retracing his dead sister’s footsteps through Vietnam, Toby encounters love and desire for this first time, but his past refuses to let him go. (Drama)
Tok Tokkie produced by Kisha Cameron Dingle and David Horler, written and to be directed by Jenna Bass. Louis, an embittered Cape Town demon, is banished to immortality on earth. He then discovers a ghost who might hold the key to his salvation. (Supernatural Thriller)
We Are Sisyphos produced by Arash T. Riahi, executive produced by Michael Seeber and Klara Veegh, written and to be directed by Peter Brunner. An obsessed filmmaker finds his soulmate in an action movie fan suffering from Marfan syndrome. Together they make a reckless film that will tear their world apart. (Drama)
Transatlantic Partners’ Projects
25 Narrative Projects in Various Stages of Development
Bitter Pills produced by Cher Hawrysh, written by Garfield Lindsay Miller. A small town doctor begins telling his healthy patients they are dying in order to give them a new perspective on life. (Drama)
Coconut Hero produced by Fabian Maubach and Jochen Laube, written by Elena von Saucken, and to be directed by Florian Cossen. A funny young man longs for death, then for life, and falls in love with a girl who could hardly be more different from him, but whom he will never forget. (Dark Comedy)
Code of Ethics produced by Monique Peterson and written by David Baugnon. A grieving ethics professor in New Orleans becomes a freelance mob hitman who persuades his marks to commit suicide for karmic redemption. (Drama)
Fleeing Dreams produced by Pauli Pentti, written by Petri Karra, and to be directed by Petri Kotwica. Fleeing dreams is a film about the world, where the kids are growing too fast. (Drama)
For King and Country – A Love Story produced and to be directed by Zaheer Goodman-Byat. A Zulu mine worker who joins the war against Hitler finds his greatest struggle is not surviving prejudice, but the love of a rebellious young nurse. (Based on a True Story)
Hear Me Move produced by Danie Bester, Fidel Namisa, and Wandile Molebatsi, written by Fidel Namisa and Scottnes Smith, and to be directed by Scottnes Smith. “Hear Me Move” is a dance film about Muzi’s journey of self-discovery and development of his own identity in an often confusing and Americanized global culture. (Drama)
Insane produced by Guneet Monga, written and to be directed by Vasan Bala. The B-Movie Queen is scorned and she is out for revenge. Vengeance leads to love. And love leads to doom. (Drama)
Khoya produced by Karen Shaw, written and to be directed by Sami Khan. A man travels from Canada to India on a desperate search for the birth family he’s never known, and uncovers the mystery surrounding his adoption. (Drama)
Kismet produced by Alexandra Johnes, executive produced by Gill Holland, and written and to be directed by Laura Davis. A darkly comedic drama – featuring outbursts of spontaneous dancing – about a public intellectual diagnosed with terminal cancer who must reconcile with his family’s imperfect love. (Drama)
Lucky Woman produced, written, and to be directed by Ewa Pytka, executive produced by Andrzej Besztak. Lucky Woman is inspired by the true story of a woman who was a secret agent for Polish counterespionage during World War II,Polish James Bond. (Based on a True Story)
Magnificent Girl produced by Jenny Schweitzer and Brian Bell, written and to be directed by Tatia Pilieva, story by Jenny Schweitzer and Tatia Pilieva. “Magnificent Girl” is the story of an unlikely friendship between a troubled family from Harlem and a young woman from Moldova who narrowly escapes the sex trade. (Drama)
Meadowlandz produced by Jodi Redmond, written and to be directed by Moon Molson. A black teen finds his African immigrant stepfather passed out drunk in their tenement building hallway, and is pressured by his friends, throughout a tenuous night in the New Jersey ghetto and swamplands, into murdering him. (Drama)
Miss Shirley Bassey produced by Nicole Carmen-Davis and Rebekah Gilbertson, executive produced by John L. Williams, written by Tamzin Rafn, and to be directed by Marc Evans. The rites of passage tale of a woman who set out to be extraordinary and, against all the odds succeeded to become an international superstar. (Based on a True Story)
Posheen produced by Ryan Zacarias, Brooke Bernard, and Amy Mitchell-Smith, written by Zach Godshall, and to be directed by Zack Godschall. A passionate and lovesick preacher fights to maintain order in his moonshine-addicted swamp community when a couple of chimney-building con men and a boy prophet come on the scene and disrupt the status quo. (Drama)
Ramingtons: Men of Steel produced by Mark Montefiore, written by Sacha Pavlovic. After becoming injured in a suspicious stripper pole accident, a stripper must learn to expose his heart to return to his former glory. (Comedy)
Rest Home produced by Serge Noel, written and to be directed by Michael Rowe. Love is the worst type of violence. (Drama)
Sailor Girl produced by Judy Holm, written by Johanna Schneller, based on a book by Sheree-Lee Olson. Summer, 1981. 19-year-old rebel Kate McLeod signs on to a Great Lakes freighter and sails off into an unexpected world of stormy, sexy, dangerous adventure. (Drama)
Saula (Working Title) produced by Kestutis Drazdauskas, written and to be directed by Ramunas Greicius. Saula, an exile from the island of winged people, teaches her humped daughter to be strong and truthful so that she can discover wings in her hump. (Drama)
The Assignment produced by Marco Gilles, written by Igor Hertzev, and to be directed by Neil Bell. A Western journalist is kidnapped by Muslim rebels. To regain his freedom he has to make a film of their resistance. What would you do if you were him? (Drama)
The Last Crossing produced by David Cormican and Kevin DeWalt, written by Rob King. Englishmen Charles and Addington Gaunt are ordered by their tyrannical father to find their brother, who has gone missing in the wilds of the North American West. (Drama)
The Timebender produced by Chantal Lafleur and Rock Demers, written by Kim Nguyen, and to be directed by Patrice Sauvé. When a prankish 15-year-old science prodigy embarks on a trip through time, he finds that the really hard part is getting back. (Sci-Fi)
Unspoken produced by Neil Thompson, written by Paddy Fletcher, and to be directed by Neil Thompson. Haunted by questions of the past, a classics lecturer follows his beloved wife to the Greek island where they first met and finds the truth behind the deadly secrets they tried to leave behind. (Drama)
Ole Wendorff-Østergaard Experienced in large co-production and film finance experience from projects such as Antichrist by Lars von Trier (as co-producer), Ole also started Zentropa Poland and is now running the feature film division of Platige Image, which is the market leader in VFX and Animation in Poland. He will present a number of projects in development at Independent Film Week.
Susan Lewis Susan is the head of development at Alicia Keys’ production company, Passion Projects. Among other credits, She was an executive producer on Dee Rees’ award winning Pariah, associate producer on Firelight, staring Cuba Gooding Jr. and executive produced by Alicia Keys, and is currently executive producing The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete, directed by George Tillman. She will present a number of projects in development at Independent Film Week.
Spotlight on Documentaries
50 documentary features at an early financing stage (i.e. early development/production) to those nearing completion (i.e. in postproduction or at the rough cut stage).
The 78 Project directed by Alex Steyermark and produced by Alex Steyermark and Lavinia Jones Wright. A musical journey across America to record today’s musicians with authentic 1930s technology in a quest to connect with the haunting recordings of the past.
99% – The Occupy Wall Street Collaborative Film directed by Audrey Ewell, Aaron Aites, Nina Krstic, and Lucian Read; produced by Audrey Ewell, Aaron Aites, and Williams Cole. The story of the Occupy Wall Street movement is told from many perspectives, but woven into a single, resonant portrait with an unprecedented collaborative process.
After Tiller directed and produced by Martha Shane and Lana Wilson and executive produced by Abigail Disney. “After Tiller” tells the dramatic stories of the last four late-term abortion doctors in America, who risk their lives daily in the name of choice.
Against the Clock directed and written by Bent-Jorgen Perlmutt and produced by Bent-Jorgen Perlmutt and Zelmira Gainza. As Cuba lifts its 50-year ban on car racing, five street racers prepare their vintage American cars for Cuba’s first official race since the Revolution.
American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs directed by Grace Lee, produced by Grace Lee and Austin Wilkin, and executive produced by Joan Huang. Grace Lee Boggs is a 97-year-old Chinese-American philosopher and activist in Detroit whose vision of revolution may surprise you.
Approaching the Elephant directed by Amanda Wilder and produced by Jay Craven. One year in the lives of four children at a newly opened “free school,” where classes are voluntary and rules are created by democratic vote.
Art and Craft directed and produced by Sam Cullman and Jennifer Grausman. Exploring the 30-year “career” and present-day exploits of a gifted art forger, “Art and Craft” uncovers a uniquely intriguing case of deception in art history.
The Audacity of Louis Ortiz directed by Ryan Murdock and produced by Dawn Porter. What if one day you looked in the mirror and saw the most powerful man in the world? Would you have the audacity of Louis Ortiz?
BaddDDD Sonia Sanchez directed and produced by Barbara Attie and Janet Goldwater. 77-year-old poet Sonia Sanchez has raised her voice against injustice since emerging in the 1960s as part of the Black Arts Movement.
Barge directed and produced by Ben Powell. The United States’ inland waterways play a vital role in our nation’s economic growth. What can the people who live and work near the main artery tell us about how the country is changing?
Barney’s Last Year directed and written by Michael Chandler and Sheila Canavan. He doesn’t own a home. He drives a 1998 Ford Escort. Never married, he’s deeply in love. Congressman Barney Frank is retiring.
Bayou Maharajah directed and written by Lily Keber and produced by Nate Kohn and Lily Keber. “Bayou Maharajah” introduces James Booker, whom Dr. John calls “the best black, gay, one-eyed junkie piano genius New Orleans has ever created.”
The Blind Cinema Club directed by Jennifer Redfearn and produced by Jennifer Redfearn and Tim Metzger. “The Blind Cinema Club” interweaves the stories of a blind flamenco singer, actor, and baseball player who meet at the movies in Havana, Cuba.
Church Forest directed and produced by Greg Vander Veer and Peter Buntaine. “Church Forest” reveals a mystical world where priests and scientists struggle to come together, despite vastly different beliefs, to save the last forests of Ethiopia.
Do I Sound Gay? directed and written by David Thorpe, produced by Howard Gertler and Jenny Raskin, and executive produced by Dan Cogan. Determined to overcome his shame about “sounding gay,” director David Thorpe embarks on a hilarious, poignant, taboo-shattering exploration of the phenomenon of the “gay voice.”
Do You Dream in Color? directed by Abigail Fuller and Sarah Ivy Dickerson, and produced by Regina Saldivar and Ravi Subramanian. Follow the dreams and the lives of five extraordinary blind teenagers as they journey toward accomplishing their goals.
A Dream of Iron directed by Kelvin Kyung Kun Park and produced by Kyungmi Kim. “A Dream of Iron” transforms shipbuilding into a primal ritual, chronicling the journey of steel from molten slabs to the hulls of ships at Hyundai Shipyards.
The Earth Moves: the making of Einstein on the Beach directed by John Walter; produced by Lianne Halfon, Elizabeth Westrate, and Svetlana Zill. Documenting the final production of the opera “Einstein on the Beach,” this film explores the connections between physics, opera, and the human imagination.
The Faun Experimentdirected by Tamar Rogoff and Daisy Wright and produced by Tamar Rogoff. Cerebral Palsy defined the limits of Gregg Mozgala’s life until choreographer Tamar Rogoff cast him to dance the part of The Faun.
Fight Church directed by Daniel Junge and Bryan Storkel and produced by Joseph McKelheer and Eben Kostbar. “Fight Church” explores the controversial world where Christianity meets mixed martial arts. Can you love your neighbor as yourself – and then punch him in the face?
Gabe Tomorrow directed and produced by Adams Wood and Francine Cavanaugh. A young cancer survivor and his mother confront the past and a bitterly divided community as they fight to clean up a contaminated site near their home.
Ghosts of the Aral Sea directed by Lucas Smith and produced by Lucas Smith, Donna Attallah, and Mira Myrzagazieva; executive produced by Miriam Ho. Two brothers, Islambek and Nurbek, live and fish on the Aral Sea. This inland sea was the world’s fourth-largest, but now it’s nearly disappeared.
Good Ol’ Freda directed by Ryan White, produced by Kathy McCabe, and executive produced by Jeff Blitz. Freda Kelly, The Beatles’ trusted secretary and friend throughout their rise to fame, tells her inside story for the first time.
Here One Day directed and produced by Kathy Leichter. “Here One Day” documents the impact of mental illness and suicide on an American family. The personal and the universal collide.
An Honest Liar directed, written, and produced by Tyler Measom and Justin Weinstein. After a lifetime of exposing psychics, paranormalists, and faith healers as hoaxes, magician-turned-skeptic James “The Amazing” Randi is now himself embroiled in an incredible deception.
Miss Hill directed by Greg Vander Veer and produced by Vernon Scott. “Miss Hill” tells the unknown story of a courageous woman who quietly fought against insurmountable odds to solidify modern dance as a legitimate American art form.
Mississippi Messiahdirected by Dylan Nelson and Clay Haskell; produced Dylan Nelson, Lindsay Gillette, and Lauren McCauley. “Mississippi Messiah” follows civil rights icon and iconoclast James Meredith, now age 76, on a journey across Mississippi past and present.
Mosquito directed and produced by Jesse Epstein and Hannah Rosenzweig and executive produced by Mike Lerner. A trio of Hungarian astrophysicists is on a mission to stop the world’s most dangerous animal.
Music of the Hemispheres directed and written by Elisa Da Prato; produced by Elisa Da Prato, James Fideler, Zach Layton, and Greg Vander Veer. “Music of the Hemispheres,” a non-fiction science-fiction film, explores one philosopher’s controversial theory that consciousness operates within a musical structure.
The New Black directed by Yoruba Richen and produced by Yvonne Welbon, Yoruba Richen, and Angela Tucker. “The New Black” is a documentary that uncovers the complicated and often combative histories of the African-American and LGBT civil rights movements.
One Bullet Afghanistan directed by Carol Dysinger and produced by Carol Dysinger and Su Kim. One bullet, fired at random in darkness, has surprising and profound ramifications for a family, a community, a nation, and a war.
Out Run directed and produced by S. Leo Chiang and Johnny Symons. A transgender Filipina and a gay Kenyan man fight hostility and discrimination in their quest to become their countries’ first openly LGBT elected officials.
The Peacemaker directed and produced by James Demo. Padraig O’Malley works his peacemaking model: “Cultures in conflict are in the best position to help other cultures in conflict,” born from his recovery from addiction.
Pride directed and written by Mohammed Naqvi and produced by Mohammed Naqvi and Jared Ian Goldman. Exiled former Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf, despite having a flawed legacy as a dictator and being sought for arrest on murder charges, decides to return to Pakistan and run for president.
Remote Area Medical directed by Jeff Reichert and Farihah Zaman and produced by Jeff Reichert, Farihah Zaman, and Dan O’Meara. Over three days, Remote Area Medical, the pioneers of “no-cost” health care, treat nearly 2,000 patients on the infield of Bristol, Tennessee’s NASCAR speedway.
Rich Hill directed and produced by Tracy Droz Tragos and Andrew Droz Palermo. Filmed over a year, “Rich Hill” vividly captures the struggle of families isolated in a dying Missouri town – and their unexpected source of hope.
The Road to Fame directed by Hao Wu, produced by Hao Wu and Changying Liu, and executive produced by Jean Tsien. Five students at China’s top drama academy struggle with family pressure, outdated pedagogy, industry corruption, and their own insecurities in order to stage the American musical “Fame.”
Roots and Webs directed by Sara Dosa and produced by Josh Penn. Amid the frontier world of Oregon’s mushroom-hunting camps, two men of war set out for a hunt – perhaps the last of one of their lives.
The Seventh Fire directed by Jack Riccobono; produced by Jihan Robinson and Jack Riccobono; and executive produced by Joey Carey, Stefan Nowicki, and Chris Eyre. “The Seventh Fire” tells the story of two Native American gang members as they struggle to change their lives on a rural reservation in Minnesota.
Solarize This directed by Shalini Kantayya; produced by Catherine Gund, Ian Inaba, and Cedric Troadec. “Solarize This” asks the hard questions of how a clean energy economy may actually be built, using the stories of three unemployed Americans seeking to retool at a solar power jobs training program in Richmond, California.
Some Kind of Spark directed and produced by Ben Niles. “Some Kind of Spark” follows inner-city kids over a two-year, life-changing experience as they take part in Juilliard’s Music Advancement Program.
Street Fighting Man directed by Andrew James and produced by Sara Archambault and Katie Tibaldi. Three inner-city men, each a generation apart, struggle to build a future for themselves in post-industrial Detroit.
Strong Island directed by Yance Ford and produced by Yance Ford and Esther Robinson. Set in the suburbs of the black middle class, “Strong Island” chronicles the director’s investigation into her brother’s violent death twenty years ago.
Tomorrow We Disappear directed and produced by Jim Goldblum and Adam Weber. When their home is illegally sold to real-estate developers, the traditional artists of the Kathputli Colony retreat from an uncertain future into a mythic past.
Town Hall directed and produced by Sierra Pettingill and Jamila Wignot. Katy and John believe the nation is on a path to total destruction. Will their work in the Tea Party save it?
Untitled Gay Retiree Documentary directed by P.J. Raval and produced by Sara Giustini. Three gay seniors navigate the adventures, challenges, and surprises of love and life in their “golden years.”
A Whole Lott More directed, written, and executive produced by Victor Buhler; produced by Victor Buhler and Mike Lerner. Lott Industries, outside of Detroit, employs 1,200 auto workers, all with developmental disabilities. Can the company survive the collapse of the car industry?
You Ain’t Heard Nothin’ Yet: The Story of Cinema Sound directed by Midge Costin; produced by Karen Johnson, Bobette Buster, and Midge Costin. Visionary directors and sound designers reveal the secrets and magic they employ to give cinema its emotional power.
Zanta directed by Jocelyn Ford, produced by Hao Wu, and executive produced by Mikaela Beardsley. A headstrong Tibetan widow confronts her father-in-law, who refuses to school her son. She flees to Beijing with her boy and leverages a foreign journalist to outrival her in-laws.