In 2020, the film festival and distribution roadmaps we could reliably navigate were disrupted by a global pandemic and came to a grinding halt. In light of this, IF/Then has decided to launch FINISH LINE, a program that will support and guide filmmakers through this new and evolving world, helping them refine their work and strategies to find the most successful opportunities available. Each project will receive personalized support based on their needs, which can include editorial feedback, creative consultation, distribution and festival premiere strategy, and mentorship around navigating the industry.
In two prisons in the Pacific Northwest, incarcerated men and women watch nature videos on loop, prompting reflections on isolation and the wilderness.
A filmmaker returns to rural West Texas to document the effects of the boom-and-bust nature of the oil industry on her hometown, unexpectedly documenting the political transformation that takes place in her family over five years and two election cycles.
A family reeling from the unjust incarceration of an ailing mentally ill loved one, calls on their faith and the strength of community to right a systemic wrong. Music, love and creativity are used to permeate the isolation of a solitary confinement cell, and a public performance on prison grounds is used to challenge the state to do better.
Occupy is an animated documentary comprising of personal stories by queer, gender non-conforming, and transgender South Asians, sharing experiences of gendered public spaces. The result is a landscape using portraits of people who have encountered gendered spaces in hostile, violent, humorous, and life-changing ways.
Debbie & Me & Reality TV is an experimental, reflexive documentary film exploring the shifting sociopolitical compass of the 45-season reality television show Survivor through archival footage, critical interviews, and interwoven personal stories of the director’s longtime pursuit of being cast on the show as a work of performance art.
Also Resisters considers solidarity across generations and geography. Adapted from a 1968 essay by the queer socialist David E. McReynolds, the short archival film takes the images and sounds of the American war in Vietnam to reflect on the feedback loop between militarism abroad and at home — and the people who resisted it.
BEYOND THE BODY
Director & Producer: Sara Wylie
A short documentary about chronic illness, connection and the often mysterious nature of healing. Made in collaboration with the director's aunt, this eco-developed film explores how their chronic illnesses brought them together despite the regular isolation both experience from being unwell.
A person with short white hair wearing a patterned sleeveless top reaches up to pick fruit from a lush green tree or bush. The background is filled with dense foliage, and there is a white rectangular spot on the left side of the image.
In 2020, the film festival and distribution roadmaps we could reliably navigate were disrupted by a global pandemic and came to a grinding halt. In light of this, IF/Then has decided to launch FINISH LINE, a program that will support and guide filmmakers through this new and evolving world, helping them refine their work and strategies to find the most successful opportunities available. Each project will receive personalized support based on their needs, which can include editorial feedback, creative consultation, distribution and festival premiere strategy, and mentorship around navigating the industry.
An open call for filmmakers to share their short documentary works-in-progress focusing on connecting or reconnecting with nature for a pitch at Mountainfilm in May 2024. The opportunity celebrates storytellers and stories that explore environmental stories centered around restoring humanity’s connection with nature and the outdoors.
