Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP) has entered into an exclusive year-long partnership with UK-based film-maker support group Shooting People that provides complementary membership to each other’s organisations.

The move effectively brings the collective membership from the two bodies to nearly 50,000 on both sides of the Atlantic.

IFP and Shooting People will open up their portfolio of programmes, services and online tools to the joint membership and new members who join within the year.

“Co-mingling memberships, and creating scenarios which support instead of duplicate services and programmes have always been critical and are even more so today,” IFP executive director Michelle Byrd said. “As organisations, it is in the best interests of your members to be a proactive player in the business of collaboration. The notion of doing it all, and well, needs to be dismissed.”

“The tough times that challenge those in the independent film industry, demand that organisations such as ours act decisively,” Shooting People’s London-based creative director James Mullighan said.

“Shooting People and the IFP have great synergy, and ideally complementary offerings. I am very pleased to be offering this to our members, whose indie film-making tool set is only enriched. It represents the building of a collaborative bridge across the Atlantic.”