Click on any of the 'Day Of' links below to get more information.
Day of Distribution | Day of Sight & Sound | Day of Writer | Day of Producer
Cinequest has revolutionized the very concept of a film festival focusing not only on celebrating creativity, but providing empowerment, discovery and the much sought-after distribution.
Cinequest continues to lead the way by exposing filmmakers and film fans to the people and technologies that aid the creation and delivery of Maverick, independent and international cinema. As Chris Gore, author of The Ultimate Film Festival Survival Guide has stated: ?This festival is one that sets the trends and is actually ahead of the trends. Other festivals are copying Cinequest; I see it all the time?You find the future of film at Cinequest.? At CQFF17, Cinequest, in conjunction with exclusive partners, will present a series of forums, structured as thematic days. Empower yourself via exposure to cutting-edge technologies as well as insight and how-to knowledge from leading film professionals.
Note: $15 Ticket price for each ?Day of? forum includes entrance into all of that day?s presentations / parts. Single presentation / part tickets may be purchased for $10. Cinequest is able to bring film makers, students and lovers of film these groundbreaking forums at such affordable prices due to the generosity of its forum sponsors: Intel, Panasonic, Canon, Azureus, Jaman and Palm.
Day of the Producer ? Saturday, March 10th - $15
PART I: Putting the Package Together ? A Conversation with Peter Wetherell and Jeff Colvin
10:00 - 11:30am ? San Jose Repertory Theatre
You have a great script but you can?t get it financed. Why? The film industry can be a confusing arena that makes little sense to those outside of Hollywood. Here?s an opportunity to delve into the minds of two individuals who will unlock some of the mysteries behind putting a successful package together. Do you need a name actor or director to justify your budget? What are the elements needed to not only get a green light but to have successful distribution? Are you killing your chances because of something in the script? This in-depth conversation and audience question / answer session is not to be missed.
Peter Wetherell is President of Magus Entertainment, Inc. Born in London and arriving in LA in 1984, Peter is a veteran of the US independent film community. He initially spent eleven years as an international film sales and distribution executive, before forming Magus Entertainment in 1996. Magus provides senior consulting and advisory services to the international film financing, production and distribution community. It has assisted a wide variety of production companies, banks and financing institutions, private equity investors, international studio facilities, foreign distributors, government film offices, film festivals and markets. Peter has Executive Produced numerous films including 13 Conversations About One Thing and Things Behind the Sun. He is a previous board member of both AFMA (now IFTA) and the British Academy in L.A. (BAFTA/LA). He has also participated as an organizer, moderator or speaker at film financing and distribution events provided by the Cannes Film Festival, the Berlin Co-Production Market, UCLA, Southwestern University, DGA, IFP/FIND, AFI, IFFCON and the Seattle, Los Angeles, Hollywood, CineVegas, Atlantic, Montreal and Whistler Film Festivals.
Jeff Colvin is the Senior Vice President and Manager of Comerica Entertainment Group. Jeff is an expert on film funding with one of the largest financing companies for films worldwide. Last year his expertise was highly regarded when he sat on our producing panel and Cinequest is excited to have him return. Don?t miss this opportunity to understand the elements required to obtain the green in green light.
Moderator - Jens Hussey: Jens is a PR specialist who has completed eight tours of duty as the Director of Public Relations for Cinequest. He also has experience in the publishing world where he worked in PR for Renaissance Media and St. Martin?s Press. He is a published writer and produced playwright.
PART II : Inside Beacon Pictures ? A Conversation with Nancy Rae Stone and Miranda de Pencier
Presented by Beacon Pictures
12:30 - 2:00pm ? San Jose Repertory Theatre
Cinequest is excited to present this absolutely extraordinary opportunity to understand the behind-the-scenes process that creates a film from story idea to distribution at an independent production company. This in-depth presentation and conversation with Beacon Picture?s Executive Vice President of Production, Nancy Rae Stone, and producer Miranda de Pencier will walk the audience through the production of one of Beacon?s latest films, PU-239. Stone and de Pencier will explain how decisions were made on story, script, casting, budget, production and distribution for this film, which was shot in Bucharest and Moscow. Anyone looking to understand how to produce an independent film on a small budget (by Hollywood standards), will want to partake in this incredible learning experience.
Nancy Rae Stone is the Executive Vice President of Production at Beacon Pictures. Nancy Rae Stone has Line / Co-Produced numerous feature films including John Dahl's The Last Seduction, with Linda Fiorentino, and American Heart, with Jeff Bridges. After completing Playing God, with Angelina Jolie and David Duchovny, she supervised the completion of Beacon?s blockbuster Air Force One starring Harrison Ford, after which she was invited to oversee all physical production for the company from script to final answer print. Her projects, with budgets from $4 million to $90 million, have included Family Man, The Hurricane, 13 Days, A Lot Like Love, The Emperor?s Club, Ladder 49, and the upcoming PU-239, which have taken her to such locales as Romania, Hungary, Russia, England, and Morocco.
Miranda de Pencier. After a busy career as an actress and singer, de Pencier founded Northwood Productions, an independent film and theatre production company. She produced the award-winning play Frida K., which opened off-Broadway in New York to critical acclaim and the independent feature Cake, starring Heather Graham, Taye Diggs and Sandra Oh. Most recently she produced Scott Burns? PU-239, which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival in 2006. Prior to producing, de Pencier was the Director of Development at Robert Redford?s Wildwood Enterprises, where she worked on such projects as The Motorcycle Diaries and Spy Game. She has several feature films in development.
Moderater: Jens Michael Hussey, Director, Public Relations, Cinequest.
PART III: Going Mobile ? Production to Delivery
2:30 - 4:00pm ? San Jose Repertory Theatre
It used to be about big-budget films on the big screen, but now the mobile world demands films to enjoy in the palm of their hand.
Smartphones have opened a new channel for the distribution and marketing of film. As technology advances so do the ways in which filmmakers can distribute their vision. However, these digital devices are etching a new path for film content development as unique types of films play best — very short films that make their statement on a very small screen. Cinequest therefore offers for the first time presentations and discussions on this new world —the how-to’s of the mobile marketplace. Topics discussed will include: distribution opportunities, developing content specifically for the mobile market, ways to make money, and an overview of the emerging mobile business models. Could the short film become the new blockbuster? Join Palm and guests in this captivating presentation and discussion of these exciting new opportunities for film makers and film lovers.
Presenter - Matt Crowley, Product Line Manager, Multimedia & Web Solutions