IFP and RBC Announce Director Adam Bowers Winner of the RBC Emerging Visions Director Prize

NEW YORK, NY, June 13, 2012 /CNW/ - Today, the Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP) and Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) announced Adam Bowers as the winner of the 2011 RBC Emerging Visions Director Prize, an extension of the RBC Emerging Visions program. The RBC Emerging Visions program is a collaborative symposium between RBC, IFP, and Film Society of Lincoln Center.

Adam Bowers (New Low) will be awarded a cash prize and the opportunity to direct a trailer campaign for RBC. Ryan O'Nan (The Brooklyn Brothers Beat the Best, summer 2012 Oscilloscope release and Toronto International Film Festival 2011 selection) will also receive a cash prize as runner-up. The competition and its prizing were made possible by the RBC Emerging Artists Project.

"RBC is committed to supporting emerging artists and connecting them with the people and resources they need to achieve their dreams," said Andrew Shibata, head, Brand Marketing, RBC. "We created the RBC Emerging Visions program to empower promising new filmmakers to take the next steps in their careers, and we look forward to seeing Adam's concepts come to life at the Toronto International Film Festival this fall."

The RBC Emerging Visions Director Prize was open only to participants of the 2011 RBC Emerging Visions program, an intensive one-day cross-cultural exchange on independent film engaging 25 top emerging writers and directors selected from IFP's various programs and the Film Society's emerging talent pool. Held in conjunction with the Film Society of Lincoln Center's New York Film Festival, RBC Emerging Visions had its inaugural run on October 3, 2011.

"We are grateful to RBC for giving us the opportunity to support emerging talents in such a direct and meaningful way," said Joana Vicente, Executive Director, IFP. "Not only is it important for these filmmakers to gain more professional experience as directors, but this also helps them achieve their long-term career goals."

The goal of the day-long event is to introduce 25 emerging filmmakers to a solid peer network, advance their careers with introductions to key industry people, and directly support their creative processes. Participants received advice and guidance from professional industry mentors on their current projects and future goals via one-to-one meetings, workshops, and case studies. 2011 mentors included Academy Award winners Barbara Kopple (dir. American Dream) and Philip Seymour Hoffman (dir. Jack Goes Boating), as well as Academy Award nominated Joe Berlinger (dir. Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills), Jon Kilik (prod. Babel), and Marshall Curry (dir. If A Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front), among others.

In addition to O'Nan and Bowers, finalists of the RBC Emerging Visions Director Prize included fellow emerging writers and writer/directors on the independent film scene Ryan Koo (Man Child), Danielle Lurie (Fortunate Sons), Thomas Kim (The Singing Road), and Nick Bentgen (Northern Light). Participants were asked to submit a budget and proposal to direct three advertising campaign spots for RBC.

About IFP
IFP (Independent Filmmaker Project) is the nation's oldest and largest not-for-profit advocacy organization for independent filmmakers. Since its debut at the 1979 New York Film Festival, IFP has supported the production of over 7,000 films and offered resources to more than 20,000 filmmakers, providing an opportunity for many diverse voices to be heard. Each year, IFP fosters the development of 300 feature and documentary films.

IFP represents a network of 10,000 filmmakers in New York City and around the world. Through its workshop, seminars, conferences, and FILMMAKER Magazine, IFP schools its members in the art, technology and business of independent film. Signature programs include Independent Film Week, Independent Filmmaker Labs and Gotham Independent Filmmaker Awards.

About RBC and the Arts
RBC sponsors a wide-range of grassroots and local initiatives that contribute to the cultural fabric of our communities. Proud to support events and passions that resonate with our clients, RBC provides opportunities for up-and-coming artists through programs such as the RBC Canadian Painting Competition; the RBC Emerging Visions Program; and the RBC Emerging Filmmakers Competition, part of our commitment to the world's top public film festival - the Toronto International Film Festival®. As one of North America's leading diversified financial services companies and among the largest banks in the world, as measured by market capitalization, RBC employs approximately 74,000 full- and part-time employees who serve more than 15 million personal, business, public sector and institutional clients through offices in Canada, the U.S. and 51 other countries. For more information, please visit rbc.com.

About the Film Society of Lincoln Center
Under the leadership of Rose Kuo, Executive Director, and Richard Peña, Program Director, the Film Society of Lincoln Center offers the best in international, classic and cutting-edge independent cinema. The Film Society presents two film festivals that attract global attention: the New York Film Festival, currently planning its 50th edition, and New Directors/New Films which, since its founding in 1972, has been produced in collaboration with MoMA. The Film Society also publishes the award-winning Film Comment Magazine, and for over three decades has given an annual award—now named "The Chaplin Award"—to a major figure in world cinema. Past recipients of this award include Charlie Chaplin, Alfred Hitchcock, Martin Scorsese, Meryl Streep, and Tom Hanks. The Film Society presents a year-round calendar of programming, panels, lectures, educational programs and specialty film releases at its Walter Reade Theater and the new state-of-the-art Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center. The Film Society receives generous, year-round support from Royal Bank of Canada, American Airlines, The New York Times, Stella Artois, the National Endowment for the Arts and New York State Council on the Arts. For more information, visit www.filmlinc.com and follow @filmlinc on Twitter.

Jackie Braden, RBC Brand Communications, [phone], [email protected] 

Amy Dotson, IFP, [phone]x 203, [email protected]