Ten IFP Alum Ready to Rock IDFA!

IDFA, the world's largest documentary festival, has just announced its stellar line-up for the 2010 incarnation. IFP is thrilled ten of the 280 films (84 of which are World Premieres), are IFP supported projects!

These are:
Budrus, directed and produced by Julia Bacha and produced by Ronit Avni. An alumnus of IFP'S 2009 Spotlight on Documentaries, it will be showcased in the category "Reflecting Images: Best of Fests." Also in this category, which focuses on "Documentaries that have made an impact on this year's international festival circuit," is a fellow alumnus of 2009 Spotlight on Documentaries, Laura Poitras' widely acclaimed The Oath, also a nominee of the 2010 Gotham Independent Film Awards.

In the category "Reflecting Images: Panorama", which presents "films that are thought-provoking in form and choice of theme", a total of five IFP alum are included: Minustah Steals Goats (Minustah vole kabrit) (fiscally sponsored by IFP); Pushing the Elephant (Spotlight on Documentaries alumnus 2009); Sons of Perdition (Spotlight on Documentaries alumnus 2009); Utopia in Four Movements (Radziwill grant); and Queen of the Sun (Spotlight on Documentaries alumnus 2009). Queen of the Sun also will be shown in the Competitive Green Screen section. According to the website, "Documentaries that focus on the interaction between man and his environment will for the first time compete for a special award in this new competition."

The final IFP alum films are in Competitive Sections of the Festival. First, An Encounter with Simone Weil (An alumnus of the Independent Filmmaker Labs and Spotlight on Docs 2009) will make its World Premiere in the IDFA Competition for First Appearance. iThemba, directed by Elinor Burkett, is also in this competition, which is derived from the original concept/footage as Oscar-winner Music by Prudence, which came through IFP's fiscal sponsorship program and is an alumnus of Spotlight on Docs 2008. Finally, Our Summer in Tehran (2009 Spotlight on Docs alumnus) will compete in the IDFA Competition for Mid-Length Documentary.
We wish all our diverse and talented alumni great luck with their incredible films.

Update (11/18):

Four more IFP alum in the IDFA Forum

Bettie Page Reveals All (Spotlight on Docs 2008)

Diana Vreeland: The Eye has to Travel (Spotlight on Docs 2010)

From Texas to Tehran (Spotlight on Docs 2008)

Versailles (Spotlight on Docs 2010)

Have a great Festival everyone!

News & Documentary Emmy Nominations for IFP alumni

Big Congratulations to all our IFP alumni for their recent News & Documentary Emmy Nominations! Good Luck! We'll be crossing our fingers for you when the winners are announced on September 27.


The Way We Get By (PBS)
OUTSTANDING CONTINUING COVERAGE OF A NEWS STORY--LONG FORM
Aron Gaudet – Director
Gita Pullapilly - Producer
Independent Film Week - Spotlight on Documentaries 2008

Fixer: The Taking of Ajmal Naqshbandi (HBO)
OUTSTANDING INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM--LONG FORM
Ian Olds – Director
Nancy Roth - Producer
Independent Film Week – Spotlight on Documentaries 2008
IFP Fiscal Sponsorship

The Good Soldier ("Bill Moyers Journal"; PBS)
OUTSTANDING HISTORICAL PROGRAMMING - LONG FORM
Producer/Directors - Lexy Lovell, Michael Uys
IFP Fiscal Sponsorship

The Mosque in Morgantown ("America at a Crossroads"; PBS)
OUTSTANDING INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT IN A CRAFT: MUSIC & SOUND
Composer - Kareem Roustom
Brittany Huckabee – Director/Producer
Independent Film Week – Spotlight on Documentaries 2007

IFP Alumni Recieve Documentary Oscar Nominations

Two alumni of Independent Film Week's Spotlight on Documentaries program were honored with Academy Award nominations this morning:

The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers is among the 5 nominees for Documentary Feature. Directors Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith brought the film to Spotlight on Documentaries in 2007. It is currently being distributed by First Run Features; it screens in New York City at Cinema Village, and elsewhere around the country.

Roger Ross Williams' Music By Prudence is a Documentary Short nominee. It is being distributed by HBO Documentary Films, who met with Williams when the film was at Independent Film Week in 2008. HBO2 will broadcast it May 12. Music By Prudence also participates in IFP's Fiscal Sponsorship program.

Other documentary nominees include friends of IFP like Lab mentor Julia Reichert's film The Last Truck.

Congratulations to all the nominees! We wish you all the best - we're voting for you in our Oscar pools!