Thursday, September 27

TF07 Staying Alive
Mergers, acquisitions, buyouts and the re-shuffling of Canadian distributors are making survival difficult for the smaller independent companies. Diversification is a necessary part of staying alive. This panel investigates the m.o. of several companies who are successfully finding ways to cover a number of bases while getting their projects produced. From cartoons to commercials, discover how to maintain and support your production company. 9:15 am to 11:00 am

Moderator
James Livingstone, Chartered Accountant, MacKay LLP

Guest Speakers
Robin Cass, Producer/Partner, Triptych Media
Derek Mazur, President, Credo Entertainment Corporation
James Shavick, CEO, Shavick Entertainment

TF08 Big Movies for the Small Screen – An Endangered Animal?
At NBC, movies for television are dismissed as a vestige of the past. CBS cuts half its season of movies. The New York Times rings the death knell. The “franchise” has been degraded and sucked dry. So what’s the good news? Here in Canada the franchise is being reinvented. Movies have risen in volume and stature with Canadian networks and audiences.

This panel will analyze the shift. What are the networks looking for? What are the differences between features and movies for television? We’ll discuss content, assemble an MOW “package”, look at international sales, bitch and whine over casting (anyone have Johnny Depp’s cellphone number?) and wrestle with the biggest challenge of all – how to land a distributor. Big movies for the small screen – all you need to know from A to Zed, not Zee. 11:15 am to 1:00 pm

Moderator
Suzette Couture, Writer/Producer, Sarazin Couture Productions

Guest Speakers
Lazlo Barna, President, Barna-Alper Productions
Brian Freeman, Creative Head, Movies & Mini-series, CBC
Bill Mustos, Sn. VP, Dramatic Programming, CTV
Steve Ord, Sn. VP, Television Production, Alliance Atlantis Communications

TF09 Is There a Doc in the House?
With 13-part series on monster truck crashes littering the airwaves, can a single documentary avoid becoming road kill? As broadcasters demand world rights to projects, can the documentarian still uncover sources of finance? With the
success of the specialty channels and the advent of even MORE of them, does the one-off documentary stand a chance of being seen? You bet! Jacques Bensimon, the NFB's new head honcho will uncover the new doc dynamics while a panel of key players will offer insight and advice on the distribution opportunities for one-off docs with Canadian and international broadcasters. 11:15 am to 1:00 pm

Moderator
Jacques Bensimon, Chairman, National Film Board of Canada/Government Film Commissioner

Guest Speakers
Rudy Butignol, Creative Head of Documentaries, Drama & Network, TVO
Christina Pochmursky, Programme Director, The Documentary Channel
Robin Mirsky, Executive Director, Rogers Group of Funds, Rogers Communications

TF10 Great Characters: Adapted and Original
Adapting written characters for a visual medium comes with its own set of problems. Choosing, cutting, refocusing and combining characters, changing narrative voices when necessary, modifying passive, literary characters into active, filmic roles – all are challenges for a writer adapting characters from a novel into a screenplay.

Unlike adaptations, when writing an original screenplay there is no blueprint from which to draw a basic plan. Building from scratch, each character needs to be unique and interesting, to meld or clash with the other characters and fit the mood, place and time in history of the story.

Great characters make a film memorable. From Scarlett O’Hara to Jerry Maguire, it’s the characters, their dialogue and their actions that we remember. Ted Tally and a fellow writer share their approach to the characters that have brought them box office success and critical acclaim. 2:00 pm to 3:45 pm

Moderator
Guy Bennett, Writer

Guest Speakers
Ted Tally, Writer, The Silence of the Lambs

TF11 How To Score
With many a soundtrack driving a film toward box office success, the importance of music in movies is greater than ever. When used to create a mood, enhance the director’s vision and create a buzz for the film itself, the soundtrack is a vital tool. This panel explores the process of selecting and acquiring rights to existing music, while delving into the intricacies of original score composition from the viewpoints of composer and director. 2:00 pm to 3:45 pm

Moderator and guest speakers to be announced

TF12 Interview with a Director
4:00 pm to 5:30 pm

Moderator and guest speakers to be announced