Selling, Marketing & Distributing Film: The Process, Demystified with Mia Bays
Day One – Friday 20th April 2012
9.45 – 10.00 REGISTRATION & REFRESHMENTS
10.00 - 11.00 UNDERSTANDING THE MARKET: An introduction with Mia Bays.
11.00 - 12.30 David Shear – Head of Distribution, Revolver Entertainment. A discussion on UK distribution from the point of view of one of the leading indie distributors. David will use the upcoming Film London Microwave feature ILL MANORS (dir. Ben Drew, UK, 2012) as a case study.
NOTE: Due to alterations in the film’s release schedule, we are no longer able to offer a preview screening of ILL MANORS this weekend, however we do hope to screen it at LFS in early May. Should a preview screening at LFS be secured, all those who have attended the 2-day workshop will be guaranteed entry to the screening.
12.30 - 1.00 Q&A with David Shear
1.00 – 2.00 LUNCH BREAK
2.00 – 3.30 Alex Stolz - Senior Executive Distribution & Exhibition, BFI. A discussion around trends, audience patterns and the future.
3.30 - 3.45 BREAK
3.45 - 5.00 Jason Wood – Head of Programming, Curzon Cinemas. One of the UK's leading cinema bookers discusses exhibition in the UK.
5.00 - 5.15 SUMMARY AND CLOSE OF DAY ONE
5.15 – 7.00 NETWORKING DRINKS AT LFS
Day Two – Saturday 21st April 2012
9.30 – 9.45 REGISTRATION & REFRESHMENTS
9.45 – 10.30 THE INTERNATIONAL MARKETPLACE: A look at the global box office for 2011. Facts and figures with Mia Bays.
10.30 – 11.45 Michael Hayden - Senior Programmer, London Film Festival. Discussing festivals, the pros and cons, and their value for films and filmmakers.
11.45 – 12.00 BREAK
12.00 – 1.00 International Sales Presentation, including deal tips, delivery advice and case studies.
1.00 – 2.00 LUNCH BREAK
2.00 – 4.45 Mia presents a data study DVD, VOD etc.
2.45 – 4.00 INSIGHTS INTO MODERN FILM CONSUMERS: A new survey, the largest ever of its kind, questioned 18,831 people across the UK about their film-watching habits. We will have access to this data courtesy of Film3Sixty/Target Media. The session will be presented by Chris Watts from Film3Sixty.
4.00 – 4.15 BREAK
4.15 - 5.00 SUMMARY AND CLOSE OF DAY TWO – Discussion and Q&A with Mia to pull all the topics together and ask your own project-specific questions. MIA BAYS
Mia Bays is an Oscar winning double BAFTA nominated film producer (SIX SHOOTER, SCOTT WALKER 30 CENTURY MAN) and marketing/distribution consultant (TSOTSI, FIRE IN BABYLON) with over 21 years experience on over 50 films. She has worked in both features and documentaries, with such talent as Pete Travis, Eran Creevy, Lucy Walker, Ang Lee, Penny Woolcock Martin McDonagh and Michael Winterbottom.
Mia is currently producing films by Pete Travis and Lucy Walker for her company Missing In Action Films and also acts as Creative Producer and Distribution Consultant for the UK ‘mini studio’ Microwave (Film London and BBC Films) making 13 debut features for £120k or less from 2007-2013. Films include SHIFTY by Eran Creevy (BAFTA nominee 2009), THE BRITISH GUIDE TO SHOWING OFF, STRAWBERRY FIELDS, the upcoming ILL MANORS by Ben Drew (aka singer Plan B) starring Riz Ahmed and BORROWED TIME starring Phil Davis.
Current productions for M.I.A are the £6million financed feature to be directed in Summer 2012 by Pete Travis (DREDD, VANTAGE POINT, OMAGH), DOG DAY written and to be directed by award winning director Penny Woolcock and a film with Lucy Walker (Oscar nominee 2010 for ‘Wasteland’ and 2011 for Best Short – Documentary) for FilmFour and BFI.
As a Distribution, Sales & Marketing Consultant for other filmmakers and financiers, Mia has worked on TSOTSI (Best Foreign Language Oscar 2006), BLINDSIGHT (Oscar shortlisted doc feature by Lucy Walker and winner of Audience Award Berlinale 2007) and recent clients are Oscar winning producers John Battsek and Charles Steel (FIRE IN BABYLON), Penny Woolcock and Rareday Films and Alfonso and Jonas Cuaron/Focus Films.
Formerly Head of Marketing and Distribution for UK Lottery Film Franchise The Film Consortium 1998- 2003 on films such as 24 HOUR PARTY PEOPLE and HIDEOUS KINKY ; as a sales agent at Mayfair Entertainment Intl (RICHARD III by Ian McKellen, VANYA ON 42ND ST by Louis Malle), Granada Film (GIRLS NIGHT) and at Mainline Pictures (on films by Alain Resnais, Ang Lee, Todd Haynes and John Sayles).
More info: www.miafilms.co.uk [email protected] www.filmlondon.org.uk/microwave
MICHAEL HAYDEN Senior Programmer, BFI London Film Festival Michael Hayden started a career in film exhibition tearing tickets at Cornerhouse in Manchester. He has written on film for various publications, and has worked as Programmer of BFI London Film Festival since 2003.
DAVID SHEAR Head of Theatrical Distribution, Revolver Entertainment David has been at Revolver for five years and as Head of Theatrical Distribution he is responsible for the overall release strategy of all Revolver’s titles. Revolver was the first independent to release a digital 3D film, U23D, and also created the day-and-date model in the UK with the multi-platform release of the award-winning MUM & DAD. David is working on releases by Charlie Kaufman, Werner Herzog, Steven Soderbergh and Jim Jarmusch. Starting at the Feature Film Company in 1997, he became Head of Sales moving on to Winchester Films, Content Films and then set up a UK Distribution arm at The Works. In that time releasing such critical and Box Office successes as LANTANA, MY SUMMER OF LOVE and OPEN RANGE.
ALEX STOLZ Senior Executive Distribution & Exhibition, BFI Alex currently manages the £3.5m P&A Fund and works across all of the BFI’s distribution and exhibition initiatives, including the strategic planning and implementation of the Digital Screen Network for the UK Film Council. He recently produced the Summer of British Film season with the BBC, which played in 131 digital screens across the UK and generated over 62,000 admissions. Alex, who holds an MA in Film and Television Studies from the BFI, previously worked for independent exhibitor City Screen where he programmed four of the UK’s most successful regional cinemas.
CHRIS WATTS Head of Film3Sixty Film3Sixty is a full service advertising agency for the film business which is part of the Target Media and Communications Group. Chris has been involved in film marketing and advertising for the past 12 years working on over 500 theatrical and 800 home entertainment releases. Prior to that Chris worked in advertising for West End theatre shows including hits such as The Lion King and Phantom of the Opera.
JASON WOOD Head of Programming, Curzon Cinemas Jason is responsible for all moving image content and the publishing of the Curzon Magazine. He is also an author of books on Nick Broomfield, Mexican Cinema and Road Movies. His writing has appeared in The Guardian, Sight and Sound and Little White Lies.