Crowd Sourcing - Here, There, and Everywhere

Ondi Timoner's extremely relevant documentary WE LIVE IN PUBLIC, about the internet pioneer Josh Harris, who basically predicted over 15 years ago that we would all be walking around ignoring each other while updating our Facebook status via our Blackberries, opened in New York last week.

If you saw the film, and you still aren't convinced that we do in fact, live in the "public" that is the virtual webosphere, then take this humorous piece from The Onion, mocking the panic people felt when Google went down for a couple of hours. I for one was at an internet cafe, laptop in hand, having a business meeting that centered entirely around Google Docs. And while my colleague and I tried to figure out what was wrong, I got several emails about "Google being down" and heard several conversations around me about it as well.

Now, how is this relevant to the Independent Film Week, in which human interaction and networking is the centerpiece? Well, one of the panels that is generating the most buzz is called CROWD SOURCING: BUILDING FANS, BLOGGERS, AND PRESS ALLIES. Moderated by Ingrid Kopp, director of the online filmmaker networking organization, Shooting People, the panel discusses ways of building audience via the plethora of Internet tools that are available.

The formal description: "From the start of a new project, filmmakers are bringing in audiences, press, fans, and friends to help shape their content and build word-of-mouth. Find out how to increase and retain viewers using new technology and strategic web building – and why doing so sooner rather than later is critical to getting your latest project noticed."

In this difficult financial climate, internet outreach and promotion has become essential in getting a eyeballs on a film. In short "eyeballs on a laptop" is the new "butts in seats" making this upcoming panel is pretty much essential viewing.

For more information and tickets to the panel: go here.

The Winners So far!

Congrats to the lucky winners (or "twinners" as the dedicated Tweeters would call it) No wonder it's called twitter; it's so twee!
Over at the IndieGoGo blog the team is working hard to pick daily winners. These are the awarded thus far and their winning entries.

TWINNERS:

Day One (8/31) : comike011 ART HOUSE & ALTERNATIVE VENUE PROGRAMMING looks good #indiegogo #IFPFilmweek

Day Two (9/1): erincrum #IFPFilmweek #indiegogo Also, want to see this panel: PAYING THE BILLS – SUSTAINING YOUR FILM CAREER

Day Three (9/2): MalikMcNish #indiegogo #IFPFilmweek I can't wait to attend the FRESH FUNDING: MODERN IDEAS FOR DOC FINANCING panel

12 DAYS & 12 TICKETS LEFT! So enter now. Again, to enter:

1. Twitter about your favorite IFP Conference panel session
2. Include both #indiegogo and #IFPFilmweek in your tweets
3. No limit on number of tweets per twitterer per day (no bots please :)

Here are the descriptions of the panels the winners are most exciting to see.

ART HOUSE AND ALTERNATIVE VENUE PROGRAMMING
As audiences for films become more segmented, how can filmmakers work directly with art house and alternative venue programmers to showcase their latest content and bring audiences back to the theatres? This session will bring together DIY filmmakers and programmers to discuss what works best to market, position, and program independent films in art house theatres and alternative venues, and how to maximize financial impact for both parties.

Moderators:
Josh Braun, Sales Agent - Submarine Entertainment
Heather Winters, Producer - Studio On Hudson

Panelists:
Josh Green, VP Distribution - Emerging Pictures
Ned Hinkle, Creative Director - Brattle Theater, Boston
Mark Elijah Rosenberg, Artistic Director - Rooftop Films


PAYING THE BILLS: SUSTAINING YOUR FILM CAREER

How do you make a living as an independent filmmaker? Hear talented filmmakers in different levels of their careers discuss their day jobs, and how they carve out time and money to make their personal work.

Moderator:
Esther Robinson,Filmmaker/Journalist - Filmmaker Magazine

Panelists:
Tze Chun, Filmmaker - Children of Invention
Jesse Epstein, Filmmaker - Wet Dreams and False Images
Ross Kauffman, Filmmaker - Born Into Brothels
Reva Goldberg, Communications/ Special Projects - Cinereach

FRESH FUNDING: MODERN IDEAS FOR DOC FINANCING

How do you navigate the array of options to fund your next non-fiction project? Learn the big picture of documentary financing and current sales trends to keep your film on track from start to completion.

Moderator:
Louise Rosen, Agent - Louise Rosen LTD

Panelists:
Peter Broderick, President - Paradigm Consulting
Katy Chevigny, Executive Director - Arts Engine Etc.
Wendy Ettinger, Co-Founder - Chicken & Egg Pictures
Julie Goldman, Partner - Cactus Three Films
Ryan Harrington, Consultant - Gucci Tribeca Documentary Fund

Win Independent Filmmaker Conference passes via IndieGoGo and Twitter

IndieGoGo is giving away one All Conference Panel Ticket (worth $320) every weekday to IFP's Independent Filmmaker Conference until it begins on Sept 19. That's 15 All Conference Panel Tickets in 15 days (worth $5,000 total)!

Tickets include access to all 30 conference panels during Independent Film Week (Sept 19-23)

To enter:

1. Twitter about your favorite IFP Conference panel session
2. Include both #indiegogo and #IFPFilmweek in your tweets
3. No limit on number of tweets per twitterer per day (no bots please :)

Daily IndieGoGo "Twinners" will be selected at random from the respective day's tweets.

IndieGoGo provides tools for fundraising, promotion, and discovery. The platform enables people to showcase their work, mobilize their fans, and DIWO (Do-It-With-Others!). Members have raised over $150,000 to date and used IndieGoGo in over 90 countries.

IFP Lab Advisor, Mentor and Independent Film Conference panelist Ted Hope receives Filmmakers Alliance award

You've gotta love Ted Hope. I mean, if you don't, then you either don't love independent film or you are just being ornery! Hope (and what a fitting surname that is), who has worked with IFP in a number of ways, from being an Independent Filmmaker Conference panelist to mentoring our Filmmakers to sitting on the advisory board of the IFP Narrative Lab, received an award from L.A.'s Filmmakers Alliance recently. Presented by Alan Ball (AMERICAN BEAUTY, T.V.'s SIX FEET UNDER) the award recognizes Ted's past and continued gifts to the film community -- from the over 50 features he's produced (21 GRAMS, AMERICAN SPLENDOR, HAPPINESS) to the blog he writes, which tracks developments in our "new film culture and infrastructure, driven by both the creators and the audiences." Come out and see Ted on the "The Times They Are A'Changing" panel about making your first feature in the new landscape, on Sunday, September 20th at 11:30 am.

But for now, watch his moving speech here. and continued here

Time to Check in -- Bryan Wizemann, One Year After IFW

Almost a year after writer-director extraordinaire Bryan Wizemann participated in Independent Film Week's Project Forum last year, he very generously agreed to recap his incredible year for me. Bryan, like all our Project alumni, is most definitely a filmmaking force to be watched! Here he is:

"Attending the IFP market last year proved invaluable. Our meeting with Amy Slotnick (Frida) directly led to our screenplay being optioned by Jamin O'Brien and Worldview Entertainment. They are out to directors right now and development is moving quickly. The script is called Humor Me, written with Andrew Semans, and it follows a woman who gets dumped because she's just not funny, and the movie follows her along as she tries to become funny. It has all the hallmarks of a high-concept romantic comedy, but retains an indie sensibility. We have high hopes for it.

During that year, a short of mine got released into the online ether. Called Film Makes Us Happy, it's a short doc that portends to be the last fight my wife and I will ever have about making films. I could describe it, but better just to watch it, it's currently the featured film at Wholphin's website alongside a short interview.

What I'm probably most excited about is working with the producer Mike S. Ryan toward making the feature An Entire Body. It's a dark, dramatic work, which doesn't make development any easier, especially when most independent financing has evaporated, but we're close. The script won a national award not too long ago, and we've attracted some great people. We're one lead actress away, so cross your fingers... Any additional info on any of the film work can be found at http://ballastfilms.com/"

So follow Bryan on his website, and follow more checking in from IFW alumni on this blog. And if you have an experience to share, you know who to contact.

One year later - The success of Ian Olds' FIXER is fixed.

Approximately 11 months ago, I sat across a table from director Ian Olds and his producer Nancy Roth. With his delicate features and perfectly coiffed hair, Olds certainly doesn't look like a guy who has spent months in two of the most harrowing and war-torn countries in the world: Iraq and Afghanistan. Olds was there with his feature film, FIXER: THE TAKING OF AJMAL NAQSHBANDI

A feature-length documentary, FIXER follows the relationship between an Afghan interpreter and his client, American journalist Christian Parenti. This intimate portrait of two colleagues shifts dramatically when Ajmal is kidnapped along with an Italian reporter and ultimately, murdered. I had been familiar with the film previously, while on the voting committee at the Tribeca Gucci Fund, which gave the film a much-deserved grant.

Since meeting with Ian at IFP, he and his film enjoyed incredible success. Along with being broadcast on HBO in the next couple of weeks (see schedule here ) won raves at festivals across the world, from IFF Rotterdam to Tribeca Film Festival, where Olds won the " Best New Documentary Filmmaker" award, and Olds was named one of Filmmaker Magazine's 25 New Faces of Independent Film .

Nest up for Ian, he told me recently, is a return to fiction film. I can definitely expect him back at Film Week in the future; he is a filmmaking force to be reckoned with.

POLL RESULTS CLOSED: FROZEN RIVER is the Winner of "WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE IFP ALUMNI HIT?"

The first Independent Film Week blog poll closed its voting today. The winner is Courtney Hunt's Sundance-winning FROZEN RIVER.

Here are the results broken down.

1. Frozen River - directed by Courtney Hunt
(27%)

2. Paris is Burning - directed by Jennie Livingston
(21%)

3. Roger and Me - directed by Michael Moore
(18%)

4. (A TIE) Slacker - directed by Richard Linklater and Clerks - directed by Kevin Smith
(16%)

Not so keen on the comedies, guys?

Thanks everyone for voting, and a new poll will be posted tomorrow.