IFP deepens industry ties, unveils 116 Project Forum entries

The independent filmmakers body has expanded its strategic alliance with the Sundance Institute and announced new partnerships with tech company B-Side and The Good Pitch, a forum produced by Channel 4 BRITDOC Foundation.

Each of the 116 projects will participate in one of three sections:

• Emerging Narrative, for first-time feature directors currently in post seeking representation, completion funding, and festival invitations);
• No Borders International Co-Production Market, for producers with partial financing seeking additional partners; and
• Spotlight On Documentaries, for filmmakers in production, post, or with a completed film seeking financing partners, broadcast/distribution, and festival invitations.

“IFP’s niche has always been the presentation of projects in development,” IFP’s outgoing executive director Michelle Byrd said. “We’re really pleased to extend the efficiency of Independent Film Week to play host to a new strategic partner in The Good Pitch, and to greatly expand our decades-long collaborative relationship with the Sundance Institute. And with the support of B-Side, we will dramatically increase our technical proficiency and tools.”

The Sundance Institute has been the sole US partner on IFP’s No Borders International Co-Production Market since its inception in 1994. Starting this year it became the sole conduit through which US-based producers could apply to the section.

A total of 10 projects and filmmakers from the 2009 Sundance Directors Lab and the Sundance Creative Producing Initiative have been accepted into No Borders. Alumni include Maria Full Of Grace, Me And You And Everyone We Know, and the upcoming Howl.

B-Side is building out the back-end of Project Forum information, which is available in advance to registered industry attendees. For the one-on-one meetings during Film Week it provides a one-stop repository for information and video reels of select footage from documentaries and/or previous narrative work.

The Good Pitch previously appeared at Hot Docs and Silverdocs this year and is a partnership between the Channel 4 BRITDOC Foundation and the Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program, offering a day-long pitching session on September 24. The Good Pitch in North American is supported by The Fledgling Fund, Working Films, Chicken & Egg Pictures and anonymous donors.