AFM is the anticipated, annual film industry event that's not quite
festival, not quite conference, but mostly business opportunity -- the
business of independent motion picture production and distribution --
set oceanside against Santa Monica/Venice beachfront. Generally, 8,000
plus industry professionals arrive in Santa Monica for deal-making,
screenings, seminars, networking and parties. Each consecutive day of
the conference series is set to focus on any one topic of Finance,
Pitching, Production, Marketing and Distribution. Headlining names set
to speak at the 2014 Film Market include: Millennium Films’ President
Mark Gill, WME Partner Mark Ankner and UTA’s Independent Film Group
Co-Head Rena Ronson, all confirmed to participate in the Production
Conferences. The Distribution Conference attendees include Tugg, Inc.
CEO and independent producer Nicolas Gonda and Cinetic Media Founder
John Sloss and producer Cassian Elwes will participate in the Pitch
Conference.
Growing from 2013, a total of 430 films are set to
screen with 349 market premieres and 84 world premieres. More than 100
speakers from around the globe will participate in the AFM Conference
Series, Producers Forum, Roundtables and Industry Conversations.
Director/producer Brett Ratner takes part in the Finance Conference and
comedian/podcast king Adam Carolla will indulge in an Industry
Conversation. Millennium Films’ President Mark Gill, WME Partner Mark
Ankner, and UTA’s Independent Film Group Co-Head Rena Ronson will add
insight in the Production Conferences. For well informed film industry
professionals it's no secret that Nigeria is one of the top global
filmmaking capitals. For 2014 AFM is hosting a November 9 roundtable
that will focus on the development and promotion of the African film
industry through co-production. The roundtable will bring together
business parties/partners that have an interest in films produced in
Africa with cross-cultural appeal, and develop opportunities to reap
returns of untapped potential of the African film industry.
The
American Film Market (AFM) is the market partner of AFI FEST. The
association between the two events connects art and commerce (more on
AFI in the next story below). AFM badges will allow access to many AFI
events, including all public screenings. AFI FEST badges will allow
access to the AFM screenings. AFI FEST filmmakers, whose films are part
of the festival, will have full access to AFM (and to be able to promote
their film to the AFM participant distributors. Shuttle buses will move
participants between Santa Monica and Hollywood. AFM is produced by the
Independent Film and Television Alliance®, the global trade association
of the independent motion picture and television industry and the voice
and advocate for the Independents worldwide. The organization
represents more than 150 member companies from 23 countries, consisting
of independent production and distribution companies, sales agents,
television companies and financial institutions engaged in film finance.
Participant
Media’s "A Most Violent Year," distributed by A24, will have its World
Premiere as the Opening Night Gala of AFI FEST 2014 in Hollywood. The
film is written and directed by Academy Award nominee J.C. Chandor and
stars Oscar Isaac, Academy Award nominees Jessica Chastain and Albert
Brooks as well as David Oyelowo, Alessandro Nivola, Elyes Gabel and
Catalina Sandino Moreno. To attend the World Premiere and Opening Night
Gala of "A Most Violent Year" with reserved seats, guests must purchase a
festival package at the Star Patron or Marquee Patron level. The
American Film Market (AFM) that happens across town in Santa Monica,
from November 5-12, is the market partner of AFI FEST. The association
between the two events connects art and commerce, broadening the
opportunities for all participants, and collectively represents the
largest gathering in North America.
At this years AFI, Sophia
Loren will be honored with a Tribute on November 12 and her memoir
“Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow: My Life” will be published by Artia Books
on December 2, 2014. The November 12 evening celebrates Loren’s career
and coincides with the 50th anniversary of her Academy Award-nominated
role in "Marriage Italian Style" [Matrimonio All’Italiana] (Dir.
Vittorio De Sica, 1964). The Tribute will also include a conversation
with Loren about her career, and The Human Voice [La Voce Umana] (Dir.
Edoardo Ponti, 2014), a short film directed by her son in which she
stars, will be shown as part of the evening. Festival-goers will be able
to obtain available tickets online at AFI.com/AFIFEST until the last
day of the festival. Additional tickets will be available all day, every
day through Closing Night online and at the festival's box office. No
pre-assigned time slot needed. Same-day tickets are only available in
person at the AFI FEST AT&T Box Office or the Rush Line.
The
American Film Market (AFM) is the market partner of AFI FEST. The
association between the two events connects art and commerce, broadening
the opportunities for all participants, and collectively represents the
largest gathering in North America. AFI FEST filmmakers, whose films
are part of the festival, will have full access to AFM (and to be able
to promote their film to the AFM participant distributors. Shuttle buses
will move participants between Santa Monica and Hollywood. The Academy
of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognizes AFI FEST as a qualifying
festival for the Short Films category of the annual Academy Awards. AFI
FEST holds the FIAPF accreditation (FIAPF.org), assuring a high standard
of quality and reliability for the international film community.As a
non-profit educational and cultural organization, AFI's purpose is to
preserve the history of the motion picture, to honor the artists and
their work and to educate the next generation of storytellers.
The
well regarded Casual Connect convention series comes to Belgrade.
Casual Connect is the place to learn more about the gaming industry
which entertains 300 million people each month, and its various
platforms: iPhone, Social, Android, Flash, Browser MMO and Download
Games. Lectures at Casual Connect are programmed to focus on cutting
edge topics in the casual games space. Over 40 games will be exhibited
as a part of the Indie Prize showcase in Belgrade, Serbia and entered
into competition for the Indie Prize Award. Developers and schools
submit their indie games to take part in future upcoming showcase which
is handled through the website.
One highlight of Casual Connect
Eastern Europe 2014 is The International Design, Entertain and Amaze
(IDEA) Showcase, setup for established developers looking for
international partners for publishing, user acquisition, game
performance monitoring and logistical support. Hosted four times a year
in conjunction with Casual Connect and Indie Prize, the IDEA Showcase™
highlights developers from all over the world in showcases in Western
Europe, Asia, USA and Eastern Europe. Promising developers just getting
started are encouraged to apply for the Indie Prize scholarship.
Parties
at Casual Connect are an integral part of the networking experience. At
this ninth annual Casual Connect Eastern Europe there is the Big Fish
Rock Star Party on November 10, the Indie Prize Awards Ceremony on
November 11, the Nordeus Party also on November 11, the Mad Head Games
party which happens for all three convention dates. Casual Games
Association produces the premiere events for the casual games industry
with over 6,500 professionals attending Casual Connect each year. Casual
Connect brings together talented and knowledgeable experts in the
casual gaming field to further the casual games industry with the
networking and learning.
CCW+SATCON in New York City, now
produced by NAB, is about the business of content -- media,
entertainment, video and communications technology. It's conference and
exposition format covers evolving digital, production and satellite
technologies that are driving the industry and impacting the way content
is delivered to the world. Opening November 12, the CCW Conference
includes includes two full days of breakout sessions featuring the
current topics of concern to media and entertainment professionals.
Conference topics are selected by the CCW Advisory Board and are
relevant for senior executives and technical management in television,
broadband video/streaming media, film and motion pictures, and
production and post, including pro audio. Not to be overlooked is the
CCW Conference Keynote along with opening and closing General Sessions
each day.
The SATCON Conference includes two full days of
breakout Sessions programmed by the SATCON Advisory Board -- a mix of
commercial, military and government professionals involved in the global
communications market. Topics are selected by the Advisory Board and
are relevant for satellite TV providers, radar and satellite operators,
telco providers, and broadcasters seeking to gain efficiencies in
satellite distribution. A Broadcast IT Summit will address the Changing
Role of Information Technology in Today’s Digital Broadcast World. For
over four years HITS has been working on the West Coast with the CIOs of
the Hollywood studios to facilitate information exchange and
collaboration in television, film and home entertainment. To address the
IT challenges of the broadcast, network and advertiser communities, the
Society is launching its New York chapter on November 13, 2014, by
presenting a program of panels, keynotes and exhibitions at CCW.
Visitors
to the CCW Post-Production Theater can explore the latest technologies,
techniques and workflows transforming production and post-production
for film, video and television. Experts will relate experiences and
techniques that bring their creative visions to life. The Streaming OTT
Theater will showcase the ever changing landscape of online video. It
will be a learning opportunity to gain insight on all things second
screen, from multi-platform content creation, to mobile and OTT
delivery, to regulation and consumer demands. A content creators party
happens November 12, from 21:00-23:00 at Marquee NY for fun and
networking. Enjoy complimentary entry with the show badge and an open
bar compliments of RED and Atomos.
Florida Media Market in Miami
was created to be an outlet for South Florida independent Filmmakers to
meet with executives, producers, production companies, distributors, TV
Networks and Stations that are actively seeking content, either by
producing, co-producing or purchasing. FMM is also structured to serve
as a meeting place where new filmmakers can gain valuable insight from
industry veterans and established companies through its conference
sessions. It has created both an annual market, and an online platform,
for buyers and sellers of film, documentary, television, and new media
content to gather in order to teach, learn, inspire and do business
together. This year’s conference theme is “Connecting the
Multiplatform,” with the aim of easing the path of talented storytellers
toward the audiences they aim to entertain. Entries to FFM are
generally submitted through FilmFreeway.
Added into FFM
programming, the Seventh Annual Florida Media Market Global Media
Conference allows participants at FMM to pitch story concepts, mingle
with buyers, distributors, and production companies, and work to bring
their projects to desired levels of viability within the dynamic
communities of film and television professionals. The Shift Awards gala
on November 15 at the Colony Theatre is held to recognize programming
that has started a positive, global shift in humanity. Feature films (85
minutes or longer) that have been both released and screened at least
once between January 2012 and June 2014 are eligible and television
programs 23-30 minutes for a half hour slot and 34-60 minutes for a full
hour slot aired within the same time periods mentioned above are
eligible. In a related local event, Goddess Mujer Woman (GMW) will be
hosting it’s annual Brunch on November 15 in Coral Gables. GMW
highlights and presents women's programming that is relevant to
contemporary women's issues. The goal is to empower, educate, and relate
to women through media. The GMW Brunch program will recognize "13 Women
of Purpose" who have made an impact in the global media industry.
The
Florida Media Market accepts Films, TV Series, Documentaries and Web
Series in every stage of production, including finished and unfinished
projects. “Sizzling Pitch” is a competition in which filmmakers can
pitch their stories still in development with a visual aid or sizzle
reel. There is also the traditional “Ready for Distribution,” a Pitching
Competition in which selected filmmakers get a chance to pitch their
ideas and/or Ready for Distribution projects before a panel of
executives, distributors, and industry experts. This year's media market
will run for four days through November 16.
Paris based Salon de
la Photo is a gathering for photography brands, equipment
manufacturers, importers, schools, and professional groups. It showcases
the art of photography and the photography profession with the "Grandes
Rencontres", the ZOOMS Awards for emerging photographers, special
photography exhibitions, portfolio sessions, and technical presentations
organized and presented by top professionals from the trade press.
Comexposium is the organizer of Salon de la Photo. The convention,
running November 13-17 will offer opportunities to learn about
photography techniques: shooting, composition, lighting, post-editing,
printing, landscape photography, wedding photography, wildlife
photography, portraits. Meet representatives from schools, training
organizations, and professional associations. Attendees can take part in
technical workshops and learn to use photo editing software.
A
special retrospective exhibition of photographer Sabine Weiss who began
taking pictures in 1942 at the age of 18 is a convention centerpiece.
It is also to mark the occasion for her 90 birthday. Known for her
"humanist" body of work exemplified by the photography on exhibit, the
Salon's exhibit will reveal Sabine Weiss at work, by displaying the
archives that reveal different aspects of her activity over many
decades: fashion, advertising, commissions, reportage work, and so on.
Additionally, nine professional photographers, half a century younger
and with the same passion for recording life, will pay tribute to Sabine
Weiss with a photograph inspired by one of her own works. They will
exhibit photographs shown alongside the photographs of her's they have
selected. And in another planned exhibition titled "Stars Au Firmament
D'Hollywood," Maison Européenne de la Photographie has put together an
exhibition of 26 portraits of legendary Hollywood stars from the 1930s
to the 1960s. The works of photographers, including: Richard Avedon,
Walter Carone, George Hurrell, Jean-Loup Sieff, Raymond Voinquel, will
be featured.
This year, again, The Salon de la Photo presents
''Les Grandes Rencontres", an opportunity for everyone to meet major
photography professionals and take a behind-the-scenes look at their
work. Photographers available for meetings will include: Léo
Delafontaine, Nicola Lo Calzo, Mathilde de L'Ecotais, Laurent Millet,
Alain Keler, Claudine Doury, Yann Arthus-Bertrand, Catherine Henriette,
Mohamed Bourouissa, Gérard Rancinan, Hans Silvester, Luc Choquer,
Marie-Paul Nègre, Yves Marchand et Romain Meffre, Renaud Corlouer, AFP /
MYOP, Stéphane Couturier. Sabine Weiss, the focus of a special
convention retrospective, will be available for a meeting November 17.
For the fifth year running, Salon de la Photo will award the "Public
ZOOM" and the "Photo Press ZOOM" to two outstanding photographers. The
Zooms awards paying tribute to emerging photographers, and nine chief
editors of photography magazines have each selected an emerging
professional photographer that is either a French national or living in
France).
Entering its 27th year, Live Design International (LDI)
is a Vegas tradeshow and conference serving live design professionals
in North and South America. It attracts attendees working in theatre,
concerts, houses of worship, corporate presentations, clubs, theme
parks, and any other live venue. More than 300 exhibiting companies
provide attendees with live demos and the opportunity for face-to-face
discussions about equipment, including lighting, sound, projection, and
special effects. Backstage Las Vegas is the November 17 opening special
event for LDI2014 produced in conjunction with Stagecraft Institute of
Las Vegas. The exclusive event is an insider's look at what goes into
the making of the Las Vegas show scene, going behind the scenes to meet
creative and technical teams that put it together. On the tour stop is
Le Rêve - The Dream, as well as taking in rock band, KISS, live at The
Joint (Hard Rock Hotel). Then there are club tours, a rigging demo in Le
Rêve's aqua theatre, and a ride and tour of the new High Roller soaring
over the Vegas landscape.
LDI will conduct its 2014 Las Vegas
Club Crawl to explore the state-of-the-art design and technology of some
of the top night spots in Vegas. Tour guides will point out the gear
from the lighting rigs to the sound systems and DJ/VJ stations as well
as the designed interiors of the clubs. Tour venues included in the
crawl are: Drais Beach Club (The Cromwell), Hakkasan (MGM Grand), Light
(Mandalay Bay), Life (SLS), Rose.Rabbit.Lie (Cosmopolitan), TAO (The
Venetian). LDI and the University of Florida School of Theatre and Dance
have entered the second year of a program that allows undergraduate and
graduate students from around the world to select from four
professional training courses at LDI2014 and future events. The courses
carry university credits that would be accepted by the students’ home
institution towards degree programs. Topics that will be covered
include: Entertainment Rigging Fundamentals, Electrics Hands-On Workshop
for Production Electricians and Technicians, Projection 101 - The
Basics, Entertainment Rigging Fundamentals.
Electronic Dance
Music is a prominent feature at LDI2014 stemming from an arranged
partnership between LDI and BPM—the UK’s leading producer of EDM trade
shows. There are planned live demos and performances in the EDM@LDI
pavilion on the show floor, plus special sessions led by Ean Golden of
DJ TechTools and technical training by Dubspot. To make this happen, LDI
partnered with three separate entities in Electronic Dance Music:
Marked Events, which produces BPM Europe's largest trade show dedicated
to the DJ market; DJ TechTools, a high traffic global DJ website that
will promote EDM@LDI to its dedicated fan base of 600,000 aspiring and
professional DJs from around the world; and Dubspot, the electronic
music and DJ school, will help with programming content. Live Design
International 2014 comes to a close November 23.
Generally
acknowledged as Australia's version of the USA's Comic-Con, Supanova Pop
Culture Expo stages in one expo the worlds of comic books,
animation/cartoons, science-fiction, pulp TV/movies, toys, console
gaming, trading cards, fantasy, entertainment technology, books,
internet sites, fan-clubs, and cosplay (cos-tume role-play). But unlike
Comic-Con, Supanova is a sprawling event taking place on many dates and
across many regions of Australia from November of 2014 through June
2015. The upcoming Supanova dates and events are as follows: Brisbane
2014, November 28-30; Melbourne 2015, April 10-12; Gold Coast 2015,
April 17-19; Sydney 2015, June 19-21; Perth 2015, June 26-28. In one of
the very marquee events planned this year for the expo, Syfy network and
Supanova will present Battlestar Galactica: 10 Years On - with
appearances by Jamie Bamber – Lee “Apollo” Adama and Tahmoh Penikett –
Karl “Helo” Agathon. These stars will share stories of their time on
Galactica and discuss the show’s legacy. Syfy will also be bringing the
Syfy FanCam 360 to Adelaide and Brisbane for the first time, giving fans
and cosplays the opportunity to create clips.
In more scheduled
appearances, Jack Gleeson, who played Joffrey Baratheon in the
television series, Game of Thrones, joins the November line up that
includes veteran voice actor, Peter Cullen, best known as the voice of
Optimus Prime of the Transformers movie franchise. Both actors will
appear at the expos in Adelaide and Brisbane. Other noteworthy actors
slated for the November 2014 expo events include: Jeremy Shada – the
voice of Finn the Human in Adventure Time, Grant Imahara – Mythbusters,
Star Wars Epsiodes 1-3, John Jarratt – Wolf Creek 1 and 2, StalkHer, Gus
Sorola – Co-founder of Rooster Teeth and Private Dick Simmons in Red Vs
Blue, Jordan Cwierz – Creator and animator of Rooster Teeth Animated
Adventures, Alan Tudyk – Firefly, Serenity, Frozen, Suburgatory,
Transformers Dark of the Moon, Robert Knepper – Prison Break, Heroes,
Stargate Universe, and the upcoming Hunger Games.
In addition to
these dates, Supanova Pop Culture Industries and Brisbane Powerhouse are
staging a party - "New Year's Geek" - to open the new year of 2015,
featuring popular pop-culture characters. Local band, Boss Fight,
performs versions of classic video game tunes. DJs, trivia, retro arcade
games, film screenings, a cosplay prom and free refreshments are also
included. At another separate, but related Supanova event, on February 7
in Brisbane, J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek™ will be projected in high
definition on a big screen while Academy Award-winning composer Michael
Giacchino’s score is performed live by the Queensland Symphony
Orchestra.
Rounding out Supanova featured events, there will be
informative masterclasses, panels and workshops to attend. The new
Imagineer’s Playground is an interactive part of the event dedicated to
creative arts, focusing on fans and enthusiasts of special FX, model
makers, prop builders and costume designers. Despite the array of events
and activities, one of the more anticipated activities of Supanova Pop
Culture Expo are the Cosplay competitions that give individuals and
groups a chance to dress up (and model or act on stage) as their
favorite costumed characters. Supanova Pop Culture Expo is organized by
Supanova Pop Culture Industries.
The above events are only a sample of what is fully listed. Complete details are on the "
Media, Entertainment and Performing Arts Industry News and Events"
page at: http://www.actorschecklist.com/news.html. The events blog also
shows links to pages that are translated into ten of the most widely
used international languages read over the Internet other than English.
This month's photo placement includes Avengers comic strip cover by
Arthur Adams, on view at Supanova Pop Culture Expo and Photography expo,
Salon de la Photo in Paris. If the photo does not appear in this post
please visit the blog page to view it. Looking ahead into the next month
be aware that event dates are curtailed due to the holidays, however:
Siggraph Asia takes place in Shenzen, The International Music Festival
Conference 2014 arrives in a very qualified city for music -- Austin,
the annual Jingle Mingle holiday networking gathering is once again in
Winter Park, Asia TV Forum and Market opens in Singapore City, the
London Film Awards will be in London, global content marketplace NATPE
Miami opens in Miami, continental art show, Art Basel, lands in Miami
this month.
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