2019 Festival Panels
We’re excited to bring you this year’s line-up of top-notch panels and workshops from industry leading people from across the the country at this year’s festival.
Thinking Beyond Described Video with Integrated Described Video (IDV)
Friday, May 24th – 9:00 AM – 9:30 AM
Integrated Described Video (IDV) is an innovative approach to description which further promotes inclusion in media while eliminating common hurdles associated with traditional forms of description.
Presenter
- Chris O’Brien – Accessible Media Inc.
Pitching Masterclass with Daniel Cross
Presented by SMPIA
Friday, May 24th – 9:35 AM – 10:05 AM
Let me show you the paved way to money, with cameos from the Muppets, Werner Hezog and Chairman George. Learn the tricks to pitch your way to success.
Presenter
- Daniel Cross
Pitch-O-Rama
Friday, May 24th – 10:15 AM – 11:30 AM
Test your pitching skills and be judged by an esteemed panel of broadcasters, directors and distributors. This is not your regular pitch session so leave your pitches at home. Be brave and spin the Wheel of Spin and see what idea you and your team will be forced to pitch.
Lead by
- Charlotte Engel – CBC
Super Hands On
This Film is Getting Made
Friday, May 24th – 1:15 PM – 2:30 PM
The collaborative art of filmmaking can be a myth when no one else shares your vision. If you’re prepared to move heaven and earth to make your movie, come and hear from a trio of filmmakers who have done likewise, sparing no effort to achieve their unique vision(s).
Because it’s not that they want to make movies, it’s because they HAVE TO.
Panelists
- Cam Bennett (Moderator) – Bell MTS
- George Tsougrianis – Media Entrepreneur / Producer/ Director
- Lindsay McIntyre – Film Artist
- Mike Rollo – Filmmaker
Meet the Decision Makers
Presented by Creative Saskatchewan
Friday, May 24th – 2:45 PM – 4:15 PM
Looking for the right partner or buyer for your project? Sit down with broadcasters, development executives, distributors and executive producers to find out what they’re looking for, ask questions and talk about your projects.
Moderated by Greg Magirescu – Creative Saskatchewan
Representatives
- Ursula Lawson – NSI
- Cara Nye – Accesible Media Inc
- Charlotte Engel – CBC Docs POV
- Christopher Triffo & Jeff Stecyk – Wavelength Entertainment
- Daniel Cross – EYESTEELFILM
- David Christensen & Jon Montes – NFB
- Jordan Cavallo – Distribution360
- Kitan Amao & Mike DeLuca – RBC Media & Entertainment Team
- Lesley Birchard – CBC Short Docs
- Shelley MacDougall – APTN
- Stéphane Cardin – Netflix
- Tina Apostolopoulos – Bell Media
- Will Dixon – Rogers
Straight from the Top
Saturday, May 25th – 9:00 AM – 10:15 AM
A conversation with Claude Joli-Cœur, CEO of the National Film Board and Valerie Creighton, President and CEO of the Canada Media Fund (CMF). Their conversation will be moderated by Daniel Cross.
Presenter(s)
- Daniel Cross, Moderator
- Claude Joli-Cœur, CEO of the National Film Board
- Valerie Creighton, President and CEO of the Canada Media Fund (CMF)
Powerfully Short!
Saturday, May 25th – 10:30AM – 12:00PM
Never underestimate the power of a short film. Art in its own right, it can win Oscars, tell touching universal stories, and be a spring-board to features. In this lively panel discussion, we’ll hear from a variety of award-winning documentary and drama directors that have leveraged their short films to create even more opportunities for their directing careers.
Panelists
- Alexandra Lazarowich – Producer, Director and Screenwriter
- Frederick Kroetsch – Producer/Director, Catapult Pictures
- Erin Mussolum (Moderator) – Producer
- Lesley Birchard – CBC Short Docs
- Nicola Baldwin – Filmmaker
Access and Understanding – Indigenous Storytelling and Ways of Working
Saturday, May 25th – 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM
From the creation of Canada’s Indigenous Screen Office to national conversations around truth and reconciliation, audiences are accessing and understanding Indigenous film content in new ways.
Aimed at Indigenous and non-Indigenous filmmakers and producers alike, this candid panel will discuss the groundbreaking work being done to address the historically inequitable relationship between Canada’s film industry and Indigenous filmmakers and communities.
Among the items discussed will be Marcia Nickerson’s On-Screen Protocols & Pathways: a Media Production Guide To Working With First Nations, Métis and Inuit Communities, Cultures, Concepts and Stories
Panelists
- Jesse Wente – Indigenous Screen Office
- Marcia Nickerson – Indigenous Governance Consultant
- Charlotte Engel (Moderator) – CBC
- Jon Montes (Moderator) – NFB
How Documentary Filmmakers Can Get – and Keep – Access to Characters and Worlds
Presented by SMPIA
Saturday, May 25th – 3:00PM – 4:00PM
A key part of making a documentary is getting people, organizations, businesses and government agencies to allow you to film with them. Negotiating that access and keeping it can be difficult. The more delicate the story, characters and arena – and potentially the more fragile or vulnerable they are – the greater the challenge. So, what are the secrets to getting and keeping access? What are the ethical considerations? How do you balance what you need as a storyteller with what the subject’s needs and agendas are?
Panelists
- Patricia Marcoccia – Director, Producer, Editor and Cinematographer
- Robert Hardy (Moderator) – Perfect Day Productions
- Scott Leary – Farpoint Films
- Wendy Rowland – Director