WCSFP

TUESDAY, NOV. 27

12:00 pm - 05:30 pm
WCSFP Member Lounge Open

Sponsored by CCTV

12:00 pm
Steering Committee Nominations Open On Site
Nominations for the Steering Committee are handed in to the Registration and Information Desk beginning Tuesday, November 27, at 12:00 pm. Nominations for the Steering Committee can be submitted up until the deadline of 6:30 pm on Wednesday, November 28. Nomination forms are available at the Registration and Information Desk. Completed forms must be submitted to the box provided.

12:00 pm - 09:00 pm
Registration and Information Desk Open
Registration and information desk open for pass pickup and general inquires.

01:00 pm - 02:00 pm
Micro Meeting: Tangled Bank Studios - A Production Company of HHMI

We invite you to join us for an informational session.

Micro Meetings offer members the opportunity to meet with sponsors of WCSFP in a small group setting to learn more about the companies and the work they do.

Speaker:
Michael Rosenfeld, Studio Head, Tangled Bank Studios (USA)

02:00 pm - 03:00 pm
Happy Hour
Member Lounge

Grab a drink! Meet up with old friends and forge connections with new colleagues at the first happy hour of Congress 2012.

Sponsored by CCTV

03:00 pm - 04:00 pm
Micro Meeting: Media Central
Hirshhorn Room

You’re shooting in Jo’burg, Sydney and Detroit on the same project. Now what? Learn the ins and outs of finding the very best local crews, getting a consistent look, protecting your footage, hiring a fixer, working with different cultures, finding insurance and carnets, and many more great tips for working locally around the planet.

Micro Meetings offer members the opportunity to meet with sponsors of WCSFP in a small group setting to learn more about the companies and the work they do.

Speakers:
Chris Haws, International Media Consultant (USA) Jay Schlossberg, President, Media Central/Executive Producer, Media Central Films (USA)

03:00 pm - 04:15 pm
Around the Channels in 80 Ways
Oriental Ballroom C

Ever tried to navigate your way around the U.S. networks? You’re familiar with Nat Geo, History and Discovery—but do you know how many specialist networks Discovery has spawned? And where else might you place science and history-related programming? Find out what the U.S. factual channels like A&E, Spike, Travel, Syfy, Weather Channel and truTV are looking for in this channel-hopping overview. Did anyone mention Honey Boo Boo?

Session Producer
Véronique Bernard, Head of Development, Rock Shrimp Productions (USA)

Moderators
Véronique Bernard, Head of Development, Rock Shrimp Productions (USA) Lisa Zeff, Talent Representative, N.S. Bienstock (USA)

04:15 pm - 05:15 pm
Micro Meeting: Wellcome Trust
Hirshhorn Room

Wellcome Trust will give a short presentation followed by a Q&A. The talk will outline the different ways in which Wellcome supports the UK broadcast and gaming industries.

Micro Meetings offer members the opportunity to meet with sponsors of WCSFP in a small group setting to learn more about the companies and the work they do.

04:30 pm - 05:30 pm
Meet the Mentors
Oriental Ballroom C

In this, our 20th anniversary year, WCSFP is happy to welcome first timers to the Congress. Some of you are new to the industry, while some of you are very experienced but new to Congress. Either way, this is your chance to be introduced to some of the industry’s most esteemed professionals from around the world, all of whom have been coming to Congress for many years (in some cases for 20)!

If it is your first time to Congress, this session will work as a shortcut for you to find your way around Congress efficiently. Producers new to Congress will be introduced to long-standing WCSFP members who are happy to give advice and encouragement, to make introductions and to be a friendly face. Mentoring is an important way for members to give back and ensure great producers of tomorrow in an industry of which we can be proud.

Session Producer
Margie Bryant, Director/Owner, Serendipity Productions (Australia)

Moderator
Richard Bradley, Managing Director, Lion Television (UK)

05:30 pm - 06:30 pm
Micro Meeting: FINAS National Film Development Corporation Malaysia
Hirshhorn Room

Having co-produced more than 20 hours of international docs with National Geographic Channel, Discovery Networks and AETN, we now seek new frontiers for co-production and we welcome blue-chip documentaries/factuals prepared to tap into our local subject matter, locations, production, post and VFX resources, while taking advantage of our 30 per cent production rebate. Development, final gap and CGI funding also available.

Micro Meetings offer members the opportunity to meet with sponsors of WCSFP in a small group setting to learn more about the companies and the work they do.

07:30 pm - 09:30 pm
Welcome Reception
Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, 10th Street and Constitution Avenue, N.W.

Open bar. Please note that bags will be search upon entry.

Welcome to the 20th edition of Congress! Stretch your great ideas with the help of your colleagues. With cocktails and light hors d’oeuvres, the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History will be transformed into a hotbed of ideas that will shape the future of factual programming. Make no mistake, you’ll want to be here for the intellectual exchanges—this will be a night of history in the making.

Sponsored by PBS International, PBS and NOVA

Presented in partnership with Smithsonian Channel.

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 28

08:30 am - 05:30 pm
WCSFP Member Lounge Open
Grand Ballroom A

Sponsored by CCTV

08:30 am - 06:30 pm
Registration and Information Desk Open
Registration and information desk open for pass pickup and general inquires.

08:45 am - 10:30 am
Welcome and What’s the Buzz
Oriental Ballrooms A, B & C

What’s The Buzz? hunts down and talks up everything that’s cool, new, different and maybe, just maybe, original in the world of factual TV; not to mention the entire constellation of visual platforms available for producers. We showcase the “new black,” or at least, the 50 shades of grey that are turning on producers and commissioners this year and getting audiences a little bit worked up. In this visually vivid, entertaining and slightly saucy session, we’ll look at the most-talked-about, cool, epic, far-out, provocative, iconoclastic and downright commercially successful shows that have been made in 2012. In a world where everyone’s seen everything before, but everything old is new again, come and find out what factual content is cutting through the clutter and creating the BUZZ.

Session Producer
Carsten Oblaender, CEO, Story House Media Group (USA)

Moderator
Phil Fairclough, EVP Development & Marketing USA, Executive Producer, NHNZ (USA)

Sponsored by Discovery Channel and Science Channel

10:30 am - 11:00 am
Coffee Break
Join your fellow members for a break with refreshments.

11:00 am - 12:00 pm
The Great Plane Crash: An Accident Waiting to Happen?
Oriental Ballroom C

At a time when producers and broadcasters compete to launch ever bigger and more outlandish TV events, crashing a plane was the ultimate nail biter. The panel shares some of the behind-the-scenes agonies of this turbulent ride.

Session Producer and Moderator
David Dugan, Chairman, Windfall Films (UK)

Speakers:
Simon Dickson, Managing Director, Dragonfly Productions (UK) David Glover, Senior Commissioning Editor, Specialist Factual, Channel 4 (UK) Sanjay Singhal, Managing Director, Dragonfly Productions (UK) Howard Swartz, VP Development and Production, Discovery Channel (USA)

11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Storytelling - Then and Now
Oriental Ballrooms A & B

To coincide with 20 years of Congress, four broadcasters reflect on how storytelling has evolved. This session reveals what’s changed, why it’s changed and why it had to change.

Session Producer
Philip Armstrong-Dampier, Creative Director, 1212 Productions (UK)

Moderator
Cassian Harrison, Commissioning Executive, History, Science & Natural History, BBC (UK)

Speakers
Paula S. Apsell, Senior Executive Producer, NOVA/Director, Science Unit, WGBH (USA) Andrew Cohen, Head of Science, BBC Vision Productions (UK) Sarah T. Davies, Vice President of Development, Factual Programming, Discovery Networks International (USA) David Pogue, Tech Columnist, New York Times/Host, NOVA ScienceNow (USA) Hideki Tazuke, Head of Science Programs Division, NHK (Japan)

Sponsored by NHK

11:00 am - 11:30 am
Close Encounters of the Funding Kind: Nina Tuominen (YLE)
Freer Room

Throughout the week WCSFP offers small group meetings with individual commissioning editors and media executives who either commission science and history programs from independent producers outside their own territories or who provide significant funding. Designed to be intimate and interactive, attendance is limited and advance sign-up is required to attend these sessions. Sign-up forms will be available just outside the Member Lounge one hour before the start time of each Close Encounters session.

Session Producer
Stephanie McArthur, Industry Programs Manager, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival (Canada)

Moderator
Betsy LeBlanc, Director, PBS International (USA)

Speaker
Nina Tuominen, Acquisition Executive, YLE (Finland)

11:15 am - 11:45 am
Close Encounters of the Funding Kind: Bill Gardner (PBS)
Hirshhorn Room

Session Producer
Stephanie McArthur, Industry Programs Manager, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival (Canada)

Moderator
Veronica Fury, Producer and Joint Managing Director, Wild Fury (Australia)

Speaker
Bill Gardner, Director, General Audience Programming, PBS (USA)

12:00 pm - 12:30 pm
Sparks of Inspiration: David Pogue
Oriental Ballrooms A & B

It’s five years since the first iPhone hit the market, and it alone has already revolutionized not just how we live, but, importantly, how television is made and consumed by our audience. What are the upcoming technological ticking time bombs that will change the way we produce, commission and broadcast over the next few years? As a technology columnist for The New York Times and Scientific American, and host of NOVA ScienceNow, David Pogue knows as much as anyone about where technology is heading.

Session Producer
Lesley Norman, Independent Production Executive (USA)

Moderator
Cassian Harrison, Commissioning Executive, History, Science & Natural History, BBC (UK)

Speaker
David Pogue, Tech Columnist, New York Times/Host, NOVA ScienceNOW (USA)

Sponsored by PBS International, PBS, and NOVA

12:30 pm - 02:00 pm
Lunch
Grand Ballrooms B & C

12:45 pm - 01:30 pm
Close Encounters of the Funding Kind: Shin Yasuda (NHK)
Hirshhorn Room

Session Producer
Stephanie McArthur, Industry Programs Manager, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival (Canada)

Moderator
Hoda Elatawi, Sr. Producer, GAPC Entertainment (Canada)

Speaker
Shin Yasuda, Producer, International Co-Production, NHK (Japan)

01:00 pm - 01:45 pm
Meet Discovery
Oriental Ballroom C

Throughout the Congress the Meet… sessions highlight the major U.S. broadcasters at WCSFP. A number of broadcast executives will provide overviews of their networks, explaining their various channels and strands.

Session Producer
Stephanie McArthur, Industry Programs Manager, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival (Canada)

Moderator
Bettina Hatami, Creative Director, Doclab (Italy)

Speaker
Brad Kohlenstein, Senior Director of Development, Science Channel (USA) Winona Meringolo, Senior Director of Development, Investigation Discovery and Military Channel (USA) Caroline Perez, Director of Development, Destination America (USA) Howard Swartz, VP Development and Production, Discovery Channel USA

01:00 pm - 02:00 pm
Micro Meeting: CCTV
Sackler Room

All members are invited to join CCTV Documentary Channel representatives to learn more about the network, what they commission and how they work with the international marketplace. They will also be sponsoring this year’s Members Lounge, and we invite all members to meet CCTV on Tuesday, November 27 from 2:00 pm-3:00 pm for a Welcome Happy Hour.

Micro Meetings offer members the opportunity to meet with sponsors of WCSFP in a small group setting to learn more about the companies and the work they do.

Speakers
Wen Han, Head of Planning Section, CCTV Documentary Channel (China) Jin Li, Project Manager, Office of Managing Director, CCTV Documentary Channel (China) Wen Liu, Managing Director, CCTV Documentary Channel (China) Yuan Tian, Head of International Acquisitions and Co-production,CCTV Documentary Channel (China) Yiqian Zhang, Project Manager, International Acquisitions and Co-production, CCTV Documentary Channel (China)

02:00 pm - 03:00 pm
Interactive Storytelling
Oriental Ballroom C

These days it’s not enough to have a good program idea with a start, a middle and an end; it’s got to have a transmedia existence. In addition to the TV program—and these days more often than not before the program goes to air—apps, quiz games, touch docs, tweet-fests and a whole array of extras are now expected. In some cases the interactive nature of the story becomes the main event, driving the television program. In this session we bring you two recent and very different interactive projects: one that accompanied a TV series and one that drove the series.

Session Producer
Kirsty Hunter, Managing Director, The Project Factory (UK)

Moderators
Kirsty Hunter, Managing Director, The Project Factory (UK) Kate Quilton, Multiplatform Commissioning Editor, Factual, Channel 4 (UK)

Speakers:
Jamie Lochhead, Series Producer/Director, Windfall Films (UK) Jane Root, CEO, Nutopia (UK) Sara Ramsden, Commissioning Editor, Specialist Factual, Channel 4 (UK)

*Sponsored by Tangled Bank Studios - A Production Company of HHMI**

02:00 pm - 02:30 pm
Close Encounters of the Funding Kind: Adrian Wills (UKTV)
Hirshhorn Room

Session Producer
Stephanie McArthur, Industry Programs Manager, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival (Canada)

Moderator
Barbara Barde, President/Executive Producer, Up Front Entertainment (Canada)

Speaker
Adrian Wills, General Manager, Factual, UKTV (UK)

02:00 pm - 03:00 pm
The King of Testostereality: Lights, Camera, Adrenalin with TV’s Most Manly Man, Thom Beers Oriental Ballrooms A & B

Thom Beers is the ultimate game changer, the king of unscripted reality TV. Over the last decade he’s had mega hit after mega hit, including Monster Garage, Deadliest Catch, Ice Road Truckers, Storage Wars and Bering Sea Gold. His company Original Productions became part of FremantleMedia North America in a multi-million dollar deal, and this September he became CEO and will oversee shows such as American Idol, America’s Got Talent and The Price Is Right. He also recently established OP Entertainment Networks, a pioneering business model aiming to provide content direct to viewers in the digital world. Always insightful, frank and funny, don’t miss Thom’s take on the past and future of factual television.

Session Producer and Moderator
Jonathan Hewes, Deputy Head of International, Wall to Wall (UK)

Speaker
Thom Beers, CEO, FremantleMedia North America (USA)

02:15 pm - 02:45 pm
Close Encounters of the Funding Kind: John Godfrey & Joseph Maxwell (SBS)
Hirshhorn Room

Session Producer
Stephanie McArthur, Industry Programs Manager, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival (Canada)

Moderator
Anne Pick, Partner and Executive Producer, Real to Reel Productions (Canada)

Speakers
John Godfrey, Senior Commissioning Editor, Documentaries, SBS (Australia) Joseph Maxwell, Commissioning Editor, Documentaries (History and Science), SBS (Australia)

03:00 pm - 03:30 pm
Sparks of Inspiration: Steven Johnson
Oriental Ballrooms A & B

Why are some people and some teams so much better than others at generating great ideas? It’s an urgent question for people in film and television. Steven Johnson is the bestselling author of eight books on the intersection of science, technology and personal experience. His recent work has been on just how it is that the best ideas arise. What sparks that flash of brilliance? He’ll be offering some thoughts and practical advice directly aimed at our industry.

Session Producer
Lesley Norman, Independent Production Executive (USA)

Moderator
Jonathan Hewes, Deputy Head of International, Wall to Wall (UK)

Speaker
Steven Johnson, Author (USA)

Sponsored by PBS International, PBS, and NOVA

03:30 pm - 04:00 pm
Coffee Break
Join your fellow members for a break with refreshments.

04:00 pm - 04:30 pm
Close Encounters of the Funding Kind: David Royle (Smithsonian Networks)
Hirshhorn Room

Session Producer
Stephanie McArthur, Industry Programs Manager, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival (Canada)

Moderator
Kylee Ingram, Producer, Elevator Entertainment (Australia)

Speaker
David Royle, EVP, Programming & Production, Smithsonian Networks (USA)

04:00 pm - 05:30 pm
Champagne on a Beer Budget
Oriental Ballroom C

Following the success of last year’s Champagne on a Beer Budget session, 2012 highlights excellent documentaries produced on less than rosy budgets. A selected number of outstanding “little gems” made without blockbuster budgets will be showcased for their style, wit and flair. An ideal opportunity to celebrate quality and creativity in a cut-back world.

Session Producers
Soh Kiak Chang, Thinker/Doer, Sitting In Pictures (Singapore) Fabrice Esteve, Producer, Yuzu Productions (France)

Moderators
Fabrice Esteve, Producer, Yuzu Productions (France) Ann Julienne, Head of International Development, France Télévisions (France)

04:00 pm - 05:30 pm
*Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Succeeding in US TV But Were Afraid to Ask**
Oriental Ballrooms A & B

Two stellar teams face off against each other to try to find the truth about breaking America. They will cover topics as diverse as the importance of casting, the etiquette of bribery and why it’s essential to get rednecks into every idea.

Session Producer
Thomas Viner, Series Producer, Arrow Media (UK)

Moderator
Beth Hoppe, VP, General Audience Programming, PBS (USA)

Speakers for the Commissioners
Simon Andreae, Senior Vice President, Development and Production, West Coast, Discovery Channel (USA) Mary Donahue, Vice President, Development and Programming, History (USA) Howard T. Owens, President, National Geographic Channels (USA)

Speakers for the Producers
Dimitri Doganis, Founder/CEO, Raw (USA) Brent Montgomery, Executive Producer, Leftfield Productions (USA) Charles Tremayne, Executive Vice-President of Programming, Cineflix (USA)

Sponsored by PBS International, PBS, and NOVA

04:30 pm - 05:30 pm
Speed Dating 1
Grand Ballroom B

Speed Dating is a great way for independent producers to have a one-on-one chat with decision makers to whom they wouldn’t otherwise have easy access. Congress staff conducts some preliminary matchmaking to make the encounters more rewarding for both parties. However, in keeping with the spirit of WCSFP, which is more about building networks and contacts than an actual market, we have asked the participating decision makers to pre-select the projects that they find interesting—but they won’t know who or where they came from until their face-to-face meeting.

Pre-application required.

Session Producer
Chloe Sosa-Sims, Industry Programmer and Coordinator, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival (Canada)

05:30 pm - 06:30 pm
Happy Hour
Member Lounge

Let the networking continue! Unwind from an inspiring day of programming with a drink or two as you build beneficial cross-industry opportunities and partnerships.

Sponsored by Discovery Channel Canada/EPI

06:30 pm
Steering Committee Nominations Close
Nominations for the Steering Committee can be submitted up until the deadline of 6:30 pm on Wednesday, November 28. Nomination forms are available at the Registration and Information Desk. Completed forms must be submitted to the box provided.

07:00 pm - 11:00 pm
Night on the Potomac
Aboard the Odyssey

Tickets required for cruise. Tickets will be distributed at the shuttle buses.

Shuttle Service: 6:45 PM Buses available outside the Hillwood Room (lower level, Mandarin Oriental Hotel) Cruise Boarding: 7:00 PM Seating for dinner is first come, first served - please arrive early.

Open bar. Dress code: Business casual.

Take in some of Washington, D.C.’s most iconic monuments with a night on the Potomac. In a city synonymous with politics, scandal and history, this year’s dinner and river cruise will give you a chance to see the Jefferson Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument and, of course, the Watergate Hotel. Hosted by Discovery Channel and Science Channel, the evening promises to be a memorable night of sightseeing, live music and dancing.

THURSDAY, NOV. 29

07:45 am - 08:45 am
Breakfast with Discovery Channel/EPI
Gallery

Join the decision makers from Discovery Channel Canada and its production company Exploration Production Inc. (EPI) for an inside look at what’s in development, the year’s greatest successes and an exciting and innovative new production that’s literally out of this world.

Pre-registration required.

Breakfast With… sessions offer members the opportunity to meet with sponsors of WCSFP in a small group setting to learn more about the companies and the work they do.

08:00 am - 08:45 am
Meet PBS
Oriental Ballroom C

Session Producer
Stephanie McArthur, Industry Programs Manager, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival (Canada)

Moderator
Betsy LeBlanc, Director, PBS International (USA)

Speakers
Jeff Bieber, Vice President for National Programming, WETA (USA) Beth Hoppe, VP, General Audience Programming, PBS (USA) Tom Koch, Vice President, PBS Distribution, PBS International (USA) Melanie Wallace, Senior Series Producer, NOVA/WGBH (USA)

08:30 am - 05:00 pm
WCSFP Member Lounge Open
Grand Ballroom A

Sponsored by CCTV

08:30 am - 05:00 pm
Registration and Information Desk Open
Registration and information desk open for pass pickup and general inquires.

08:30 am
Steering Committee Voting Opens
Voting to fill 2013 WCSFP Steering Committee vacancies will open Thursday, November 29 at 8:30 am. A list of candidates will be posted at the Registration and Information Desk and ballots will be distributed to any attending member who intends to vote.

To avoid any voting irregularities, each ballot will be numbered to correspond with the number on the voting member’s pass. Votes can only be cast in the sealed ballot box located at the Registration and Information Desk. Only members attending the conference are allowed to vote.

Voting closes at 10:00 am on Friday, November 30. The ballots are then counted and the result is verified by a Steering Committee representative. Results are announced at the Members Plenary on Friday, November 30.

09:00 am - 10:30 am
International Turf Wars
Oriental Ballrooms A & B

As the big players increasingly try to flex their muscles by commissioning across their global networks, producers have to pitch ideas that can work across many territories. It all makes sense on paper, but in trying to please everyone, do we end up with vanilla programs that satisfy no one? Who’s to say that an idea that works in Poland will or won’t work in India or Brazil? What gets lost in translation along the way? Our speakers give examples of programs they would have liked to, and in some cases did, commission. What they like and what they commission isn’t always the same thing, but that in itself speaks volumes.

Session Producer
Nick Catliff, Managing Director, Lion Television (UK)

Moderator
Patrick Hörl, Founder and Managing Director, Autentic (Germany)

Speakers
Caroline Behar, Head of Documentaries, France 5/Head of Acquisitions, France Télévisions (France) Sarah T. Davies, Vice President of Development, Factual Programming, Discovery Networks International (USA) Walter Köhler, Producer, Terra Mater Factual Studios (Austria) Hamish Mykura, Executive Vice President & Head of International Content, National Geographic Channels International/London Head of Global Development, National Geographic Channel (UK)

09:30 am - 10:30 am
The New New Media
Oriental Ballroom C

In this session we ask you to turn your mobile devices ON! Bring your tablet or phone and discover how a whole new wave of technology is revolutionizing factual and science content from second screen to touch docs.

Session Producer and Moderator
Kirsty Hunter, Managing Director, The Project Factory (UK)

Speakers
Barry Dubin, VP, Content and Finance Systems, Discovery Communications (USA) Neil Shapiro, East Coast Sales Director, Shazam (USA)

09:30 am - 10:30 am
Co-Production Surgeries 1
Hirshhorn Room

Got a funding headache? Struggling to shake off a bad case of budget deficit? Then get yourself an appointment for a WCSFP 2012 co-production surgery. We will diagnose your condition and write you a prescription that will nurse you back to health.

Session Producer
Lilla Hurst, Founder, Lillavision (UK)

Just book a 10-minute appointment at the Registration and Information Desk to see a specialist in the following areas:

Co-Production

Lilla Hurst, Founder, Lillavision (UK)

Distribution

Fiona Crago, General Manager, Head of Acquisitions, Beyond Distribution (UK) Paul Heaney, Founder, TCB Media Rights (UK)

Canadian Treaty Co-Production

Alan Handel, President, Executive Producer, Handel Productions (Canada)

Australian Treaty Co-Production

Mary Ellen Mullane, Investment Manager, Screen Australia (Australia) Andrew Ogilvie, CEO and Executive Producer, Electric Pictures (Australia)

U.S. Channels

Lisa Zeff, Talent Representative, N.S. Bienstock (USA)

U.S. Funds & Foundations

Jeff Bieber, Vice President for National Programming, WETA (USA) Valentine Kass, Deputy Division Director (acting), Division of Research on Learning in Formal and Informal Settings (DRL), National Science Foundation (USA) Karen Kenton, Senior Program Officer, Division of Public Programs, National Endowment for the Humanities (USA)

10:00 am - 10:30 am
Close Encounters of the Funding Kind: Brad Kohlenstein (Science Channel)
Freer Room

Session Producer
Stephanie McArthur, Industry Programs Manager, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival (Canada)

Moderator
Alberta Nokes, Head of Development, Apartment 11 Productions (Canada)

Speaker
Brad Kohlenstein, Senior Director of Development, Science Channel (USA)

10:30 am - 11:00 am
Coffee Break
Join your fellow members for a break with refreshments.

10:59 am - 12:29 pm
Co-Production Surgeries 2
Hirshhorn Room

Session Producer
Lilla Hurst, Founder, Lillavision (UK)

Just book a 10-minute appointment at the Registration and Information Desk to see a specialist in the following areas:

Co-Production

Lilla Hurst, Founder, Lillavision (UK)

Distribution

Fiona Crago, General Manager, Head of Acquisitions, Beyond Distribution (UK) Paul Heaney, Founder, TCB Media Rights (UK)

Canadian Treaty Co-Production

Alan Handel, President, Executive Producer, Handel Productions (Canada)

Australian Treaty Co-Production

Mary Ellen Mullane, Investment Manager, Screen Australia (Australia) Andrew Ogilvie, CEO and Executive Producer, Electric Pictures (Australia)

U.S. Channels

Lisa Zeff, Talent Representative, N.S. Bienstock (USA)

U.S. Funds & Foundations

11:00 am - 11:30 am
Close Encounters of the Funding Kind: Jill Fullerton-Smith & John Hay (Channel 4)
Freer Room

Session Producer
Stephanie McArthur, Industry Programs Manager, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival (Canada)

Moderator
Betsy LeBlanc, Director, PBS International (USA)

Speakers
Jill Fullerton-Smith, Commissioning Editor, Science, Channel 4 (UK) John Hay, Commissioning Editor, Specialist Factual, Channel 4 (UK)

11:00 am - 12:30 pm
Where Did We Go Wrong? Science TV in the Age of Denial
Oriental Ballrooms A & B

Why is it so hard to get a complex, substantive scientific issue on television and into the great public discourse? For example, climate change. How have professional science communicators, despite years of magazines, books, feature films and documentaries, failed to convince a significant portion of the population, including some U.S. presidential candidates, that climate change is real? An eclectic panel of journalists, filmmakers and academics examine the barriers that have prevented television from effectively communicating substantive issues like climate change. What are the elements that can turn a straight-forward science story into one of the most controversial issues of a generation? Are there ways we can work around the barriers that separate our audiences from meaningful understanding and action?

Session Producer/Moderator
Thomas Veltre, Founder, The Really Interesting Picture Company (USA)

Speakers
Sean B. Carroll, Vice President for Science Education, Howard Hughes Medical Institute (USA) Geoff Haines-Stiles, Producer, Director, Writer, Passport to Knowledge/GHSPi (USA) Karina Holden, Commissioning Editor, Science and Natural History, Australian Broadcasting Corporation (Australia) Anne Zeiser, President & CEO, Azure Media (USA)

Sponsored by CBC The Nature of Things

11:00 am - 12:30 pm
Drama Budgets, Mega Ratings, Ideas Wanted - Where’s the Catch?
Oriental Ballroom C

Fully scripted factual drama is the new big thing. The huge success of History Channel’s Hatfields & McCoys has changed everything. Vikings is their next big hitter, and National Geographic’s Killing Lincoln is in the wings. In the UK, Channel 4 and BBC are making fully scripted history. ARTE is also set to go. What accounts for this phenomenal success with audiences, and what does fully scripted mean for the documentary maker? New skills, new players and new demands challenge the demarcation between factual and fictional drama. Where does factual stop and fiction begin? Does the factual drama have unique properties? With big commissions being won by drama companies, what do factual companies have to do to compete? Terrific new opportunities for bigger budgets and bigger audiences are offset by new challenges and challengers. Ultimately—is this just another fad or a seismic shift?

Session Producer
Judy Rymer, Producer & Director, Rymer Childs (Australia)

Moderator
John Smithson, Creative Director, Arrow Media (UK)

Speakers
Catherine Alvaresse, Deputy Director of the Knowledge and Discovery Factual Programming Unit, ARTE France (France) Martin Davidson, Commissioning Editor, History and Business Programming, BBC (UK) Darrell Fetty, Producer, Writer, Actor, President, Jumpstart Productions (USA) Justin Hardy, Creative Director, Hardy Pictures (UK) Rudolph Herzog, Producer/Director (Germany) Julian P. Hobbs, Vice President Development and Programming, History (USA)

11:15 am - 11:45 am
Close Encounters of the Funding Kind: Wen Liu and Yuan Tian (CCTV)
Portrait Room

Session Producer
Stephanie McArthur, Industry Programs Manager, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival (Canada)

Moderator
Anne Pick, Partner and Executive Producer, Real to Reel Productions (Canada)

Speakers
Wen Liu, Managing Director, CCTV Documentary Channel (China) Yuan Tian, Head of International Acquisitions and Co-Production, CCTV Documentary Channel (China)

12:00 pm - 12:30 pm
Close Encounters of the Funding Kind: Suzanne McKenna, Mark Reynolds, Philipp Schmid (BBC Worldwide)
Freer Room

Session Producer
Stephanie McArthur, Industry Programs Manager, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival (Canada)

Moderator
Kylee Ingram, Producer, Elevator Entertainment (Australia)

Speakers
Suzanne McKenna, Head of Science, History & Documentaries, Content & Production, BBC Worldwide (UK) Mark Reynolds, Director of Factual, Content & Production, BBC Worldwide (UK) Philipp Schmid, Co-Production Manager, Factual (Germany & France), Sales and Distribution, BBC Worldwide (UK)

12:30 pm - 02:00 pm
Lunch
Grand Ballrooms B & C

12:45 pm - 01:30 pm
Close Encounters of the Funding Kind: Caroline Behar, Ann Julienne & Thierry Mino (France Télévisions/France 5)
Freer Room

Session Producer
Stephanie McArthur, Industry Programs Manager, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival (Canada)

Moderator
Alberta Nokes, Head of Development, Apartment 11 Productions (Canada)

Speakers
Caroline Behar, Head of Documentaries/Head of Acquisitions, France 5/France Télévisions (France) Ann Julienne, Head of International Development, France Télévisions (France) Thierry Mino, Deputy Head of Documentaries & Acquisitions and International Co-Productions, France Télévisions (France)

01:00 pm - 02:00 pm
Micro Meeting: Chinese Intercontinental Communication Centre (CICC)
Hirshhorn Room

Based in Beijing, CICC is an international media company that was founded in 1994. They are the longest-established co-production documentary company in China. Join the CICC delegation and learn more about their international co-productions, and preview their high quality factual programs showcasing the many faces of China.

Micro Meetings offer members the opportunity to meet with sponsors of WCSFP in a small group setting to learn more about the companies and the work they do.

In addition to hosting a Micro Meeting session during this year’s Congress, CICC will be welcoming members to their viewing suite on Tuesday, November 27, from 12:00 pm-5:00 pm on the Conference level of the Mandarin Oriental

01:00 pm - 01:45 pm
Close Encounters of the Funding Kind: Mary Ellen Iwata (The Weather Channel Companies)
Portrait Room

Session Producer
Stephanie McArthur, Industry Programs Manager, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival (Canada)

Moderator
Anne Pick, Partner and Executive Producer, Real to Reel Productions (Canada)

Speaker
Mary Ellen Iwata, Vice President, Development Of Original Content, The Weather Channel Companies (USA)

01:00 pm - 02:00 pm
Micro Meeting: EBU/CERN
Sackler Room

Is it possible to entertain kids aged eight to 12 with fundamental physics? EUROVISION and CERN are conﬁdent that it is, and plan to work together to co-develop a multiplatform program aimed at fascinating “tweens” about this subject. This session will officially launch the call for ideas, and will outline how CERN and EUROVISION plan to ﬁnancially support idea development.

This session will officially launch the call for ideas, and will outline how CERN and EUROVISION plan to ﬁnancially support idea development. Download

Micro Meetings offer members the opportunity to meet with sponsors of WCSFP in a small group setting to learn more about the companies and the work they do.

01:00 pm - 01:45 pm
Meet National Geographic
Oriental Ballroom C

Session Producer
Stephanie McArthur, Industry Programs Manager, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival (Canada)

Moderator
Barbara Barde, President/Executive Producer, Up Front Entertainment (Canada)

Speaker
Hannah Demidowicz, Commissioning Executive and Head of Programs Europe, National Geographic Channels International (UK) Janet Han Vissering, Senior Vice President, Development and Production WILD, National Geographic Channels International (USA) Charlie Parsons, Vice President, Global Development and Production, National Geographic Channel (USA)

02:00 pm - 03:00 pm
High Noon: Moment of Truth for Historic TV Brands
Oriental Ballrooms A & B

Two powerful sharp-shooters, both at the head of brands with a weighty heritage, face a TV world changing beyond of recognition. In this Wild West world, they reflect on how we got here, the challenges and dangers of the present, and have a guess at who will be left standing when the shooting stops.

Session Producer
Chris Bryson, Executive Producer, Lion Television (USA) Tony Tackaberry, CEO, Lion Television (USA)

Moderator
Richard Bradley, Managing Director, Lion Television (UK)

Speakers
David Lyle, CEO, National Geographic Channels (USA) John Wilson, Senior Vice President & Chief TV Programming Executive, PBS (USA)

02:00 pm - 03:00 pm
Archive is the New Black
Oriental Ballroom C

About 2.6-million viewers in the U.S… 22 per cent of the audience share in France… 4.6-million viewers in the UK. Are these the numbers for the latest historical drama series? Not at all! These are the numbers for archive-based documentary films shown in primetime. Archive-based films are sexy again, and are rating through the roof. Find out the latest on the future of the past and how archive-driven films are getting younger viewers and huge numbers.

Session Producer
Elizabeth Klinck, Visual Researcher, E Klinck Research (Canada)

Moderator
Stephen Hunter, VP of Production and Development, National Geographic Channels International (USA)

Speakers
Dan Chambers, Co-Owner, Blink Films (UK) Frederic Lumiere, Founder, Lumiere Media (USA) Matthew White Owner, Archive-Based Productions (USA)

02:00 pm - 02:30 pm
Close Encounters of the Funding Kind: Lindsay Cowan Dotchison & Ken MacDonald (Discovery Channel Canada)
Freer Room

Session Producer
Stephanie McArthur, Industry Programs Manager, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival (Canada)

Moderator
Hoda Elatawi, Sr. Producer, GAPC Entertainment (Canada)

Speakers
Lindsay Cowan Dotchison, Director of Programming, Discovery Networks (Canada) Ken MacDonald, Vice President, Programming, Discovery Channel (Canada)

02:15 pm - 02:45 pm
Close Encounters of the Funding Kind: Hélène Coldefy (ARTE France)
Portrait Room

Session Producer
Stephanie McArthur, Industry Programs Manager, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival (Canada)

Moderator
Veronica Fury, Producer and Joint Managing Director, Wild Fury (Australia)

Speaker
Hélène Coldefy, Head of Specialist and Factual, ARTE France (France)

02:59 pm - 03:29 pm
Sparks of Inspiration: Marco Tempest
Oriental Ballrooms A & B

Prepare for your jaw to drop. Marco Tempest, Cyber Illusionist and winner of the World Magic Award for Best Contemporary Magic, has invented an entirely new genre combining the latest in camera and augmented reality technology with traditional sleight of hand and human psychology. How might his dazzling techniques, which blend the digital and the real, inspire new thinking about the television experience.

Session Producer:
Lesley Norman, Independent Production Executive (USA)

Moderator
Richard Bradley, Managing Director, Lion Television (UK)

Speaker:
Marco Tempest, Cyber Illusionist, Newmagic Communications

03:00 pm - 03:30 pm
Close Encounters of the Funding Kind: Evan Hadingham (NOVA/WGBH)
Freer Room

Session Producer
Stephanie McArthur, Industry Programs Manager, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival (Canada)

Moderator
Hoda Elatawi, Sr. Producer, GAPC Entertainment (Canada)

Speakers
Evan Hadingham, Senior Science Editor, NOVA/WGBH (USA)

03:30 pm - 04:00 pm
Coffee Break
Join your fellow members for a break with refreshments.

03:59 pm - 04:59 pm
Meet the Unicorns: What the Under 30s are Watching
Oriental Ballroom C

We’ve all heard about them, we all talk about them, but few of us have ever seen them. Yet we’re supposed to make television for them. These are the Unicorns, the 16-24-year-old Young Television Watching Adults. A panel of articulate young adults, who have kept a diary of their media consumption habits the week preceding the Congress, will participate in an open forum where their viewing habits will be meticulously analyzed by a crowd of media professionals. Do they watch scheduled television? If not, why not? Where do they go instead? And what does this tell the commissioners and schedulers who still make programming decisions based on an outmoded notion of ratings?

Session Producer and Moderator
Richard Melman, Managing Director, Spring Films (UK)

Unicorns

Jeremy Diamond (USA) Jacob Fisk (USA) Melissa Mapes, Graduate Student, The George Washington University’s School of Media & Public Affairs (USA) Kevin Olp, Communications and Stakeholder Involvement Coordinator, Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Environmental Justice (USA) Marissa Pavloskis, Executive Assistant, Story House Productions (USA) Eve Richer, Independent (USA) Ben Ross, Producer, Spark Media (USA) Matt Zdancewicz (USA)

Speakers
Thom Beers, CEO, FremantleMedia North America (USA) Dan Chambers, Co-Owner, Blink Films (UK) Dimitri Doganis, Founder/CEO, Raw (USA) Charlie Foley, Animal Planet, Discovery Communications (USA) Cassian Harrison, Commissioning Executive, History, Science & Natural History, BBC (UK) Paul Lewis, President and General Manager, Discovery Channel Canada (Canada) Debbie Myers, General Manager, Executive Vice President of Programming, Science Channel (USA) Kate Quilton, Multiplatform Commissioning Editor, Factual, Channel 4 (UK) Jane Root, CEO, Nutopia (UK) Lili Yuan, Vice President, CICC (China)

04:00 pm - 04:30 pm
Close Encounters of the Funding Kind: Andrew Solomon (ORF)
Freer Room

Session Producer
Stephanie McArthur, Industry Programs Manager, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival (Canada)

Moderator
Veronica Fury, Producer and Joint Managing Director, Wild Fury (Australia)

Speaker
Andrew Solomon, Head of Natural History, History and Science, ORF (Austria)

04:00 pm - 05:00 pm
China: New Home of Factual?
Oriental Ballrooms A & B

China has dedicated documentary channels, audience figures to die for and a will to co-produce serious factual programs of all kinds. More Chinese funders and broadcasters than ever before are seeking international partners. More international producers than ever are beating a path to Beijing and beyond. Can China be serious factual’s knight in shining armour? With tales from both sides of the Great Wall, we try to find out.

Session Producer
Liz McLeod, Executive Producer (UK)

Moderator
Alberta Nokes, Head of Development, Apartment 11 Productions (Canada)

Speakers
Peter Getzels, Director, Producer, Cinematographer, Getzels Gordon (USA) Alan Hayling, Editorial Director, Renegade Pictures (UK) Steve Talley, Independent Writer, Producer, Director (New Zealand) Yuan Tian, Head of International Acquisitions and Co-Production, CCTV Documentary Channel (China) Yuanyuan Wang, Supervising Producer, CICC (China)

Sponsored by CCTV

08:30 am - 02:00 pm
Registration and Information Desk Open
Registration and information desk open for pass pickup and general inquires.

09:15 am - 10:30 am
The Colonies Fight Back
Oriental Ballroom C

The United Kingdom, United States and Holland have ruled the roost on creating and exporting formats around the world, while Australian producers and networks have begged, borrowed (or stolen) formats from overseas. So long, cultural cringe; there’s now a healthy take-up of format sales from down under. One Ozzie program in particular has made waves internationally, as well as sales. Go Back to Where You Came From was voted best factual entertainment show 2012 in Montreux, and also scooped the coveted Golden Rose for best program in 2012. Go Back followed a group of racists on a reverse journey back to the countries from which asylum seekers had chosen to flee. Not only was it the highest rating program of the year, it also trended worldwide on Twitter. Using a reality TV model to address serious issues of contemporary social history was a daring experiment first time round. Going for it a second time was beyond courageous. How do you follow a series that had such an impact, globally as well as nationally, and where you’d assume every aspect of the debate had been covered? Yet the recently aired series two was the highest rating series in SBS’s history. Hear the nail-biting story behind how Go Back 1 and 2 got to air and how the French are embracing some Down Under happiness. Bonne Pioche is currently formatting Making Australia Happy for the French market.

Session Producer
Mary-Ellen Mullane, Investment Manager, Screen Australia (Australia)

Moderator
Sara Ramsden, Commissioning Editor, Specialist Factual, Channel 4 (UK)

Speakers
Michael Cordell, Executive Producer, Cordell Jigsaw Zapruder (Australia) Jennifer Cummins, Producer, Heiress Films (Australia) John Godfrey, Senior Commissioning Editor, Documentaries, SBS (Australia) Emmanuel Priou, Producer, Bonne Pioche Television (France)

09:15 am - 10:30 am
Show Me the Money: New Sources of Funding for Factual Programming
Oriental Ballrooms A & B

While broadcasters demand ever bigger ideas that demonstrate real ambition, budget contributions are static or falling. Compounding the problem, the traditional co-producers have been frightened off by the current trend for character-driven domestic shows which are not of interest to an international audience. So where do you go to find the money to make your show? Who are the new funders willing to fill the gap and how do you get them? Members and industry leaders share their experiences.

Session Producer
Clare Birks, CEO, Oxford Scientific Films (UK)

Moderator
Vivian McGrath, Executive Producer, Redback Productions (China)

Speakers
Richard Bradley, Managing Director, Lion Television (UK) Tom Brisley, Creative Director, Arrow Media (UK) Allison Corn, Lion Television (USA) Tina Dalton, Producer, Company Director, Wild Fury/Absolutely Wild Visuals (Australia) Daryl Karp, Creative Catalyst, Non Executive Director, SBS (Australia) Annette Scheurich, Executive Producer, Marco Polo Film AG (Germany) Nandita Solomon, Producer, Apparat (Malaysia) Adrian Wills, General Manager, Factual, UKTV (UK)

2012 Schedule