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Exclusive: Kiana Madeira (Fear Street trilogy) is making her first leap into producing as executive producer and star of Baby Love, an indie fighter drama marking the feature debut of writer-director Joseph Marconi.

Others set to star include Marielle Scott (Lady Bird), Homeland‘s Maury Sterling and Amy Hargreaves, Blake Lindsley (9-1-1) and Irene Bedard (Avatar: The Last Airbender).

The film centers on Rhiannon “Baby Love” Mitchell (Madeira), an Mma fighter on the brink of self-destruction who battles through underground fight circuits, facing physical and emotional turmoil. When a series of concussions threaten her career, she is forced into an unconventional equine therapy program. Skeptical and defiant, she gradually bonds with the horses and the program’s patients, rediscovering her inner strength and confronting her past. As she heals, she must decide whether to return to the ring or forge a new path.

Lysette Urus (As We Speak) and...

This isn’t a meteorology blog. We’re under no obligation to inform you that–despite a historically slow ski season start–the snow now falling across Northern Utah’s Wasatch Valley is voluminous and omnipresent. All the better excuse for sequestering oneself inside the weatherproofed walls of Park City’s myriad Sundance screening venues. And whether you’re a Sundance programmer, filmmaker, critic, industry wonk or civilian attendee, one thing is certain: there are currently a lot of granola bars getting smushed in a lot of people’s pockets.

Of course, our favorite among these snowblind wretches are our own Film Independent Fellows proudly debuting their new works at the festival. And by “Fellows” here we of course mean filmmakers who have been directly supported by Film Independent’s Lab Programs, Project Involve, Fast Track and Fiscal Sponsorship programs, as well as Emerging Filmmaker Award winners and grant recipients.

This year’s fall festival circuit has been everything, everywhere, all at once, it seems.

The 2022 Film Independent Forum announced that “Everything Everywhere All at Once” writer/directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, also known as Daniels, will kick off the conference with a keynote.

Opening night on October 24 will also include a screening of A24’s “The Inspection,” followed by a Q&a with director Elegance Bratton, Gamechanger’s CEO/producer Effie T. Brown, and producer Chester Algernal Gordon.

The Film Independent Forum event starts October 24 at the Directors Guild of America Theatre in Los Angeles. The conference will continue with virtual sessions and panels to be enjoyed by global audiences October 25 through 27. The full program will take place over the course of four days, October 24 through 27.

The Film Independent Forum hosts independent filmmakers and content creators, with the 2022 lineup returning in a hybrid format of both in-person and virtual events.

Moving Bangladesh wins $20,000 Sloan Fast Track Grant.

Projects from the UK, Bangladesh, Greece and Trinidad & Tobago were among 15 selected for Film Independent’s 19th Fast Track Film Finance Market that took place online from November 15-18, the organisation said on Friday.

The four-day programme connected participating filmmakers with financiers, production companies, agents, managers and other film industry professionals from, among others, A24, Decal, Maven Screen Media, Searchlight Pictures, Venice Film Festival, and Hollywood agencies.

Recent Fast Track projects completed include Bing Liu’s 2019 Oscar-nominated documentary Minding The Gap; Hikari’s 2019 Berlinale jury prize and audience award-winning debut 37 Seconds; Kirill Mikhanovsky...

Producers of the Spirit Awards, and non-profit arts organization, Film Independent, announced the five filmmakers and projects selected for their 21st annual producing Lab. The fellows will participate in a program set up to help develop their skills and further their careers by pairing them with a creative advisor who will advise on both the craft and business of independent producing.

The 2021 Producing Lab is supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. The Sloan Producers Grant, a $30,000 grant to further develop a project that explores science and technology themes or characters in engaging and innovative ways, was awarded to Cecilia Otero with her project, Upstreamers. Additional support comes from the National Endowment for the Arts.

“We are thrilled to support this year’s talented cohort of Producers who are championing global stories that speak to the universal human experiences of ambition, redemption and connection.” said Angela C. Lee, Associate Director of Artist Development.