Film Independent, the non-profit arts organization that produces the Film Independent Spirit Awards and Los Angeles Film Festival, announced that Ted Sarandos, chief content officer, Netflix, will deliver the executive keynote address launching the 9th Annual Film Independent Forum, Oct. 26. This will be followed the next day by the filmmaker keynote address given by writer/director Ava DuVernay (Middle of Nowhere, Venus VS.) Oct. 27. The annual forum for independent filmmakers runs Oct. 25-27 at the Directors Guild of America (DGA) in Los Angeles.
Focus Features’ Dallas Buyers Club, directed by Jean-Marc Vallée and starring Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner, and Jared Leto, will kick off the Film Independent Forum as the opening night film, Oct. 25. The screening will be followed by a Q+A session and reception.
“I have had a long relationship with Film Independent and look forward to talking through the possibilities and the risks ahead for filmmakers in this new media age,” said Sarandos.
“Through the Forum, Film Independent carves out a very special time and a very special place for filmmakers and film lovers to congregate and learn from one another,” said DuVernay. “I’m thrilled to be a part of such a wonderful gathering. And I look forward to sharing, listening and growing, which always seems to happen when I’m there,”.
“No other executive in the industry today embodies the content revolution we are currently experiencing better than Ted Sarandos. He has spearheaded the creation of quality original content and game-changing ways of delivering it, revolutionizing the way content is being consumed. I couldn’t think of a better thought leader to set the stage for our weekend-long discussion of all things content,” said Film Independent director of education, Maria Bozzi. “Our filmmaker keynote speaker, Ava DuVernay, represents the fearless artist entrepreneur that can sustain a career in this new age. Not only is she making films that matter, but she is also a marketer and a distributor who has helped many filmmakers reach their audiences. She is truly an inspiration, and I am sure she will generously share her experience. I am thrilled for both of their participation in this year’s Forum.”
The forum will close with the Sloan Foundation reception where the Sloan Producers Grant award, which provides $25,000 in development funds, will be awarded to a producing lab fellow developing a narrative film with a scientific, mathematical, and/or technological theme.
The topics for this year’s panels are:
“What’s In It For Me?”: The Million Dollar Question
Fund That Doc
Shopping Your Project: A Financing Clinic
Extreme Docs: Documentary Case Studies
Made In L.A.: Production Case Studies
Game Change: The Evolving Narrative Of Video Games
U-Finance: Crowdfunding Comes Of Age
Find New Docs: Works In Progress From Film Independent Fellows
What’s Behind A Great Marketing Campaign?
Lucy Walker: Secrets Of Documentary Editing
Reports From The Distribution Test Lab
Wisecracking On The Web: Indie Comedy Online
Theatrical Re-Invented: One Theater At A Time
There’s An App For That: Handheld Content
New Content Relations: From Byte To Binge
For more information, visit filmindependent.org/forum
