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Exclusive: Film Independent has named Law Chen, Raven Jackson, Erin Li, Miguel Nuñez, Victoria Rivera and Claudia Sparrow as the filmmakers set for its second annual Episodic Directing Intensive.

Each of the six is an alum of Film Independent Artist Development programs including the Directing Lab, Documentary Lab, Screenwriting Lab, Fast Track finance market and Project Involve, which collectively celebrate their 30th anniversary this year. Over the course of the three-day program, the accomplished up-and-comers will learn from veterans of the episodic landscape, taking in the wisdom and experience of a group of directors, showrunners, actors and cinematographers.

Among those set as industry participants are Hikari, Johnson Cheng, Aurora Guerrero, Rachel Goldberg, Michelle Lawler, Glen Mazzara, Leonardo Nam, Jeremy Podeswa, James Ponsoldt, Angel Kristi Williams, Daniel Willis and more.

Said Film Independent’s Associate Director of Fiction Programs, Dea Vazquez, “As we celebrate the 30th year of our Artist Development programs,...

The Human Rights Watch Film Festival presents its first full digital edition of bold new films that will be available nationwide, in response to this time of crisis, Human Rights Watch said today. The film festival will feature in-depth online discussions with filmmakers, film subjects, and Human Rights Watch researchers.

As individuals and communities across the world struggle to face the challenges of an unprecedented global pandemic, the restriction of basic human rights – including pathways to medical and economic survival – are felt most severely by those already impacted by stark inequalities. Now more than ever, the world needs powerful and uplifting stories about those demanding justice, equality and safety for themselves, their communities and future generations.

John Biaggi, Director of the Human Rights Watch Film Festival says “At a time when the world is experiencing a profound shared adversity, it is particularly heartening to witness the brave individuals and strong...

“Murmur,” from director Heather Young, won the Narrative Feature Grand Jury Prize from the 26th Slamdance Film Festival, the festival announced at its awards ceremony at the Treasure Mountain Inn in Park City, Utah on Thursday night.

The jury at the festival also recognized Merawi Gerima’s “Residue” with an honorable mention, and “Residue” also took home the audience award for narrative feature.

“We congratulate the winners of Slamdance 2020 and we celebrate all of our new filmmakers who have shown us that the art of filmmaking is brilliantly alive,” Slamdance co-founder Peter Baxter said in a statement. “This next generation collectively brings us art formed in risk taking, bravery and the unexpected. It’s not just their characters who are on an adventure. It’s the filmmakers as well and Slamdance will continue to be their companion.”

Also Read: The Scene From TheWrap at Sundance (Photos)

“The Grand Jury Award...

Heather Young’s debut feature film Murmur won the Narrative Feature Grand Jury Prize at the Slamdance Film Festival, which announced winners at the end of its 26th edition Thursday. Merawi Gerima’s Residue was named honorable mention and won the fest’s audience award.

The jury called Murmur a “richly detailed and deeply humane drama” that “offers an insightful and sympathetic portrait of a lonely woman … who goes to self-destructive extremes while attempting to fill the gaping void in her life.”

Residue, awarded for its “at once inventive, poetic and angry about issues of identity, gentrification and the difficulty of returning home,” according to the jury, also won star Obinna Nwachukwu the Slamdance Acting Award.

The Documentary Feature Grand Jury Prize went to Higher Love, directed by Hasan Oswald.

Other audience winners included Brian Morrison’s Bastards’ Road, which won for Documentary Feature. Shoot to Marry, directed by Steve Markle,...

Heather Young’s drama “Murmur” has been selected as the winner of the narrative feature grand jury prize at the Slamdance Film festival.

The movie, which won the Fipresci Discovery Prize at the Toronto International Film Festival, stars Shan MacDonald as an older woman who, while performing community service at an animal shelter, begins compulsively adopting pets to ease her loneliness. Merawi Gerima’s first feature, “Residue,” won an Honorable mention from the jury and the Audience Award for Narrative Feature.

“The Grand Jury Award for Narrative Feature goes to Murmur, the quietly devastating debut feature from Canadian filmmaker Heather Young,” the jury said. “This richly detailed and deeply humane drama offers an insightful and sympathetic portrait of a lonely woman — affectingly portrayed by newcomer Shan McDonald — who goes to self-destructive extremes while attempting to fill the gaping void in her life. An Honorable Mention goes to Merawi Gerima’s mesmerizing first feature,...

Pictured: Louise Detlefsen and Louise Kjeldsen’s “Fat Front,” about a rebellious movement started by plus-sized women in Scandinavia, world premieres at Idfa.

Danish documentarian Jørgen Leth, whose 1967 short “The Perfect Human” inspired fellow countryman Lars Von Trier as a film student, will be awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award at Idfa this year. The prolific 82-year-old, based in Haiti, is just one of a number of non-fiction heavyweights to be celebrated at the Amsterdam festival, which will also offer posthumous tributes to Agnes Varda and D.A. Pennebaker, who passed away this year.

Under festival director Orwa Nyrabia, in his second year, Idfa continues to focus on directors from emerging territories as well as films dealing with pressing contemporary issues. In the Frontlight section, Claudia Sparrow’s “Maxima” deals with a Peruvian farmer forced to defend her land against the gold-mining industry; Jia Yuchuan’s “The Two Lives of Li Ermao...

Recipient of $20,000 Alfred P. Sloan Fast Track Grant named.

Film Independent has announced the 10 projects and 24 filmmakers selected for the 14th annual Fast Track film finance market.

The programme, held during the imminent Los Angeles Film Festival (June 14-22), helps producer-director teams advance their projects through meetings with industry executives, financiers, agents and managers, distributors, production companies, and granting organisations.

Participants will spend three days attending meetings with the aim of building relationships and gaining exposure for their projects.

2017 Fast Track Projects and Fellows are:

Blow The Man Down Bridget Savage Cole and Danielle Krudy (co-writers,co-directors), Drew Houpt (producer)

Cantering Hikari (writer,director,producer) Peter Maestrey (producer)

Farewell Tour Sean Hackett (writer,director), Frederick Thornton (producer)

Followers Tim Marshall (writer,director), Christina Radburn (producer)

Maybe Tomorrow Eliza Lee (writer,director), Michelle Sy (producer), Sophia Chang (executive producer)

Radiant Annika Glac (writer,director), Robyn Kershaw (producer)

Son Of A Very Important Man Najwa Najjar (writer,director), Hani...