For the second year IFP is collaborating with the United Nation’s Department of Public Information to present ENVISION – a forum uniting the filmmaking community, civil society organizations, activists, journalists, public policy makers, NGOs, and the general public in the shared goal of envisioning a better world for all and achieving impact through media.

The Spotlight Focus in 2010 from the UN’s Millennium Development Goals is the goal of universal education. Screenings of Cinereach grantee Jennifer Arnold’s A Small Act (HBO Documentaries), and Davis Guggenheim’s Waiting for Superman (Paramount Vantage), will be accompanied by discussions on challenges to achieving education globally, the impact of individual action and philanthropy, and current issues around the U.S. education crisis.

To purchase tickets and for details on the program, to be held Saturday, July 10 at the Times Center, click here. Tickets are $25 (a $10 discount) if you use code IFPENV.

Spotlight on Documentaries participants will take part in one-on-one meetings with financiers, 25-minute micro-cinema pitch screenings,  and be included in an Industry Video Library, roundtable discussions with festival programmers, and private events with buyers and programmers.

Spotlight on Documentaries is for U.S. filmmakers only (U.S.-born or living and able to work in the U.S.). Submissions should be feature length projects (50 minutes or longer) in production or post-production. They cannot be completed works, and work-in-progress material must be submitted.

Submit an online application here and mail in two DVD copies of your sample work to be considered.

IFP AND MAYOR’S OFFICE OF FILM, THEATRE AND BROADCASTING ANNOUNCE CULMINATION OF INAUGURAL “MADE IN NY” MENTORSHIP PROGRAM

New York, NY (April 29, 2010) – The Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP) and the NYC Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting announce the conclusion of the inaugural year of its “Made in NY” Mentorship Program, a career development program supporting and promoting diversity in the New York City entertainment workforce through mentorship, workshop and networking opportunities and job placement support. The “Made in NY” Mentorship Program grew out of the Mayor’s Task Force on Diversity in Film, Television and Commercial Production, commissioned to explore initiatives and opportunities that would help to diversify employment in the City’s production industry.

Drawing from a highly competitive candidate pool, fifteen below-the-line participants representing an inclusive range of race, gender, ethnicity and physical ability were selected for an eight-month fellowship specifically designed to build the professional networks of its participants to ensure long-term career growth.

Among the mentors to participate in the program were costume designer John Dunn (I’m Not There, HBO’s Boardwalk Empire), cinematographer Frederick Elmes (Synecdoche New York, Blue Velvet), Production Designer Mark Friedberg (Across the Universe, Darjeeling Limited), producer Ted Hope (Adventureland, In the Bedroom), cinematographer Ellen Kuras (DP Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), cinematographer Harris Savides (Milk, Zodiac), and producer Frida Torresblanco (Pan’s Labyrinth), among many other dedicated artists and technicians. Over half of the cycle’s participants had the opportunity to directly apprentice with or shadow a mentor on set or in the production office.

“Mentorship is absolutely vital to building a successful career – nowhere more so than in the frequently word-of-mouth driven entertainment industry,” says IFP’s Executive Director Joana Vicente. “Without mentor support and a strong professional network, it’s incredibly difficult to break in, find work and advance. We’re proud to provide a program in which such mentorship and support is available for talented below-the-line artists.”

As part of the program, IFP placed fellows on productions ranging from jobs on indie features to large-scale television productions, totally 450 days of work. Fifty-three percent of the cycle’s participants have already received promotions to higher positions across several departments.

IFP will be accepting applications in May 2010 for the program’s second cycle, which will run from July 2010 to March 2011. The 2010-2011 program will specifically serve crew working in the below-the-line areas of Camera, Editing, Production Design, Production Management, and Sound.

Contact:

IFP Quentin Little, qlittle@ifp.org

Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting Marybeth Ihle, mihle@film.nyc.gov, 212-669-7742

Shooting People, IFP and NYWIFT are partnering for the first time to give members the opportunity to attend Hot Docs in Toronto as part of the official “US Delegation.” The fest takes place April 29 – May 9, 2010.

The Hot Docs delegations program welcomes specially-organized international groups of documentary professionals, and helps to develop industry programming and market events focused on the co-production, financing and international sales of docs.

A US Delegation at Hot Docs will include the following components:

Toronto Documentary Forum (May 5 & 6) US delegation producers applying to attend the Forum as observers will be guaranteed admission to this limited seating event.

International Co-Production Day (May 3) A special event during which US producers can introduce themselves to fellow delegates and connect with international documentary professionals.

Featured Index for US Producer’s Projects in the digital Doc Shop market Each US delegation producer would receive the opportunity to submit, on a 25% discounted basis, films into the Doc Shop, Hot Docs’ on-demand digital video library for international buyers and programmers.

US delegates will have also the opportunity to access:

• All Festival Screenings (access to over 255 screenings)
• The Doc Shop digital market screening library
• All Hot Docs Conference sessions and programs, including Hot Docs Talks, Kickstart panels, CoffeeTalks and Micro Meetings
• All Sales Office services and events, including Rendezvous meeting opportunities, Hot Docs Online Community and Sales Consultants
• The annual Hot Docs Awards Presentation
• All services provided by the Rogers Industry Center
• A full roster of parties and receptions
• The NFB Delegate Lounge
• Over 1,900 registered documentary professionals from more than 25 countries
• Over 300 international broadcasters, film foundation representatives and acquisitions executives representing the world’s key broadcast markets
• Over 400 accredited media representatives
• All this at the hugely discounted price of 577.50 (Canadian Dollars).

Sign up here with discount code: HDUSADEL
When registering online, delegates should select pass option C: Toronto Documentary Forum Pass.
Please note you will have to make your own travel and accommodation arrangements.

The event is at 7pm (new time) at The New School, 65 West 11th Street, 5th Fl. (Wollman Hall).

If you plan to go, or even if you can’t make it, the below is from a hand-out Cinereach will bring tonight, featuring quick tips on our application process. All the same info is featured on our site, but this handout is a good entry point.

Advice for Grant Applicants

First Things First

Have a film you think Cinereach should support? Great! Check out these tips and tricks to possibly increase your chances of receiving support and make the application process a breeze – both for you and for us!

First off – check out our website to make sure your film is a good fit for Cinereach. While we support a diverse range of films, taking a look at the previously funded films and our current guidelines will give you a sense of our taste.

Funding Priorities (from the web site)

Each year Cinereach grants over $500,000 to well-crafted feature-length nonfiction and fiction films that depict underrepresented perspectives, resonate across international boundaries, and spark dialogue.

Grants range from $5,000 – $50,000 and are awarded to films at any stage, including development, production and post-production.

There are two letter of inquiry deadlines per year (Summer and Winter), after which a selection of applicants are invited to submit full proposals.

Cinereach’s ethos favors good storytelling over didacticism and complexity over duality. We support films that demonstrate creativity, visual artistry and take a character-based approach.

Through cinematic artistry and storytelling, Cinereach supported films:

-Provide insight and spark dialogue
-Challenge prejudice and advance human rights
-Discover humanity and hope
-Foster global community

How to Apply

The application process is outlined on the Cinereach web site.

As you will see when you visit the web site, all applicants are required to submit a letter of inquiry (LOI) via an online form as a first step. Deadlines for submitting your LOI are posted and updated on our site a few months before a grant cycle.

We strongly encourage submission of sample work with letters of inquiry. Sample work can include one or more of the following: previously completed film(s), a trailer or clip reel for your current project, or a rough-cut of your current project. If you’re a first time feature filmmaker show us a short – or photographs. Anything that you feel might convey your visual artistry and vision to us.

You may submit an online link in your letter or inquiry (please remember to include your username and password, if applicable) or you may send us a DVD.

Getting Your Questions Answered

If you have questions after reviewing the above referenced pages, check out our FAQ page. It’s made up of questions we’ve received in the past (get it? Frequently Asked Questions) so make sure you give that a good read. (hint: calling us with a question on the FAQ wastes our time and yours.)

Fiscal Sponsorship

You do not need a fiscal sponsor in place in order to submit a letter of inquiry. Should your project move to the next stage in the application process, we would work with you to secure a fiscal sponsor at that time. To learn more about fiscal sponsorship, please visit the Resources page on our website.

Helpful Stats

The Cinereach grant program has become increasingly competitive, and only a small fraction of applicants are invited to submit a full proposal.

On average, less than 10% of all projects that submit letters of inquiry will be invited to submit a full proposal. In our most recent grant cycle, we received 900 letters of inquiry and invited 77 full proposals. Of those 77 films, approximately 10 or 12 will receive a Cinereach grant.

Dos & Don’ts

Do Read all instructions and guidelines on the Cinereach website very carefully.

Don’t Call or email Cinereach staff asking a question that is already answered on the FAQ page.

Do Let us know if you checked the website but couldn’t find the answer you were looking for – that means we need to update!

Don’t Waste time by going into a lot of depth about the history and social context of an issue relevant to your film without talking about your story and your main characters.

Do Try to adhere to the submission deadline for each grant cycle and be aware of notification dates.

Don’t Call or email Cinereach staff on or after the deadline requesting an extension to submit your application late.

Do Spell check. If English isn’t your first language, ask someone else to proofread it. If you’re applying from halfway around the world we’ll very likely cut you some slack.

Don’t Submit a letter of inquiry that demonstrates carelessness and/or an inability to express ideas clearly or succinctly.

Do Demonstrate that your story is character-driven by introducing us to your characters/subjects and describing the arcs their stories follow in the synopsis section of your LOI.

If you don’t have key subjects/characters in mind or know the type of arc their stories might take, don’t worry! Show us you know how to make a film, and tell tell us as much as you can about what you’re hoping for and how you’re planning to capture it.

Finally, Don’t give up if you don’t receive support this cycle! The next one is only a few months away.

** The next deadline to submit a letter of inquiry for the Summer 2010 grant cycle is June 1^st!

IFP’s Independent Filmmaker Labs is the only program in the U.S. supporting first-time feature directors with projects at the crucial rough cut stage, before they are submitted to festivals. The Labs are a free, week-long workshop in New York offering personalized feedback and advice on all aspects of the post-production process, audience building, and distribution strategies in the digital age, followed by continued support from IFP as the project premieres in the marketplace.

More than half of Lab alumni have gone on to premiere at major festivals – including Berlin, Sundance, SXSW, Toronto, and Venice, and have enjoyed theatrical releases, been broadcast nationally, or released on DVD. Among recent alums, Geralyn Pezanoski’s Mine, produced by Pezanoski and Erin Essenmacher, opens nationwide this month via Film Movement, and Zeina Durra’s 2009 Lab project, The Imperialists Are Still Alive!, produced by Vanessa Hope, premieres in the U.S. Dramatic Competition at Sundance 2010.

Lab applications are now available for both the Documentary (deadline Feb. 12) and Narrative (deadline March 26) Labs which will take place in April and June, respectively. Read more here.

The award was given to support a discreet part of the film’s larger outreach and engagement plan -specifically, to support three community screenings around military bases that have had the highest casualties and rate of suicides, PTSD cases, and domestic violence. These three community screenings will also highlight the companion web-based Returning Home Project, as well as inform and educate audiences relevant to the film. The film will be broadcast on P.O.V. tonight. Click here for the broadcast schedule.

IFP grants are open to projects selected to participate in its other programs, Independent Film Week or Independent Filmmaker Labs. In order to be eligible for the Outreach and Engagement Grant for Social Issue Documentaries, filmmakers first apply for the Spotlight on Documentaries program, and upon being accepted, were notified of their eligibility. Sign up for IFP’s newsletter here to stay on top of all opportunities and deadlines.

For more information on the other grant finalists or on IFP, click here.

Through its No Borders’ partnership with CineMart, IFP will select and provide travel assistance to two American producers to participate in the 2010 Rotterdam Lab Fellowship.

The Rotterdam Lab is a four-day training workshop which runs concurrently with the CineMart Co-Production Market. Designed to build up the international networks and knowledge of producers in its professional panels and speed-dating sessions, lab participants will enjoy formal and informal meetings with colleagues and numerous representatives in the international finance, production, sales and distribution sectors.

Recent IFP/ROTTERDAM Lab Fellows include: Paul Mezey, Karin Chien, Noah Harlan, Jamin O’Brien, Anish Savjani and Mynette Louie.

Those interested in consideration for the program should apply with a letter of interest and a resume to Amy Dotson, Deputy Director IFP BY FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13th. Applicants should have at least one feature-film credit and be a current IFP member.

For more information on CineMart and the Rotterdam Film Festival go to www.filmfestivalrotterdam.com.

From Danielle:

“Hear Mira Nair talk about her early years, Peter Saraf talking about producing Little Miss Sunshine, R.J. Cutler’s relationship with Anna Wintour. Learn about everything from new models of documentary fundraising to why Ted Hope twitters so much.”

Click on http://interactive.ifp.org and sign in with your member number to access the panels. The online membership is $35 and includes this and last year’s panels, a digital archive of FILMMAKER Magazines, and more resources.