Applications are now open for the 2021 cycle of the Chicago Film Office’s Chicago Independent Producers Lab. Participating producers will have the chance to work with industry professionals to grow their network and expertise in different areas of independent film producing.
Full Spectrum Features and the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) recognize producers as the creative entrepreneurs who make a thriving independent film industry possible.
Designed to increase the number of independent producers working in Chicago—and to significantly deepen and broaden their professional networks and producing expertise—CIPL is a five-month-long program that shepherds producer-driven projects to production viability. Participants are matched with industry mentors for the duration of the program and, at the conclusion of the lab, present their projects to production companies and other industry professionals. CIPL is part of the Chicago Film Office’s Independent Film Initiative (IFI).
PRODUCERS LAB APPLICATION ELIGIBILITY
- Applicant must be a lead producer (and not the director) of a feature-length narrative film project with at least one key attachment (director, actor, executive producer, etc.).
- Applicants must submit a full draft of a feature-length script.
- Applicants must own the rights to the submitted script, or they must be in active negotiation to acquire these rights.
- Applicants must have produced at least one short film (or equivalent media project) as lead producer.
- Applicants must live in and prove residency in the city of Chicago (collaborators may live elsewhere).
- Applicants must be at least 18 years old.
- Applicants from underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply.
APPLICATION DEADLINE: January 17, 2021 at 11:59PM (CST)
Full Spectrum Features is committed to amplifying marginalized voices and to supporting filmmakers who use storytelling to challenge audiences, build community, and address systemic injustice.
STRUCTURE & SCHEDULE
The Producers Lab is structured as a hands-on project accelerator. Participants will emerge from the program equipped to see their projects through production, distribution, and beyond. The lab is built around immersive workshops focusing on different aspects of independent producing.
2020 PRODUCERS LAB
- Sustainable Filmmaking in 2020 with Kyle Henry
- Creative Development with Mollye Asher
- Business & Legal with Lawyers for the Creative Arts
- Pitching, Sales & Distribution with Josh Penn
PARTICIPANTS
Grace Hahn is a Chicago-based producer whose recent projects include Once Upon a River and Princess Cyd. Grace is an advocate for uplifting leadership, equity amongst cast/crew, and sustainable production methods. She hopes to never leave Chicago.
Grace’s project, Heart of the Trepid, is about a group of old friends who reunite to complete a 17-year-old Dungeons & Dragons campaign.
Raised in Milwaukee, WI, Angellic Ross attended Northwestern University where she studied Performance Studies and Film & Media Studies. Her mission is to provide sustainable resources for women and voices of color. Long term, Angellic hopes to own a production company and teach film studies and business classes.
Angellic’s project, Go to the Body, is about a young couple navigating the trauma of a sexual assault.
Anthony Gibson is a writer, poet, and filmmaker living in Chicago, IL. In 2019 he was awarded an Individual Artist Program Grant from the city of Chicago and his debut poetry collection, Lionfly, is set to publish in Spring 2020.
Anthony’s project, Love in the City: A Romance Anthology, celebrates young love as it runs rampant in Chicago over the course of one dream-like summer day.
Harley Foos is a Chicago-based filmmaker with a passion for collaboration and underground arts. Their work has been featured in AFROPUNK, Flood Magazine, The Deli Magazine, Post-Trash, and the Chicago Tribune. They are currently the Director of the Film Division at Pop Magic Productions.
Harley’s project, The Snowpeople, is about a punk band upended by a sexual assault allegation.
For more info on Full Spectrum Independent Producer’s Lab VISIT HERE.
