Documentary Edge Forum History

International Co-productions
Filmmakers often struggle to secure funding for their projects and often, need to look beyond our own shores for co-production funding. However, this often appears daunting and it is useful to hear from experts and filmmakers who have ventured down this road.
Panel:     Annie Goldson, Director, Occasional Productions Ltd
               (Facilitator)
               Cynthia Kane, Programme Manager, ITVS
               Alexis Krasilovsky, Director, Shooting Women
               Pat Ferns, President, Ferns Productions Inc.
               Hans Robert Eisenhauer, Commissioning Editor,
               ZDF / ARTE (tbc)

Is the D-word a Bad Word?
Documentaries are often considered to be less glamorous and less likely to achieve box office success. Audiences say they love documentaries but the funding, ratings and box office for documentaries struggle to compete with fiction films.

Why? Has there been a marketing failure around documentary? A collection of top marketing, advertising and brand experts consider whether documentaries need to be re-branded and repositioned
Panel:   Wendy Levy, Director of Creative Programming, Producers Institute for New Media Technologies, Bay Area               Video Coalition (Facilitator)
              Sandi DuBowksi, A Jihad For Love, Producer
              Julia Overton, Screen Australia
              Cynthia Kane, Programme Manager, ITVS
              Thomas Tielsch, Director, Filmtank
              Branding Strategist (tba)

The presentation will take you around the World, the Amazon Rain Forest, The Austrian Alps, a Brazilian island prison, the Danakil depression, atols of the Indian Ocean, Ethiopia, Eritrea, the sub-Antarctic.

Dramatic, informative and often hilarious, this glimpse into the world of film-making is a real eye opener. a 90 minute session distilled from 25 years experience.

Beyond Déjà vu (a new perspective on documentary)
Is there a problem with your film? Missing footage? Subject cannot be found, gone overseas or has passed away? There is no historical footage? Blurry focus? Disturbing things in the background? Delicate content? Epic moment? Telephone interview only? Privacy protection? Sometimes, it’s impossible to get the right or suitable footage?

So what can you do?  Recreations? Motion graphics? Animation? This Master Class is designed to enhance your creativity, to propose some alternative solution in order to promote creative thinking, professional production values, innovation and distinctiveness. The aim is for people to practice documentary beyond its standard understanding and national horizons; some that will involve a global understanding of contemporary language and issues.

Are You Joking Or Are You For Real?
What makes a doc funny? How is humour useful for telling the most serious stories? We will explore the link between truth and taking the piss, examining the range of comedic techniques at your disposal.
Panel:  Dan Shanan, The Documentary NZ Trust (Facilitator)
             Yishai Oran, Director, The Beetle
             Te Radar, Comedian and Documentary Film-maker
             Thomas Tielsch, Producer of “The Mosquito Problem and other Stories”

VISION/OWNERSHIP:
The future of documentary filmmaking in New Zealand

Key Note Address: Hon. Chris Finlayson, Minister of Arts,  Culture and Heritage

Panel Session:
What is the future of our documentary film industry? How do we create a sustainable and successful future?  Our Panel will discuss a their visions for a sustainable and successful model for documentary making in New Zealand.
Panel:   Pat Ferns, President, Ferns  Productions Inc. (Facilitator)
              Hon. Chris Finlayson, Minister of Arts, Culture & Heritage
              NZ Film Commission
              NZ On Air
              Annie Goldson, President Screen Directors Guild of NZ
              Julia Overton, Screen Australia
              Hans Robert Eisenhauer, Commissioning Editor,
              ZDF / ARTE

Talk to Me
Sit back and listen as a crack panel of interviewing experts from barristers, counsellors/psychologists and documentary film-makers reveal the tricks of their trade and describe what it takes to get to the truth. They also reflect on the limits and ethics in interviewing and addressing questions on the "intrusion of privacy".
Panel: Sandi DuBowksi,Producer, A Jihad for Love (Faciliator)
           David Bigio, Barrister
           Paul Smith, Journalist
           Kevin Baker, Clinical Director
           Leanne Pooley, Director, Spacific Films Ltd

ACHTUNG - GERMAN FOCUS
Co-productions opportunities/treaty - NZ and Germany
Panel: Christoph Muecher, Director Goethe-Institut Wellington , Alex Lee, Co-director DOCNZ, NZ filmmaker
            (Filmmaker)
            Hans Robert Eisenhauer, Commissioning Editor, ZDF/Arte
            Thomas Tielsch, Producer, Filmtank
            Dr. Grit Lemke, Programmer, Dok Leipzig

Convergence and You
Preparing for the multiplatform media environment
The converged media landscape is blurring the distinction between different forms of content. As revenue generation from the exploitation of traditional forms of media becomes less reliable, companies need to diversify their product to maximise the digital opportunity. How do documentary film-makers meet the challenges and opportunities of creating and developing content within the multi-media environment?
Panel: Pat Ferns, President, Ferns Productions Inc. (Facilitator)
            Deborah Lawler Dormer, Executive Director, MIC
            Wendy Levy, Director of Creative Programming, Producers Institute for New Media Technologies,
            Bay Area Video Coalition
            Laurent Antonczak, Lecturer AUT, Director ATZ119
            Clare O’Leary, Documentary filmmaker and Digital strategist and researcher

The Digital Revolution and You
DIY or Not:  Self-Distribution vs.  Standard Distribution
Traditionally, filmmakers are dependent on facilitators like financiers, festivals, sales agents, distributors, exhibitors and the press, to get their films to the audiences. Filmmakers are now engaging with self distribution strategies especially with digital distribution opportunities. The internet affords filmmakers new opportunities to reach their audiences directly and there are secondary organizations that assist film-makers to recover royalties. This lends itself to the potential for a new business model. In this session, film-makers, sales agents, distributors, press, exhibitors and other organizations discuss the distribution model?
Panel:   Wendy Levy, Director of Creative Programming, Producers Institute for New Media Technologies, Bay Area              Video Coalition (Facilitator)
             Maha Ismail, International Rights Manager, Screenrights
             Quijing Wong, Producer, A Grandmother’s Tribe
             Sandi DuBowski, Producer, A Jihad for Love

DAY TWO WRAP-UP

DOCNZ FOCUS FILM SCREENING WILDCARD
SHOOTING WOMEN (Asia Pacific Premiere) – Academy Cinema,
Q & A

Pat Ferns, President, Ferns Productions Inc. (Facilitator)
Panelists:
John Barnett, Chief Executive of South Pacific Pictures
Sue Woodfield, Head of Factual Production, TV3
Jude Callen, Commissioning Editor of Documentaries & Special Interest Programmes, TV NZ
Philippa Mossman, Commissioner Arts, Children's, Digital, TV NZ
Haunui Royal, General Manager, Programmes, Maori Television Service, NZ
Manutai Schuster, Head of Acquisitions & Commissioning, Maori Television Service, NZ
Cynthia Kane, Programme Manager, ITVS, USA             
Hans-Robert Eisenhauer, Commissioning Editor, ZDF/ARTE
Richard Driver, Documentary Channel

From Chalk and Talk to a world of digital resources:
How to get your programme noticed in the brave new world of education
Savvy documentary makers have always known the importance of the educational market. With Screenrights royalties for educational copying growing each year, this market is more important than ever.

Today’s educators embrace new technologies such as ‘e-cast education’, DVC and electronic whiteboards, giving them greater access to a broader range of programs. How can you make sure your documentaries are noticed in this brave new market? Join our panellists as they discuss how teachers are using television, and how you can improve your reach into the education sector.

Panel:  David Baldock, Managing Director, Ninox Television Ltd and Screenrights Board Member (Facilitator)
             Maha Ismail, International Rights Manager, Screenrights
             Robert Boyd-Bell, Chairman, e-Cast

DOCNZ Awards/Opening Launch (by ticket)
Hopetoun Alpha