In May, La Semaine de la Critique will celebrate its 50th edition. Since in 1962, La Semaine de la Critiq...

  Can film festivals work together? That was one of the provocative questions brought up on the first full day of the International Film Festival Summit, a "meeting of the minds" event that is bringing together leading film festival reps in Berlin today and tomorrow. The event is being held at the Berlin Hilton Hotel. "While I think that collaboration can always happen, the idea that film festivals will share their contacts, films or sponsors is rather utopian", ...

  Bruno Chatelin, COO, Filmfestivals.com/Fest21.com  A “who’s who” of film festival mavens are speaking at the International Film Festival Summit, taking place at the Berlin Hilton on 8 and 9 February, on the eve of the Berlinale. Here are the bold face names making presentations at the event: Bruno Chatelin, COO, filmfestivals.com and fest21.com (Conference Chair); Stacey Donen, Artistic Director, Whistler Film Festival; Marina Fabri, Co-director, Courmayeur Noir ...

I got to sit down with Zoe Elton, Director of Programming at The Mill Valley Film Festival 3 days before the close of this year's fest. She's been with the Festival since it's inception 32 years ago, when she sort of fell into the position at random. Previously she worked in England as a theatre director and writer. Check out our conversation below to see what she has to say about the video art community in the 80s, how documentary has changed, it feeling like a "vintage year" for film, and o...

I got to sit down with Zoe Elton, Director of Programming at The Mill Valley Film Festival 3 days before the close of this year's fest.  She's been with the Festival since it's inception 32 years ago, when she sort of fell into the position at random.  Previously she worked in England as a theatre director and writer.  Check out our conversation below to see what she has to say about the video art community in the 80s, how documentary has changed, it feeling like a "vintage year" fo...

There are so many different definitions of success and “bigness.” There are film festivals that attract hundreds of thousands of people, and yet are not on the mainstream radar, and festivals which show only a few dozen films that are world famous. This session will address considerations and metrics for success including: number of films, number of acquisitions, celebrities, size of audience, longevity, number of impressions and reach? Most notably, these different metrics have differing ...

There are so many different definitions of success and “bigness.” Although some festivals admit they would love to grow "smaller" the general issue on development is how can a festival become bigger, better or even louder.What makes a festival director really happy, eventually what makes sponsors happy, and fulfill filmmakers dreams...How do festivals define goals and ways to measure the success.There are film festivals that attract hundreds of thousands of people, and yet are not on the mai...

2009 IFFS Europe Opening Keynote Presentation Marco Müller Director Venice International Film Festival Tuesday, April 7, 2009 8:30 am Registration Opens 9:15 am Opening Remarks by Conference Chair Christian Gaines Director of Festivals Withoutabox, a division of IMDb 9:30 am - 10:30 am Dynamic Programming   Year round programming, migrating content to the web and extending audience reach are all critical programming issues. Once your festival has t...

You are invited to a wine tasting of Best of French wines areas. Join us at our offices April 7 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm Cocktail Reception Hosted By filmfestivals.com and fest21.comYou won't want to miss this year's opening cocktail reception. More networking and additional meeting time with your peers and colleagues will make this reception time well spent. Wine tasting in our offices offering a choice of red and white wines from the main french wine regions : Alsace, Bordeaux, Burgundy, south West ...

IFP FILMMAKER CONFERENCE PANELIST LIST as of 9.8.08SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 14th - MAKING YOUR FIRST FEATURESCRIPT TO SCREEN 10-11AMSusan Stover, Producer, Laurel Canyon Howard Gertler, Producer, Process MediaRobert Seigel, Attorney, Cowan DeBaets Abrams & Sheppard LLPMichael Sladek, SAG IndieMeredith Tucker, Casting Director Year of the Dog, Youth in RevoltEmily Ziff, Partner, Cooper’s Town Productions PRODUCTION & POST PRODUCTION 11:30AM - 12:30PMSusan Stover, Producer, Laurel Canyon Howar...

Meira Blaustein Thurday, October 12----As the 7th annual Woodstock Film Festival kicks into gear this evening with the avant premiere of Douglas McGrath’s INFAMOUS, Festivals Editor Sandy Mandelberger sat down with Festival Director Meira Blaustein to get her thoughts on this year’s edition. Sandy Mandelberger (SM): What is new this year that you might be experimenting with? Meira Blaustein: Most of the new elements are more of the inner structure and perhaps not so visible. In terms of ...

Monday, October 9---With just one week to go until the start of the 2nd Turks & Caicos International Film Festival, Sandy Mandelberger, the Festivals Editor for FEST21.COM, sat down with Festival Co-Director Jasmine Guy to discuss this year’s event. Jasmine Guy is an actress, director and producer who began as a child star in Hollywood. She has received several Image Award nominations for her television performances in such series as DEAD LIKE ME (2003), AMERICA'S DREAM (1996) and MELRO...