Independent Film Channel

Infobox_TV_channel
name= Independent Film Channel
logofile=IFC tv.gif
logoalt=
logosize=200px
slogan= TV, uncut.
launch= September 1, 1994
Subscribers= 41 million

owner= Rainbow Media
sister names=AMC, WE tv
web= [http://www.ifc.com/ IFC.com]
terr avail=Not Available
sat serv 1=DirecTV
sat chan 1=Channel 550
sat serv 2=Dish Network
sat chan 2=Channel 131 894
cable serv 1=Verizon FiOS
cable chan 1=Channel 385
cable serv 2=Comcast
cable chan 2=Channels May Vary
cable serv 3=Time Warner Cable
cable chan 3=Channels May Vary
cable serv 4=Charter
cable chan 4=Channels May Vary
cable serv 5=Cox Cable
cable chan 5=Channels May Vary
cable serv 6=Cablevision
cable chan 6=Channel 83
dummy parameter=
|

The Independent Film Channel (IFC) is a cable network that airs independent film and related programming uncut and uncensored, 24 hours a day. Hence, they operate under the mantra "TV, uncut." IFC presents programming that includes feature-length films, original documentaries, shorts, animated series, original series, and content exclusively for the web.

Programming

Original Series

* On August 24, 2008, IFC will premiere "Z-Rock", an original comedy series about three Brooklyn based musicians that are rockers by night and a kiddie band by day. The show is loosely scripted where most of the dialog is improvised and will feature frequent celebrity cameos, including scheduled appearances by Joan Rivers, Dave Navarro, Gilbert Gottfried and others.
* In 2008, IFC presented the second season of "The Whitest Kids U' Know", a sketch comedy show performed by the troupe of that name, in the tradition of "The Kids in the Hall". According to Trevor Moore, a member of the group, they were excited about moving to IFC for the second season because the channel does not allow commercial breaks and does not allow obscene content to be censored. [ [http://whitestkids.com/main/?p=189 Whitest Kids U Know » Blog Archive » BIG NEWS: WHITEST KIDS MOVE TO IFC!!! ] ] The show has been renewed by IFC for a third season, which will begin filming in August 2008 [ [http://whitestkids.com/main/?p=270 Whitest Kids U Know » Blog Archive » SEASON 3 UPDATE!! ] ] . In 2006, the group won the Jury award for Best Sketch Group at The Comedy Festival, in Aspen, Colorado.
* IFC's past programming includes talk show "The Henry Rollins Show", "The Minor Accomplishments of Jackie Woodman", "The Business", "Greg the Bunny" and "Dinner for Five".

Original Documentaries

* "Indie Sex" - a mini-series by award-winning filmmakers Lisa Ades and Lesli Klainberg, about the role of sex in independent cinema.
* "This Film Is Not Yet Rated" - a controversial exposé on the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) ratings system.
* "Darkon" - the real-life adventures of an unusual group of weekend "warrior knights," fantasy role-playing gamers whose live action "battleground" is modern-day Baltimore, Maryland, re-imagined as a make-believe medieval world named Darkon.
* "At the Death House Door"- a study of the death penalty in Texas, through the eyes of Reverend Carroll Pickett, who served 15 years as the death house chaplain to the infamous "Walls" Prison Unit in Huntsville, Texas, presiding over 95 executions. The film also film tracks the investigative efforts of a team of Chicago Tribune reporters who have turned up evidence that strongly suggests the innocence of Carlos De Luna, a convict Pickett counseled and whose execution troubled Pickett more than any other.
* "Heavy Load" - the story of a punk band based in England made up of three learning disabled musicians and two of their social workers.
* "The Bridge" - an account of suicides at San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge.
* "Does Your Soul Have a Cold" - a look into the impact of exporting American definitions of depression and the use of antidepressants to the ancient culture of Japan in the last five years from "Thumbsucker" director Mike Mills.
* "How to Eat Your Watermelon in White Company (And Enjoy It)"
* "Fabulous! The Story of Queer Cinema" – a documentary about the emergence of gay and lesbian cinema, from the 1940s and 50s to today.
* "Yo Soy Boricua, Pa’Que Tu Lo Sepas!" - a documentary about Puerto Rican culture directed by Rosie Perez
* "Rank" - a documentary about Professional Bull Riders

IFC Movie Nights

IFC presents films of various themes, usually with a corporate sponsor, on different nights of the week. Sunday is “Sunday Best,” presented by Acura; Monday is “The Spotlight,” presented by Target, Wednesday is “Back to Basics,” presented by Dewar’s, Saturday is “Absolut Indies,” presented by Absolut Vodka. Thursday and Friday nights feature “IFC’s Grindhouse,” showing exploitation films that may have played in grindhouse theatres in the 1970s and 80s.

Anime

IFC regularly features several anime series.

*In July 2008, IFC premiered "Hell Girl." The series follows the Hell Girl- a young girl who responds to the pleas of anyone who is tormented by another- submitted on the website www.hellcorrespondence.com- by ferrying the tormenter directly to Hell, with a steep price for whoever is free from their torture.
*Speed Grapher chronicles a photographer with the ability to destroy anything he takes a picture of, and airs Friday nights at 11pm EST.
* Witchblade, produced by IFC in collaboration with anime studio GONZO and comic book publisher Top Cow Productions, premiered on IFC in January, 2008. The series is based on a popular comic book series by that name, and tells the saga of a woman who bears the burden of a force of destruction known as the Witchblade, and the conspiracy surrounding it.
* Gunslinger Girl follows the story of a group of child assassins.
* Samurai 7 is inspired by Akira Kurosawa’s classic film “Seven Samurai,” and chronicles the fight of a group of villagers, a young priestess, and scattered samurai against terrorizing bandits in a war-torn world.

IFC.com

IFC's website, is the home to blogs and news about film, music and politics in addition to content about IFC's series, documentaries and programming. IFC.com is also the home to a variety of original web series.

Web Series

* IFC.com features numerous web series, including R. Kelly‘s “Trapped in the Closet, “Getting Away With Murder,” “Young American Bodies,” “Wilfred,” “Good Morning Internet!,” “The Mary Van Note Show: Gavin Really Wants Me,” "Pushing Twilight," and “Get Hit.”

Lunchbox

IFC.com's daily show is called “Lunchbox” -- it features a rotating panel of hosts who discuss themes in music, film, politics and the web. Hosts include Jim Shearer, IFC’s music blogger, Alison Willmore, IFC’s film blogger, Will Rabbe and Sarah Scully, IFC’s political bloggers, Aimee Carlson, who covers internet content, and Jon Gabrus.

Blogs

* The Independent Eye- IFC’s Film Blog. Daily posts from Alison Willmore, IFC’s film critic, on new and upcoming movies.
* The Independent Ear- IFC’s Music Blog. Jim Shearer provides a daily blog on concerts, upcoming bands, and the music industry.
* 2008 Uncut- The IFC Political Blog. IFC’s Will Rabbe and Sarah Scully report on the 2008 presidential campaign and on other political happenings.

Business operations

*IFC includes the linear channel, IFC.com, and IFC Free, which is IFC’s On Demand cable service, where viewers can watch premieres of IFC's programming in HD before they air on the linear network. Currently, Comcast and some cable providers have added the high definition channel of IFC to few of its select markets.

*IFC's related company IFC Films has entered into several ventures in new distribution models for Video on Demand (VOD) and DVDs.

*In 2005 IFC opened the IFC Center, a movie theater for independent film in New York. [cite news |url=http://movies.nytimes.com/2005/10/19/dining/reviews/19unde.html |work=The New York Times |title=Just Off the Aisle at the Movies |first=Peter |last=Meehan |date=October 19, 2005 ]

*In 2008, IFC premiered its [http://www.ifc.com/medialab Media Lab Studios] , a section of its website on which users can enter in IFC sponsored film contests, and can view others’ films. Numerous contests are run simultaneously, each with a different focus and guidelines for entries, and are presented by IFC and another sponsor. Recent contest sponsors include Scion, Absolut Vodka, and Red Bull.

*In 2008, Rainbow Media Holdings acquired the Sundance Channel.

ee also

* IFC Films
* IFC Center
* Independent Film Channel (Canada)
* List of DirecTV channels
* List of Dish Network channels

External links

* [http://www.ifc.com/ Official site]
* [http://www.ifctv.ca IFC Canada]

References