(Oct. 5, 2006) FILM INDEPENDENT ANNOUNCES 2006 PRODUCERS LAB PARTICIPANTS
LOS ANGELES (October 5, 2006) – Film Independent announced today the participants in the organization's annual Producers Lab. The Lab runs in Los Angeles for seven consecutive weeks beginning October 16, 2006.

Participants selected for the 2006 Film Independent Producers Lab are: Greg Corbin and Bryan Lewis (Señor Vasquez and the Holy Donut); Sarah DiLeo (Bless Me, Ultima); Scott Foster (Crystal Messiah); Jasmine Jaisinghani (SuperMacho); Charlotte Pai and Ben Wagner (Baja); Sean Shodahl and Maryam Keshavarz (Circumstance); and Susan West (The Oyster Dance).

Sponsored by Technicolor, the Lab is designed to help producers working in independent film improve their craft and to help them develop strategies for getting their films made. This year's Lab is being taught by producer Gina Kwon, whose credits include Me and You and Everyone We Know and The Motel. Guest speakers include entertainment attorney Craig Emanuel, producer Ram Bergman (Brick), producer Effie T. Brown (Rocket Science, In the Cut), Joe Pichirallo (Will Smith's Overbrook Entertainment), producer Jocelyn Hayes (Killer Films), and business plan expert Louise Levison.

"With its array of teachers and guest speakers from all spectrums of the filmmaking landscape, we're honored to present this year's Producers Lab which will help independent filmmakers in very tangible ways get their films made," said Dawn Hudson, Executive Director of Film Independent.

Among the projects in this year's Lab are director Patricia Cardoso's follow-up to Real Women Have Curves, Señor Vasquez and the Holy Donut; Tim
Blake Nelson's Bless Me, Ultima, an adaptation of Rudolfo Anaya's novel; Alfredo De Villa's Crystal Messiah; and The Oyster Dance, Moisés Kaufman's follow-up to The Laramie Project.

"We have an amazing group of up-and-coming producers this year who are developing some wonderful projects," added Film Independent's Lab Manager, Josh Welsh.

Recent graduates of the Producers Lab include Ted Kroeber, who produced American Gun, the IFC film which premiered at the 2005 Toronto Film Festival; Jessica Sanders, whose feature documentary After Innocence premiered at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival and was released theatrically by New Yorker Films this year; and Scott Prendergast (Kabluey).

Participants in the Producers Lab receive a complimentary pass to Film Independent's second annual Filmmaker Forum, "Make and Sell Your Film Without Getting Screwed."

The Filmmaker Labs are talent development programs for emerging writers, directors and producers working in independent film. The Labs began in 1999 with the advent of its Screenwriters Lab. In subsequent years, an annual Producers Lab and Directors Lab were added, to address the needs of these constituencies within the independent film community. Held in Los Angeles for seven weeks, each Lab provides emerging filmmakers with a nurturing yet challenging environment in which to hone their craft and meet industry professionals who can help them forward their careers. Past lab instructors include Allison Anders, Effie Brown, Eric d'Arbeloff, Alison Dickey, Tony Drazan, Rodrigo García, Matthew Greenfield, Greg Harrison, Charlie Herman-Wumfeld, Nicole Holofcener, Jasmine Kosovic, Michael Steinberg, Jeff Stockwell, Barbara Turner, and Lee David Zlotoff.

ABOUT FILM INDEPENDENT

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 cinema. For more information, visit FilmIndependent.org.
Highly selective, free Filmmaker Lab program cultivates independent producing talent