With a mission of discovering, showcasing and supporting new independent film projects and talent, the Independent Film Project (IFP) will hold its Independent Film Week Sept. 14-19 in New York.

The centerpiece of Independent Film Week is the "Project Forum," a showcase for 150 new works in development, of which half are documentaries. The Forum is divided into three sections: Emerging Narrative, for writers and writer/directors seeking producers; No Borders International Co-Production Market, for experienced producers seeking financing partners; and Spotlight on Documentaries, for projects in production and postproduction that are currently seeking financing partners and festival invitations.

Other highlights of Independent Film Week include the Independent Filmmakers Conference, a showcase screening from IFP's Independent Filmmaker Labs, and the Independent Filmmaker Awards Ceremony, in which more than $100,000 is awarded to filmmakers, including the Kodak Grand Jury Screenwriting Award, eight Panasonic Digital Filmmaker Grants, the Adrienne Shelly Director's Grant, and The Fledgling Fund Awards for a socially conscious documentary.

In 2007, more than 1,000 industry professionals attended the six-day event, and IFP arranged more than 2,000 one-on-one pitch meetings between filmmakers and executives from production companies, distributors, exhibitors, broadcasters and film festivals.

Submission deadlines for Independent Film Week begin May 2. For guidelines and submission forms, visit www.ifp.org.

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Brooklyn Bridges

From May 29 to June 8, the Sundance Institute will present its Sundance Institute at BAM series, produced with the Brooklyn Academy of Music. The event includes screenings of 22 feature films and 36 short films from the 2008 Sundance Film Festival, filmmaker Q&A sessions (most of the directors will be present at the screenings), panels and readings.

"Sundance Institute at BAM is a combination of the public and intimate: a 10-day showcase of talent," explains John Cooper, director of programming for the Sundance Film Festival. "To watch a provocative film like Sleep Dealer and then have New York filmmaker Alex Rivera talk about his eight-year journey developing his first film at Sundance Labs—that's a moment in time we want people to share."

Tickets for Sundance Institute at BAM are available online at www.BAM.org/Sundance, by phone at 718.777.FILM or in person at the BAM Rose Cinemas box office.