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
Andrew Flack, VP Global Brand Marketing, Hilton Hotels & Resorts
Neil Stiles, President, Variety & Deputy Chairman, British Academy of Film & Television Los Angeles & Board Director, BritWeek
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 Moderator: Steven Gaydos, Executive Editor at Variety Confirmed Speakers: Stuart Ford, CEO of IM Global confirmed; Lynette Howell, producer from Blue Valentine and Owner/Founder of Silverwood Films; Rebecca Kearey, SVP International Marketing and Distribution at Fox Searchlight; Alex Walton, President of International Sales and Distribution at Exclusive Media; Lisa Wilson, President of International Distribution at GK Films and Parlay Films; Lloyd Phillips, Producer
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 Moderator: John Simon, Writer/Director 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; Michael London, Founder of Groundswell Productions; Andy Weltman, Executive Vice President, US Production, British Film Commission
10:45 – 11:00am 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 Moderator: Phil Ashcroft, CEO and President of Island Nation Media Confirmed Speakers: 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
Concurrent Workshop: 11:00 – 11:45am Film Incentive Session
The British Film Commission US team (formerly UK Film Council US) will highlight the benefits for production companies coming to film in the UK, including an outline of the film tax relief along with the qualifying guidelines, locations support services available and information on its world-class studio and post-production facilities. Confirmed Speakers: Tara Halloran, Senior Executive of Industry Relations at the British Film Commission; Andy Weltman, Executive Vice President, US Production, British Film Commission
11:45am – 12:30pm Keynote Q&A with Ian McShane Interviewed By: Nick Redman, Producer, Director
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 Moderator: Rebecca Segal, SVP Sky Networks 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?
*Is there a business yet with distributing movies on VOD
*What content is breaking out digitally – are their secrets to gaining audiences with these new distribution models? Confirmed Moderator: Andrew Wallenstein, TV Editor at Variety Confirmed Speakers: Michael Murphy, EVP of Gravitas Ventures; Greg Siegel, SVP Entertainment Development at Break Media; Steve Woolf, VP of Content at Blip.tv; Jeannie Koenigsberg, Manager of West Coast Production at HBO
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 X Factor, with so much clutter and competition? Or what's the best strategy to spin off a reality character into an entirely new show – or maybe extend a franchise with a new series version?
*How do you take a successful UK format and make it a US hit; and vice versa?
*Non-fiction programming is as popular as ever. But what is the key to a strong debut? Confirmed Moderator: Stuart Levine, Assistant Managing Editor at Variety Speaker confirmations: Nick Emmerson, President of Shed Media U.S.; John Hesling, Executive Producer of Top Gear at BBC Worldwide Productions; Simon Andreae, Senior VP of Development and Production, West Coast at the Discovery Channel; Joe Swift, Director of Development at TLC; Robin Ashbrook, Head of Non-Scripted Entertainment at Reveille
4:15 – 5:00pm Interview Q&A with Sir Ben Kingsley
Interviewed By: Nick Redman, Producer, Director
5:00pm Cocktail Reception