PHOENIX -- The independent film scene in Arizona has evolved markedly in the past three years. Just consider the organizations operating under the umbrella of the Phoenix Film Foundation: the Phoenix Film Society, the Phoenix Film Festival, and the Phoenix Film Project. Now the latter has become the newest chapter of the Independent Feature Project and will be known as IFP Phoenix (www.ifpphx.org).
The Phoenix Film Project is home to several unique programs, the most visible being its popular weekly cable access show, Screen Wars (now on hiatus), featuring short works by local filmmakers and online voting by viewers. After several weeks, the most popular films, divided by genre, are presented before a live audience. The organization also hosts a monthly gathering called "Cinema Lounge," in which local films are screened in an informal setting, allowing for discussion and networking.
While education has always been a focus of the organization, with events for beginning filmmakers, "we are looking forward to offering more specific and professional seminars for all those involved in filmmaking, including editing, lighting, and others," said Amanda Melby, IFP Phoenix's co-executive director. "By joining IFP, we look forward to being able to fly in representatives from various companies of interest to filmmakers, including Sony, Toshiba, and Kodak." In addition to expanding its professional seminars, the group will also boost its programs for middle and high school students. During the annual Phoenix Film Festival in March, teen-oriented educational events were expanded from one to four days.
When the directors of the IFP chapters in New York, Chicago, Minneapolis/St. Paul, and Seattle unanimously approved the Phoenix chapter, their members gained new opportunities for networking, exposure, financing, and production. Members of IFP Phoenix will now be able to connect with filmmakers in other cities and find out who's buying, who's financing, and who's making what. "Once upon a time, Arizona filmmakers felt they had to leave to produce their work," said Julie Holman, IFP Phoenix's other co-executive director. "We want to be a resource for filmmakers around the state. We want to show them that you don't need to go to L.A. to create work anymore."