Guests include Alex Gibney, Gary Hustwit, Liesl Copland, Peter Broderick and Andrew Jarecki
TORONTO – The 38th Toronto International Film Festival® and TIFF Industry today announced the first details of the fifth annual TIFF Doc Conference, an intensive showcase of thought leaders on the creative and business sides of documentary filmmaking. The Conference, comprising panels, case studies, keynotes and end-of-day networking receptions, takes place September 10 and 11. This year’s event features filmmakers including Academy Award-winner Alex Gibney (The Armstrong Lie), Gary Hustwit (Helvetica) and Andrew Jarecki (Capturing the Friedmans); and key industry players such as Liesl Copland (WME), Peter Broderick (Paradigm Consulting) and Nusrat Durrani (MTV World).
“This is the Doc Conference’s most robust lineup in five years, and amplifies its reputation for major announcements and headline-grabbing presentations,” said Thom Powers, lead documentary programmer for the Toronto International Film Festival. “We curate a roomful of visionary thinkers — spanning creativity, financing and distribution — that shouldn't be missed by anyone in the doc world.”
Tuesday, September 10
Keynote Conversation: Andrew Jarecki, New Revelations Ten Years After Capturing the Friedmans
Ten years ago, the Oscar-nominated doc Capturing the Friedmans reopened the case of Jesse Friedman who maintains he was wrongfully convicted of shocking crimes. Since then, the film’s director Andrew Jarecki has championed Friedman’s innocence. This summer, the district attorney issued a report upholding the conviction. But Jarecki has filmed participants – including alleged victims – telling a very different story. In this conversation, he shares never before seen footage and reflects on the role of the filmmaker embroiled in controversy.
The Fight for Fair Use: Alex Gibney
The U.S. Tennis Association has sued the makers of Venus and Serena, executive-produced by Alex Gibney, over the use of footage. In this conversation, Gibney, who also directs The Armstrong Lie, which has its North American premiere at the Festival, talks about what this case, and others, mean for the future of fair use.
Seeking Doc Makers: Al Jazeera America
Al Jazeera America offers exciting new opportunities for documentary makers. Its Documentary Unit is co-producing and acquiring one-offs and series, including a Sunday night primetime doc slot. Additionally, the weekly series Fault Lines showcases 25-minute correspondent-driven documentaries and will annually commission 12 to 15 films. Fault Lines senior producer Carrie Lozano and commissioning producer Lucy Kennedy will be joined by a representative from the Al Jazeera America Documentary Unit to discuss the new initiatives.
Case Study: MTV World’s Rebel Music
Rebel Music is a new MTV World documentary series looking into the lives of young people who are using art and music to ignite change in their countries. The series, which premieres this fall, travels to selected regions including Egypt, Afghanistan, Mali, India, Israel/Palestine, and will include a spin-off feature-documentary project. Nusrat Durrani, SVP/General Manager of MTV World, will discuss the ambitious project and its innovative efforts to engage new audiences.
Digital on Demand: Show Us the Numbers
Though Video on Demand is a fast-growing mode of film distribution, its non-traditional viewership reporting leaves filmmakers and producers in the dark about where and how audiences are engaging with their content. Liesl Copland of WME's Global Finance & Distribution Group discusses the future of Big Data and the need to change the system.
Case Study: Midway, the Art of Collaboration
In bringing the ambitious project Midway, which makes its world premiere at the Festival, to the big screen, the visual artist and first-time director Chris Jordan worked with highly-skilled collaborators. Producer Stephanie Levy, editor and writer Sabine Emiliani (March of the Penguins), composer and Oscar-nominated sound designer Erik Aadahl (Argo, Tree of Life), and Oscar-winning sound designer Ethan Van der Ryn (The Lord of the Rings, Argo) discuss the making of this unique film.
How to Build Long-Term Relationships with your Investors
As the co-founder and executive director of the equity fund Impact Partners, Dan Cogan has supported a distinguished slate of films including How to Survive a Plague, Hell and Back Again, The Cove, Detropia, The Island President and Midway. He'll share frank lessons on how filmmakers can best manage their relationships with the investors who make their work possible.
Sneak Preview: Tell Me Something
What can you learn from the world’s best documentary filmmakers? In her new book, Tell Me Something, which is being previewed at Doc Conference, Jessica Edwards solicits advice from over 50 acclaimed directors including Alex Gibney, Fred Wiseman, Errol Morris, and Jennifer Baichwal (all of whom have new films at the Festival). Edwards is joined by filmmaker and contributor Gary Hustwit (Helvetica, Urbanized) to discuss the wisdom gleaned from the project.
Wednesday, September 11
Keynote: Peter Broderick: Becoming Truly Independent – The Best New Strategies
Leading distribution strategist Peter Broderick will share cutting-edge strategies filmmakers are using to succeed on the frontiers of documentary distribution. At the first Doc Conference in 2009, he gave the seminal presentation: Declaration of Independence: The Ten Principles of Hybrid Distribution. Since then, he has helped more than 300 filmmakers around the world maximize their distribution and revenues. He will reveal the latest on what is working, what to avoid, and how to build a sustainable career.
The “360 Equation”: The One Business Model Every Filmmaker Needs To Know
As distribution models continue to evolve in the digital age, savvy filmmakers are using their entrepreneurial skills and social media to sell both digital and physical goods directly to fans. Building upon acclaimed marketing campaigns for such films as Exit Through the Gift Shop and Senna, Marc Schiller, CEO and Founder of BOND Strategy and Influence, will share how filmmakers and distributors can fully leverage new direct-distribution channels.
Crowd-funding Case Study: Hondros: A Life in Frames
Greg Campbell (author of Blood Diamonds) was full of cautions about crowd-funding his first documentary about the photojournalist Chris Hondros. But this past summer, he set a Kickstarter goal of $30,000 and wound up raising close to $90,000. He talks about the lessons he learned raising money and building a community of supporters.
The Art of the Deal: Josh Braun
The Festival is an active marketplace for selling documentaries to distributors. Sales agent Josh Braun (Submarine Entertainment) has represented many prominent titles in recent years including Food, Inc; Cave of Forgotten Dreams; First Position and Casting By. This year, he's involved with The Unknown Known, The Dog and Dangerous Acts. He shares his insights on what makes a good or bad deal for filmmakers, and on new developments in splitting rights.
Distribution Case Study: The Act of Killing
Since its Festival premiere in 2012, The Act of Killing has become one of this year’s most critically-acclaimed films. Despite its tough subject matter – mass killings in Indonesia – the film had the strongest per-theater box office debut of any doc this year. Tim League, founder of the new distribution company Drafthouse Films, talks about the film’s success, festival strategy, director-involvement, social media tactics and press engagement.
Access to Doc Conference is a benefit of all TIFF Industry’s main pass options. For individuals that are only interested in attending the two day event, the Festival now offers a Doc Conference Pass. Online registration for the Doc Conference Pass, and other TIFF Industry pass options, is underway. The deadline to register online is August 23. Onsite registration opens on September 3rd. For more information, and to register, visit tiff.net/industry.
About TIFF
TIFF is a charitable cultural organization whose mission is to transform the way people see the world through film. An international leader in film culture, TIFF projects include the annual Toronto International Film Festival in September; TIFF Bell Lightbox, which features five cinemas, major exhibitions, and learning and entertainment facilities; and innovative national distribution program Film Circuit. The organization generates an annual economic impact of $189 million CAD. TIFF Bell Lightbox is generously supported by contributors including Founding Sponsor Bell, the Province of Ontario, the Government of Canada, the City of Toronto, the Reitman family (Ivan Reitman, Agi Mandel and Susan Michaels), The Daniels Corporation and RBC. For more information, visit tiff.net.
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