Girlfight’s Michelle Rodriquez Wins Best Debut Performance
Keep The River on the Right: A Modern Cannibal Tale
Honored With the Truer Than Fiction Award
March 25, 2001 (Santa Monica, Calif.) IFC Productions’ hit film Girlfight won the Independent Spirit Award for Michelle Rodriquez’s Debut Performance. The film was also nominated for Best First Feature. Keep The River on the Right: A Modern Cannibal Tale, a Next Wave Production distributed by IFC Films, took home the Truer Than Fiction award. In addition, three of the finalists for the Motorola Producers Award were recognized for their work on IFC Productions — producer Paul S. Mezey (IFC’s Spring Forward) won the $20,000 prize. IFC Entertainment garnered a total of seven 2001 IFP West/Independent Spirit Award nominations.
“We congratulate all our winners and nominees,” comments Jonathan Sehring, President, IFC Entertainment “IFC’s growing recognition in the independent film community, combined with the establishment of IFC’s distribution company, furthers IFC’s commitment to support up and coming filmmakers.”
The Truer Than Fiction Award, accompanied by a $20,000 unrestricted grant, is presented to an emerging documentary filmmaker of unique vision and talent who has not yet received significant attention. David and Laurie Gwen Shapiro’s award-winning film Keep The River on the Right: A Modern Cannibal Tale will be released by IFC Films in select cities on Friday, March 30.
The Independent Spirit Awards were broadcast live, exclusively on IFC and was also re-broadcast on IFC’s sister network Bravo, The Film and Arts Network.
The Independent Film Channel (IFC), managed and operated by Bravo Networks, is the first and most widely distributed channel dedicated to independent film presented 24 hours a day, uncut and commercial-free. IFC Entertainment, a division of IFC, consists of IFC Productions, a feature film production company; IFC Films, a theatrical film distribution company; Next Wave Films, established to provide finishing funds and other vital support to emerging filmmakers; and IFC Originals, which produces cutting-edge original programming for the network. In addition, IFC Productions recently launched InDigEnt, an initiative that helps established filmmakers shoot productions on digital video for the big screen.
Contact:
Elektra Gray
516-803-4542
egray@rainbow-media.com