Interview with Evan Fleischer IFC MEDIA LAB Director

Please explain to our audience the mission of your venture and what
motivated its launch initially, and what is your role there?

The purpose of Media Lab is to enable aspiring filmmakers to showcase their
works to a worldwide audience on our web site. This is in many ways the ultimate
fulfillment of IFC's mission to provide a voice to independent filmmakers. Our
brand tagline is "TV, Uncut.” and Media Lab is another way for us
to let cinematic artists display their works in an unfiltered way. Ultimately,
the films judged to be the best by the public will be seen on the IFC cable
network.

Are you personally actively interested - open or eager to showcase
international cinematography or strictly domestic

While Media Lab is only open to residents of the US, as a network IFC showcases
many international films and the widest range of voices and perspectives possible.

What kind of filmmakers do you want to showcase?

All filmmakers are invited to participate. Our hope is that by providing this
opportunity for worldwide exposure we will be encouraging artists with creative
visions, and helping them to be 'discovered.'

Your best festival souvenir?

We just got a documentary into the Sundance Film Festival – nothing beats
that yet!

Tell us about your experience in filmmaking?

IFC has made documentaries, shorts and – through IFC Films – feature
films. We are dedicated to the free expression of the indie film director.

Who is your mentor/idol/reference film-wise?

IFC was founded around an ideal originally created by Z Channel in Los Angeles
by the late Jerry Harvey.

THE IFC MEDIA LAB

What is the projected audience?

Anyone who has a love of film



How many professionals are you expecting in the community?

There is no limit or specific expectation.

How are you launching this?

Media Lab is being supported by a PR campaign as well as via advertising



What will be the measure of your success?

Media Lab will be a success if we generate a substantial number of film submissions
and active participation in the viewing and voting process.

Which proportion of your initiative is generated by sponsorship?

Media Lab was created without consideration of sponsorship. First and foremost,
it is an initiative designed to nurture and provide exposure to filmmakers.
However, since its inception, Media Lab has caught the attention of many potential
sponsors, including Aquafina, which has signed on as a founding sponsor.

How tough is it to launch a new online venture showing online film


There is a real pent-up demand on both sides of the equation: filmmakers who
are eager to find outlets for their work and audiences who can't get enough
of this content. As such, the Media Lab launch was not difficult once we worked
out all the technical aspects.

Do you think there are too many of them in the states?

Again, there are countless filmmakers who seek forums for their work, so I do
not think it's possible to have 'too many' outlets.

VISION



Do you see the decline in cinema attendance as inevitable doom?

If you look at cinema attendance, DVD rentals/purchases, VOD viewing and so
on under the heading of 'watching movies,' then the film industry is as healthy
as ever.

Do you think cinema is at a turning point?

It's difficult to say and probably only will be known in retrospect. Fifty years
ago, it was firmly believed that television would kill movie theaters and of
course it didn’t turn out that way at all.

Do you think cinema is at a turning point with new technologies, consumption
patterns?

Absolutely. It’s not just cinema, but media as a whole. As new technology
enables new methods of creation, new methods of distribution, and new methods
of consumption, media will absolutely change out of necessity.

Do you see festivals continuing to play an important role in filmmakers
career in the near future

Without question. It remains probably the best opportunity to be discovered
by distributors.

How would you envision the future of cinema production, distribution,
consumption, ethics, politics, and social role?

As technology has advanced, filmmaking has become more democratic. As viewers
continue to take back more control of their film experience (DVD, VOD, file
sharing, downloading), that r-evolution will grow. That’s why we invented
Media Lab – to give citizen filmmakers an outlet for their voice.

What is the future of online film consumption?

That’s hard to say. That future is being written right now by producers
and consumers alike. We’re just happy that IFC is a player in helping
to define that future.

Thanks Evan

Interview by Bruno Chatelin