IFFS Europe April 18 Program & Agenda

Program for the Day

8:00 Networking Breakfast

8:45 Festival Retrospective, a Decade of Hindsight

This panel will examine what large festivals from around the world have gone through to get where they are today. This esteemed group of festivals will share what they consider to be critical factors in their festivals success, longevity, and where they see their organizations in the next five years.

Moderator: Stuart Kemp, UK Bureau Chief, The Hollywood Reporter

Despina Mouzaki, Director, Thessaloniki Film Festival
Hannah McGill, Artistic Director, Edinburgh International Film Festival
Monique Ruinen, Manager, Cinekid International Festival


10:00 Keynote Presentation
Sandra Hebron, Artistic Director, BFI Film Festivals

Sandra Hebron is the Artistic Director, BFI Film Festivals, responsible for The Times BFI London Film Festival and the London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival, two of Europe's leading public film festivals. She began her working life in academia, researching in the fields of sociology and cultural studies. She has worked in independent film exhibition for over fifteen years, and was Cinemas Director at Manchester's Cornerhouse before joining the BFI Festivals Department in 1997. She has made several short films, regularly writes and broadcasts about cinema, and is currently Chair of Lux, the London–based organisation specialising in distributing and promoting artists' films and videos.
10:45 Funding & Sponsorships: How to Get It, How to Keep Them Coming Back

Funding is unequivocally the most important issue that festivals and management must deal with. How to effectively target, contact, pitch, and retain sponsors and other forms of funding can be a difficult challenge to overcome for even the most seasoned professional. This will be an interactive session highlighting best practices and case studies for tackling sponsors and sources of funding.

Moderator: Bruno Chatelin, Chief Operating Officer, Filmfestivals Entertainment Group
Francesco di Cesare, Marketing Manager, Venice Film Festival
Romel Ahmed, Director Business Development, Eye Candy Media
Andrea Galante, Director, Milano International Film Festival



11:45 Networking Luncheon

13:00 Operations & Management: Avoid the Pitfalls

Operations and management is an area of utmost importance for successful film festivals impacting every aspect of your festival from the audience to filmmakers. With a myriad of solutions and methods including ticketing, box office management, budgeting, and volunteer management where should you begin? This group of panelists will address best practices highlighting their experience at festivals of all sizes.

Moderator: Tomas Prasek, Co-Founder/Co-Director, Datakal
Shivani Pandya, Managing Director, Dubai International Film Festival
Jonathan Barnett, Director, Portobello Film Festival
Ginnie Atkinson, Managing Director, Edinburgh International Film Festival

14:00 Harness the Power of the Internet: Blogs, Podcasts, and More Technology Possibilities to Expand your Audience

The internet is no longer just about having a website: community interaction, marketing buzz, video downloads, and user generated content are just a few of the tools available to festivals. These technologies have the ability to enhance your audiences experience, increase attendance, and deliver more value to sponsors. Hear from the individuals behind MySpace, bebo, fest21 and other platforms. They will share their experiences with festival blogs, the London Festival experience of daily podcasting, the Stockholm Online Festival, and VOD offers for films from the festival.

Moderator: Bruno Chatelin, Chief Operating Officer, Filmfestivals.com
Gary Ellis, Executive Director, Brisbane International Film Festival
Git Sheynius, Festival Director, Stockholm International Film Festival

15:00 Afternoon Tea and Networking Break

15:30 Festival Filter: Understanding How the Film Festival is a Critical Outlet for
the Distribution of Independent Film The vast majority of film festivals and films in the world are not the majors or blockbuster hits. This being the case, festivals play an extraordinary role in the distribution of film to audiences around the world. Without the film festival outlet, independent film would still struggle to be distributed to film buffs hungry for unique and creative content. This discussion will address how more festivals than we might think are connected and actually work together in the distribution of compelling content.

Moderator: David Pope, President, New Producers Alliance
Stewart Till CBE, Chairman, UK Film Council
Tim Grohne, VP International Sales, First Look International
Peter Buckingham, Head of Distribution & Exhibition, UK Film Council

16:30 Film Subtitling: Bridging Communication and Cultures

It's easy for Borat to make non-English speakers laugh if one can work on it for weeks, but what if you must pull it off overnight, as is often the case at film festivals?

This talk will dwell upon the main issues entailed in film festival subtitling, such as digital subtitles vs. laser engraving; the pros and cons of projecting subtitles onto the main screen, or onto a mini-screen below, or both; the flawless synching of multiple languages; and rising to the challenge of subtitling for special or multiple theatre screenings.

Federico Spoletti, Founder and Managing Director, Sub-ti

16:50 Film Festivals: Innovative Use of Digital Technologies

This panel examines how film festivals around the world have used digital technology to make their events stand out, both on-screen and off-screen. Some of the most cutting edge festival organizers and technology solutions providers from Europe, Asia and the Americas will share their experiences and give examples of technical innovation for every budget. From super high definition on the largest screen to creating a festival on your cell phone, this will be a master class for anyone keen to understand and learn more.

Moderator: Bruno Chatelin, COO, Filmfestivals.com

Patrick von Sychowski, Director of Digital Business Development, Deluxe Digital Cinema
Gavin Conran, Product Manager, Arts Alliance Media
Howard Webster, Editor in Chief, Factory: The Film Industry Magazine

17:50 Closing Networking Reception