(March 1, 2006) 2006 Directors Lab Participants Announced
Executive Director Dawn Hudson announced today the selected fellows for its annual Directors Lab, which will begin its seven-week run on March 7. Greg Harrison, director of November and Groove, will serve as the lab instructor.

"The Directors Lab is made up of a wide spectrum of filmmakers, who create the excellent and diverse independent filmmaking we are proud to support and cultivate at Film Independent," said Hudson. "We're thrilled to have Greg Harrison teaching this year's fellows, along with so many accomplished guest speakers."

The Directors Lab is an intensive seven-week program designed to assist directors working in independent film to improve their craft. This session's guest speakers will include writer director Robert Towne (Ask the Dust), cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto (Oscar-nominated for Brokeback Mountain), casting director Meg Morman (Me and You and Everyone We Know), directing and acting coach Joan Scheckel, and directors Ian Gamazon and Neill dela Llana (Cavite).

The Film Independent Directors Lab participants were selected based on a submitted script, letter of intent, and the strength of previous directing experience (in film or theater). The Lab is sponsored by Kodak and Technicolor.

The participants and their projects are:

Jennifer Arnold, Speedway
Thomas Dean Donnelly, Bridge and Tunnel
Tamar Halpern, Ezzy Fish
Michael Lew, Junkyard of Dreams
Fabian Marquez, Coyote Sleeps
Minh Nguyen-Vo, Point of Reference
Scott Prendergast, Kabluey
Kia Simon, Alice

Past Directors Lab participants include Mora Stephens, who was nominated for a 2006 Independent Spirit Award for her debut feature Conventioneers; Mario de la Vega, writer/director of Robbing Peter, which was nominated for four Independent Spirit Awards last year; and Michael Caleo, writer/director of the forthcoming film The Last Time, starring Michael Keaton, Brendan Fraser, and Amber Valetta.

Harrison recently directed November, an experimental thriller starring Courteney Cox, which premiered in the Dramatic Competition at Sundance in 2004, winning the Cinematography Award, and was released by Sony Pictures Classics in 2005. Harrison was named one of 10 Directors To Watch by Variety. Harrison’s writing/directing debut, Groove, premiered at Sundance in 2000 and received an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Feature Film Under $500,000 and was also released by Sony Pictures Classics that same year.

Film Independent, the largest non-profit membership organization for independent filmmakers, cultivates the careers of independent filmmakers, builds the audience for independent films, and increases diversity in the film industry. Film Independent provides its members with more than 250 annual events and screenings, along with professional advice, educational programs, affordable camera and equipment rentals, and discounts to hundreds of industry-related businesses.

Film Independent also offers Filmmaker Labs, giving filmmakers the opportunity to develop their projects, and Project:Involve, a mentorship and job placement program that pairs filmmakers from culturally diverse communities with film industry professionals. Film Independent produces the Independent Spirit Awards and Los Angeles Film Festival, celebrating the best of American and international independent cinema. For more information, visit www.FilmIndependent.org.