With next month’s Australian Feature Film Summit (AFFS) nearing capacity, organisers have added a virtual offering for those unable to attend in-person in Sydney.
The full program for the event was also unveiled today. Newly-announced speakers include Matt Liebmann (chief operating officer, Movio), Peter Drinkwater (group CEO, Screen Audience Research International), Michael Matrenza (senior marketing manager, Madman), Fiona Nix (company director, NIXCO) and Anthony Grundy (distribution manager, Screen Australia).
Others to share insights are Mitu Bhowmick Lange (director and founder, Mind Blowing Films), Craig Rossiter (writer, researcher and policy analyst), Cailah Scobie (chief content officer, Stan), Deanne Weir (co-founder, Storyd Group), Emma Madison (head of commercial and industry services, Screenrights) and Claire Gandy (general manager of content, Event Cinemas).
These add to previously announced speakers such as Oombarra Productions’ Leah Purcell and Bain Stewart, who will unpack the creative process and business strategy behind Purcell’s upcoming directorial feature debut The Drover’s Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson.
In addition to the case study, the day will also consist of three sessions called Capturing the Audience, Building Audience and Incentivising Success.
The day will close out with the Road Test Pitch Forum, which will see 10 producers test a feature concept with an exhibitor panel, determining if there is an audience for their idea.
As previously announced, the panel of exhibitors includes Gandy, Michelle Gater (general manager programming at HOYTS Group), Alex Moir (head of marketing at Palace Cinemas), Ingrid Van Den Berghe (managing director of Luna Palace Cinemas), Sasha Close (program manager at Brisbane & Gold Coast International Film Festivals) and Kieren Dell (chief executive, Majestic Cinemas).
To be held at Event Cinemas George Street, the AFFS is designed to break down silos between producers, distributors, exhibitors and funding agencies in order to see the local feature film sector work together to create more commercially successful and culturally relevant films.
The event runs alongside the Australian International Movie Convention (AIMC), which will be held in the three days prior. It is expected to attract more than 270 delegates and builds on the virtual stage one event held last October.
Tickets for the virtual offering are $40 and will include a live stream to all sessions except the Road Test Pitch Session.
“The response to the in-person event has been overwhelming,” says summit director Sue Maslin.
“We are excited to be able to make the Summit as accessible as possible with a virtual offering. But this is no talk-fest. Everyone who participates wants to see real change that will lead to better outcomes for Australian features.”
AFFS will be held May 12. www.affsummit.com.au
Session details below:
CAPTURING THE AUDIENCE
Moderator: Patrick May (Manager of Strategic Policy and Insights, Screen Australia)
Speakers: Matt Liebmann (chief operating officer, Movio), Sue Maslin (producer/distributor, Film Art Media), Peter Drinkwater (group CEO, Screen Audience Research International)
Focus: Data is increasingly at the core of industry business and creative decisions but who has it and who needs it? How can we ask better questions, capture better data and aggregate anonymized data so that it benefits all parties along the value chain and results in greater connections between films and audiences. What are we not capturing? How can producers access and work with data?
BUILDING AUDIENCE
Moderator: Sasha Close (program manager, BIFF & GCFF)
Speakers: Michael Matrenza (senior marketing manager, Madman), Fiona Nix (Company Director, NIXCO), Anthony Grundy (distribution manager, Screen Australia), Mitu Bhowmick Lange (director and founder, Mind Blowing Films)
Focus: Audience development at every stage of the value chain. From strategic unit publicity, social media campaigns, film festivals through to distribution and exhibition strategies. What can we do better to grow Australian audiences over time? Can exhibitors be incentivised to better support local films and give them time to find their audience?
INCENTIVISING SUCCESS
Moderator: Sandy George (Journalist)
Speakers: Craig Rossiter (writer and researcher), Cailah Scobie (chief content officer, Stan), Deanne Weir (co-founder, Storyd Group), Emma Madison (head of commercial and industry services, Screenrights), Claire Gandy (general manager of content, Event Cinemas)
Focus: How can we leverage investment in Australian films, significantly increase marketing spend, offset producer and distributor risk, incentivise streamers to support theatrical windows and make it feasible for exhibitors to screen films made by streamers? How do we deliver an equitable risk/reward ratio in the recoupment waterfall that works for all parties along the value chain?
CASE STUDY – THE DROVER’S WIFE
Moderator: Sandy George
Speakers: Leah Purcell, Bain Stewart
Focus: What makes an idea cinematic? The creative process and how it informed the business strategy. Transforming the film into a screen experience that engages audience on a culturally significant work. An opportunity for exhibitors to see up close how a production comes together and for delegates to gain further insight into an entrepreneurial business approach.
ROAD TEST PITCH FORUM
Manager/Moderator: David Court
Speakers: Michelle Gater (general manager of Programming at HOYTS Group), Alex Moir (head of marketing at Palace Cinemas), Claire Gandy (general manager of content at Event Cinemas), Ingrid Van Den Berghe (managing director of Luna Palace Cinemas), Sasha Close (program manager at Brisbane & Gold Coast International Film Festivals), Kieren Dell (chief executive of Majestic Cinemas)
Focus: Ten producers have 3-4 minutes each to test a feature concept with an exhibitor panel comprising both majors and independents/mini-majors. The purpose is to determine if there is an audience for the idea and answer, “Would you play this film at your cinema? If so, why? If not, why not?”. The exhibitor panel will give 5 minutes in-session feedback on each pitch. All AIMC delegates present will also be invited to complete an online survey on each pitch. All feedback will be collated, ranked and shared privately to filmmakers.
NETWORKING DRINKS (Sponsored by Coca-Cola Europacific Partners)