About NCM
2nd Neighbouring Coproduction Meeting (NCM)
and Film Retrospective »Europe, Whole and Free«
20th Ljubljana International Film Festival - LIFFe
15-17 November 2009
Ljubljana, Slovenia
After last year's successful first Neighbouring Co production Meeting (NCM) of Slovenia, Italy, Austria, Hungary and Croatia in May, this year's programme will be extended within the anniversary edition of the Ljubljana International Film Festival. A training day with acknowledged experts on new technologies and tax shelters in filmmaking industry and a special treat for the wider audience – the Film Retrospective "Europe, Whole and Free" for the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall will be organised.
FOR FILM PROFESSIONALS:
The 2nd Neighbouring Co-production Meeting at the 20th LIFFe
This year's anniversary edition of the Ljubljana International Film Festival (LIFFe), which acquired the support of the European MEDIA Fund as well as a long term support by the European Commission with the possibility of concluding a four year MEDIA contract, opened its door to the 2nd Neighbouring Co production Meeting, the initiative of five MEDIA Desks and Antennae (Denmark, Croatia, Italy, Hungary, Slovenia), the Representation of the European Commission in Slovenia and the Austrian partner Vienna Film Fund.
Between 15 and 17 November the Cankarjev dom cultural and congress centre will be host to a number of European experts and decision makers in the field of film as well as 20 production companies from five countries, which are preparing new films with regional topics. The purpose of this co production meeting is to present high quality fiction and documentary projects in development and promote international co-productions. The Neighbouring Co production Meeting will serve as a platform for new coproduction partnerships as well as for gaining knowledge on new technologies and therefore it consists of two parts: training day (16 November) and co production day (17 November). It is intended for the professional community and the working language is English.
NCM TRAINING DAY: Traditional Filmmaking Meets New Technologies
November 16, Cankarjev dom, Hall E 3–4
As traditional filmmaking is facing digitalisation process at all stages of the production and distribution chain, the need to respond vigorously to this challenge is obvious. Therefore, NCM Training Day on New Technologies titled "Traditional Filmmaking Meets New Technologies" (November 16), with special afternoon focus on tax shelters for film industry in Europe and Neighbouring Countries will host several international experts:
• Asta Wellejus, Die Asta Experience CEO, former development director at Danish film company Zentropa will present an introduction to Digital Revolution & new possibilities and new challenges through answering questions such as: how new media has changed the moviemaking world during last 10 years? How do we produce, distribute and market film now and in how will we do it in the future? And how to use new media to take advantage of new inexpensive marketing strategies? Cases and examples from around the world will be explored and an insight into new formats like ARGs (Alternate Reality Games) as a new evolving form of marketing for film and TV series will be provided. The overview will be concluded with a quick look – a “marathon” through new tendencies in the new digital world and the new ways of working together with other businesses to establish new ways of financing.
• Wendy Bernfeld, a founder of Rights Stuff (Amsterdam), a European-based international content licensing consultancy specialized in acquisition, distribution, and pragmatic approaches to related rights issues, primarily in the new media sector (eg. film/TV and/or original content for Internet, VOD, mobile, subscription TV, handheld devices, and other digital platforms). Wendy Bernfeld is specialized in content licensing negotiations/related rights advice for traditional media (film, TV, PayTV/pay per view formats) and digital new media (Internet, mobile, interactive TV, VOD, portable devices). She has over 23 years (16 in Europe) of experience in film/payTV channel startup and program buying, beginning originally as an entertainment lawyer and then spending the bulk of her career as a senior movie buyer/TV executive at various international TV networks, including as CEO of Canal+ International Acquisitions, M.D. Alliance-Atlantis in Europe, VP Program Acquisition for First Choice: Movie Network in Canada … Wendy will address digital media from two perspectives:
1. Finding new life and purpose for the already-existing film/TV programs, (eg. catalogue): eg. how to possibly adapt/package/tailor them for new media or cross media platforms where suitable (such as vod services, internet websites, mobile phones), and related rights issues; and
2. Contemplating new media from inception of new projects, so as to address cross platform elements upfront, and/or to produce specifically for new media, eg. made for mobile or made for web programming (mobisodes, webisodes).
Various rights issues arising from this sector will be addressed, depending on which particular means of delivery, receiving device, consumer business model or combination thereof (eg. transactional, subscription, ad-supported, download-to-own, etc.) is employed. This session is not aimed at pure legal or technical aspects, eg. copyright or DRM per se, but is focused on the practicalities of this new media landscape, as it affects producers and distributors, so that they can be better aware of the pitfalls and possibilities of this arena and address them upfront.
The first part of the NCM Training Day will be concluded with a Round Table on New Technologies in the field of film development, production and distribution with the participating experts.
The second part of the NCM Training Day will be dedicated to the European tax shelters for film industry.
• Jonathan Olsberg is international screen sector strategy advisor and chairman of Olsberg|SPI, a London-based strategic advisory firm specialising in the creative industries with a particular expertise in international film, television and interactive media (strategic business development for companies, public policy initiatives for the creative industries, IPR, asset and company valuations, strategic implications of digital media innovations). Olsberg will present an overview of European tax shelter models for film industry, basing his expertise on many public and private sector clients from the European Commission to the UK Film Council and Italy’s Cinecitta Holdings, and from broadcasters like the BBC to different independent screen businesses. Olsberg has worked as a producer, sales agent and a specialist in the screen industries for 28 years. He is a member of the European Film Academy, BAFTA and the British Screen Advisory Council. He was for many years non-executive chairman of Moonstone Screen Labs, an associated programme in the UK of Robert Redford’s Sundance Institute. Olsberg’s first career was in international finance, including 9 years in merchant banking in London and New York. This followed an MBA from Columbia University in New York.
• Olsberg’s broader introduction into European tax shelter models will be followed by presentation of two neighbouring tax shelters – Hungarian and Italian by the experts from the two countries.
ONE-TO-ONE MEETINGS OF PRODUCERS AND FILM PROFESSIONALS
November 17, Cankarjev dom, Hall E 3–4
The main NCM focus remains on one-to-one meetings concerning prospective regional projects (November 17). Producers from twenty production companies will present their fiction and documentary projects interesting for coproductions to their fellow NCM producers from the five countries as well as to the representatives of relevant national and regional film financing institutions.
Selected projects are available on a password-protected website.
For more information, contact Nataša Pirnat, NCM one-to-one meetings coordinator: NCMslovenia09@gmail.com.
Proposed NCM programme is available here.
Travel and Accommodation:
A special discount hotel price will be offered to participating producers while the travel arrangements remain in your organization or have to be organized and covered in co-operation with your MEDIA Desk. Observers are welcome. For further questions, please contact Katja Hohler, NCM hospitality coordinator at NCMhospitality09@gmail.com.
A SPECIAL TOUCH FOR LIFFE AUDIENCE:
FILM RETROSPECTIVE »EUROPE, WHOLE AND FREE«
November 17, Cankarjev dom, Kosovel Hall
On the twentieth anniversary of the fall of the Iron Curtain and the fifth anniversary of the most extensive enlargement of European Union, the audience of the twentieth-anniversary instalment of LIFFe can look forward to an exquisite selection of films on November 17. The Film Retrospective “Europe, Whole and Free” involving the dramatic events of the time of democratic changes in Central and Eastern Europe, will present an attractive package of selected European film titles.
We are looking forward to hosting you on the Neighbouring Coproduction Meeting in Ljubljana, November 15-17, 2009!
All the necessary information is also available on MEDIA desk Slovenia webpage.
Contact:
NCM GENERAL COORDINATOR:
MEDIA desk Slovenia
Sabina Briški, Acting Head of Office
T. +386 1 234 32 16
M. +386 41 65 87 65
E. mediadesk.slo@film-sklad.si
W. www.mediadeskslovenia.eu
NCM One-to-one meeting coordinator
Nataša Pirnat, NCMslovenia09@gmail.com
NCM Hospitality
Katja Hohler, NCMhopitality09@gmail.com
