Absorb All-Star Knowledge from the Pros

Starting tomorrow, for two weekends only, the wizards, masters, and warriors of documentary will come out and play.

At the 2009 Producers’ Series

Eye-Witness – Focus On Documentaries

April 4-5 & 18-19
Film Row Cinema
Columbia College Chicago
1104 S. Wabash, 8th Floor

Two full weekend sessions that cover the nuts and bolts of developing, marketing and distributing your documentary film! Some series highlights:

• Want to plan a series? Join Kartemquin’s Gordon Quinn, Leslie Simmer & Jerry Blumenthal to discuss the process involved in planning and producing their series THE NEW AMERICANS that spanned 4 years in the lives of new American immigrants.

• Need advice on pitching your film or work-in-progress to potential funders and distributors? Expert Laurie Scheer will tell you how, listen to pitches from participants, and give advice on how you can be most effective!

• Ethics Panel Discussion: The subjects of documentary films are often ordinary (or extraordinary) people unaccustomed to life in the limelight. What considerations should filmmakers take into account when making a documentary? Where do issues of time, money, deadlines and demands of story structure come into play? Join us for an in-depth discussion of the ethics surrounding documentary filmmaking with Ruth Leitman, Maggie Bowman, Danielle Beverly, and Stephanie McCanles.

• Get an overview of ITVS, application procedures and an outline of the relationship during and after, with ITVS’ Karim Ahmad and Kartemquin’s Xan Aranda, Associate Producer & Outreach Coordinator for MILKING THE RHINO.

• Two Chicago Premieres: TRUST US, THIS IS ALL MADE UP by Alex Karpovsky, premiered at SXSW this year starring Chicago’s own David Pasquesi and TJ Jagodowski!! HANDMADE NATION by Faythe Levine, DIY artist, founder of Art vs. Craft & published author!

**Free for Producer’s Series participants, Individual Screening Tickets Available for the general public!

To see the full schedule, purchase passes or screening tickets and for a look at the 2008 Producers’ Series, please visit our Producers’ Series page! (http://www.ifpchicago.org/category/producers-series/)

**IFP IS LOOKING FOR STUDENT VOLUNTEERS FOR THE EVENTS. VOLUNTEERS WILL RECEIVE FREE ENTRY TO SOME SESSIONS DEPENDING ON THE AMT OF TIME VOLUNTEERED. IF YOU'RE INTERESTED, PLEASE EMAIL rivetingpictures@gmail.com.