Short Film Industry Event ‘New Voices’
Palestine Cinema Days Festival presents ‘New Voices’, an industry event geared towards helping short film directors and producers develop, produce and distribute their work. The event will consist of two panels, 90 minutes each, during which filmmakers will get the chance to gain valuable insight, network, and ask questions on the process and product of short filmmaking.
Panel 1: Getting started: A guide to short film development and funding
Short films allow filmmakers to showcase their artistry and creativity, while offering access to valuable international networks, without the financial complications feature films often present. However, developing and raising the budget for short films come with their own challenges. Our panelists, consisting of experts in story development as well as short film funding and coproduction, will share their insights of what it takes to make shorts that stand out from the crowd, travelling across territories to international film festivals. What are the funding opportunities available for projects from the region? How can they be accessed? How can filmmakers refine their stories and their pitches to raise the necessary funds? What does it mean for a short film have a successful ‘career’? What are short film festival programmers looking for, when confirming their selections?
Moderator: Rebecca Anastasi
Guest speakers: Anna Ciennik, Olga Lamontanara, and Neil Peplow
Saturday 5 Nov, 2022, A.M. Qattan Foundation
11:00 - 12:30
Panel 2: Short film festival strategy and distribution
Once you’ve developed and produced your short film, what is the best way to get your work seen? Filmmakers often face the challenge of getting their work into the right distribution channels, whether at festivals or even after participation at international showcases. And, with myriad networks available to short film directors and producers, deciding which festival, distribution and audience strategy to adopt can be overwhelming. This panel on short film distribution will host speakers from platforms and organizations specializing in connecting films to their audiences. What are the priorities when determining film festivals and distribution for short films? Following the film’s initial festival premier, how can short film producers widen exhibition?
Moderator: Darine Hotait
Guest speakers: Niels Putman and Ben Vandendaele
Saturday 5 Nov, 2022, A.M. Qattan Foundation
11:00 - 12:30
1:30- 3:00