10:00 AM
to 11:00 AM

IM Video Journalism
3 Attendees
Location Austin Convention Ctr
About  With video online all the rage, UK-based international award winning video journalist David Dunkley Gyimah deconstructs video journalism and posits his cinematic brand known as IMVJ. Described by Apple Pro as a one man hurricane http://www.apple.com/uk/pro/profiles/gyimah/ Ex BBC David talks technique, workflow, and swift turnaround factual feature making. David Dunkley Gyimah (University of Westminster)
Tags  film panel

11:00 AM
to 12:30 PM

Mentors: Managers/Agents
11 Attendees
Location Austin Convention Ctr
About  Agents and Managers are a necessary part of the food chain in filmmaking from pre-production through distribution and release. What do they do exactly? How can they serve you? Talk to several industry professionals one-on-one.

Registrants who signed up online must check-in 30 minutes before your mentor time slot to guarantee your spot. Limited on-site signup is also available for a small number of mentor sessions spots and will begin 30 minutes before the first time slot of each session.
Speaker Info  Dana O'Keefe (Mgr/Sales Agent, Cinetic Media), Deborah McIntosh (William Morris Independent), Dina Kuperstock (Film Sales, Creative Artists Agency), Rebecca Smith (Independent Film Group, United Talent Agency), (Wild Bunch), (Wild Bunch)
Tags  film panel

11:00 AM
to 12:00 PM

The Incredible Shrinking (Expanding?) Film Critic Profession
23 Attendees
Location Austin Convention Ctr
About  Long-time print film critics are being laid off left and right in the current newspaper crisis. At the same time, thousands of people are weighing in on movies on the Internet. Is this the best time ever for criticism? Or is this the end of an era, with the most qualified and literate critics being fired and retired? And what does all of this mean for independent and arthouse cinema? Professional reviewers from both the Web and traditional newspapers will share their optimistic and pessimistic thoughts.
Speaker Info  Gerald Peary (Dir/Writer, For the Love of Movies:The Story of American Film Criticism), Karina Longworth (Film Blogger, Spout), Scott Weinberg (Managing Editor, Cinematical/FEARnet), Marjorie Baumgarten (Sr Film Editor, Austin Chronicle), Shawn Levy (Film Critic, The Oregonian)
Tags  film panel

11:00 AM
to 12:00 PM

The State of Distribution: What You Need to Know
43 Attendees
Location Austin Convention Ctr
About  It's a challenge to get a distributor to even watch your film, much less buy it. Industry luminaries will explain what buyers are looking for and how movies are disseminated in North America and throughout the world. This is an in-depth exploration of the current market including traditional windows, timing, sequence of rights, and the impact of new philosophies.
Speaker Info  David Garber (Pres/Ceo, Lantern Lane Entertainment), Michael Barker (Pres, Sony Pictures Classics), David Fenkel (Oscilloscope Pictures), Eamonn Bowles (Pres, Magnolia Pictures), (VP Marketing, IFC Films), Keith Leopard (Dir Content, Blockbuster Entertainment)
Tags  film panel

11:30 AM
to 12:30 PM

Crash the Server -- How to Market your Movie by Achieving Webisode Awesomeness
6 Attendees
Location Austin Convention Ctr
About  Join Zak Knutson & Joey Figueroa of Chop Shop Entertainment, along with longtime Kevin Smith collaborator Ming Chen of View Askew Productions, for an interactive workshop on achieving massive media exposure through internet webisodes. From big-budget studio films to low-budget independent projects, film distributors have come to rely on the internet, and the word of mouth it generates, to showcase their products and to build world-wide fan bases long before their films hit theatres. View examples of both failed and successful webisodes from past projects, discuss the process of creating a webisode that will deliver butts in seats for the all important opening weekend, and learn to take full advantage of the explosion of internet video distribution that creates new celebrities on a daily basis.
Speaker Info  Joey Figueroa (Producer/Dir, Chop Shop Entertainment), Ming Chen (Webmaster, View Askew), Zachary Knutson (Producer/Dir/Editor, Chop Shop Entertainment)
Tags  film panel

1:00 PM
to 2:00 PM

Alternative Publicity: Grabbin' Eyeballs and Sparking Buzz
51 Attendees
Location Austin Convention Ctr
About  The current state of entertainment media is a dismal one. With film critics taking buyouts, and magazines and newspapers closing left and right, the all important media ink that independent film needs to survive without an advertising budget is also fading. How does a film break out from the pack to get butts in seats and eyeballs on screens? How does a film harness its own content and style to reach its target audiences? Through an examination of general publicity strategies, internet tricks and tactics, and an evaluation of a grassroots publicity plan, the Alternative Publicity panel gives you some tools to use when the New York Times won't return your calls.
Speaker Info  Jessica Edwards (VP, Murphy PR), Negin Farsad (Comedian/Filmmaker, Vaguely Qualified Productions), David Modigliani (Producer/Dir, Crawford), Tommy Pallotta (Producer, ), Curt Ellis (Producer, Wicked Delicate Films)
Tags  film panel

1:00 PM
to 2:00 PM

I Love You, Man: Are You Man Enough to Say It?
173 Attendees
Location Austin Convention Ctr
About  The stars and director of SXSWs 09 opening night film, ILYM gather to give up some "man props" and talk about the film at a special panel about the making of this highly anticipated comedy, which opens in theaters on 3/20. Find out more about the art of "man-dating" from writer / director John Hamburg (Along Came Polly) and stars Paul Rudd (40 Year Old Virgin), Jason Segel (Forgetting Sarah Marshall) and Rashida Jones (The Office).
Speaker Info  Paul Rudd (I Love You, Man), Rashida Jones (I Love You, Man), John Hamburg (I Love You, Man), Jason Segel (I Love You, Man), Mark Olsen (Correspondent, Los Angeles Times), Donald DeLine (I Love You Man/Observe and Report), Jaime Pressly (I Love You, Man), (I Love You, Man)
Tags  film panel

1:00 PM
to 2:30 PM

Mentors: Distributors
6 Attendees
Location Austin Convention Ctr
About  Get some one-on-one face time with people who can decide if a film makes it to a theater near you, to your local video store, or broadcast.

Registrants who signed up online must check-in 30 minutes before your mentor time slot to guarantee your spot. Limited on-site signup is also available for a small number of mentor sessions spots and will begin 30 minutes before the first time slot of each session.
Speaker Info  Udy Epstein (Principal, 7th Art Releasing), Darren Goldberg (Principal, Atlantic Pictures), Joe Amodei (Pres, Virgil Films and Entertainment), Ryan Kampe (Partner, Visit Films), Rachel Goslins (Dir IDDL, ITVS/PBS), Christian Vesper (SVP Acq & Programming, IFC/Sundance Channel), Dustin Smith (Roadside Attractions)
Tags  film panel

1:00 PM
to 2:00 PM

Mini-Meeting: Contracts & Unions
6 Attendees
Location Austin Convention Ctr
About  Sign on the bottom line. Keeping in accordance with the rules and regulations of the unions. It is all the behind the scenes technicalities that can drive a person insane. Find out what you need to know to have all your i's dotted and t's crossed. Registrants are invited to sign up for panel on the morning of the session.
Speaker Info  Gregory Slewett (Entertainment Atty , Bloom Hergott et al), (Business Mgr, IATSE Local 484)
Tags  film panel

3:00 PM
to 4:00 PM

A Conversation with Bob Berney & John Pierson
32 Attendees
Location Austin Convention Ctr
About  With a roster of successes including Pan's Labyrinth, Y Tu Mama Tambien, The Passion Of The Christ, and My Big Fat Greek Wedding, and a career stretching from early exhibition days at the Inwood Theater, Dallas, through IFC Films, to founder/president of Newmarket and Picturehouse, calling Bob Berney an indie distribution guru seems like an understatement. We are therefore delighted to announce that UT Film Clinical Professor John Pierson will be moderating a conversation with Berney as he discusses his career, the state of cinema, and the future of independent distribution in an increasingly diffused media landscape.
Speaker Info  John Pierson (Co-Pres, Grainy Pictures), Bob Berney (Independent Distributor, )
Tags  film panel

3:00 PM
to 5:00 PM

Jeffrey Tambor's Acting Workshop
79 Attendees
Location Austin Convention Ctr
About  Jeffrey Tambor returns to SXSW with his popular Acting Workshop, where he explores the practical and philosophical approaches that lead to a great performance. He will rehearse and refine a scene with actors to break down the performance process. This workshop is intended for those interested in bridging the gap between actor and director. Directors and filmmakers are encouraged to attend and bring questions.
Speaker Info  Jeffrey Tambor (Actor, Arrested Development), (Alexander the Last), (John Bryant Productions)
Tags  film panel

3:00 PM
to 4:30 PM

Mentors: Pre-Production
4 Attendees
Location Austin Convention Ctr
About  Details, details. From casting, to planning, to more planning. Come talk with industry veterans who've been through it before, and learn from their mistakes.

Registrants who signed up online must check-in 30 minutes before your mentor time slot to guarantee your spot. Limited on-site signup is also available for a small number of mentor sessions spots and will begin 30 minutes before the first time slot of each session.
Speaker Info  Sharon Lieblein (VP Talent & Casting, Nickelodeon), Bryan Stamp (Creative Exec Documentary Films, Participant Media), Mary John Frank (Mockingbird Films), Tamar Simon (Dev Exec/Mgr, Straight Up Films), Slava Rubin (IndieGoGo), Sara Bernstein (VP HBO Documentary Films, HBO), Scilla Andreen (Co-Founder, IndieFlix)
Tags  film panel

3:00 PM
to 4:00 PM

Mini-Meeting: Editing
20 Attendees
Location Austin Convention Ctr
About  The editor can be the savior for any film. Learn valuable secrets of the trade on how to best work with editors, or become the best editor out there.
Speaker Info  Kyle Henry (Editor/Filmmaker, AOK Productions LLC), Leah Marino ()
Tags  film panel

3:30 PM
to 4:30 PM

Soapbox Spielbergs: Making Hollywood FX on Indie Budgets
6 Attendees
Location Austin Convention Ctr
About  Find out how innovative web video creators achieve amazing looking HD effects, from lightsabers to exploding heads, on budgets under $50. Erik Beck (NewTeeVee), Rudy Jahchan (rudyjahchan.com), Tim Shey, moderator (Next New Networks)
Tags  film panel

5:00 PM
to 6:00 PM

Comedy on Television and the Web
14 Attendees
Location Austin Convention Ctr
About  Ricky Van Veen (CollegeHumor.com) leads a panel that discusses the differences between television content and web content, and considers some creative and technological approaches that might bridge that gap in the near future. B.J. Novak (The Office), Keith Richman (Break.com), Avner Ronen (boxee.tv), Meredith Scardino (Cobert Report), Ricky Van Veen (CollegeHumor.com)
Tags  film panel