Film Commissioners near and far will journey to AFCI Cineposium 09 in Universal City, Calif. from October 31 through November 3 for thought-provoking panels, presentations, and certification classes geared to help the entertainment industry survive the toughest economic times in years.
The Association of Film Commissioners International (AFCI) Cineposium International Conference is held annually in a leading film production center. This year, Universal City—home of Universal Studios—and the Sheraton Universal hotel provide the perfect backdrop for the 34th conference. The event will draw AFCI members from more than 20 countries for issue-oriented industry discussions and workshops.
“The global economic climate facing the entertainment industry is more challenging than ever and we must use every tool at our disposal to meet these challenges,” says Mary Nelson, AFCI Board President, and Communications Manager of the Virginia Film Office. “This year’s comprehensive program is designed to arm film commissioners and industry professionals with the skills to succeed in today’s economy. Universal City provides the ideal backdrop for film commissioners and production professionals to share ideas and expertise, and learn how to survive, and even thrive, during tough economic times.”
KEYNOTE BREAKFAST and OPENING SESSION
As Cineposium 09 Keynote Speaker, influential and independent filmmaker Roger Corman and the AFCI will kick off two days of seminars with “One-on-One with Roger” on Monday, November 2 at 9 a.m. Known for a multitude of energetic and low-budget movies—he has produced more than 550 feature films and directed 50 others—Corman possesses a keen ability to spot young talent and has fostered a legion of big-name producers, directors, writers, and actors.
Retired film commissioner Robin Holabird will interview Corman, a long-standing industry survivor, about how new media is revolutionizing moviemaking and distribution.
“We are honored and delighted to introduce Roger Corman as our keynote speaker at this year’s event,” says Joan Miller, Cineposium Conference Chair and Film Commissioner of the Vancouver Island North Film Commission. “Novice and seasoned entertainment professionals won’t want to miss the opportunity to experience his practical, quick-witted insight, particularly as it relates to the relationship between new media and the industry.”
The Opening Luncheon and General Session, titled The Global Economy: Survival is Revival!, will address the effects of a new economic reality on the entertainment industry and how to competitively adapt to today’s model. This event is scheduled for Monday, November 2.
The 2009 lineup also includes other stimulating general and breakout sessions with leaders in the entertainment industry serving as hosts and panel members. Session participants will learn how to maximize the ever-changing realm of Social Media, leverage the growing business of Non-Fiction Production in the wake of the global economic crisis, influence and inspire stakeholders through the Business of Persuasion, and adjust to the ways Digital Technology is changing the entertainment industry.
REGISTRATION and SPONSORS
Registration information for Cineposium 09, the keynote presentation, sessions and workshops is available at www.afci.org/cine09.
The AFCI is proud to announce Cineposium 09 Platinum Sponsor Entertainment Partners; Gold Sponsors SHOOT and Variety; Silver Sponsor Cast & Crew Entertainment Services LLC; and Partner Sponsors American Humane Film & Television Unit, NBC Universal, West Virginia Film Office, P3 Update Magazine, reelscout, and LA411.
AFCI UNIVERSITY
The AFCI will honor its inaugural graduating class of Certified Film Commissioners at Cineposium 09. Launched in 2007, AFCI’s Certified Film Commissioner Designation is awarded to those who have completed all required training through AFCI University. The program consists of a combination of required Master Classes, exams, a case study, and other outside activities. The designation signifies the recipient has achieved the highest level of accomplishment in his/her profession.
About AFCI
The Association of Film Commissioners International (AFCI) is the global professional organization whose members are film commissioners that assist film, television and video production throughout the world. It is a non-profit educational association whose network of members serves as city, county, state, regional, provincial or national film commissioners for their respective governmental jurisdictions.
About Roger Corman
Having produced and directed more than 600 curious films such as “The Little Shop of Horrors,” “Android,” and “Screwballs” since the 1950s, Corman’s influence on American cinema is largely due to his indisputable reputation for creative, profit-turning, and trend-setting movies.
Born in Detroit in 1926, Corman graduated from Beverly Hills High School and went on to receive a bachelor’s degree in engineering from Stanford University. He showed up on the doorstep of 20th Century Fox and by 1949 was a story analyst. In 1953, he sold his first screenplay and with the $18,000 proceeds, made his first film as an independent producer “The Monster from the Ocean Floor.”
What followed was a string of box office hits and international acclaim. When the French Film Institute honored Corman with a retrospective in 1964, he became the youngest producer/director ever to receive such an accolade.
As American International Pictures’ primary director, Corman’s success built the company into a major force in Hollywood before founding his own production and distribution company, New World Pictures. New World’s first year in operation astonished the industry with all eleven pictures banking substantial profits. The company soon became the independent leader in presenting high-quality foreign and Academy Award-winning films to the American public.
The day after Corman sold New World, he announced the formation of Concorde-New Horizons enabling him to produce more movies with larger budgets. In 1990, Corman chronicled his filmmaking success with the autobiography “How I Made a Hundred Movies in Hollywood and Never Lost a Dime.”
