The VIFF's 23rd Annual Film and Television Forum gets down to the serious business of financing and distribution with a world-class line-up of heavy hitters from around the globe. From co-venturing with the US to international co-productions with Ireland, Germany and Mexico, this year's seminars, Tête-à-tête meetings and Speed Dating sessions explore the innovative new paradigms in the shifting worlds of financing, distribution and marketing.

"With various major US distributors shutting down, and dwindling production dollars, it has never been more important for producers to explore new production partnerships and alternative forms of financing. The Forum presents an ideal opportunity for local producers and filmmakers to meet with key Canadian and international financing, distribution and production partners," says Forum Creative Director, Helen du Toit.

DOC Day - In Market Check: Commissioning Editors, Buyers and Funders, industry leading players including Rudy Buttignol of Knowledge Network, Scott Hooker of MSNBC and Jean-Pierre Laurendeau, of Canal D., Astral Media will advise our filmmakers on how to secure their share of the market in this multi-channel, multi-media and multiplex universe.

FILM Day - World Sales Update: Is The Sky Really Falling? features Alex Raffe (Flower and Garnet), Suraj Gohill (CIT Group, Entertainment Finance) and Nicolas Chartier (My Big Fat Greek Wedding) presenting a diversity of viewpoints on theatrical windows, indie budgets and digital distribution. Co-Production Partners: Mexico, Ireland & Germany has producers Pablo Cruz (Canana Films), David Collins (Samson Films) and Steffen Reuter (SchmidtzKatze Filmkollektiv) discussing how to forge co-production relationships with international partners in order to mitigate current market challenges.

TV Day - On Series That Have Legs, Tara Ellis (VP, Showcase and Drama Content, Canwest Media), the network creative force behind success stories like Slings & Arrows and Brett Weitz, (VP, Series Development, TNT Originals), developer of Prison Break, and Beauty and the Geek discuss how to create engaging series that resonate with viewers beyond our borders.

On the ever-popular New Filmmakers' Day session, The Times They Are A-Changin' panel serves up two unique perspectives. Matt Dentler, Head of Marketing & Programming at Cinetic Rights Management offers sage advice in steering a film through the legal complexities of the process while Lance Hammer, Director of Ballast will explain why he turned down a major distribution deal in favour of self-releasing.

Getting down to the hands-on business of structuring actual deals, the very successful Telefilm Canada Tête-à-tête Sessions bring together Western Canadian producers with top-tier international producers, sales agents and commissioning editors in one-on-one meetings. These popular, highly focused private sessions will allow established Canadian producers to pitch specific pre-selected projects with the intention of finding the optimal strategic partner to propel their projects from development to fully financed and camera-ready. Similarly, this year's Speed Dating Sessions will allow emerging Western Canadian filmmakers to pitch their projects and find potential partners in private one-on-one sessions with some of BC's most respected senior film and television executives.

The 23rd annual Film and Television Forum takes place in the Rogers Industry Centre at the Vancouver International Film Centre and Vancity Theatre, 1181 Seymour Street, September 24-26 with New Filmmakers' Day on September 27. Vancouver International Film Festival acknowledges the generous support of Telefilm Canada.