New Opportunity For British Producers Unveiled

In a bid boost UK film exports a troika within the film industry have announced that they will deliver events in the UK aimed at helping British producers deal with distributors.
Film London has joined forces with BAFTA and associate partners Northern Film & Media, to deliver events in London and Gateshead in January 2012 to guide UK emerging producers through the role of sales companies and distributors.
The event titled Breakthrough: A Guide to International Film Sales & Distribution, supported by Kodak and Creative England, aims to boost both domestic distribution and the international export of British independent films.
This event also comes from the same organisers of the annual London UK Film Focus (LUFF), a UK film export event.
Breakthrough has become a popular LUFF’s strand, so they have wanted to offer emerging British filmmakers a unique and vital platform to showcase their work to international buyers and programmers of prominent international film festivals.
The guide will cover the role of international sales companies, how film-makers can best utilise the festival circuit to form a global film festival strategy and guidance on presenting projects to the international marketplace.
Speakers at the events will include Stephen Kelliher, Head of Sales and Marketing at Bankside Films and Chair of Film Export UK, Carey Fitzgerald, Managing Director of High Point Media Group, Natalie Brenner, EVP, International Sales at Ealing Metro International, Julia Short, Head of Acquisitions at the Works Film Group, Rebecca Hawkes, Managing Director of Schedule 2, Nicola Kettlewood, Edinburgh Film Festival, and Mia Bays, producer and Sales/Distribution Consultant.
Adrian Wootton, Chief Executive of Film London and the British Film Commission said: “Supporting grass roots talent is central to Film London’s objectives and in order for the UK to sustain a healthy domestic industry and capitalise on the strength of our talent, we – together with our partners – believe it is important to support film-makers through the complexities of exhibition and distribution.”
Helena Mackenzie, Head of Inward Investment & Business Development at Film London said: “LUFF plays an important role in promoting British talent internationally and I am especially delighted that the Breakthrough strand has gone from strength to strength, successfully showcasing work from new film-makers that consistently sparks the interest of the international buyers. These events are a natural progression in our aim to support even more film-makers as well as increase the number of British films which reach an international audience.”
Topics will range from acquisitions and distribution, festivals and markets, the role of delivery agents as well as a session where sales companies pitch their service to producers so they better understand the sales agent’s role in the value chain. Both events will be followed by networking drinks.
The event will take place at BAFTA on Tuesday 24 January 2012, in Gateshead it will run at BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Arts on Tuesday 31 January 2012. Early bird tickets available,HERE
(LB)