Editor

2nd International Film Festivals Forum “Eastern-Central Drift”
Vilnius, 28th-31st March, 2011

In March 2011 International Film Festivals Forum “Eastern-Central Drift” will be held for the 2nd time in Vilnius as a part of 16th Vilnius International Film Festival “Kino pavasaris”. The event intends to become an annual gathering place and creative ideas production lab for main international film festivals of the region.
The festivals Forum will take place on the March 28-31st at the Crowne Plaza Hotel Vilnius (http://www.cpvilnius.com/w/) and will make it possible for more than 20 International film festival representatives and highly experienced keynote speakers to discuss topical issues for contemporary film promoters, such as building up closer relations with other film industry players, improving cooperation with private sponsors, increasing the diversity of the audience, developing sustainable cross-border cooperation, , contribution to the growth of Europe’s creative economy, and many other.
The organizers of the Forum hope that this new initiative will generate answers and creative ideas that will help to meet new challenges and enrich film festivals of the Eastern-Central Europe in new cross-border undertakings.
AGENDA

Monday 28 March
Arrival of the participants.

18.00-21.00 Welcoming Reception and informal discussions.
(Vilnius Crown Plaza Hotel)

Tuesday, 29 March
09.45-10.00 Registration.

10.00-10:10 Welcoming speech by the director of Vilnius International Film Festival “Kino pavasaris” and the representative of Lithuanian Ministry of Culture.

10.10-11.30 “What Should I Know about Central-Eastern European Film Festival” (PART I)
This panel will open the floor for the guest-festivals and will give them an opportunity to introduce their individual festivals, and the different programming and submission specificities as well as the scope of the initiatives within the festivals. It is expected that this panel will provide an opportunity for local and international filmmakers to meet other industry professionals.

11.30-12:00 Coffee break

12.00-13:00 “What Should I Know about Central-Eastern European Film Festival” (PART II)

13.00-14.00 Lunch break

14.00-15.30 A Short Panel on Lithuanian Films “Main Trends and Players”

This panel aims to introduce recent developments in Lithuanian Film to the participants of the International Film Festivals Meeting and fostering future collaboration.
Panel will be chaired by film researcher Renata Sukaityte and include main Lithuanian film producers and directors.

15.30-16:00 Coffee break

16.00-17.30 Key note presentation (Collaboration between the festivals)
Speaker: Bruno Chatelin

19.00-21.00 Reception of Vilnius city Mayor at Vilnius Town Hall

Wednesday, 30 March, 2011

10.00-11.15 Key note presentation (theme to be confirmed)
Speaker: Rik Vermeulen

11.15-11:45 Coffee break

11.45-13.00 Panel on “Festivals’ cooperation with Private Sponsors”
Speaker and panel moderator Mr. Mindaugas Morkunas (Lithuania “Sick Service”)

13.00-14.00 Lunch break

14.00-15.30 Introduction to the EU initiative MEDIA Mundus / panel coordinated by MEDIA Desk LT
Introduction to the EU initiative MEDIA Mundus. Case studies and peculiarities. Presentation of the coming call for proposals.
Dominykas Širvinskas, head of the MEDIA Desk Lithuania.
Case studies presenters: Sofia CineLinks Sarajevo, Black Nights Film Festival (to be confirmed).

15.30-16:00 Coffee break

16.00-17.30 Film festivals –prospects and practice of regional cooperation.
Presentation of appropriate MEDIA Mundus projects and discussion on the prospects of the regional cooperation between festivals.

17.30-18.00 Summing up of the meeting
18.00-19:00 Dinner

19.00-21.00 Lithuanian DOP award ceremony (optional)
20.30-22.30 “Lithuanian filmmaker’s” party (optional)




2nd International Film Festivals Forum “Eastern-Central Drift” organizers:

Vida Ramaskiene, director of the Vilnius International Film Festival
Algirdas Ramaska, executive director of the Vilnius International Film Festival
Jonas Silgalis – Festivals Forum Coordinator.
Renata Sukaityte, film researcher
Ruta Jurgeleviciute, guests coordinator of the Vilnius International Film Festival
Dominykas Sirvinskas, head of the MEDIA Desk Lithuania

More information on www.kinopavasaris.lt , festmeet@kinopavasaris.lt


SPEAKERS


Rik Vermeulen
Rik Vermeulen studied Economic Engineering, Art and Culture Science and received his Master Degree at the Faculty of Film & Television Studies at the University of Amsterdam. He produced a number of short films before joining the International Film Festival Rotterdam in 1998 and worked until 2010 for the festival's CineMart and Programme Department. As a freelancer, Rik is Executive Director of the Transilvania International Film Festival (Cluj Napoca, Romania), programmer of the Noordelijk Film Festival (Leeuwarden, The Netherlands) and international curator for Expiff - Experimental Film Festival Bucharest. He is also a member of the advisory commission (fiction feature length) of the Dutch Film Fund. Earlier Rik managed the CentEast Market Warsaw and was a member of the organising team of the Sarajevo CineLink co-production market.

Bruno Chatelin
Bruno has graduated from HEC business school in 1977; he was in charge of the launch of over 200 films during his tenure as Marketing Director and Managing Director for Sony pictures and UGC/FOX in France. Prior to this he was account director with Advertising Agencies (Publicis Intermarco, DMM Masius, JWT). When Managing Director France of the joint venture between Fox and UGC (a French Major) his company became N°2 in its second year, while releasing 26 movies in the first semester (an Inglorious world record?.

The past ten years he has been a pioneer in the digital economy launching filmfestivals.com & fest21.com (The leading blog platform for the festival community with 350 000 unique visitors/month).
Bruno is also a consultant for online strategies for entertainment brands and films.
His missions include placement of films in the festival circuit, and sales of film rights to distributors, TVs, Buyers…

He is a voting member of the European Film Academy and l’Académie des Cesar, Advisory Board member of The International Film Festival Summit that takes place twice a year. He has served on many occasions as jury member of jury president and the next President of the Los Angeles Film and New Media Festival.
Bruno has a track record for optimization of film potential (illustrated by consistent over performance at the Box Office results from his company compared with other subsidiaries of the major he worked with, he was awarded 3 box office record years).
His marketing expertise is locally recognized as a strong innovative promoter with a flair for publicity and creativity, Film Français named him man of a year in 1995, but he was also recognized in the international arena where a score of his locally designed campaigns were successfully exported (Boyz’n the Hood, The Baron Munchausen, Philadelphia, the Doors...)
He has connections to the creative talents at a very high level: Bruno has worked closely with most of Hollywood A-Listers (actors, directors, producers and studio chiefs)