Friday, May 13, 2011

Panels! Panels! Panels!

Panels, you say? You want panels? Not only do we have panels, but we're giving you a chance to post your questions here ahead of time.

We are still working out the details, but they will be free to anyone with a festival pass. They will also be open to the public for a nominal fee. We're talking $5 right now, but that might go up to $10 depending on the venue. Still, cheap at twice the price.

Keep an eye out on our website and here for more details on the location, etc. In the meantime, here's what we know:

TUESDAY, JUNE 7. NOON-1:30 PANELISTS
Jeff Begun (Partner, Co-Founder: Film Incentives Group)
Jason Constantine (President of Acquisitions, Lionsgate)
Jay Cohen (Head of Film Financing and Packaging, Partner, The Gersh Agency)
J. Todd Harris (CEO/founder of Branded Pictures Entertainment, Exec Bottle Shock, Exec Producer: The Kids are All Right)
Ari Haas (Director of Acquisitions, Myriad Pictures)
David Madden (Pres, Fox TV Studios, Producer: Save the Last Dance, Hand That Rocks the Cradle, Exec Prod Something the Lord Made, Harlan Country Wars, Director: Separate Lives)
Heidi Van Lier (Author, The Indie Film Rule Book and Film Threat contributor)
Steven Wegner (EVP, Alcon Entertainment, Co-Producer: One Missed Call, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, The Blind Side, The Book of Eli)

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8. NOON-1:30 PANELISTS
Jeff Begun (Partner, Co-Founder: Film Incentives Group)
David Gale (Executive Vice President, MTV New Media)
Rena Ronson (Co-Head, Independent Film Group, United Talent Agency) Exec Producer: Blue Valentine, The Other Woman, Producer: Twin Falls Idaho
JC Spink (Owner Co-founder of Management, production co BenderSpink, Producer The Butterfly Effect, A History of Violence, Exec Prod The Hangover, and I am Number 4)
Tricia Wood (Casting Director: Laurel Canyon, The Human Stain, Wicker Park, Shop Girl, Disturbia, Smart People, Twilight, Red, Lincoln Lawyer)
Frank Wuliger: (Partner, The Gersh Agency)

Of course, panelists are subject to change.

In order to help us guide the discussion, we'd love to know what questions you'd like to ask these folks, so please, please, please – post them here.

I'll start.

Tricia Wood, when people think of "the Industry" in terms of film festivals, they really mean "distribution," yet in 2007 we had a quirky little movie called One Day Like Rain with Jesse Eisenberg as a part of a tremendous ensemble. I think I could go through every year of the festival and point out other such pre-discoveries. This year I could name 10 films off the top of my head that every casting director should see. Besides the few clips on an actor's reel, how important is it for you to see undiscovered talent carry a movie?

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