Tuesday, September 16------The American indie festival hit Medicine For Melancholy by director Barry Jenkins, kicked off the festivities at a gala screening held last night for the opening of the Independent Film Week, hosted by the Independent Feature Project (IFP).

The San Francisco-based film stars Wyatt Cenac and Tracey Heggins as  two African-American twenty-somethings dealing with the conundrum of being a minority in a rapidly gentrifying San Francisco. The film earned raves at SXSW, Los Angeles Film Festival, and other major festivals throughout the U.S. and Canada, picking up an Audience Award at the San Francisco International Film Festival. It screened last week at the Toronto International Film Festival and will be distributed theatrically and on-demand by IFC Films in early 2009. For more information on the film, visit the website: http://www.strikeanywherefilms.com/

Following the screening, revelers congregated for a party, held in honor of Jenkins and the other indie innovators who are spotlighted in the latest edition of Filmmaker Magazine. Highlighting the "25 New Faces of Independent Film",  filmmakers on the 2008 list will be showcased throughout Independent Film Week, including screenings, participating in panel discussions, and leading workshops.

Sandy Mandelberger, Film New York Editor