Friday, April 29, 2011 – 8:30am - 6:00pm
(click to see full day schedule)
8:00 – 9:00am Registration
9:00 – 9:15am Welcome Remarks
9:15 – 10:00am The Movers and Shakers of Mainstream Breakthroughs
Top film producers and distribution executives will talk about what it takes to achieve mainstream success with labor-of-love projects that might have seemed initially tricky to market. This premiere, kick-off session will look at how such films are made, distributed and marketed to wide audiences.
*Brit-leaning The King's Speech generated hot box office everywhere – can this be duplicated with future projects?
*Are their new trends in distribution and promotion to drive success on both sides of the pond?
*What are the stories behind marketing these films to broader audiences?
*What has been coming out of the film festival circuit that has potential to be breakthrough material? Confirmed Speakers: Stuart Ford, CEO of IM Global confirmed; Lynette Howell, producer from Blue Valentine and Owner/Founder of Silverwood Films; Rebecca Kearey, EVP International Marketing and Distribution at Fox Searchlight; Alex Walton, President of International Sales and Distribution at Exclusive Media
10:00 – 10:45am From the Trenches: Film Finance and Distribution Tips The recent dismantling of the U.K. Film Council raises a lot of questions for how British projects will be developed and produced. However, there are a number of firms who remain interested in financing British works, and remain champions overall of quality fare from U.K., US and elsewhere
*Who are the major finance players and what do they need to see before investing in a project?
*What are their demands for film budget, cast and storylines?
*With DVD sales falling, what is the best way to assure backers you can make the right revenues with projects? Confirmed Speakers: Hal Sadoff, Head of International and Independent Film at ICM; Jay Cohen, Partner and President of Film Finance and Distribution at Gersh; Celine Rattray, President of Mandalay Vision and Producer of The Kids Are All Right; Jon Amiel, Director and Writer; Andy Weltman, Executive Vice President, US Production, British Film Commission
10:45 – 11am Networking Break
11:00 – 11:45am Branded Entertainment and Boosting TV Revenues
For the first time, the U.K. is allowing product placement on a limited basis into its shows on commercial networks.
*What are lessons to be learned from the U.S., who've been pioneering and exploiting this area for years?
*How do you include brands creatively and seamlessly?
*Which shows are getting it right? How do you avoid going overboard and producing long-form product commercials? Confirmed Speakers: Phil Ashcroft, CEO and President of Island Nation Media; Hal Burg, VP of Branded Entertainment at Platinum Rye; Chantal Rickards, Head of Programming and Branded Content at MEC; Chad Bennett, VP of Brand Development and Production at Reveille; Brett Lyons, President of Match Entertainment
11:45am – 12:30pm Keynote Q&A with Ian McShane
12:30 – 1:45pm lunch
1:45 – 2:30pm What Does it Take to Make International Cross-Over TV Truly successful TV needs to attract fans all over the world – what is critical in making shows that connect with both U.S. and UK audiences?
* How are companies approaching their latest big budget projects, such as 'Camelot', 'The Borgias' and 'Game of Thrones', in the U.S. and the U.K?
*For British imports, such as Showtime's Shameless, what are strategies to translate and make and market shows for U.S. audiences?
*What is the state of the international distribution marketplace for TV – which countries are buying what? Are their commonalities in what is in demand?
*What opens doors or raises interest for U.K and U.S. cross-over TV? Confirmed speakers: Craig Cegielski, President of GK-TV at GK Films; Noel Hedges, SVP of Sales and Acquisitions, the Americas, at ITV Global Entertainment; Carrie Stein, Head of International Management & Packaging, 3 Arts Entertainment
2:30 – 3:15pm Navigating Digital Tools for Production and Distribution Success
Traditional theatrical distribution and funding is becoming more challenging for anything that's not a special effects bonanza. How is technology helping people think out-of-the-box on their projects?
*Is there a way to benefit from new video-on-demand models?
*How can you use crowd-source services like Kickstarter to raise money to produce your films? Confirmed Speakers: Michael Murphy, EVP of Gravitas Ventures; Michael London, Founder of Groundswell Productions; Greg Seigel, SVP Entertainment Development at Break Media; Steve Woolf, VP of Content at Blip.tv
3:15 – 3:30pm Networking Break
3:30 – 4:15pm The New Reality Show: Attracting Today's Viewers
*What are the tricks in keeping long-running reality shows relevant? 'American Idol' has successful made over its formula this season with new judges - what are other strategies to freshen up a reality fixture?
*How do you launch a new show, such as upcoming 'The X Factor' with so much clutter and competition? Non-fiction programming is as popular as ever. But what is the key to a strong debut? Speaker confirmations: Nick Emmerson, President of Shed Media U.S.; John Hesling, SVP of Programming at BBC Worldwide; Simon Andreae, Senior VP of Development and Production, West Coast at the Discovery Channel; Joe Swift, Director of Development at TLC
4:15 – 5:00pm Interview Q&A with Sir Ben Kingsley
5:00pm Networking Reception