Vancouver International Film Festival

The festival’s purpose is to encourage the understanding of other nations through the art of cinema, to foster the art of cinema, to facilitate the meeting in British Columbia of cinema professionals from around the world, and to stimulate the motion picture industry in British Columbia and Canada.

Celebrating 30 years of outstanding cinema, VIFF 2011 will screen some of the best films from around the world in a 16-day film extravaganza: September 27 – October 12, 2012.

Business Sessions Include...

Emerging Markets and International Financing
Co-productions are integral to film financing as motion picture financing continues to rebuild. This session will focus on China, Hong Kong and India and look at where the potential exists for co-ventures/co-productions with Canada.
Guest Speakers: David Hamilton, Producer, Midnight's Children; Nicolas Chartier, President, Voltage Pictures; Nansun Shi, Producer, Film Workshop Inc.

New Distribution Strategies
While the market for feature films remains highly competitive, new films are getting bought, getting released and getting noticed. Meet the distributors and find out who is buying what now - and how your film can get their attention.
Guest Speakers: Olivier Gauthier-Mercier, Director Theatrical Sales, eOne Films; Ryan Kampe, President, Visit Films
CineCoup: Disrupting the Packaging, Marketing and Financing of $1-5M Independent Films
CineCoup is a born-in Canada platform-as-studio model that will disrupt how $1-5 million independent films are packaged, marketed and financed. Staged across the social mobile channels where this generation goes to create, consume and share cultural content, CineCoup aims to: discover fresh talent; de-risk bold ideas; and build audiences early. Join us for the official unveiling of this game-changing platform that will ultimately option the top projects for development and finance one project for production and guaranteed release in Cineplex theatres in Fall 2013.
Guest Speakers: J. Joly, President, CineCoup; Michael Kennedy, Executive Vice President of Filmed Entertainment, Cineplex Entertainment
Success Stories in Reality
With Vancouver being home to two of the best known reality franchise brands, Bachelor Canada and The Real Housewives of Vancouver, we're getting a sneak peek into how these US made series were brought across the border.
Guest Speakers: Rob Bromley, President, Force Four Entertainment Inc. and Executives from Lark Productions
Brand Integration in Original Web Series
Undeniably, the buzz-phrase of the year is 'brand integration'. With online accessibility allowing even the smallest of productions to find a big audience, brands are now looking to original web-based content to attract and maintain consumers. Join the producer of the award-winning Guidestones and an international brand integration specialist as they discuss the financial benefits, potential pitfalls, concentrated effort and terrific rewards of incorporating brand integration into your original web series production plan.
Guest Speakers: Jonas Diamond, Producer, Guidestones; Andra Sheffer,Executive Director, Independent Production Fund; CJ Yu, VP, Branded Entertainment & Integrated Media, Carat

Mastering the Micro Budget
Before you buy your own 7D and recruit your tiny crew, are you really sure your idea is solid enough to rise above the crowded marketplace for ultra low budget movies? If it is, are you prepared for the fierce festival strategy you must deploy and armed with the know-how to manage distributors? How can you exploit guerilla marketing and social networking strategies to reach an audience? Join our producers for a frank discussion about the real market place for mumblecore and micro budget - and if your project belongs there.
Guest Speakers: Sean Baker, Director, Starlet; Steven Schardt, Producer, Your Sister's Sister; Jay Van Hoy, Producer, Keep the Lights On

Game Changing Tactics in a DIY World
The Canadian writer/director team of Indie Game: The Movie, Lisanne Pajot and James Swirsky talk about their interaction with the gaming community, the process of making the documentary, their two Kickstarter campaigns, distribution and marketing strategies and how HBO has acquired adaptation rights for a fiction comedy series.
Guest Speakers: Lisanne Pajot and James Swirsky, Co-Directors, Indie Game: The Movie

Plus...

Speed Dating Sessions and Telefilm Canada Tête-à-tête Appointments
Your chance to pitch projects, forge new relationships and, hopefully, do some business!

Participating companies include: Telefilm Canada, Make Believe Media, Force Four Entertainment, Omni Film, True West Films, Blake Corbet Productions, Odyssey Media, National Film Board of Canada, Super Channel, Screen Siren Pictures, Film Workshop, Voltage Pictures, eOne Films, Visit Films and Pacific Northwest Pictures.

Visit www.viff.org/forum for details