Ten new US independent films are being presented at the European Film Market under the Independent Feature Project's (IFP) banner "AIM: American Independents at the Market."

This is the third year for the programme, which is sponsored by Eastman Kodak and comprises films chosen by representatives from the IFP, the Film Society of Lincoln Center, Fox Lorber Associates and the New York Foundation for the Arts.

"This year's slate of American independents is the broadest in the three years that we've presented the programme," said IFP's executive director, Michelle Byrd. "I'm also pleased that we'll still be able to support a number of projects that have participated in other IFP programmes - our annual Independent Feature Film Market, for example, or Independents Night, our monthly series with the Film Society of Lincoln Center."

Of the 10 indies, four are debut features (Drylongso, Jerome, Men Cry Bullets and Snapped); two are documentaries (Genghis Blues and Home Page); one is the dramatic debut of an Oscar-winning documentary-maker (Paul Wagner's Windhorse); and four had screenings at the Sundance Film Festival (The Corndog Man, Drylongso, Genghis Blues and Home Page).

Roko Belic's documentary Genghis Blues, which accompanies blues singer Paul Pena on a journey to the lost land of Tuva (wedged between Siberia and Mongolia), where he unlocks the secret of "throat-singing", was one of the most talked-about documentaries at Sundance. While not in competition, it still managed to pick up an Audience Award.

Film-makers pay credit to the sidebar for boosting the visibility of their films. As Eugene Taylor, director of Hamptons Fest competition winner Edge City, explains: "Because the sidebar is curated, there is a sense of prestige. There were a lot of festival directors in the audience and the word of mouth at the market was good.

"We give the IFP stamp of approval to the sidebar films, which helps them stand out in the market," says Milton Tabbot, market director of the IFP. Christopher Pickard