Film Independent to Administer and Curate LMU School of Film and Television's Post-Graduate Incubator Lab Program

LOS ANGELES, June 11, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Young alumni from Loyola Marymount University's School of Film and Television (SFTV) will get the opportunity to develop the first projects of their careers under the stewardship of industry professionals as they compete for a spot in the 2013-2014 SFTV Incubator Lab. Launched in 2011, SFTV's Incubator Lab is a one-year program that provides alumni with resources and tools to help them build their creative portfolio and transition into the industry. This year, Loyola Marymount University School of Film and Television is partnering to produce the program with Film Independent, the nonprofit arts organization that produces the Film Independent Spirit Awards, Film Independent at LACMA Film Series and Los Angeles Film Festival.

"We successfully completed the pilot phase of our Incubator Lab and our partnership with Film Independent is going to take the program to the next level," says Stephen Ujlaki, dean of LMU's School of Film and Television. "Film Independent exists to champion rising filmmakers, and their resources, programs and industry network will be invaluable to our Incubator Lab participants as they enter the workforce and begin developing their own projects."

"Loyola Marymount has a real commitment to supporting its alumni as they find their way in the film industry and develop their projects," said Josh Welsh, Co-President of Film Independent. "We have partnered with LMU on other programs, including the Los Angeles Film Festival, our Screenwriting Lab as well as events at Sundance and Tribeca. To work with them on their Incubator Lab is a great extension of an already strong partnership. We look forward to meeting and working with their alumni in the coming year."

This unique partnership will expand the resources of the Incubator Lab's pilot phase, providing participants with countless educational opportunities curated from Film Independent's major educational programs including the Film Independent Forum and the Directors Close-Up. Incubator Lab participants will receive guidance on their projects through regular group meetings as well as from established film professionals who will serve as project advisors. Access to benefits such as free casting services and space rentals are just some of the perks included as part of the package. SFTV will continue to serve participants by offering access to the film school's state-of-the-art production equipment and by providing insurance and admission to SFTV sponsored post-graduate learning opportunities.   

To be considered for this year's Incubator Lab, recent undergraduate and graduate alumni submitted creative projects, such as a feature film or a TV pilot.  The 2013-2014 Incubator Lab cohort will be announced on Monday, June 17, 2013 at the 2013 Los Angeles Film Festival's Meet Indiewire's Influencers panel, moderated by Dana Harris, Indiewire's Editor-in-Chief. The panel will celebrate the people and companies who are bending technology to their creative wills, and, in turn, providing filmmakers and film lovers with the tools that allow the best content to be created and discovered in the 21st century.

Major funding for SFTV's Incubator Lab is provided by The Elbridge and Debra Stuart Family Foundation.

About LMU SFTV
Movie industry moguls helped establish Loyola Marymount University's (LMU) current campus on the bluffs above west Los Angeles in the 1920s. By 1964, LMU was formally teaching film and television curriculum, and in 2001, the School of Film and Television (SFTV) was established as its own entity.  Today, SFTV offers students a comprehensive education where mastering technical skills and story is equally important to educating the whole person, including the formation of character and values, meaning and purpose. SFTV offers undergraduate degrees in animation, production, screenwriting, film and television studies and recording arts; and graduate degrees in production, screenwriting and writing and producing for television. The school is one of the few film programs providing students with a completely tapeless model of production and post-production, and SFTV's animation program is one of the only in the world teaching virtual cinematography. Selected alumni include John Bailey, Bob Beemer, Francie Calfo, Brian Helgeland, Francis Lawrence, Lauren Montgomery, Jack Orman, Van Partible and James Wong, among others. Get more information at sftv.lmu.edu or facebook.com/lmusftv.

About Film Independent
Film Independent is a nonprofit arts organization that champions independent film and supports a community of artists who embody diversity, innovation, and uniqueness of vision. Film Independent helps filmmakers make their movies, builds an audience for their projects, and works to diversify the film industry. Film Independent's Board of Directors, filmmakers, staff, and constituents, is comprised of an inclusive community of individuals across ability, age, ethnicity, gender, race, and sexual orientation. Anyone passionate about film can become a member, whether you are a filmmaker, industry professional, or a film lover.

Film Independent produces the Film Independent Spirit Awards, the annual celebration honoring artist-driven films and recognizing the finest achievements of American independent filmmakers.  Film Independent also produces the Los Angeles Film Festival, showcasing the best of American and international cinema and the Film Independent at LACMA Film Series, a year-round, weekly program that offers unique cinematic experiences for the Los Angeles creative community and the general public.  

With over 250 annual screenings and events, Film Independent provides access to a network of like-minded artists who are driving creativity in the film industry. Film Independent's Artist Development program offers free Labs for selected writers, directors, producers and documentary filmmakers and presents year-round networking opportunities. Project Involve is Film Independent's signature program dedicated to fostering the careers of talented filmmakers from communities traditionally underrepresented in the film industry. For more information or to become a member, visit FilmIndependent.org.

SOURCE LMU School of Film and Television

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