{"id":184,"date":"2026-07-05T14:13:47","date_gmt":"2026-07-05T09:13:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=184"},"modified":"2026-07-05T14:13:47","modified_gmt":"2026-07-05T09:13:47","slug":"american-film-festival-and-u-s-in-progress-ready-for-new-edition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=184","title":{"rendered":"American Film Festival and U.S. in Progress Ready for New Edition"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tPoland\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/t\/tauron-american-film-festival\/\" id=\"auto-tag_tauron-american-film-festival\" data-tag=\"tauron-american-film-festival\">Tauron American Film Festival<\/a> will celebrate its 17<sup>th<\/sup>\u00a0edition from Nov. 17-22 \u2013 and its industry sidebar U.S. in Progress will, once again, connect European buyers and Polish post-producers with American indie filmmakers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\t\u201cI\u2019ve attended three times, and each time something essential to the films came out of the experience. I was in a long-running competition with Pete Ohs for who could keep up the longest streak, which I ultimately lost,\u201d laughs director <a href=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/t\/rob-rice\/\" id=\"auto-tag_rob-rice\" data-tag=\"rob-rice\">Rob Rice<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tOhs ended up shooting Charli XCX-starring <a href=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/2025\/film\/global\/charli-xcx-pete-ohs-erupcja-brat-summer-toronto-1236499363\/\">\u201cErupcja\u201d <\/a>in Poland. Rice collaborated with post-production studio XANF on <a href=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/2026\/film\/reviews\/ponderosa-review-1236785959\/\">\u201cPonderosa,\u201d <\/a>featuring Alexis Bledel and shown at Tribeca.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tHe adds: \u201cSo much of what it takes to make these little films happen is nebulous and cumulative. It\u2019s the accretion of a million little efforts and interactions, and it felt like U.S. in Progress was the spark that got all those things to react and precipitate into something real.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\t\u201cI like that there\u2019s no fluff, unlike with so many labs. U.S. in Progress is direct. They\u2019re like: \u2018Come to Poland, we\u2019ll give you some money and introduce you to programmers.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tThe event has adapted to the changes observed in the industry since the pandemic.\u00a0Submissions open in July. <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\t\u201cWe focus less on market presentations of projects and more on mutual understanding of production systems and on post-production contacts,\u201d says Ula \u015aniegowska, director of the Wroc\u0142aw-based fest.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tAmerican Film Festival, which has awarded Indie Star Award to the likes of <a href=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/2024\/film\/global\/jesse-eisenberg-american-film-festival-real-pain-1236203475\/\">Jesse Eisenberg<\/a>, John Waters and Susan Seidelman, is a sister festival of Tauron New Horizons.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\t\u201cWe\u2019re unique in our approach compared with other European programs. Filmmakers point out that we remain a quality label. \u2018U.S. in Progress selected\u2019 is the first sign their project is appreciated by a professional international jury, especially as events of this kind are becoming increasingly rare in the U.S.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tRecent successes include \u201cBunnylovr\u201d with Katarina Zhu and Rachel Sennott, Georgia Bernstein\u2019s Sundance thriller \u201cNight Nurse\u201d and \u201cTake Me Home\u201d by Liz Sargent.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\t\u201cU.S. in Progress was instrumental to \u2018Bunnylovr\u2019s\u2019 success. As an independent film made on an extremely modest budget, the grants and post-production partnerships that came out of our participation allowed us to finish the film,\u201d says Zhu, who worked with Fixafilm and XANF.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\t\u201cThe opportunity to screen there also gave \u2018Bunnylovr\u2019 early momentum that carried through to our festival premiere. As a first-time filmmaker, being met with that level of curiosity and support at such an early stage was incredibly encouraging.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tProducer Tristan Scott-Behrends notes: \u201cU.S. in Progress has become an essential part of the fabric of American independent cinema.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\t\u201cAt a time where budgets are extremely tight, the prizes offered can make a huge difference in a film\u2019s post-production budget. The talent in Poland is exceptional and this festival is a great opportunity for American filmmakers to connect with some of the best companies working out of Poland.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tHe adds: \u201cIt\u2019s such a leg up to have those relationships established and have the ability to connect and share with other filmmakers along the journey to its release.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\t\u015aniegowska would like to help Polish post-production companies become more competitive and visible on the European market, and position themselves \u201cas equal to, or even more attractive than similar studios in the Czech Republic or Hungary,\u201d she says.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tWhile it\u2019s all about \u201csmall steps\u201d and enabling up to five collaborations a year, their hospitality model \u2013 \u201cThe city of Wroc\u0142aw is a huge part of it\u201d \u2013 allows for new friendships and \u201clifelong partnerships.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tU.S. in Progress manager Monica Semczyk agrees: \u201cRecently, we had a small U.S. in Progress reunion in New York, which gave these filmmakers the chance to reconnect back home as well.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\t\u201cOur selection is eclectic and brings new surprises each year, but we aim to discover new voices and always feature a strong presence of debut features. It\u2019s always exciting to see how these filmmakers evolve. Take Jane Schoenbrun.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tSchoenbrun, whose latest film \u201cTeenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma\u201d opened the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes, is another U.S. in Progress alumni. Just like India Donaldson (\u201cGood One\u201d), now working on A24-backed \u201cThe Chaperones.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tRice says: \u201cIt\u2019s where you really get this feeling of: \u2018Oh, this is really happening with the film.\u2019 As you can imagine, it\u2019s an easy \u2018yes\u2019 from the film teams.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tThis year, he hopes to return to Wroc\u0142aw again \u2013 this time, to show the film at the fest.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\t\u201cI can already anticipate feeling jealous of the people in the lab. When else do you hear filmmakers wishing their films were unfinished?\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-content-image \/\/  size-large alignnone \">\n<figure class=\"o-figure  lrv-u-font-family-secondary u-color-medium-grey lrv-u-border-b-1 u-border-color-light-grey-tint-two u-margin-b-150 lrv-u-max-width-100p\" style=\"width:1024px\">\n<div class=\"c-lazy-image  \">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"c-lazy-image__img lrv-u-background-color-grey-lightest lrv-u-width-100p lrv-u-display-block lrv-u-height-auto\" src=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/wp-content\/themes\/pmc-variety-2020\/assets\/public\/lazyload-fallback.gif\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/MixCollage-04-Jul-2026-10-07-PM-2457.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"\" data-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/MixCollage-04-Jul-2026-10-07-PM-2457.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/variety.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/MixCollage-04-Jul-2026-10-07-PM-2457.jpg?resize=150,84 150w, https:\/\/variety.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/MixCollage-04-Jul-2026-10-07-PM-2457.jpg?resize=300,169 300w, https:\/\/variety.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/MixCollage-04-Jul-2026-10-07-PM-2457.jpg?resize=125,70 125w, https:\/\/variety.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/MixCollage-04-Jul-2026-10-07-PM-2457.jpg?resize=1000,563 1000w, https:\/\/variety.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/MixCollage-04-Jul-2026-10-07-PM-2457.jpg?resize=910,511 910w, https:\/\/variety.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/MixCollage-04-Jul-2026-10-07-PM-2457.jpg?resize=681,383 681w, https:\/\/variety.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/MixCollage-04-Jul-2026-10-07-PM-2457.jpg?resize=450,253 450w, https:\/\/variety.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/MixCollage-04-Jul-2026-10-07-PM-2457.jpg?resize=250,140 250w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(min-width: 87.5rem) 1000px, (min-width: 78.75rem) 681px, (min-width: 48rem) 450px, (max-width: 48rem) 250px\" height=\"575\" width=\"1024\" decoding=\"async\"\/><\/p><\/div><figcaption class=\"c-figcaption  lrv-u-flex lrv-u-flex-direction-column lrv-u-padding-t-1 lrv-u-padding-b-1\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"lrv-u-color-black lrv-u-line-height-normal lrv-u-font-size-14 u-font-family-neue u-letter-spacing-007-rem u-margin-b-050\">\u2018<a href=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/t\/ponderosa\/\" id=\"auto-tag_ponderosa\" data-tag=\"ponderosa\">Ponderosa<\/a>\u2018<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<cite class=\"u-color-medium-grey u-font-family-neue-xxs\">BARTON_CORTRIGHT<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Poland\u2019s Tauron American Film Festival will celebrate its 17th\u00a0edition from Nov. 17-22 \u2013 and its industry sidebar U.S. in Progress will, once again, connect European buyers and Polish post-producers with American indie filmmakers. \u201cI\u2019ve attended three times, and each time something essential to the films came out of the experience. I was in a long-running&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":185,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/variety.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/MixCollage-04-Jul-2026-10-06-PM-5295.jpg?w=1000&h=563&crop=1","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-184","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pics-news"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/184","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=184"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/184\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/185"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=184"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=184"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=184"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}