Conference Events

Tuesday, June 12

REGISTRATION OPEN
Lee Building
12:00 – 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday, June 13

FILMMAKER BREAKFAST
AFI Silver Lobby
8:30 – 9:30 a.m.

REGISTRATION OPEN
Lee Building
8:30 – 6:00 p.m.

SILVER SESSIONS
TBD
9:30 – 5:00 p.m.

AVID PANASONIC P2 HD POST PRODUCTION SEMINAR
Discovery Conf. Room
9:30 – 11:00 a.m.

Experience the power and time advantages of working in a truly "tapeless workflow". Direct integration of Panasonic P2 formats into Avid® Media Composer®. No more shuttling through tapes looking for your shot. Spend your time being more creative. Revolutionary Avid ScriptSync™ and Avid DNxHD® encoding will also be covered.

PRESENTERS

Keith Bodner, Pixel Jones Productions

Bernie Mitchell, Silver Platter Productions

James Deigan, Digital Video Group

INSIDE DISCOVERY
Discovery HD Theater
9:30 – 11:00 a.m.

Success stories from experienced production companies that have become “go to” creators of content for the Discovery Networks. How they got their start? How they continue to adapt to changing network priorities? How to work with them to get your next great idea on the air?

MODERATOR

Mat Tombers, Managing Director, Intermat/ISG

PANELISTS

Margery Baker, VP CBS Eye too/CBS News Productions

Charlie Debevoise, Executive Producer, North/South

Mary Donahue, VP, Creative Content/Talent, Discovery Channel

Beth Hoppe, President and CEO, Optomen Productions

John Smithson, Executive Chairman and Creative Director, Darlow Smithson Productions

THE FUTURE OF REAL 2.0: FROM MUSIC TO MAYHEM PLUS FAIR USE AND COPY RIGHT/COPY LEFT
Theatre 3
9:30 – 11:00 a.m.

What are the legal implications of the brave new world of Internet distribution? What rights must be cleared, and at what cost? What is the difference between VOD and Download to Own? Join filmmakers and digital resource experts in this discussion that will help define the terms, and the implications of digital rights.

MODERATOR

Diana Ingraham, SILVERDOCS Conference Producer 

PANELISTS

David Garber, President/CEO, Lantern Lane Entertainment

Brett Gaylor, Filmmaker, Open Source Cinema/EyeSteelFilm

George Rush, Attorney, Law Offices of George M. Rush

Max Segal, HBO Archives/Co-President of ACSIL: The Association of Commercial Stock Image Licensors

David Sheehan, ABCNEWS VideoSource/Co-President of ACSIL: The Association of Commercial Stock Image Licensors

MORNING BREAK
TBD
11:00 – 11:30 a.m.

STUDENT PITCH: Grooming the Next Generation of Filmmakers
Round House
11:30 – 1:00 p.m.

Students from top graduate film schools including NYU’s Graduate Program in Culture and Media, the Documentary Institute at the University of Florida, Gainesville and American University’s School of Communications present their projects to commissioning editors, distributors, and executive producers.

MODERATOR

Chris Haws, International Media Consultant

PANELISTS

Maryanne Culpepper, Senior Vice President, Development, National Geographic Television and Film

Yance Ford, Series Producer, American Documentary/P.O.V.

Andrea Meditch, Commissioning Editor, Executive Producer, Discovery Films

Sumner Menchero, Sr. Programming Assoc., Program Development and Independent Film, PBS

THE FUTURE OF REAL 2.0: READINESS AND REVENUE
Theatre 3
11:30 – 1:00 p.m.

What about content (a.k.a. documentaries!) sitting on the shelf and in distributors’ catalogs? What are the newest potential streams of revenue: advertising-based, share of sales, subscription, other? We’ll hear from some of the companies developing new models to exploit media properties in the on-line environment and discuss what deals make sense for independent media artists.

MODERATOR

Bill Triplett, Washington Correspondant, Variety

PANELISTS

Tamara Gould, Vice President of Distribution, ITVS

Mike Haney, Content Acquisitions, CustomFlix

Linda Lawrence, Vice President, Open Media Network

Jonathan Miller, President, First Run/Icarus Films, Inc.

Brian Newman, Executive Director, Renew Media

SHORTS 1: SIGHT AND SOUND
Theatre 1
12:00 – 1:14 p.m.

TOTAL RUNNING TIME: 74 MIN.

FILMMAKER CONNECTION BROWN BAG LUNCHEON
Cinema Lounge
1:00 – 2:30 p.m.

Take a new friend to lunch at one of the many establishments in Silver Spring or buy a box lunch in the Cinema Lounge.

SHORTS 5: LONG DISTANCE
Theatre 1
2:00 – 3:11 p.m.

AVID PANASONIC P2 HD POST PRODUCTION SEMINAR
Discovery Conf. Room
2:30 – 4:00 p.m.

Experience the power and time advantages of working in a truly “tapeless workflow”. Avid, Panasonic and Digital Video Group demonstrate the direct integration of Panasonic P2 formats into Avid® Media Composer® means no more shuttling through tapes looking for your shot. Spend your time being more creative. Revolutionary Avid ScriptSync™ and Avid DNxHD® encoding will also be covered.

Panasonic will be showing their popular AG-HVX200 and new AG-HPX500 P2 cameras and is pleased to have Bernie Mitchell present (Wednesday) who recently made the Iditarod Run with P2 cameras.  DVG reps will be present to discuss the full P2 line from the HVX200 up to the new AJ-HPX3000G (2.2MPix) expected to ship in August/Sept

PRESENTERS

Keith Bodner, Pixel Jones Productions

James Deigan, Digital Video Group

Bernie Mitchell, Silver Platter Productions

 

Demonstration sessions and workshops continue throughout the remainder of the conference.

DISTRIBUTION NOW: WHAT IS REALLY GOING ON?
Round House
2:30 – 4:00 p.m.

Sales agents, commissioning editors, distributors and filmmakers on the front line, share success stories in the worlds of festivals, theatrical distribution, DVD, broadcast, and video on demand. What is the optimal rollout strategy for a feature length documentary over the many media platforms now available?

Introduced by
Ray Barry, Deputy Director and CAO, AFI Silver Theatre

MODERATOR

Brian Newman, Executive Director, Renew Media

PANELISTS

Nancy Abraham, Vice President, HBO

Doug Block, Director/Producer, Copacetic Pictures

Josh Braun, Managing Partner, Submarine Entertainment

Liesl Copland, Head of Acquisitions & Distribution, Netflix – Red Envelope Entertainment (invited)

Richard Lorber, President, Koch Lorber Films/Lorber H/T Digital

NOTES FROM THE FUTURE
Discovery HD Theater
2:30 – 4:00 p.m.

Young filmmakers share their vision on the future of real with industry leaders. For major media companies it is all about audience, and the next generation of filmmakers may hold important clues as to what younger audiences are interested in and why. Join us for this discussion, which turns the traditional table on who’s talking and who’s  listening, moderated, appropriately, by the new Washington Editor of The Onion.

Introduced by
Violette Davis, SILVERDOCS Registration Manager

MODERATORS

Chris Mincher, Washington Editor A.V. Club, The Onion Panelists
Yoni Brook, Director/Producer, A SON’S SACRIFICE
G.J. Echternkamp, Director, FRANK AND CINDY
Musa Syeed, Producer, A SON’S SACRIFICE
Christian Ugbode, Programs & New Media Coordinator, National Black Programming Consortium

RESPONDENT

Donald Thoms, Vice President, Production, Discovery Health Media and Fit TV

AFTERNOON BREAK
Other
4:00 – 4:30 p.m.

DOC TALK: STORYTELLING IN IRAN
Discovery HD Theater
4:30 – 5:30 p.m.

SILVERDOCS is proud to welcome independent documentary filmmakers from Iran who will show excerpts of their work and talk about the documentary filmmaking landscape in Iran today.

MODERATOR

Grace Guggenheim, Filmmaker/Producer, Guggenheim Productions

FILMMAKERS

Hossein Dabashi, Filmmaker

Soudabeh Mojaveri, Filmmaker

Marizeh Vafamehr, Filmmaker

PANELISTS 

Hossein Dehbashi

Mohammed Ehsani

Mohammed Hosseini-Jafari

Soghra Mehrabi

Soudabeh Mojaveri

Nasser Saffarian

Mahmoud Reza Sani

Mohamad Shirvani

Marzieh Vafamehr

INDUSTRY HAPPY HOUR

5:30 – 7:00 p.m.

DISCOVERY FILMMAKER COCKTAIL (INVITATION ONLY)
TBD
6:00 – 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, June 14

DISCOVERY FILMS BREAKFAST (Invitation Only)
TBD
8:00 – 9:00 a.m.

FILMMAKER BREAKFAST
AFI Silver Lobby
8:30 – 9:30 a.m.

REGISTRATION OPEN
Lee Building
8:30 – 6:00 p.m.

SILVER SESSIONS
TBD
9:30 – 5:00 p.m.

ACE GRANT PITCH for $10,000
Discovery HD Theater
9:30 – 11:00 a.m.

Six finalists present their documentary projects looking at animal issues to a distinguished panel of broadcast and
distribution executives. The winning pitch will be announced at the Sterling Awards Ceremony on Saturday, June 16.

MODERATOR

Amy King, Associate Director, SILVERDOCS

PANELISTS

Laura Annalora, Manager, Development and Production, National Geographic Channels International

Patrick Keegan, Production Specialist, Animal Planet

Kathryn Lo, Associate Director, Program Development & Independent Film, PBS

Julie Lofton, Film & TV Liaison, ACE: Animal Content in Entertainment

Doug Zwick, Head of Non-Fiction, Porchlight Entertainment

U.S. PUBLIC TELEVISION: A HANDS-ON GUIDE Part I
Round House
9:30 – 1:00 p.m.

Program Development and Funding, Distribution, Publicity and Outreach, Project Management and Deliverables, and collaborating with local Public Television Stations. There is a system and there are many entry points. Come learn from the insiders what makes the Nation’s public service broadcaster and its member stations tick.

9:30 Round House Theatre
U.S. PTV: Welcome and Remarks
Greg Diefenbach, Senior Vice President for Television Programming, CPB
Patricia Finneran, SILVERDOCS Festival Director

9:45–10:15 Round House Theatre
U.S. PTV: Featured Speaker, John Boland, Chief Content Officer, PBS
What will the future hold for public television? What is the unique structure that makes up the public broadcasting service? PBS’ Chief Content Officer discusses the opportunities and challenges facing this unique membership organization of media creators and distributors.

10:15–11:15 Round House Theatre
U.S. PTV: PBS - Strategic Information for the Savvy Producer
What are the opportunities / entry points for filmmakers who go directly to PBS? How do the various divisions work together? Key executives from the areas of Education, Television Content, Interactive and Brand Management provide insight on the components that PBS looks for in an integrated media project.

Introduced by
Diana Ingraham, SILVERDOCS Conference Producer

MODERATOR

Ruth Bolan, Executive Director, Pacific Islanders in Communication

PANELISTS

Rob Lippincott, Senior Vice President, Education, PBS

Jason Seiken, Senior Vice President, Interactive, PBS

Lea Sloan, Vice President, Communications and Events

John F. Wilson, Senior Vice President & Chief TV Programming Executive, PBS

RESPONDENT

Greg Diefenbach, Senior Vice President for Television Programming, CPB

11:30-1:00 Round House Theatre
U.S. PTV: Prime-Time Strands: Entry Points for Independent Documentary Filmmakers
A look at the major strands that comprise the National Program Schedule of PBS. What are the commissioning editors looking for? What are their content priorities? What are the content elements – interactive, in the community, in the schools -- that characterize prime-time content? What are the opportunities for independent filmmakers?

MODERATOR

Lesley Norman, NOW on PBS/JumpStart Productions

PANELISTS

Cynthia Lopez, Vice President, American Documentary / P.O.V.

Mark Samels, Executive Producer, AMERICAN EXPERIENCE, WBGH

Nina Chaudry, Coordinating Producer, Thirteen/WNET Wide Angle

Lois Vossen, Independent Lens Series Producer, INDEPENDENT LENS/ITVS

Melanie Wallace, Senior Series Producer, NOVA WGBH TV

MORNING BREAK
TBD
11:00 – 11:30 a.m.

SOURCES OF FUNDING FOR INDEPENDENT FILMMAKERS
Discovery Conf. Room
11:30 – 1:00 p.m.

A look at the ins and outs of seeking funding from ITVS, Sundance Documentary Fund, The National Endowment for the Humanities and The National Endowment for the Arts and the PBS Challenge Fund. Key players share their priorities and interests.

MODERATOR

Nina Gilden Seavey, Director, The Documentary Center, George Washington University

PANELISTS

Claire Aguilar, Vice President, Programming, ITVS International Fund

Julie Goldman, Partner, Cactus Three

Kathryn Lo, Associate Director, Program Development & Independent Film, PBS

Cara Mertes, Director, Documentary Film Program, Sundance

Thomas Phelps, Acting Director, Div. of Public Programs, National Endowment for the Humanities

TELLING THE HARDEST STORIES: THE DOCUMENTARY AT WORK
Discovery HD Theater
11:30 – 1:00 p.m.

How does a filmmaker engage an audience around topics that are more likely to send them running out of the theatre…or avoiding the film altogether? How in the world does one market such a film?

MODERATOR

Bill Smee, Executive Producer, Slate.com

PANELISTS

Sean Fine, Director, WAR/DANCE

Andrea Nix Fine, Director, WAR/DANCE

Tony Kaye, Director, LAKE OF FIRE (invited)

Mary Olive Smith, Director, A WALK TO BEAUTIFUL

Mark Urman, Head of Theatrical Distribution, THINK Film Company

SHORTS 2: EMBATTLED
Theatre 1
12:00 – 1:10 p.m.

TOTAL RUNNING TIME 70 MIN

CPB FILMMAKER LUNCHEON
Cinema Lounge
1:00 – 2:30 p.m.

Join Public Television Executives for a networking luncheon.

SHORTS 4: BEYOND BELIEF
Round House
1:30 – 2:43 p.m.

TOTAL RUNNING TIME: 73 MIN.

KEYNOTE ADDRESS: Ted Leonsis
Theatre 1
2:30 – 3:30 p.m.

Leonsis is a media leader (Vice Chairman, America Online and President, AOL Audience Business) and leading philanthropist who has turned his attention to documentary film as a means of raising awareness of important social issues.

Introduced by
Jean Picker Firstenberg, President and CEO, AFI

Bruce Campbell, President, Digital Media and Business Development, Discovery Communications

AFTERNOON BREAK
Other
3:30 – 3:45 p.m.

U.S. BROADCAST SLOTS FOR FEATURE LENGTH DOCS
Round House
3:45 – 5:00 p.m.

Television remains at the “head” of the “long tail.” If reports of its imminent demise were greatly exaggerated, what are the opportunities for long form documentaries in the current cable and broadcast landscape? Come hear first-hand the programming priorities and interests from leaders in the non-fiction world. Are multi-part series or strands proliferating? How important are multi-platform extensions/enhancements?

MODERATOR

Tom Koch, Director, WGBH International

PANELISTS

Liz Brach, Director of Program Development, Discovery Channel

Sam Paul, Director, Original Programming and Development, Sundance Channel

Kim Spencer, President, LinkTV

Bridget Whalen, Director of Development, National Geographic Channel

Chris White, Director of Programming & Production, American Documentary/P.O.V.

Allison Winshel, Senior Director Primetime Programming, PBS

THINKing ABOUT FILM with Mark Urman
Discovery HD Theater
4:00 – 5:00 p.m.

A one-on-one discussion with leading specialty film distributor Mark Urman, the architect behind some of the most innovative theatrical release strategies happening today, and the distributor of such documentaries as BORN INTO BROTHELS, and at SILVERDOCS 2007: IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON; LAKE OF FIRE; NANKING and WAR DANCE. I

Interviewer
Todd Hitchcock, Senior Programmer, AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center

THE FUTURE OF REAL 2.0-ENGAGING NEW AUDIENCES
Discovery Conf. Room
4:15 – 5:30 p.m.

Exciting reports from the front lines. How are digital innovators applying the plethora of new technologies? How best to create community and sustain it? Are there new types of partnerships and collaborations to be explored? In seeking to engage diverse audiences, what are the challenges, recent successes and solutions to issues of digital access and divide?

MODERATOR

Pat Aufderheide, Professor and Director, Center for Social Media

PANELISTS

Daniel Cross, Director, HomelessNation.org

Dennis Palmieri, Director of Communications, ITVS

Shane Seggar, Program Director, Pacific Islanders in Communications

Stephanie Sharis, Director of Creative Development, AOL/ AOL True Stories

Angela Tucker, Director of Production, Arts Engine, Inc/Big Mouth Films

DOC TALK: DOC TAKES ON WAR
Discovery HD Theater
5:30 – 6:30 p.m.

MODERATOR: Guy Raz, Defense Correspondent, NPR

RESPONDENT: Richard Leiby, Reporter, The Washington Post 

Panelists
  • Charles Ferguson, Director, NO END IN SIGHT
  • Lawrence Wilkerson
INDUSTRY HAPPY HOUR
Other
6:00 – 7:30 p.m.

Friday, June 15

FILMMAKER BREAKFAST
Other
8:30 – 9:30 a.m.

REGISTRATION OPEN
Lee Building
8:30 – 6:00 p.m.

SILVER SESSIONS
TBD
9:30 – 5:00 p.m.

THE FUTURE OF REAL 2.0- CUTTING EDGE TECHNOLOGY ISSUES
Discovery Conf. Room
9:30 – 11:00 a.m.

Web 2.0 may be a buzz phrase, but that doesn’t alter the fact that there is a sea change in the way the public is viewing and interacting with all types of media. Why should documentarians care? Creators of all stripes are beginning to look to the Internet as a vehicle for distribution, promotion, and dialogue with their communities. The number of Web-based tools that facilitate these tasks is increasing exponentially: blogs, newsfeeds, video upload sites, virtual worlds, social networking sites, review aggregators, recommendation engines, and search engine optimization, among the most popular. Choosing well from amidst this plethora will give any creator a better chance at distinguishing their efforts and reaching truly appreciative audiences.

INTRODUCED BY: Nick De Martino, Vice President, Media and Technology, AFI

MODERATOR: Suzanne Stefanac, Director, AFI Digital Content Lab

 

Panelists
  • Bryan Carter
  • Kevin Dando
  • Mark Irwin
  • Steve Michelson
  • Joel Schwartzberg
THE GREENCODE PROJECT: RISING TO THE CHALLENGE OF ECO-ETHICAL FILMMAKING
Theatre 3
9:30 – 11:00 a.m.

The greening of the film and television industry is moving forward apace. As documentarians strive to raise awareness and engage new audiences in environmental issues, what are filmmakers' responsibilities to "walk-the-walk" in their production process? Come hear from a new Canadian-based international initiative called the GreenCode Project for the Media Industries, whose goal is to establish best practices and develop a voluntary "GreenCode certification system" for the documentary community.

INTRODUCED BY: Amy King, Associate Director, SILVERDOCS

MODERATOR: Peter Wintonick, Co-founder DocAgora; GreenCode Project

Panelists
  • Marie-France Côté
  • Deborah Drisdell
  • Sam Paul
U.S. PUBLIC TELEVISION: A HANDS-ON GUIDE Part II
Round House
9:30 – 1:00 p.m.

Program Development and Funding, Distribution, Publicity and Outreach, Project Management and Deliverables, and collaborating with local Public Television Stations.

Time 9:30 – 10:45 Round House Theatre
U.S. PTV: THE NATIONAL MINORITY CONSORTIA: DIVERSIFYING PUBLIC TELEVISION

What do the films HIP HOP: BEYOND BEATS AND RHYMES, BLACK GRACE, LIFE AND TIMES OF FRIDA KAHLO, IMELDA, and INDIAN COUNTRY DIARIES have in common? They all received funding support from a member of the National Minority Consortia. The NMC's individual and collective work has brought hundreds of hours of programming to PBS and created opportunities for producers seeking an entree into public television. Representatives of each of the NMC discuss how their work helps ensure that US public television reflects the diversity of America.

Welcome by
Murray Horwitz, Director & COO, AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center

Introduced by
Angela Palmer, Director, TV Programming Development and Producer Relations, CPB

MODERATOR 

Cynthia Fenneman, President and CEO, American Public Television

PANELISTS

Ruth Bolan, Executive Director, Pacific Islanders in Communications

Penny Costello, Television Manager, Native American Public Telecommunications

Leslie Fields-Cruz, Director of Programming, National Black Programming Consortium

Stephen Gong, Executive Director, Center for Asian American Media

Luis Ortiz, Managing Director, Latino Public Broadcasting


Time 11:00 – 11:45 Round House Theatre

U.S. PTV: FROM THE MAGIC OF STORYTELLING TO MUNDANE DELIVERABLES

Successful filmmakers share their perspective on the pros and cons of working within public broadcasting and how best to navigate all the various stages of production: from funding, to carriage, to publicity, to deliverables.

MODERATOR

Elizabeth Lindsey, Producer, Pacific Islanders in Communication

PANELISTS

Robert Bahar, Producer and Almudena Carracedo, Director, MADE IN L.A.

Gwendolen Cates, Director, WATER FLOWING TOGETHER

Marco Williams, Director, BANISHED


Time 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. Round House Theatre

U.S. PTV: Putting It All Together
Congratulations, you’ve finished your documentary for public TV. Now you need to navigate station relations, carriage, outreach, promotion, syndication and interactive. Do you have the elements required to launch a project successfully through PBS or the broader public television community? What are American Public Television and National Educational Telecommunications Association and what role do they play in delivering content to audiences in the US? Come learn from the experts on maximizing outreach and impact at the local level.

MODERATOR

Jacquie Jones, National Black Programming Consortium

PANELISTS

Cynthia Fenneman, President and CEO, American Public Television

Eliza Licht, Director, Community Engagement, American Documentary | P.O.V.

Gayle Loeber, Director of Programming, NETA

Luis Ortiz, Managing Director, Latino Public Broadcasting

Cara White, Publicist, Caramar, Inc.

CLOSING REMARKS

Diana Ingraham, SILVERDOCS Conference Producer

MORNING BREAK
TBD
11:00 – 11:30 a.m.

"FILMANTHROPY" - CREATIVE FINANCING & MAVERICK MARKETING FOR DOCUMENTARIES
Other
11:30 – 1:30 p.m.

Nonprofits and advocacy groups have long been involved with documentary film, but the past year has seen a rise in awareness of these partnerships, and hopefully, increased impact. Join leaders from the documentary film world as they discuss how these partnerships have helped with funding and facilitated strategic marketing campaigns. Have they demonstrably improved distribution outcomes? Come find out.

MODERATOR

Patricia Finneran, Festival Director, SILVERDOCS

PANELISTS

Gillian Caldwell, Executive Director, WITNESS

Cynthia Lopez, Vice President, American Documentary/P.O.V.

Susan MacLaury, Executive Director, Shine Global, Inc.

Ellen Schneider, Executive Director, Active Voice

Meighan Stone, ONE Campaign

Paul Taylor, Director, WE ARE TOGETHER

RESPONDENT

Matt Nisbet, American University, School of Communication, author, Documentaries On A Mission: How Non-Profits Are Making Movies For Public Engagement. A Future of Public Media Project, funded by the Ford Foundation. Center for Social Media, American University

THE FUTURE OF REAL 2.0 - DISTRIBUTION IN THE DIGITAL NEXT
Discovery HD Theater
11:30 – 1:00 p.m.

Explorers on the frontlines who have boldly staked out new territory on the Internet, share insights into the plethora of distribution options available now. Is the Internet driving sales, creating new streams of revenue or cannibalizing what used to be called ancillary products? How have established brands adapted their marketing strategies in the wild new digital next? Who is making money and how?

MODERATOR

Colin Brown, Screen International (invited)

PANELISTS

Cynthia Close, Executive Director, Documentary Educational Resources

Kelly DeVine, Acquisitions, Renew Media

Kathleen Powell, Senior VP Programming, JAMAN

Steve Savage, President, New Video

John Suydam, Director, Digital Distribution, PBS Interactive (invited)

SHORTS 3: YOU & ME
Theatre 1
12:00 – 1:11 p.m.

TOTAL RUNNING TIME: 71 MIN.

FILMMAKER CONNECTION BROWN BAG LUNCHEON
Other
1:00 – 2:30 p.m.

Take a new friend to lunch at one of the many establishments in Silver Spring or buy a box lunch in the Cinema Lounge.

DOC AGORA - THE FUTURE OF DOCUMENTARY
Discovery Conf. Room
2:30 – 4:00 p.m.

*NOTE*: This session goes from 2:30-5:30 p.m., NOT 2:30-4:00 p.m. 

  

Over the past year stakeholders have convened under the DocAgora banner at the Sheffield Doc Fest, IDFA, and most recently Hot Docs to “open up a conversation on new forms, new platforms and new ways of financing creative, authored and socially-engaging documentary content.” The conversation continues at SILVERDOCS with an interactive, high-profile debate and round-table discussion.

Introduced by
Patricia Finneran, Festival Director, SILVERDOCS

Featured Speaker
Orlando Bagwell, Deputy Director, Media, Arts and Culture Unit, Ford Foundation

DEBATE TEAM

Michael Burns, Director of Programming, The Documentary Channel

Katy Chevigny, Executive Director, Arts Engine Inc.

Kathleen Powell, Senior Vice President, Programming, JAMAN 

Randy Rieland, Vice President of Interactive Media, Discovery Science

Jake Shapiro, Executive Director, PRX: Public Radio Exchange

Angela Wilson Gyetvan, Vice President, Marketing, Revver

Doc Agora Debate Proposition: "New Media has redefined the meaning of Public:  the wall between public and commercial media no longer exists."


MODERATOR

Neil Sieling, LinkTV/Center for Social Media

ADJUDICATOR

Pat Aufderheide, Professor & Director, Center for Social Media

DISCUSSION FACILITATOR

Peter Wintonick, Co-founder DocAgora; GreenCode Project, Necessary Illusions

 

The debate will be informed by the following questions:

CURATION
Can any content that serves the public interest be considered public media, even if it doesn’t appear on the prescribed public platforms?

ACCESS
Do crowd-curated platforms such as blogs, user generated video, and social networks, open up the marketplace of ideas, and provide new opportunities for filmmakers to improve the public discourse because they are no longer controlled by the traditional gatekeepers?

PERSPECTIVE
Can documentaries fundamentally change public opinion, or are audiences really just self-selecting individuals, pre-disposed to the ideas and perspectives in the films, and increasingly aligned with people with similar social and political views?

COST AND VALUE
Does the freedom of the Internet come at a price for filmmakers? Technology brings down the cost of producing and distributing programs, but does it also reduce the value of potential compensation because there is so much more content, and that content is increasingly free to consumers?

ETHICS
Is the concept of journalistic ethics and objectivity anachronistic in the digital age? Is new form documentary an information art? Should it be held accountable to artistic values, rather than just by traditional journalistic standards?

WORKING WITH PUBLIC TELEVISION STATIONS
Round House
3:00 – 4:30 p.m.

Working With Public Television Stations Representatives from public television stations discuss successful collaborations with independents on discrete projects through the ITVS LINCS program and other public television distribution options such as LinkTV.

Introduced by
Diana Ingraham, Conference Producer, SILVERDOCS

MODERATOR

Shane Seggar, Program Director, Pacific Islanders in Communications

PANELISTS

Jennifer Lawson, General Manager, WHUT Howard University (invited)

Steven Schupak, Vice President, Programming, Maryland Public Television

Amy Shumaker, Executive Producer, South Carolina ETV

Kim Spencer, President, LinkTV

BEYOND BELIEF: RELIGION IN FILM
Discovery HD Theater
3:30 – 4:45 p.m.

Creative documentaries in theatres, on television and now via digital media are proving a powerful tool to engage diverse audiences around issues of faith, spirituality, religion and culture. What are the unique challenges of this subject matter both in terms of storytelling and reaching audiences?

MODERATOR

Faye Ginsburg, Director, Graduate Program in Culture and Media;Director, Center for Media, Culture & History; co-Director, Center for Religion and Media, NYU

PANELISTS

Glenn Baker, Director, STAND UP (tbc)

David Hulme, President & Founder, Vision Media Productions

Alberta Nokes, Executive Producer, VisionTV – an S-VOX company, Canada

Nancy Schwartzman, Program Officer Media, Foundation for Jewish Culture

OSCAR IN THE FUTURE: NEW QUALIFYING RULES FOR DOCS
Other
4:00 – 5:00 p.m.

MODERATOR

Sandra Ruch, Executive Director, International Documentary Association

 

PANELISTS

Julie Goldman, Partner, Cactus Three

Frieda Lee Mock, Governor, Documentary Branch of the Board of

the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (invited)

AJ Schnack, Director, KURT COBAIN ABOUT A SON

Marco Williams, Director, BANISHED

SHORTS 2: EMBATTLED
Theatre 3
4:15 – 5:25 p.m.

SCREENS WITH:

BULLET PROOF VEST

May Lin Au Yong, USA, 2006, 5 Minutes
In protest of Richmond, California's extreme youth gun violence, twins Mustapha and Jyeshria live in a playground "tent city" with their mother. They candidly tell why they don't play outside.

IRAQI KURDISTAN

Ed Kashi, USA, 2006, 12 Minutes
An alternative perspective on a changing culture, one different from the destruction and discord that dominates so much media coverage of the region.

LOT 63, GRAVE C

Sam Green, USA, 2006, 10 Minutes
Altamont Free Concert, 1969. Meredith Hunter is killed at this infamous event; his death becomes an icon for the end of the Summer of Love. Now, he lies forgotten, buried in an unmarked and unvisited grave.

SARI'S MOTHER

James Longley, USA, 2006, 21 Minutes
Set against the backdrop of the Iraq War, a desperate mother attempts to find medical care for her 10-year-old son, Sari, who has contracted AIDS during a blood transfusion.

WAR TORN: STORIES OF SEPARATION

David Modell, United Kingdom, 2006, 21 Minutes
Four women tell of their men at war. Their stories show the emotional resonance of another's story and the often devastating, unexpected outcomes of war.

 

DOC TALK: BEYOND BELIEF-INSPIRED FILMMAKING ON INSPIRED SUBJECTS
Discovery HD Theater
5:00 – 6:00 p.m.

MODERATOR

Sky Sitney, Director of Programming, SILVERDOCS

PANELISTS

Macky Alston, Director, HARD ROAD HOME

David Holbrooke, Director, HARD AS NAILS joined by Justin Fatica

Michael Jacobs, Director, AUDIENCE OF ONE joined by Pastor Richard Gazowsky

INDUSTRY HAPPY HOUR
Other
6:00 – 7:00 p.m.

Saturday, June 16

FILMMAKER BREAKFAST
AFI Silver Lobby
8:30 – 9:30 a.m.

REGISTRATION OPEN
Lee Building
8:30 – 6:00 p.m.

WORKSHOP: CHARTING A FUNDRAISING BLUEPRINT with Debra Zimmerman
Sign up Required, Limited to 50 participants
Discovery HD Theater
9:00 – 11:00 a.m.

Sign up Required, Limited to 50 participants

Don’t miss this nuts-and-bolts discussion on how to design your project’s fundraising approach from beginning to end--from traditional grant seeking via private and government foundations to appealing to individual donors through events and direct mail campaigns. Topics include: identifying a fundraising proposal’s elements, writing an effective synopsis and pitching to donors, assessing and approaching funders, writing appeal letters, and more. Options in public television funding will be explored, including ITVS and CPB’s minority consortia. Attendees receive a packet with essential resources and sample proposal components, and may attend a Breakout Session.

SILVER SESSIONS
TBD
9:30 – 5:00 p.m.

SHORTS 1: SIGHT AND SOUND
Theatre 1
10:30 – 11:44 a.m.

SCREENS WITH:

FIGHTING CHOLITAS, THE

Mariam Jobrani, Bolivia, USA, 2006, 21 Minutes
Bolivian indigenous peasants, la cholitas wear traditional layered skirts when slamming each other in the ring. The luchas' strength inside the ring and out is remarkable.

GUARANTEE, THE

Jesse Epstein, USA, 2007, 11 Minutes
A male ballet student is confronted about his large nose; he weighs his options in hopes of more lead roles with a smaller schnoz. Told in witty hand-drawn animation.

HATTENHORST

Ove Sander, Germany, 2006, 5 Minutes
Hans Hattenhorst moved to the German island of Juist in the 1940s and has worked ever since as a projectionist in the small cinema—but has long lost his passion for movies.

MOTODROM

Joerg Wagner, Germany, 2006, 9 Minutes
Vrrroom! On the edge of your seat, watch gravity-defying motorcycle stunts race by in sterling black and white.

MY EYES

Erlend Mo, Denmark, 2006, 19 Minutes
Music is integral in Katja's life, evoking experiences and emotion. Young Catherine is also grappling with enhanced senses in her blind world, and with her mother discovers the joy in sound and touch.

RENDEZ-VOUS

Marcin Janos Krawczyk, Poland, 2006, 9 Minutes
Get refreshing perspective on the ubiquitous dating rituals that many of us take for granted.  Over candelight dinner, a young couple with Down's Syndrome discuss their perception of the "dating" rules, and their desire to adapt to them.

 

MORNING BREAK
TBD
11:00 – 11:30 a.m.

FUNDRAISING BLUEPRINT BREAKOUT SESSIONS
You should have participated in the morning session. Sign-up required limited to 50 participants
Discovery Conf. Room
11:30 – 1:00 p.m.

You should have participated in the morning session. Sign-up required limited to 50 participants

Follow up Debra Zimmerman’s Fundraising Blueprint lecture with this hands-on interactive workshop. Attendees will receive a list of questions to generate fundraising ideas for their projects and have several minutes to complete the exercise. Everyone will then share their fundraising strategies with a small group of peer filmmakers and an industry expert, and receive feedback and further suggestions. Here is your opportunity to brainstorm funding ideas for your project and get advice from your peers. Be part of these Sessions and walk away with a workable fundraising plan for your next project!

INTERNATIONAL BROADCAST SLOTS FOR DOCS
Discovery HD Theater
11:30 – 1:00 p.m.

An insider’s look at commissioning and programming priorities outside the United States. What works for international audiences? Are there universal topics or subjects that travel well? Over the past 18 months, what documentaries or programming has been most successful on the international networks represented and how is success defined?

MODERATOR

Sabina Finnern, SILVERDOCS Conference International Liaison

PANELISTS

Michael Burns, Director of Programming, The Documentary Channel, Canada

Nick Fraser, Editor, BBC Storyville, BBC, United Kingdom

Christoph Jörg, Commissioning Editor, ARTE-France

Janet Han Vissering, Sr. VP of Strategic Development and Co- Finance, National Geographic Channels International

FILMMAKER CONNECTION BROWN BAG LUNCH WITH FESTIVAL LEADERS
Cinema Lounge
1:00 – 2:30 p.m.

Crafting a festival strategy remains a daunting task for any filmmaker.  Come hear from leading Programmers and Festival Directors and get the inside scoop on what makes for a successful festival experience.

MODERATOR

Amy King, SILVERDOCS Associate Director

PANELISTS

Heather Croall, Director, Sheffield Doc/Fest, United Kingdom

Matt Dentler, Producer, South by Southwest Film Festival

Sean Farnel, Director of Programming, HotDocs

Natalie McMenemy, Director of Operations/Festival Producer, Documentary Programmer AFI On Screen and AFI FEST

Thom Powers, Doc. Prod., Toronto International Film Festival

Gabe Wardell, Atlanta Film Festival

David Wilson, True/False Film Festival (tbc)

DOC AGORA AND INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY CONFERENCE WRAP
"What’s It Worth": Value vs. Values
Cinema Lounge
3:30 – 5:30 p.m.

“What’s It Worth”: Value vs. Values

Co-Moderated by Peter Wintonick and Neil Sieling

Session Producer:  Cameron Hickey

This plenary session will present two leading Now Media companies and a major new paper on monetizing and mission. It is also a culmination of results from the Silverdocs Conference, the Filmanthropy sessions, and eight months of DocAgora’s presence at multiple festivals and markets.

Session Participants:

1) Pat Aufderheide and the “New Deal 1.5” paper from The Center for Social Media and The Independent Television Service

2) Angela Wilson Gyetvan - Revver VP, Marketing and Content

3) Tamara Gould, Vice President of Distribution, ITVS

4) Yvette Alberdingkthijm, Joost Executive Vice President, Content Strategy & Acquisition

5) You, the SILVERDOCS Conference public

The presenters will each be given time to present their position papers or company profiles. This will be intercut with audience dialogues, Observer reports from the Silverdocs festival, and DocAgora findings from its tour of festivals, At the end of the day, everyone will also be asked to contribute to envisioning ideas for a free-thinking “DocAgora @ SILVERDOCS” Manifesto: a digital distillery of the principles of digital documentary.

STERLING AWARDS CEREMONY
Theatre 2
5:00 – 6:30 p.m.

Presentation of Sterling Awards for Feature and Shorts films; Music Documentary Award; Witness Award, Creative Vision Award; and ACE Grant to Winner

INDUSTRY HAPPY HOUR
Cinema Lounge
5:30 – 7:00 p.m.

Sunday, June 17

SHORTS 4: BEYOND BELIEF
Theatre 3
11:45 – 12:58 p.m.

TOTAL RUNNING TIME: 73 MIN.

SHORTS 5: LONG DISTANCE
Theatre 3
2:15 – 3:26 p.m.

SCREENS WITH: 

6 CONCEPTIONS OF FREEDOM

Thomas Ostbye, Norway, 2006, 19 Minutes
A meditative study of Oslo’s Alexander Kiellands Plass. Through the camera lens, loneliness and powerlessness bring into focus the limitations on the ideal of freedom.

CALCUTTA CALLING

Andre Hörmann, Germany, 2006, 16 Minutes
Hello? This salesman is phoning from India, selling fire extinguishers to the English-speaking world. Vikeeh takes us into the call center—one of the most lucrative working class jobs in South Asia.

MY 9/11

Tjebbo Penning, Netherlands, USA, 2006, 12 Minutes
Finding it too difficult to accept, Penning's reluctant film attempts to show everything but the towers' collapse, but returns to the horrifically beautiful image. 

TALK TO ME

Mark Craig, United Kingdom, 2006, 22 Minutes
Sex, drugs, music, birth, death, nightlife and lazy days. A life told through 21 years of voicemail.

SHORTS 3: YOU & ME
Theatre 3
7:00 – 8:11 p.m.

SCREENS WITH:

FREEHELD

Cynthia Wade, USA, 2007, 38 Minutes
At the center of the equal rights debate, Lt. Laurel Hester is dying of lung cancer and fighting to pass her police pension to her life partner, Stacie Andree. The city explodes with controversy; Laurel only wants to provide for her love—before it’s too late.

I JUST WANTED TO BE SOMEBODY

Jay Rosenblatt, USA, 2006, 10 Minutes
Orange juice ad queen Anita Bryant crusaded against gay civil rights in the 70s, but was important both to the creation of the religious right and to the gay rights movement.

MONSIEUR BORGES AND I

Jasmin Gordon, France, Switzerland, USA, 2006, 23 Minutes
A portrait of an eccentric French professor who dedicated his life to his friend and hero, the literary giant Jorge Luis Borges.

 



  • Jackie's
  • Animal Content in Entertainment  (ACE)
  • 94.7 The Globe
  • Hilton Hotels
  • Amtrak
  • InBaseline