2nd Symposium 2005

FRIDAY MAY 6, 2005

13.00 - 14.00
REGISTRATION

14.00 - 14.30
WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION

• Ruth Berry, Big Island Pictures, Munich
• Donata von Perfall, Discovery Campus e.V., Munich
• Prof. Dr. Gabriele Goderbauer-Marchner, Mediencampus Bayern e.V., Munich

14:30 – 15:30
ARE YOU HEADING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION?
Strategies to set your business and career on track
Pat Ferns, "the father of Canadian independent production", talks with film financier, business consultant and founder of Peacefulfish, Thierry Baujard, about strategies for success in the documentary industry.

• W. Paterson Ferns, Ferns Productions Inc., Victoria
• Thierry Baujard, Peacefulfish, Berlin

15:30 - 16:15
THE STORY BEHIND THE COMPANY
October Films: 300 hours of original factual programming and still independant!
October Films has been voted one of the UK's Top Ten independent production companies by their UK peers. What makes them so successful? How will they face they face the future?

• Adam Bullmore, October Films, London

16:15 - 17:00
COFFEE BREAK

17:00 - 17:45
THE STORY BEHIND THE COMPANY
Gebrueder Beetz Filmproduktion - Taking the next step
Two brothers with a common goal in a growing company - already established in their own territory - can they compete and survive in markets beyond Europe?

• Christian Beetz, Gebrueder Beetz Filmproduktion, Berlin
• Reinhardt Beetz, Gebrueder Beetz Filmproduktion, Berlin
• Eva Rink, Gebrueder Beetz Filmproduktion, Berlin

17:45 - 19:15
SPECIAL SCREENING
The Dark Side of The Moon
by William Karel, produced by Point du Jour International for ARTE France, 52', 2004.
Be informed, be entertained, be shaken, as fact and fiction are woven around one of the 20th centuries greatest events, the first landing on the moon. Be warned, this is no ordinary documentary.

The Director had so much fun working on Dark Side of the Moon he said he should have paid to make it! Find out the fascinating story behind the deals that brought this inspired piece of filmmaking to the screen. See you at the Dark Side of the Moon.

• Doris Weitzel, Point du Jour International, Paris

SATURDAY MAY 7, 2005

9:30 - 10: 30
FUNDING YOUR FUTURE - GERMANY
German public Funds pitch their support programmes

• Gabriele Pfennigsdorf, FilmFernsehFonds Bayern, Munich
• Antje Stamer, Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, Potsdam-Babelsberg
• Simone Baumann, L.E. Vision Film- und Fernsehproduktion, Leipzig
  about the Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung (MDM)

10:30 - 11:15
THE STORY BEHIND THE COMPANY
Gorica Productions: Stay Small, Dream Big!
Canadian company Gorica Productions is dedicated to high quality film and tv productions. Budgets are never high but the company is very successful. How does Felice do it?

• Felice Gorica, Gorica Productions, Toronto

11:15 - 11:45
COFFEE BREAK

11:45 - 12: 45
FUNDING YOUR FUTURE - EUROPE
European Media Funds pitch their support programmes

• Ingeborg Degener, Media Antenna Munich, Munich
• Jan Schmidt-Garre, Pars Media GmbH, Munich
• Marieke Schroeder, Pars Media GmbH, Munich
• Renate Roginas, Eurimages, Strasbourg

12:45 - 14:15
LUNCH BREAK

14:15 - 15:00
IDA - THE GLOBAL MISSION
The Executive Director of the International Documentary Association, introduces international funding opportunities, support for independents and the distribution scene in the US.

• Sandra Ruch, International Documentary Association, Los Angeles

15:00 - 16:00
PRODUCTION PERILS!
Essential legal advice for producers and filmmakers
Personal rights, protection of ideas, copyright, contracting and risk managment - perilous issues if you are not equipped with the right information. An experienced media lawyer sheds light on these potential pitfalls.

• Nikolaus Sieveking, Brehm & v. Moers, Munich

16:00 - 16:30
COFFEE BREAK

16:30 - 17:15
THE STORY BEHIND THE COMPANY
Looks Film & TV - From Rostock to the world!
How did a tiny East German company manage to become a successful, established provider of quality productions in Europe?

• Gunnar Dedio, Looks Film & TV GmbH, Rostock

17:15 - 18:00
THE STORY BEHIND THE COMPANY
DocLab - Thriving in a production desert
From Italy comes a company producing internatinal blue chip productions despite a lack of national broadcaster support. What is Marco's secret?

• Marco Visalberghi, DocLab Productions srl., Rome

19:00 - 23:00
Dinner Reception at the Künstlerhaus

SUNDAY MAY 8, 2005

10:00 - 11:00
HIGH DEFINITION - DEFINING TOMORROW?
What's all the hype about HD? Should it be your choice for future productions? This special presentation will answer your questions.

• Dr. Susanne Dönitz, Ottonia Media GmbH, Leipzig

11: 00 - 11:30
COFFEE BREAK

11:30 - 12:45
THE CASE AGAINST GOING IT ALONE
Should the independent producer remain independent all the way to the market? Do Distributors have a role to play in your company strategy? Make up your own mind as representatives from three international distribution companies present "the case against going it alone". The audience has the right of reply!

• Tom Koch, WGBH International, Boston
• Doris Weitzel, Point du Jour International, Paris
• David Pounds, Electric Sky, Brighton

12:45 - 14:15
LUNCH BREAK

14:15 - 15:30
TO MARKET, TO MARKET
MIPTV, MIPCOM, MIPDOC, Hot Docs, RealScreen, Wildscreen, Sunny Side of The Docs, etc. - so many markets but which ones to attend? Pat Ferns and Ruth Berry discuss these global events and ask the audience to share their market experiences

• W. Paterson Ferns, Ferns Productions Inc., Victoria
• Ruth Berry, Big Island Pictures, Brisbane/Munich

15:30 - 16:00
SUM UP AND FAREWELL

We reserve the right to make changes in the programme.