The Australian Feature Film Summit (AFFS) has today unveiled the full program for its physical event taking place on Thursday 12 May at Event Cinemas George Street, Sydney from 8.30AM – 6:00PM (AEST).
The much-anticipated Summit hosted by Event Cinemas has drawn interest from every part of the feature film industry, with more than 270 delegates set to converge to reconnect and build on the discussion from the hugely successful Virtual AFFS in October.
With the event now almost at capacity, AFFS organisers have added a virtual offering for those who missed out on securing a ticket or are unable to attend in-person. Tickets for the virtual offering are $40 and will include a live stream to sessions including Capturing The Audience, Building Audience and Incentivising Success, as well as the The Drover’s Wife Business Case Study. The Road Test Pitch Session is not included in the live-stream and will remain an exclusive session to those attending the event.
“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.”
Previously announced speakers Leah Purcell (Actor, Writer, Director & Producer) and Bain Stewart (Producer) from The Drover’s Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson will be joined by an incredible calibre of industry leaders committed to new thinking on the future of Australian feature films including 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), Anthony Grundy (Distribution Manager, Screen Australia), 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).
Delegates will enjoy four sessions spanning Capturing the Audience, Building Audience, Incentivising Success and The Drover’s Wife Business Case Study.
The innovative Road Test Pitch Forum will close-out the program, providing creatives with an insight for the first time on how exhibitors, small and large, select and program films for their specific audiences. The esteemed panel of exhibitors includes Michelle Gater (General Manager 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) and Kieren Dell (Chief Executive of Majestic Cinemas).
A shortlist of 10 producers will pitch their early-stage feature film ideas to the panel followed by the opportunity to receive five minutes in-session feedback on their pitch, further facilitating a valuable information exchange between the often-siloed parties of the screen industry. The Road Test Pitch Forum is an initiative of the AFFS in conjunction with the Compton School and with the support of Screen Australia and all state screen agencies.
“As cinema operators, we want to see all films succeed and importantly, see Aussie films flourish. For too long we’ve simply observed the status quo, working in silos and without collaboration. The time is now right to redefine how we operate and integrate intelligence,” adds Summit Convenor, Gino Munari. “This is why this Summit is truly pioneering, providing for the first time ever, a platform to unite film makers, exhibitors, distributors, data experts, key funding bodies and streaming services in one room to discuss and unravel how we can better share and use the intelligence each sector possesses. We share the common goal of creating better, more commercially successful films that connect and resonate with Australian audiences foremostly, but also with a greater potential to travel, so that overseas audiences can be entertained by our stories and culture.”
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, Nix Co), 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)
For more information visit www.affsummit.com.au.
ABOUT THE AFFS
The Australian Feature Film Summit (AFFS) is an initiative of the Australian Feature Film Working Group (AFFWG), an informal group of industry representatives from the production, exhibition and distribution sectors together with representatives of screen agencies, industry associations and guilds. Its purpose is to;
- Champion positive change that supports a commercially viable Australian feature film industry that consistently delivers movies that attract, engage and entertain significant audiences.
- Collate / share relevant local and global insights, trends and best practice / learnings.
- Promote alternative business models, distribution strategies and sources of finance.
- Encourage the next generation of entrepreneurial producers and creative talent.
The Australian Feature Film Working Group (AFFWG) members include;
Sue Maslin AO, Adrianne Pecotic, Antony Ginnane, Claire Gandy, Holly Brimble, Lori Flekser, Marc Wooldridge, Sasha Close, in consultation with advisor Gino Munari and Screen Australia, SAFC and Screen Queensland.
The AFFS has been financed with the assistance of Screen Australia in association with VicScreen, Screen Queensland, Screenwest, South Australian Film Corporation, Screen Territory, Screen Tasmania and Screen NSW; sponsorship from the Independent Cinemas Association (ICA), Creative Content Australia, the Motion Picture Distributors Association of Australia, Screen Producers Australia; and in-kind support from NACO and AIDA.
