The updated agenda of Vegas International Film Festival Summit

SUNDAY DECEMBER 7, 2008

11:00am Registration Opens

1:45pm- 2:00pm Welcoming Remarks & Introductions

2:00pm- 2:45pm Opening Keynote Presentation: Indie Films' Change Agenda

Rick is the CEO of SnagFilms, a new digital distribution company founded by AOL Vice-Chairman EmeritusTed Leonsis, and backed by Leonsis, AOL founder Steve Case and others. Launched in July, 2008, SnagFilms gives everyone the latest in web tools to find, watch and share great documentary films and then engage in the causes, charities and communities these films spotlight. SnagFilms offers filmmakers an effective method of reaching the broadest global audience at a time when the traditional distribution methods for independent movies have largely broken down.

Rick Allen
Chief Executive Officer
SnagFilms

2:45pm- 4:00pm Festivals: Distribution Revolution or Evolution?

Current distribution models are evolving faster than ever as studio business models evolve and new organizations crop up. As the independent film ‘distribution revolution' marches forward where do we go from here? This panel will shed light on where film festivals fit in today and in the years to come. Walk away with insight on how current challenges mean new opportunities.

Moderator: Peter Belsito, EVP, Film Finders

Ira Deutchman, President & CEO, Emerging Pictures
Richard Lorber, President & Founder, Koch Lorber Films
Tom Hall, Director of Programming, Sarasota Film Festival
Chris Hyams, CEO, B-Side

4:00pm- 7:00pm Living Group Introductions & Opening Cocktail Reception on the Exhibit Floor

You won't want to miss this year's opening cocktail reception. For the first time ever this year you'll have the opportunity to meet with your conference 'Living Group'. Groups will be lead by an IFFS Alumni and grouped together so that starting on day one you have the chance to meet new contacts and maximize your conference experience.

8:00pm- 9:30pm Dinner with Strangers

Dinner with Strangers is a unique program at this year's summit that will allow attendees a unique and fun opportunity to meet and dine with festival colleagues from all over North America.

 

MONDAY DECEMBER 8, 2008

8:30am - Registration Opens

9:15am Opening Remarks by Conference Chair

9:30am- 10:15am Fireside Chat: The Art and Philosophy of Curating a Film Festival

This session will present a rare opportunity to hear from some of the world's most accomplished festival directors. Hear first hand how they approach curating a festival and the most important considerations you should know.

Moderator:
Anne Thompson
Deputy Editor
Variety

Invited Speakers:

Trevor Groth
Artistic Director, CineVegas
Senior Programmer, Sundance Film Festival

Gary Meyer
Co-Director
Telluride Film Festival

10:15am- 10:45am Morning Networking Break

10:45am- 10:55am Technology Innovation Presentation

Kneko Burney, CEO, Eyesoda

10:55am- 12:00pm Filmmaker Professional Development and the Festival Experience

Developing programs to set your festival apart and educate the filmmaker can be a key component to any festival. What can and should you do to properly enhance the filmmaker experience? Hear from established fests how year after year they continue to create an exceptional filmmaker experience.

Moderator: Mike Jones, Managing Editor, Film Festivals, Variety

Catherine Pfitzer, Executive Director, Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival
Chris Gore, President & Founder, FilmThreat
Michael Cain, Artistic Director & CEO, AFI Dallas International Film Festival
Janet Pierson, Conference & Festival Producer, SXSW

12:00pm- 1:45pm Break for Lunch

3 x Afternoon Breakout Tracks

Track 1

1:45pm- 2:45pm Year Round Festival Programs

Moderator: Martin Anaya, Executive Director, Sacramento International Film Festival

Brit Withey, Artistic Director, Starz Denver Film Festival
Mark Fishkin, Founder & Director, Mill Valley Film Festival

2:45pm- 3:45pm Marketing Strategies that Work!

Marketing your film festival is one of the greatest challenges film festivals face. You can program the greatest festival but if audiences, filmmakers and other interested parties don't know about it this could be your last! Hear from this experienced group of professionals and engage in Q&A shedding light on successful marketing and PR strategies that work.

Moderator: Henry Deas, Director Festivals & Markets, Variety

Bonnie Voland, International Marketing & Publicity, IM Global
Richard Raddon, Festival Director, Los Angeles Film Festival
Andrea Galante, Founder & Director, Milano International Film Festival

3:45pm- 4:00pm Afternoon Networking Break

4:00pm- 4:45pm Board Development for Your Festival

This presentation will outline proven strategies that you can immediately put to work building your board of directors. The session will address finding, recruiting, retaining and managing good board members.

Shelly Weiner
Foundation & Grants Collection Supervisor
Foundation Center

Track 2

1:45pm- 2:45pm Workshop

Filmmakers, Film Festivals, Withoutabox and IMDb Join IMDb's Andrej Gregov for a glimpse into the evolution of IMDb, and get an insiders view of the day-to-day workings of the most-trafficked film and television site on the planet. Widely reported in January, IMDb (itself a division of Amazon.com) announced its acquisition of Withoutabox. So what does this mean for film festivals and just as importantly, how does this new alliance impact the burgeoning internet distribution options offered to today's filmmakers?

Andrej Gregov
Product Manager
IMDb.com

2:45pm- 3:45pm Creating Value for Festival Sponsors

Wondering how you can ink more sponsorships, sign multi-year deals or just trying to solidify your selling strategy? If you answered yes to any of these questions your festival can't afford to miss this panel. Hear proven strategies to target, pitch, contact and retain sponsors year after year.

Moderator: Jeff Abramson, Vice President Film, Gen Art

Laurie Kirby, Esq., SVP of Acquisitions & Business Affairs, WomensFilmNet
Barb Morgan, Executive Director, Austin Film Festival
Stephen Shelanski, EVP of Programming, Starz Entertainment
Paula Martinez, Managing Director, Atlanta Film Festival

3:45pm- 4:00pm Afternoon Networking Break

4:00pm- 4:45pm Building a Culture of Community Outreach

Community involvement is a vital component of any successful film festival. Partnering with other local organizations, working with schools, education outreach programs are just a few of the ways that festivals can engage and support its community. This accomplished group of panelists will discuss how their festivals give back to community resulting in better attendance and increased support.

Moderator: Robin Laatz, Director, San Diego Film Festival

Mark Steele, Former Director of Operations, Tribeca Film Festival
Lee Ann Kim, Executive Director, San Diego Asian Film Festival
George Marshall, Executive Director, Rhode Island Int'l Film Festival
Ranny Levy, Director, KIDS FIRST! Film Festival

Track 3

1:45pm- 2:45pm Festival Standards and Formats

Film formats, projection standards and other considerations that will affect your filmmakers and screening experience are important factors not to be overlooked. Hear from leading industry experts on the issues they face when looking to submit a film for festival consideration and how audiences will experience the finished product.

Moderator: Gabe Wardell, Executive Director, Atlanta Film Festival

Jeff Maynard, SVP Post-Production, The Weinstein Company
Mark Steele, Former Director of Operations, Tribeca Film Festival
Max Kovalsky, Founder, AREA 4

2:45pm- 3:45pm Advanced Sponsorship Workshop

Sponsorship is an ongoing game of activation, retention and proper delivery. Wondering how you can take your sponsorship strategy to the next level or appeal to large corporate partners? This panel is designed for festivals who have a robust and evolved sponsorship strategy in place. Come prepared to take notes and share.

Shelley Fasulko, Project Director, IEG

3:45pm- 4:00pm Afternoon Networking Break

4:00pm- 4:45pm Success Metrics: Where to Set the Bar

There are so many different definitions of success and "bigness." There are film festivals that attract hundreds of thousands of people, and yet are not on the mainstream radar, and festivals which show only a few dozen films that are world famous. This session will address considerations and metrics for success including: number of films, number of acquisitions, celebrities, size of audience, longevity, number of impressions and reach? Most notably, these different metrics have differing relevance to the constituents served by festivals - audiences, filmmakers, sponsors, media, film industry etc. Hear from different festivals on how they approach benchmarking and defining success.

Moderator: Andrew Rogers, Executive Director, RiverRun International Film Festival

Michael Cain, Artistic Director & CEO, AFI Dallas International Film Festival
Graham Leggat, Executive Director, San Francisco International Film Festival
Joanne Feinberg, Director of Programming, Ashland Independent Film Festival

4:30pm- 7:00pm Cocktail Reception on the Exhibit Floor.

After a full day of presentations, interactive panel discussions and networking events take the edge off with a cocktail and toast an end to the second day of this year's summit.

7:00pm- 8:00pm Presentation of the Audience Choice Awards and 2nd Annual Excellence Awards

Awards Presented by:

Actor, Producer
Ernie Hudson

10:00pm- 12:00pm Awards After-Party at LAVO in The Palazzo Resort Hotel and Casino

Get ready for a fun filled night on the town with your festival peers and colleagues. Take a moment to raise your glass with this year's honorees in style. After all what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas!

TUESDAY DECEMBER 9, 2008

8:30am Registration Opens

9:15am Opening Remarks by Conference Chair

Christian Gaines
Director of Festivals
Withoutabox

9:30am- 10:15am Keynote Presentation

Dawn Hudson has been the Executive Director of Film Independent (formerly IFP/Los Angeles) since 1991. Under her leadership, Film Independent has grown seven-fold, from a 900-member organization to its current membership of 5,000. Revenues have also increased an average of 25% per year. Film Independent is dedicated to cultivating the careers of independent filmmakers, increasing the audience for independent films, and increasing diversity within the film industry.

During her tenure at Film Independent, the organization has created Filmmaker Labs for writers, directors, and producers; provided full-time, on-staff advisors for filmmakers; introduced free on-on-one consultations for filmmakers in the categories of post-production, festival strategy, line-producing, legal advice, and foreign sales; and established onsite facilities (casting rooms, editing suite, and production office) for filmmakers. In addition, Film Independent's first film mentorship program, Project:Involve, was established in 1993. Project:Involve is a mentorship program for under-represented, emerging filmmakers and has provided jobs and industry access for over five hundred honorees for the past 14 years. In 2001, Film Independent acquired the Los Angeles Film Festival, now the largest film festival in Southern California, with attendance of more than 80,000. The Los Angeles Film Festival and the 23-year-old Spirit Awards remain Film Independent`s two signature events.

Dawn Hudson
Executive Director
Film Independent

10:15am- 10:45am Give-away Prize Drawing & Morning Networking Break

Don't forget to have each exhibitor stamp your prize form. You must be present to win!

10:45am- 11:45pm indie 2.0

While 2008 has included much debate surrounding the health of independent film distribution and a possible bleak prognosis there have also been many positive trends that can't be overlooked. Over the past 24 months we have seen an onslaught of very prominent investors and corporations enter the independent film community. With new start-up's to recent M&A activity introducing new business models, can all of this interest mean that independent film is beginning to mature? Hear this accomplished group of panelists address this issue and what it may mean for your film festival.

Moderator: Eugene Hernandez, Editor-in-Chief & Co-Founder, indieWIRE

Graham Leggat, Executive Director, San Francisco International Film Festival

11:45pm- 1:45pm Break for Lunch

3 x Afternoon Breakout Tracks

Track 1

1:45pm- 2:45pm A New Media Experience

Social networking and digital media: what tools are out there and how can your festival leverage these assets? Don't miss this cutting edge panel discussion addressing the latest tools that can help propel your festival forward.

Jon Gann, Founder & Director, DC Shorts Film Festival
Christopher Burns, Chief Technology Officer, Eyesoda.com
Chris Holland, Director of Festival Operations, B-Side

2:45pm- 3:45pm Demistifying Digital Cinema

Wondering how your festival can find cost effective digital cinema solutions and providers to partner with? Then this session is for you! Hear first hand what digital cinema providers are thinking, how they want to work with your festival and why your festival should consider d-cinema as a viable tool.

Hannah Cash, Director of Marketing, Qube Digital Cinema

3:45pm- 4:00pm Afternoon Networking Break

4:00pm- 5:00pm Budgeting Workshop

Barbara Morgan
Executive Director
Austin Film Festival

Track 2

1:45pm- 2:45pm Recession-Proofing your Fest to Survive and Prosper

In a troubled economy everyone is looking to tighten the belt which means the flow of funding will impact festivals and organizations alike. This session will present proven tactics to implement cost savings and diversify sources of funding.

Andrew Rodgers, Executive Director, RiverRun International Film Festival
Melanie Miller, Former Artistic Director, Jackson Hole Film Festival

2:45pm- 3:45pm Dynamic Programming Issues

Year round programming, migrating content to the web and extending audience reach are all critical programming issues. Once your festival has the content how can you get it out there in a way that compliments your existing program? Discover key considerations and factors to consider when expanding your program.

Rose Kuo, Artistic Director, AFI Fest Presented by Audi
Brit Withey, Artistic Director, Starz Denver Film Festival
Jacqueline Blaylock, Programming Director, Hollywood Black Film Festival

3:45pm- 4:00pm Afternoon Networking Break

4:00pm- 5:00pm The Unconference

An unconference is a meeting where the participants drive the activity. There's no set agenda, no set presentations, but a discussion that people leave and join as they see fit.

Don't miss this guided open forum to engage your colleagues and gain insight to the most pressing issues you and your festival are facing. This session will provide attendees an opportunity to both, ask questions and get answers on specific issues facing their film festival. Come prepared to engage one another and share pearls of wisdom that have been learned over the years.

Track 3

1:45pm- 2:45pm Unlock Your Festivals Ticketing Potential

This panel will provide a comparison of ticketing and pass models addressing pros and cons along with companies to consider working with. Hear what models are appropriate for your festival, printing issues, day of sale issues and more.

Moderator: Bruno Chatelin, COO, Filmfestivals.com

Keith Weckstein, Director of Ticketing, Tribeca Film Festival
Erik Jambor, Executive Director, Indie Memphis
Brian Arnone, VP of Business Development, Enta USA

2:45pm- 3:45pm Greening Your Fest

Going green means leveraging whatever the resources are of any given event (budget, sponsor's, venue space, etc.) to minimize that events environmental impact. ANY event can be green, or more specifically, green-er. Among the first areas to be examined with an event are printing, signage, food/beverage, carbon offset and working with/educating the venue's event staff to ensure that the "behind the scenes" green effort is being followed.

Walk away with proven information resources to get started with no additional costs, innovative ideas on using the media to both be green AND to get the appropriate acknowledgement and recognition for doing so.

Scott McKinlay
President
Hollywood Green Team

5:00pm- 6:00pm Closing Reception at Cool-by-the-Pool

After 3 days of learning and networking take a load off by the pool, catch some sun and a cold beverage as the 5th Annual IFFS comes to an end.

6:00- 7:00pm Farewell Reception at Tempo in the Las Vegas Hilton

For anyone who is still around Tuesday evening, join us in Tempo and get your last evening in Vegas started off right.