IFP’s Independent Filmmaker Labs for Narrative & Documentary Features
A free national mentorship program for first-time feature filmmakers, before they apply to festivals.

IFP’s Independent Filmmaker Labs is the only free program in the U.S. supporting first-time feature directors at the crucial rough cut/post production stage.

The Labs play a pivotal role in helping emerging filmmakers to realize the full potential of their stories – and their careers. Through five days of workshops, mentorship, networking opportunities and creative guidance on their project, Lab filmmakers are able to gain editorial feedback, assess strategic partnerships & marketing opportunities, and evaluate their options for maximizing the reach of their film via festivals, traditional theatrical roll-outs or through innovative, DIY distribution methods. Filmmakers also meet with cutting-edge technologists to build their brands, as well as explore the myriad of modern web and promotional tools necessary to build engaged audiences for their projects.

Drawing from a national candidate pool, 20 projects (10 documentaries and 10 narratives) are selected for this year-long Lab fellowship which, includes the five-day Lab in New York City, one-on-one mentorship with industry innovators and icons, and during IFP’s Independent Film Week in September - pre-scheduled meetings with potential buyers, sales agents and festival programmers and inclusion in a Lab “Sneak Preview” Showcase presentation.

Lab Alumni Success
Since the program’s inception in 2005, the Labs have nurtured nearly 70 filmmakers’ inaugural films. More than half of these have gone on to premiere and win awards at major national and international festivals, enjoyed theatrical releases, been broadcast nationally, and released on DVD.

Lab alumni festival presence includes premieres at Berlin (Wild Combination: A Portrait of Arthur Russell), Slamdance (The Guatemalan Handshake); The New Year Parade; Smile ‘Til It Hurts), Sundance (The Imperialists Are Still Alive!; Half-Life; Tibet In Song), SXSW (Jumping Off Bridges; Mine; Older Than America; Rainbow Around the Sun; Sorry, Thanks; St. Nick; The Wedding Bros.; Woodpecker), Toronto (The Real Shaolin), and Venice (Zero Bridge).

Select Alumni with limited theatrical releases: The Guatemalan Handshake (self-distributed); Mine (via Film Movement) and Wild Combination (Plexifilm), among others. Many are are available on DVD including New Year Parade and Woodpecker (Carnivalesque); Rainbow Around the Sun (IndieFlix), Trinidad and La Americana (Cinema Guild), The Wedding Bros. (Screen Media/Universal), and Half-Life (Wolf Releasing).

Several Lab documentaries have had national broadcast this year, including Wild Combination (Sundance Channel), Mine and Between the Folds (both on PBS’ “Independent Lens” 2009-10 season).

IFP’s Commitment to Diversity
IFP seeks to ensure that at least 50% of the participating projects have an inclusive range of races, genders, sexual orientations, ethnicities and physical abilities in key positions.  Preference is also given to geographically diverse filmmakers - filmmakers from outside NY and LA.

Program Funders
IFP gratefully acknowledges our supporters for their leadership support of the Independent Filmmaker Labs. Additional Support is provided by funding from IFP’s Chairman’s Council and the following organizations:

Partners

Additional Support
4over4
Gray Krauss LLP
International House of Publicity
The Tank