Film Independent, the non-profit organization that produces the Film Independent Spirit Awards and the Los Angeles Film Festival, has announced two keynote speakers for the upcoming 2013 Film Independent Forum. Ted Sarandos, Chief Executive Officer of Netflix, will deliver the Executive Keynote address on Oct. 26 and writer/director Ava DuVernay (“Middle of Nowhere”) will deliver the Filmmaker Keynote address on Oct. 27.
“No other executive in the
industry today embodies the content revolution we are currently
experiencing better than Ted Sarandos,” said Film Independent Director of Education, Maria Bozzi. “He has spearheaded the creation of
quality original content and game-changing ways of delivering it,
revolutionizing the way content is being consumed.”
“I
have had a long relationship with Film Independent and look forward to talking
through the possibilities and the risks ahead for filmmakers in this new media
age,” Sarandos added.
Filmmaker DuVernay has credited Film Independent Forum with fostering a supportive atmosphere for budding filmmakers where those possibilities can flourish.
“Through the Forum,
Film Independent carves out a very special time and a very special place for
filmmakers and film lovers to congregate and learn from one another. I’m
thrilled to be a part of such a wonderful gathering. And I look forward to
sharing, listening and growing, which always seems to happen when I’m there,” DuVernay said.
Bozzi added that DuVernay “represents the fearless artist
entrepreneur that can sustain a career in this new age. Not only is she making
films that matter, but she is also a marketer and a distributor who has helped
many filmmakers reach their audiences. She is truly an inspiration, and I
am sure she will generously share her experience. I am thrilled for both
of their participation in this year’s Forum.”
The 2013 Film Independent Forum, presented by Indiewire, will be held from Oct. 25-27 at the Directors Guild of America in Los Angeles. To kickoff the 9th annual Forum, Focus Features will present “Dallas Buyers Club,” starring Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner and Jared Leto with a Q+A and reception following the screening.
Panelists
for the 2013 Film Independent Forum include:
Hadrian Belove, Founder and Executive Director, Cinefamily
Julie Parker Benello, Co-Founder, Chicken & Egg Pictures
Nina Yang Bongiovi, COO & Head of Film, JuntoBox Films; Head of Production,
Significant Productions
Josh Braun, Co-Founder, Submarine Entertainment
Lisa Callif, Partner, Donaldson + Callif
Lisa Kleiner Chanoff, Co-Founder, Catapult Film Fund
Karin Chien, producer, Circumstance
Russell Collins, Conference Director, Art House Convergence
Stuart Cornfeld, Partner, Red Hour Films
Babacar Diene, Vice President of Acquisitions, Voltage Pictures
Neal Edelstein, Founder, Hooked Digital Media
Craig A. Emanuel, Partner & Chair, Loeb & Loeb
Nicolas Gonda, Co-Founder & CEO, TUGG
Lauren Greenfield, producer/director, The Queen of Versailles
Matthew Greenfield, Senior Vice President of Production, Fox
Searchlight
Marc Hofstatter, Film Lead, Indiegogo
Chris Horton, Director, Artist Services, Sundance Institute
Daniel Kellison, Founder, JASH
Pedro Kos, editor, The Crash Reel,
Waste Land
Jennifer Kushner, Director, Artist Development, Film Independent
Lisa Leeman, writer/director, One Lucky Elephant
Judi Levine, producer, The Sessions
Ben Lewin, writer/director, The
Sessions
John Lightfoot, Program Officer, The
California Documentary Project
Dylan Marchetti, Founder, Variance Films
Andy Merkin, Head of Special Projects/Transmedia, Mirada Studios
Luis Ortiz, Managing Director, Latino Public Broadcasting
Nicholas Ozeki, writer/director, Mamitas
Lisanne Pajot, director/producer/cinematographer/editor, Indie
Game: The Movie
Greg Pak, writer/director, Robot Stories; writer, Vision
Machine
Stephan Paternot, Co-Founder & chairman, Slated
Casey Pugh, Co-Founder, VHX
Samuel Roberts, Festival Director, IndieCade; Assitant Director,
Interactive Media Program, USC School of Cinematic Arts
Mike Rosenstein, Director of Digital Content, Red Hour Films
Gary Rubin, Executive Vice President, Cohen Media Group
Marc Schiller, CEO, Bond Strategy and Influence
Paula Manzanedo Schmit, Vice President, Film Finances, Inc.
Jill Soloway, writer/director, Afternoon
Delight
Jonathan Stern, Executive Producer
& writer, Abominable Pictures
James Swirsky,
director/producer/cinematographer/editor, Indie Game: The Movie
Rahdi Taylor, Film Fund Director,
Sundance Documentary
Film Program
Michele Turnure-Salleo, Director, Filmmaker360, San Francisco Film
Society
Lucy Walker, director, The Crash Reel, Waste Land
Jamie Wilkinson, Co-Founder, VHX
Topics
for this year’s panels are:
“What’s
In It For Me?”: The Million Dollar Question
Fund
That Doc
Shopping
Your Project: A Financing Clinic
Extreme
Docs: Documentary Case Studies
Made In
L.A.: Production Case Studies
Game
Change: The Evolving Narrative Of Video Games
U-Finance: Crowdfunding Comes Of Age
Find New Docs: Works In Progress From Film Independent
Fellows
What’s
Behind A Great Marketing Campaign?
Lucy
Walker: Secrets Of Documentary Editing
Reports
From The Distribution Test Lab
Wisecracking
On The Web: Indie Comedy Online
Theatrical
Re-Invented: One Theater At A Time
There’s
An App For That: Handheld Content
New Content
Relations: From Byte To Binge
Conference
passes are $275 for Film Independent members and $325 for non-members. For more
information about this year’s Film Independent Forum or to purchase a pass,
visit filmindependent.org/forum or call 310.432.1222.
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