2013 Schedule
TUESDAY, DEC. 3
10:00 am
Steering Committee Nominations Open On-Site
Nominations for the Steering Committee are handed in to the Registration and Information Desk beginning Tuesday, December 3, at 10:00 am. Nominations for the Steering Committee can be submitted up until the deadline of 6:30 pm on Wednesday, December 4. Nomination forms are available at the Registration and Information Desk. Completed forms must be submitted to the box provided.
10:00 am - 06:30 pm
Registration and Information Desk Open
Registration and information desk open for pass pickup and general inquires.
12:30 pm - 05:30 pm
WCSFP Member Lounge
Fortifications Ballroom
01:00 pm - 02:00 pm
The Idiot’s Guide to Treaty Co-Production with Canada
Ville-Marie Room
Learn the ins and outs of treaty co-production with Canada. Canada has co-production treaties with many countries, though none with the USA. Seasoned producers will show you how to negotiate your way through funding opportunities, regulations and tax breaks.
Session Producer/Moderator
Josette D. Normandeau, President, Ideacom international/Zenith ABC (Canada)
Speakers
Dagmar Biller, Producer/CEO, TANGRAM International GmbH (Germany)
Chris Hilton, CEO & Executive Producer, Essential Media and Entertainment (Australia)
Justine Kershaw, Co-Owner, Blink Films (UK)
John Kuyk, President, CMJ Productions II Inc. (Canada)
Louis Vaudeville, Producer, CC&C Clarke Costelle & Co (France)
01:00 pm - 02:00 pm
Micro Meeting: Wellcome Trust - Broadcast, Games and Film
Beaver Hall
Fuelling creative minds with expertise, inspiration and funding: You’re invited to join the Trust’s Partnerships Manager, Iain Dodgeon, and Engagement Adviser, Lisa Lazareck, for a short informational session including Q&A outlining the different ways the Trust supports the UK broadcast, games and film 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 their work.
02:00 pm - 03:30 pm
Meet the Canadian Producers
Palais Room
Meet the Canadian Producers allows international producers to pitch their ideas for Canadian and international co-productions to a selection of Canadian producers from Quebec and across the country. Pre-registration required.
Session Producer
Stephanie McArthur, Industry Programs Manager, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival (Canada)
Josette D. Normandeau, President, Ideacom international/Zenith ABC (Canada)
Sponsored by Telefilm Canada
03:30 pm - 04:30 pm
Canadian Broadcaster Landscape
Ville-Marie Room
The Canadian Broadcaster Landscape session gives a snapshot of the rich array of Canadian networks and commissioners in science, history, and factual television. Come learn about and meet the faces behind such broadcasters as Bell Media (Discovery), Blue Ant Media, Canal D, CBC, Corus Entertainment, Knowledge, Shaw Media, Société Radio-Canada, Rogers, Super Channel, Télé-Québec, TV5, and TVO!
Session Producer
Arnie Gelbart, CEO & Executive Producer, Galafilm (Canada)
Moderator
Pat Ferns, President and Executive Producer, Ferns Productions (Canada)
Speakers
Sarah Jane Flynn, Senior Director of Original Factual Content, Shaw Media (Canada)
Jean-Pierre Laurendeau, Canal D (Canada)
Christine Lee, Acquisitions Programmer, TVO (Canada)
Ken MacDonald, Vice President, Programming, Discovery Networks (Canada)
Marcia Martin, SVP Original Content, Blue Ant Media (Canada)
Jean Pelletier, Société Radio-Canada (Canada)
Michel Pelletier, Head of Programming, Explora, Société Radio-Canada (Canada)
Nataline Rodrigues, Director of Original Programming, Rogers Media (Canada)
Mark Starowicz, Executive Director, Documentary Programming, CBC (Canada)
Sponsored by Blue Ant Media
03:30 pm - 05:00 pm
Co-Producing and Funding Cross-Media Projects: A Networking Opportunity
St-Antoine Room
This session introduces producers to the world of co-production financing for web formats, apps, and interactive formats. The presentation will include information on the various funds that finance international cross-media projects, including Wellcome Trust, the National Film Board of Canada, The Bell Fund, MEDIA, and ARTE. It will be followed by informal networking to help producers and financiers meet and discuss possible collaborations.
Session Producer
Christian Beetz, CEO, Gebrüder Beetz Media GmbH (Germany)
Speakers
Catherine Alvaresse, Deputy Director of the Knowledge and Discovery Factual Programming Unit, ARTE France (France)
Wolfgang Bergmann, Managing Director, ARTE Germany/ARTE Coordinator, ZDF (Germany)
Amit Breuer, CEO, Amythos Media Inc. (Canada)
Iain Dodgeon, Creative Partnerships Manager, Wellcome Trust (UK)
Ghassan Fayad, Producer, KNGFU (Canada)
Jasper James, Founder, Screen Glue Ltd. (UK)
Robert Lang, Television and Interactive Creator, Kensington Communications (Canada)
Kay Meseberg, Chef d’Edition ARTE Future, ARTE G.E.I.E. (France) Simon Nasht, Filmmaker and Founder, Smith&Nasht (Australia)
Thomas Viner, Executive Producer, Arrow Media (UK)
Thomas Wallner, Owner, DEEP Inc. (Canada)
04:30 pm - 05:30 pm
Getting to Know You
Palais Room
An opportunity for first-timers to meet some of the industry’s most esteemed professionals from around the world, all of whom have been coming to Congress for many years, and for us to meet you.
Session Producer
Margie Bryant, Director/Owner, Serendipity Productions (Australia)
Moderator
Paul Lewis, President and General Manager, Discovery Networks (Canada)
Speakers
Jonathan Hewes, Head of International, Wall to Wall (UK)
Stephen Hunter, VP of Production and Development, National Geographic Channels International (USA)
Ann Julienne, Head of International Development, France Télévisions (France)
Joseph Maxwell, Commissioning Editor, SBS (Australia)
Michael McMahon, President and Executive Producer, Primitive Entertainment Inc. (Canada)
Gillian Mosely, Producer, medialab (UK)
Sonya Pemberton, Creative Director, Genepool Productions (Australia)
Annette Scheurich, Executive Producer, Marco Polo Film AG (Germany)
05:30 pm - 06:30 pm
Happy Hour
Member Lounge - Fortifications Ballroom
Stop by for a drink and mingle with friends and colleagues.
Sponsored by Tangled Bank Studios
07:00 pm - 09:30 pm
Welcome Cocktail: Fête de Montréal
Ruelle des Fortifications | 747 Victoria Square, located in the World Trade Centre Montréal
Open bar.
Join us in this historic laneway for a festive feast fit for friends. Once a part of Montreal’s old fortified city, Ruelle des Fortifications still brims with the old world charm of cobblestones, lanterns, soaring ceilings and the fountain of Amphitrite. With local brews and well-known Montreal delectables, this is the fête where you’ll want to sample famed Montreal offerings like Schwartz’s smoked meat, regional cheeses, poutine and much more.
Sponsored by Discovery Canada and Exploration Production Inc.
10:00 pm
WCSFP Nightcap
Reporter Lounge, 3rd Floor
Continue your conversations over drinks in the private bar reserved for WCSFP members.
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 4
12:30 am - 05:00 am
Insomnia
It’s midnight and you can’t sleep. Blame the jet lag, but even in normal life about one in three people in the developed world are insomniacs.
Why not make an appointment with A Journal of Insomnia, a highly acclaimed web-based interactive documentary from the National Film Board of Canada, world pioneers in the digital media and interactive space. It’s a unique nocturnal online experience that breaks the silence around the distressing condition of insomnia, gathering the intimate stories of insomniacs from around the world. A Journal of Insomnia takes a very human look at this phenomenon, exploring it through the perspectives of people who suffer from insomnia and share their intimate experiences while in the grip of sleeplessness.
Visit nfb.ca/insomnia ,to make an appointment with one of the four main protagonists—real-life insomniacs Tina, Fathia, Francis and Sarah. You will get a phone call when it’s your turn to experience insomnia from the point of view of your chosen character, and you will be invited to add your own experiences of sleeplessness to the thousands of others who have already contributed to the journal.
08:30 am - 06:30 pm
Registration and Information Desk Open
Registration and information desk open for pass pickup and general inquires.
09:00 am - 05:30 pm
WCSFP Member Lounge
Fortifications Ballroom
09:15 am - 11:00 am
Bienvenue and What’s the Buzz
Montreal Ballroom
2013 saw the triumph of the nerds. From the God particle to the Giant Squid, the workings of the human brain to what’s in a can of coke, audiences are saying said “Yes” to science. They’re also saying “Yes” to history, to timeless topics told with a new twist and iconic battles recreated in real time. Bring on the live stunts, the cross-platform events, the glossy dramas, the tricks and the pranks, and add some sex for good measure. It’s all about playing with shape and form, yet nothing beats a good story—and this is a year when some great ones have broken through.
Session Producer
Emily Dalton, Creative Director, Darlow Smithson Productions (UK)
Iain Riddick, Head of Special Projects and Digital Media, Darlow Smithson Productions (UK)
Moderators
Richard Bradley, Managing Director, Lion Television (UK)
Beth Hoppe, Chief Programming Executive and General Manager, General Audience Programming, PBS (USA)
Sponsored by Discovery Canada and Exploration Production Inc.
11:00 am - 11:30 am
Coffee Break
Outside Member Lounge
Join your fellow members for a break with refreshments.
11:30 am - 12:30 pm
Little Gems
Ville-Marie Room
A celebration and examination of factual programs and films that succeeded, sometimes against all odds. Filmmakers have seven minutes to show a clip and discuss why their program broke through creatively or financially. Little Gems features members that are not usually in the limelight, who have been nominated by commissioners, distributors or fellow producers.
Session Producers
Fabrice Esteve, Producer, Yuzu Productions (France)
Anne Pick, Producer, Real to Reel Productions Inc. (Canada)
Moderators
Ann Julienne, Head of International Development, France Télévisions (France)
Fabrice Esteve, Producer, Yuzu Productions (France)
Little Gems
The Boffin, the Builder and the Bombardier (Australia) Producer: Bearcage/Concannon TV | Broadcaster: ABC Speakers: Michael Tear (Bearcage) and Harriet Pike (Bearcage)
Songs of War (Germany) Producer: a&o buero | Broadcaster: ZDF/ARTE Speaker: Tristan Chytroschek (a&o buero)
Shackleton’s Captain (New Zealand, Germany) Producer: Making Movies and Gebrüder Beetz Media GmbH | Broadcaster: TVNZ and Arte Speakers: James Heyward (Making Movies) and Christian Beetz (Gebrüder Beetz Media GmbH)
The Grammar of Happiness (Australia) Producer: Essential Media | Broadcaster: Smithsonian Networks and Arte Speakers: Randall Wood (Global Story) and Chris Hilton (Essential Media)
Man’s First War (Sweden) Producer: Deep Sea Productions | Broadcaster: SVT Speakers: Malcolm Dixelius (Deep Sea Productions) and Anna Schytt (SVT)
Atanasoff: Father of the Computer (Canada) Producer: Eyesteel Films | Broadcaster: History Channel, SBS Speaker: Mila Aung-Thwin (Eyesteel Films)
11:30 am - 12:00 pm
Close Encounters of the Funding Kind: Nina Tuominen (YLE)
Viger 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 at the Registration and Information Desk one hour before the start time of each Close Encounters session.
Session Producer
Dorota Lech, Coordinator, WCSFP/Industry Programmer, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival (Canada)
Speaker
Nina Tuominen, Acquisition Executive, YLE (Finland)
11:30 am - 12:30 pm
PARTICLE FEVER: The Pitch and Making Of
St-Antoine Room
Called “a mind blower,” by The New York Times and “a brilliant documentary,” by The Telegraph, Particle Fever follows six physicists from the scheduled start up of CERN’s Large Hadron Collider to the discovery of the elusive Higgs boson, or “God particle”, the infinitesimal, hitherto hypothetical cornerstone of the whole field of particle physics, and a key ingredient in the creation of the universe. Physicist turned filmmaker Mark Levinson and producer and physicist David Kaplan talk about the making of Particle Fever and how they attracted angel investors to support a film in which the main character might never materialize.
Session Producer
Larkin McPhee, President, Larkin McPhee Productions, LLC (USA)
Moderator
Steve Burns, Executive Producer, WNET- PBS/Managing Director and Producer, Roller Coaster Road Production (USA)
Speakers
David Kaplan, Producer, Particle Fever/Professor, Johns Hopkins University/Managing Partner, PF Productions (USA)
Mark Levinson, Director and Producer, Particle Fever/Managing Partner, PF Productions (USA)
Sponsored by Tangled Bank Studios
11:45 am - 12:15 pm
Close Encounters of the Funding Kind: Joseph Maxwell and Jane Roscoe (SBS)
Ramezay 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 at the Registration and Information Desk one hour before the start time of each Close Encounters session.
Session Producer
Dorota Lech, Coordinator, WCSFP/Industry Programmer, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival (Canada)
Speakers
Joseph Maxwell, Commissioning Editor, SBS (Australia)
Jane Roscoe, Head Of International Content, SBS (UK)
12:30 pm - 02:00 pm
Lunch
Montreal Ballroom
Join your fellow members for lunch overlooking beautiful Montreal.
Sponsored by Discovery Canada and Exploration Production Inc.
12:30 pm - 01:15 pm
Close Encounters of the Funding Kind: Caroline Behar, Ann Julienne, Thierry Mino and Perrine Poubeau (France Télévisions/France 5)
Viger 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 at the Registration and Information Desk one hour before the start time of each Close Encounters session.
Session Producer
Dorota Lech, Coordinator, WCSFP/Industry Programmer, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival (Canada)
Speakers
Caroline Behar, Head of Documentaries, France 5/Head of Acquisitions, 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)
Perrine Poubeau, Commissioning Editor, Acquisitions and International Co-Productions, France Télévisions (France)
01:00 pm - 01:45 pm
Close Encounters of the Funding Kind: John Hay and Sara Ramsden (Channel 4)
Palais 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 at the Registration and Information Desk one hour before the start time of each Close Encounters session.
Session Producer
Dorota Lech, Coordinator, WCSFP/Industry Programmer, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival (Canada)
Speakers
John Hay, Commissioning Editor, Specialist Factual, Channel 4 (UK)
Sara Ramsden, Commissioning Editor, Science and Natural History, Channel 4 (UK)
01:00 pm - 01:45 pm
Close Encounters of the Funding Kind: Evan Hadingham and Melanie Wallace (NOVA)
Ramezay 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 at the Registration and Information Desk one hour before the start time of each Close Encounters session.
Session Producer
Dorota Lech, Coordinator, WCSFP/Industry Programmer, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival (Canada)
Speakers
Evan Hadingham, Senior Science Editor, NOVA/WGBH TV (USA)
Melanie Wallace, Senior Series Producer, NOVA/WGBH TV (USA)
01:00 pm - 02:00 pm
Lunch With… CCTV9
Beaver Hall
Join the delegation from CCTV9 and have an in-depth look at our new programs and co-production strategies. Learn more about China’s leading documentary channel, especially how flexible we are in working with international producers to create engaging documentary content.
Lunch With… sessions offer members the opportunity to meet with sponsors of WCSFP in a small group setting to learn more about the companies and their work.
02:00 pm - 02:30 pm
Sparks of Inspiration: Margaret Atwood
St-Antoine Room
Margaret Atwood has been called the “Doomsday Machine” and “Queen of the Nerds.” She is Canada’s most famous storyteller and is also an outrageously accomplished literary giant, having won the Booker Prize and countless other awards. Moving with the times, and much to her delight, she has 400,000 followers on Twitter.
She is also the author of a daringly imaginative speculative-fiction trilogy that includes the recently published third installment MaddAddam. Master of the art of using science as a jumping off point for narrative she’s quick to distance herself from genre science fiction writers. Her work is science-based fiction; all the technologies and “biobeings” she writes about already (or could) exist. She brings her readers a provocative, scary and, at times, darkly comic vision of our near future. Come meet the hugely popular creator of the Crakers, pigoons, wolvogs and rakunks.
Margaret Atwood will be signing copies of MaddAddam following this session.
Session Producer
Caroline Underwood, Senior Producer, The Nature of Things, CBC (Canada)
Moderator
Stephen Hunter, VP of Production and Development, National Geographic Channels International (USA)
Speaker
Margaret Atwood, Author (Canada)
Sponsored by Shaw Media
02:45 pm - 03:15 pm
Close Encounters of the Funding Kind: Nick Crowe and Andrew Johnson (Shaw Media)
Palais 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 at the Registration and Information Desk one hour before the start time of each Close Encounters session.
Session Producer
Dorota Lech, Coordinator, WCSFP/Industry Programmer, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival (Canada)
Speakers
Nick Crowe, Director of Original Factual Content, Shaw Media (Canada)
Andrew Johnson, Production Executive, Original Factual Content, Shaw Media (Canada)
02:45 pm - 04:00 pm
Making a Difference
Ville-Marie Room
Surely scientific programming should do more than just entertain and inform? How can we harness the power of television, radio and social media to change the way people, and even governments, think? Can a well-told documentary or TV series really change our thinking, start an international conversation and leave a legacy that extends far beyond the broadcast? How can we increase the effect of the programming we make? After all, isn’t this the reason we all decided to work in television in the first place—to make a difference? Our panelists share their stories of increasing the impact of scientific programming in a brave attempt to make the world a better place.
Session Producer
Nicky Huggett, Head of Development, Rare Day (UK)
Moderator
David Dugan, Chairman, Windfall Films (UK)
Speakers
Elise Andrew, Founder, I Fucking Love Science (UK)
Caroline Behar, Head of Documentaries, France 5/Head of Acquisitions, France Télévisions (France)
Sonya Pemberton, Creative Director, Genepool Productions (Australia)
Michael Rosenfeld, Head of Television and Film, Tangled Bank Studios (USA)
Sponsored by CBC/Radio-Canada, Explora, *Découverte, and The Nature of Things.
02:45 pm - 04:00 pm
Negotiating the New Frontier
St-Antoine Room
YouTube, Netflix, Yahoo!, HULU—everyone can be a broadcaster in the new Wild West, but what kind of factual material is attracting audiences? More importantly, where is the money coming from for these new ventures? What are the budgets like? As a producer, can you make any money from these new digital outlets? Is it possible to retain rights? Who pays? Is it a game worth playing? HULU is already licensing factual content in the USA. Netflix has just commissioned its first original docuseries. Murdoch has invested in Vice. Some WCSFP members are already navigating the waters, notably 360Production’s John Farren with his YouTube channel Head Squeeze. We get to grips with the digital universe to give you answers to all these questions and more.
Session Producer
Clare Birks, CEO, Oxford Scientific Films (UK)
Moderator
Patrick Hörl, Founder and Managing Director, Autentic (Germany)
Speaker
Thobey Campion, VICE Media/Founder and Global Publisher, Motherboard (USA)
Paul Duddridge, Head of Entertainment, TV4 (USA)
John Farren, Creative Director, 360Production (UK)
Tom Lofthouse, VP of Programming and Production, Discovery Digital Networks (USA)
Derek Muller, Creator, Veritasium (Australia)
03:15 pm - 03:45 pm
Close Encounters of the Funding Kind: Mike Kelley and Bill Margol (PBS)
Ramezay 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 at the Registration and Information Desk one hour before the start time of each Close Encounters session.
Session Producer
Dorota Lech, Coordinator, WCSFP/Industry Programmer, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival (Canada)
Speakers
Mike Kelley, Programming Executive and Vice President of Content and Business Affairs, PBS (USA)
Bill Margol, Development and Production, PBS (USA)
03:30 pm - 04:00 pm
Close Encounters of the Funding Kind: Yuko Ito and Jun Urakawa (NHK)
Palais 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 at the Registration and Information Desk one hour before the start time of each Close Encounters session.
Session Producer
Dorota Lech, Coordinator, WCSFP/Industry Programmer, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival (Canada)
Speakers
Yuko Ito, Senior Program Director, Content Marketing Division, NHK (Japan)
Jun Urakawa, Producer, Programming Department, NHK (Japan)
04:00 pm - 04:30 pm
Coffee Break
Outside Member Lounge
Join your fellow members for a break with refreshments.
04:30 pm - 05:30 pm
Speed Dating 1
Grande Place
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 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 & Coordinator, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival (Canada)
04:30 pm - 05:00 pm
Close Encounters of the Funding Kind: Sabine Holzer (Terra Mater)
Viger 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 at the Registration and Information Desk one hour before the start time of each Close Encounters session.
Session Producer
Dorota Lech, Coordinator, WCSFP/Industry Programmer, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival (Canada)
Speaker
Sabine Holzer, Head of TV, Terra Mater Factual Studios (Austria)
04:30 pm - 05:30 pm
Can a NO Turn Into a YES?
St-Antoine Room
Producers get lots of “Nos” from broadcasters. They leave wondering if it was the idea, the sizzle reel, or just them. But can the big “No” turn into a “Yes?”
Yes! But what is the process. What’s the tipping point—the clincher—that makes it happen? Is it a new pitch? A good lunch? Charm? Brute force? How high or low do you have to go? In this session, broadcasters and producers on the panel reveal how minds and fortunes have been change. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll learn to never give up.
We’ll also be taking tweets of anecdotes and commentary.
Session Producers
Philip Armstrong-Dampier, Creative Director, 1212 Productions (UK)
Anne Pick, Real to Reel Productions Inc. (Canada)
Moderator
Simon Nasht, Filmmaker and Founder, Smith&Nasht (Australia)
Speakers
Jonathan Drake, Director, Impossible Pictures Factual (UK)
Sarah Jane Flynn, Senior Director of Original Factual Content, Shaw Media (Canada)
Lilla Hurst, Joint MD, DRIVE (UK)
Guy O’Sullivan, President, Proper Television (Canada)
Charlie Parsons, Vice President, Development, National Geographic Channel (USA)
Simon Raikes, Commissioning Editor, Factual, Channel 5 (UK)
Joan Úbeda Carulla, Producer, Media 3.14 (Spain)
Melanie Wallace, Senior Series Producer, NOVA/WGBH TV (USA)
Sponsored by Sunny Side of the Doc
04:30 pm - 05:30 pm
I Fucking Love Science… Comes to Congress
Ville-Marie Room
I Fucking Love Science began as a modest Facebook page, a way for founder Elise Andrew to share bizarre facts and cool pictures with a few friends. Now with millions of followers, Elise has branched out into live entertainment, pulling crowds to watch live science in cities all over the world. Tonight—live from a seminar room near you— in a co-production with Discovery Canada’s Daily Planet, we bring you the most outrageous, bizarre, fun, quirky, exciting and wild science enthusiasts in the business today! Think live cabaret on science themes. This new generation of science communicators is spreading the word that geek is cool and science is freaking awesome!
Session Producer
Riley Nimens, Associate Producer, Daily Planet, Discovery (Canada)
Moderators
Elise Andrew, Founder, I Fucking Love Science (UK)
Ziya Tong, Co-Host, Daily Planet, Discovery (Canada)
Speakers
Timothy Blais, Creator, A Capella Science (Canada)
Carin Bondar, Biologist, Writer, Science Communicator (Canada)
Sarah Chow, PhD, Scientist, Researcher, Producer, Host and Comedian (Canada)
Derek Muller, Creator, Veritasium (Australia)
Sponsored by Discovery Canada and Exploration Production Inc.
04:45 pm - 05:15 pm
Close Encounters of the Funding Kind: Paul Duddridge (HULU Network TV4)
Ramezay 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 at the Registration and Information Desk one hour before the start time of each Close Encounters session.
Session Producer
Dorota Lech, Coordinator, WCSFP/Industry Programmer, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival (Canada)
Speaker
Paul Duddridge, Head of Entertainment, TV4 (USA)
05:00 pm - 05:30 pm
Close Encounters of the Funding Kind: Hannah Demidowicz and Ed Sayer (National Geographic Channel/NGCI)
Palais 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 at the Registration and Information Desk one hour before the start time of each Close Encounters session.
Session Producer
Dorota Lech, Coordinator, WCSFP/Industry Programmer, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival (Canada)
Speakers
Hannah Demidowicz, Commissioning Executive and Head Of Programmes Europe, National Geographic Channels International (UK)
Ed Sayer, Panelist, Commissioning Editor, National Geographic Channels International (UK)
05:30 pm - 06:30 pm
Happy Hour
Reporter Lounge, 3rd Floor
Stop by for a drink and mingle with friends and colleagues.
Sponsored by Sunny Side of the Doc
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, December 4. Nomination forms are available at the Registration and Information Desk. Completed forms must be submitted to the box provided.
07:00 pm - 11:30 pm
A Lively Affair: Dinner, Drinks and Dancing
The Montreal Science Centre | 2 De La Commune Street West
Located in the Old Port of Montreal on the King Edward Pier (intersection St. Laurent & de la Commune Street)
7:00 PM:
Doors open
7:30 PM:
Dinner served
Embrace the magnetism of Montreal at this Québécois-inspired dinner. With coveted views of the Montreal skyline, you’ll spend the evening in conversations with the best and brightest. Following dinner, the dance floor will come alive; so whether your signature move is the Hustle, the Jitterbug, the Robot, the Sprinkler, or the Running Man, this is your chance to dance the night away.
Open bar.
Ticketed event. Ticket pick up available at Registration and Information Desk between 4:00 – 6:00 pm on Wednesday, December 4. Seating is first come, first served—please arrive early.
Please Note: We are now at capacity for A Lively Affair: Dinner, Drinks and Dancing. For those registering after November 7, your registration will not include a ticket to this event. The price of your registration will be discounted by $50 CAD.
Sponsored by CBC/Radio-Canada, Explora, Découverte, and The Nature of Things.
10:30 pm
WCSFP Nightcap
Reporter Lounge, 3rd Floor
Continue your conversations over drinks in the private bar reserved for WCSFP members.
THURSDAY, DEC. 5
12:30 am - 05:00 am
Insomnia
It’s midnight and you can’t sleep. Blame the jet lag, but even in normal life about one in three people in the developed world are insomniacs.
Why not make an appointment with A Journal of Insomnia, a highly acclaimed web-based interactive documentary from the National Film Board of Canada, world pioneers in the digital media and interactive space. It’s a unique nocturnal online experience that breaks the silence around the distressing condition of insomnia, gathering the intimate stories of insomniacs from around the world. A Journal of Insomnia takes a very human look at this phenomenon, exploring it through the perspectives of people who suffer from insomnia and share their intimate experiences while in the grip of sleeplessness.
Visit nfb.ca/insomnia ,to make an appointment with one of the four main protagonists—real-life insomniacs Tina, Fathia, Francis and Sarah. You will get a phone call when it’s your turn to experience insomnia from the point of view of your chosen character, and you will be invited to add your own experiences of sleeplessness to the thousands of others who have already contributed to the journal.
07:45 am - 08:45 am
Breakfast With… Discovery Canada and Exploration Production Inc.
Beaver Hall
An exclusive insight into Discovery Canada’s latest strategies from the program team who make all the decisions. Get a sneak peak at the latest commissions. Find out the latest in development and production at Discovery Canada’s production company. See what’s hot and selling around the world. Not to be missed! 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 their work.
08:30 am
Steering Committee Voting Opens
Voting to fill 2014 WCSFP Steering Committee vacancies will open Thursday, December 5, 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, December 6. The ballots are then counted and the result is verified by a Steering Committee representative. Results are announced at the Members Plenary on Friday, December 6.
08:30 am - 06:30 pm
Registration and Information Desk Open
Registration and information desk open for pass pickup and general inquires.
09:00 am - 10:30 am
Co-Production Surgeries 1
Palais Room
Got a funding headache? Struggling to shake off a bad case of budget deficit? Then get yourself an appointment for a WCSFP 2013 co-production surgery. We will diagnose your condition and write you a prescription that will nurse you back to health. Just book a 10 minute appointment at the Registration and Information Desk to see a specialist.
Session Producer
Lilla Hurst, Joint MD, DRIVE (UK)
Australian Treaty Co-Production
Brian Beaton, Executive Producer, Artemis International (Australia)
Canadian Treaty Co-Production
Elliott Halpern, President, YAP Films (Canada)
Co-Production
Lilla Hurst, Joint MD, DRIVE (UK)
Distribution
Georgina Eyre, Head of Acquisitions, Off the Fence (Netherlands)
Caitlin Meek-O’Connor, Acquisitions Manager, Factual & Factual Entertainment, DRG (UK)
Kickstarter
Harriet Gordon Getzels, Producer, Director, Writer, Getzels Gordon Productions (USA)
U.S. Funds & Foundations
Peter Hamilton, Managing Director, DocumentaryTelevision.com (USA)
09:00 am - 05:30 pm
WCSFP Member Lounge
Fortifications Ballroom
09:00 am - 10:30 am
Stunts, Fakes and Manipulation—Is This What it Takes to Win Ratings?
Ville-Marie Room
Adopting the style of an Oxford Union debate, two teams of three will tough out the most contentious issue in the factual landscape. Before an audience that will be asked to participate, adjudicator John Farren will test the premise: “That this house believes that stunts, fakes and manipulation are essential to the delivery of ratings success.”
Is it smart? Is it right? Is it the future?
Come and join us to hear the arguments and have your say in the forum following the debate about a critical new development in the delivery of factual TV.
Session Producer
Judy Rymer, Producer & Director, Rymer Childs (Australia)
Moderator
John Farren, Creative Director, 360Production (UK)
For the Affirmative
Michael Cascio, Television and Programming Executive (USA)
David Glover, Senior Commissioning Editor, Specialist Factual, Channel 4 (UK)
Carsten Oblaender, CEO, Story House Media Group (USA)
For the Negative
Phil Fairclough, EVP Development and Production USA, NHNZ (New Zealand)
Beth Hoppe, Chief Programming Executive and General Manager, General Audience Programming, PBS (USA)
Charles Tisseyre, Host, Découverte, Société Radio-Canada (Canada)
Sponsored by CBC/Radio-Canada, Explora, Découverte, and The Nature of Things.
10:00 am - 10:30 am
Close Encounters of the Funding Kind: Janet Han Vissering (National Geographic Wild)
Viger 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 at the Registration and Information Desk one hour before the start time of each Close Encounters session.
Session Producer
Dorota Lech, Coordinator, WCSFP/Industry Programmer, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival (Canada)
Speaker
Janet Han Vissering, SVP Program Development and Production, National Geographic Wild (USA)
10:30 am - 11:00 am
Coffee Break
Outside Member Lounge
Join your fellow members for a break with refreshments.
11:00 am - 12:30 pm
Cross-Platform Storytelling: The New Paradigm
St-Antoine Room
This session features some of the most exciting projects using cross-platform storytelling to expand the ways in which broadcast television communicates stories. From live events and history-as-it-happens to intriguing scientific journeys, we’ll showcase the projects that push the boundaries and ask, “Where can we go next?” It’s a must for anyone who wants to integrate multi-platform into projects, to reach new audiences, and create longer and deeper engagement.
Session Producer
Thomas Viner, Executive Producer, Arrow Media (UK)
Moderator
Sara Ramsden, Commissioning Editor, Science and Natural History, Channel 4 (UK)
Speakers
Catherine Alvaresse, Deputy Director of the Knowledge and Discovery Factual Programming Unit, ARTE France (France)
Ian Duncan, Company Director, Windfall Films (UK)
John Hay, Commissioning Editor, Specialist Factual, Channel 4 (UK)
Josette D. Normandeau, President, Ideacom international/Zenith ABC (Canada)
Kate Quilton, Multiplatform Commissioning Editor, Factual, Channel 4 (UK)
Claudia Schreiner, Head of Programme, Culture and Science, MDR/ARD (Germany)
Howard Swartz, Vice President, Development and Production, Discovery Channel (USA)
Sponsored by Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund
11:00 am - 12:30 pm
Crossing Borders—The Price is Right?
Ville-Marie Room
What do commissioners from around the world want? What will they pay and what are the challenges of international co-production? Versions. Editorial input. What types of ideas successfully cross borders?
BUT this isn’t just another co-production session. This game show session is packed with fun, music, and surprises that will make contestants earn every piece of information they glean in a series of competitive rounds you won’t want to miss.
Session Producers
Alan Handel, President, Executive Producer, Handel Productions Inc. (Canada)
Gillian Mosely, Producer, medialab (UK)
Host - Bob Barker
Carl Hall, Warehouse 51 Productions Ltd. (UK)
Vanna White
Jane Root, CEO, Nutopia (UK)
Speakers
Paula S. Apsell, Senior Executive Producer, NOVA/Director, Science Unit, WGBH (USA)
Caroline Behar, Head of Documentaries, France 5/Head of Acquisitions, France Télévisions (France)
Martin Davidson, Commissioning Editor, History and Business Programming, BBC (UK)
Edwina Follows, Director, Commissioning and Production, Discovery Networks (Canada)
Marita Hübinger, Commissioning Editor and Head, Wissen/ARTE, ZDF (Germany)
Joseph Maxwell, Commissioning Editor, SBS (Australia)
Yuan Tian, Head of International Acquisitions and Co-Production, CCTV9 (China)
Shin Yasuda, Producer, International Co-Production, NHK (Japan)
11:00 am - 12:30 pm
Co-Production Surgeries 2
Palais Room
Got a funding headache? Struggling to shake off a bad case of budget deficit? Then get yourself an appointment for a WCSFP 2013 co-production surgery. We will diagnose your condition and write you a prescription that will nurse you back to health. Just book a 10 minute appointment at the Registration and Information Desk to see a specialist.
Session Producer
Lilla Hurst, Joint MD, DRIVE (UK)
Australian Treaty Co-Production
Brian Beaton, Executive Producer, Artemis International (Australia)
Canadian Treaty Co-Production
Elliott Halpern, President, YAP Films (Canada)
Co-Production
Lilla Hurst, Joint MD, DRIVE (UK)
Distribution
Georgina Eyre, Head of Acquisitions, Off the Fence (Netherlands)
Caitlin Meek-O’Connor, Acquisitions Manager, Factual & Factual Entertainment, DRG (UK)
Kickstarter
Harriet Gordon Getzels, Producer, Director, Writer, Getzels Gordon Productions (USA)
U.S. Funds & Foundations
Peter Hamilton, Managing Director, DocumentaryTelevision.com (USA)
11:00 am - 11:30 am
Close Encounters of the Funding Kind: Suzanne McKenna and Mark Reynolds (BBC Worldwide)
Viger 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 at the Registration and Information Desk one hour before the start time of each Close Encounters session.
Session Producer
Dorota Lech, Coordinator, WCSFP/Industry Programmer, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival (Canada)
Speakers
Suzanne McKenna, Head of Science, History & Documentaries, Content & Production, BBC Worldwide (UK)
Mark Reynolds, Director of Factual, Content & Production, BBC Worldwide (UK)
12:00 pm - 12:30 pm
Close Encounters of the Funding Kind: Craig Colby (Blue Ant Media)
Viger 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 at the Registration and Information Desk one hour before the start time of each Close Encounters session.
Session Producer
Dorota Lech, Coordinator, WCSFP/Industry Programmer, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival (Canada)
Speaker
Craig Colby, Director of Production, Blue Ant Media (Canada)
12:30 pm - 01:00 pm
Close Encounters of the Funding Kind: Georg Graffe and Natalie Mueller-Elmau (ZDF)
Ramezay 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 at the Registration and Information Desk one hour before the start time of each Close Encounters session.
Session Producer
Dorota Lech, Coordinator, WCSFP/Industry Programmer, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival (Canada)
Speakers
Georg Graffe, Head of Department Terra X, ZDF (Germany)
Natalie Mueller-Elmau, Deputy Managing Director, Culture, History and Science, ZDF (Germany)
12:30 pm - 02:00 pm
Lunch
Montreal Ballroom
Join your fellow members for lunch overlooking beautiful Montreal.
Sponsored by CBC/Radio-Canada, Explora, Découverte, and The Nature of Things.
01:00 pm - 01:45 pm
Close Encounters of the Funding Kind: Sarah T. Davies, Brian Lavin and Howard Swartz (Discovery)
Palais 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 at the Registration and Information Desk one hour before the start time of each Close Encounters session.
Session Producer
Dorota Lech, Coordinator, WCSFP/Industry Programmer, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival (Canada)
Speakers
Sarah T. Davies, Vice President of Production and Development, Factual Programming, Discovery Networks International (USA)
Brian Lavin, Senior Manager, Development, Science Channel (USA)
Howard Swartz, Vice President, Development and Production, Discovery Channel (USA)
01:00 pm - 02:00 pm
Quebec: Ahead of the Curve
Ville-Marie Room
Cirque du Soleil. Arcade Fire. Imax. Quebec is known worldwide as a hub of innovation. In this session, you will meet some of our most cutting-edge producers and talent. They work in gaming, digital/interactive media, television formats and installations. They are using new forms to tell stories, and they are delighted to share their stories and images with you.
Session Producer/Moderator
Ina Fichman, President/Executive Producer, Intuitive Pictures (Canada)
Speakers
Vander Caballero, Creative Director, Minority Media (Canada)
Isabelle Couture, Producer, Alphée des Étoiles, Esperamos Films (Canada)
David Dufresne, Writer/Creator, Fort McMoney, TOXA (Canada)
Christina Fon, Executive Producer, Executive Director Business Affairs, Minority Media (Canada)
Hugo Latulippe, Director/Executive Producer, Alphée des Étoiles, Esperamos Films (Canada)
Stephen Low, Filmmaker, The Stephen Low Company (Canada)
Johanna Marsal, Producer, Moment Factory (Canada)
Dominique Willieme, Producer, NFB (Canada)
Sponsored by SODEC
01:00 pm - 02:00 pm
Lunch With… Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund
Beaver Hall
Meet with the Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund and find out more about how they encourage and fund the creation of excellent Canadian digital media and promote partnerships and sustainable businesses in the broadcast and new media sectors in Canada and internationally.
Lunch With… sessions offer members the opportunity to meet with sponsors of WCSFP in a small group setting to learn more about the companies and their work.
01:15 pm - 02:00 pm
Close Encounters of the Funding Kind: Kathy Davidov and Diana El-Osta (Al Jazeera America)
Ramezay 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 at the Registration and Information Desk one hour before the start time of each Close Encounters session.
Session Producer
Dorota Lech, Coordinator, WCSFP/Industry Programmer, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival (Canada)
Speakers
Kathy Davidov, Senior Executive Producer, Documentaries, Al Jazeera America (USA)
Diana El-Osta, Coordinating Producer of Development, Al Jazeera America Presents (USA)
02:00 pm - 02:45 pm
Sparks of Inspiration: Todd Sampson
St-Antoine Room
So you’ve climbed to the top of Mt. Everest, you run the most creative ad agency in Australia (seventh in the world), you’ve created Earth Hour (the largest environmental movement in history) and you’re a co-host on Australia’s most popular entertainment show, The Gruen Transfer. So what’s next? Well, if you’re Australian-Canadian polymath Todd Sampson, you offer your mind and body for experimentation in ABC TV’s new series Redesign my Brain—immersive science taken to a new level. So immersive in fact that he almost dies. Todd delivers his own unique take on creativity and the critical importance of facing your fear.
Session Producer/Moderator
Karina Holden, Head Of Production and Development, Northern Pictures (Australia)
Speaker
Todd Sampson, CEO, Leo Burnett (Australia)
Sponsored by Shaw Media
03:00 pm - 04:00 pm
More Little Gems
St-Antoine Room
A celebration and examination of factual programs and films that succeeded, sometimes against all odds. Filmmakers have seven minutes to show a clip and discuss why their program broke through creatively or financially. Little Gems features members that are not usually in the limelight, who have been nominated by commissioners, distributors or fellow producers.
Session Producers
Fabrice Esteve, Producer, Yuzu Productions (France)
Anne Pick, Producer, Real to Reel Productions Inc. (Canada)
Moderators
Ann Julienne, Head of International Development, France Télévisions (France)
Fabrice Esteve, Producer, Yuzu Productions (France)
Little Gems
Redesign My Brain (Australia) Producer: Mindful Media | Broadcaster: ABC Speaker: Paul Scott (Mindful Media)
You Shall Die (Denmark) Producer: DR | Broadcaster: DR Speaker: Lars Ronnow Torp (DR)
Paradise On Our Doorstep (France/Germany) Producer: Seppia/Längengrad | Broadcaster: ARTE Speakers: Cédric Bonin (Seppia) and Thomas Weidenbach (Längengrad Filmproduktion GmbH)
The Universe at our Feet (Japan) Producer: NHK | Broadcaster: NHK Speaker: Hiroaki Katayama (NHK)
Things You Need to Know (UK) Producer: 360Production | Broadcaster: BBC/F5 Speaker: Emma Parkins (360Production)
A Fierce Green Fire (USA) Producer: Mark Kitchell | Broadcaster: PBS American Masters Speaker: Louise Rosen (Louise Rosen Ltd.)
03:00 pm - 04:00 pm
Truth or Truthiness: The Challenge of Factually Based Drama
Ville-Marie Room
The Mill (Channel 4 UK), The Challenger (BBC, Science and Discovery Canada), and Killing Lincoln and Killing Kennedy (National Geographic) are just some of the highest rated factual programs of the past year, except that they are …errr…fiction! Or, to be more accurate, they are scripted dramas based on fact. So what, if any, are the ground rules governing a dramatized story that comes from a factual stable? What skills do you bring to bear? And what makes some factual dramas work better than others? In short, how far can you or should you stretch the truth for the sake of a good story?
Session Producer
Josephine Wright, Associate Producer, Genepool Productions (Australia)
Moderator
Jane Root, CEO, Nutopia (UK)
Speaker
James Hawes, Director (UK)
Kelly Masterson, Screenwriter (USA)
Charlie Parsons, Vice President, Development, National Geographic Channel (USA)
03:00 pm - 03:30 pm
Close Encounters of the Funding Kind: Marita Hübinger (ARTE/ZDF)
Palais 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 at the Registration and Information Desk one hour before the start time of each Close Encounters session.
Session Producer
Dorota Lech, Coordinator, WCSFP/Industry Programmer, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival (Canada)
Speaker
Marita Hübinger, Commissioning Editor and Head, Wissen/ARTE, ZDF (Germany)
03:30 pm - 04:00 pm
Close Encounters of the Funding Kind: Andrew Solomon (ORF)
Viger 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 at the Registration and Information Desk one hour before the start time of each Close Encounters session.
Session Producer
Dorota Lech, Coordinator, WCSFP/Industry Programmer, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival (Canada)
Speaker
Andrew Solomon, Head of Natural History and History, ORF (Austria)
04:00 pm - 04:30 pm
Coffee Break
Outside Member Lounge
Join your fellow members for a break with refreshments.
04:30 pm - 05:00 pm
Close Encounters of the Funding Kind: Chris Hoelzl (Smithsonian)
Palais 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 at the Registration and Information Desk one hour before the start time of each Close Encounters session.
Session Producer
Dorota Lech, Coordinator, WCSFP/Industry Programmer, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival (Canada)
Speaker
Chris Hoelzl, Vice President for Program Development, Smithsonian Networks (USA)
04:30 pm - 05:30 pm
Speed Dating 2
Grande Place
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 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 & Coordinator, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival (Canada)
04:30 pm - 05:45 pm
Freeing the Prisoner of the Anniversary
Ville-Marie Room
Culturally significant anniversaries, from JFK’s assassination to the outbreak of World War I, present a real challenge for program-makers. How to be fresh and innovative, and not fall back on cliché? This session will explore a selection of programs that have found new angles on well-worn themes.
Session Producer
Elizabeth Klinck, Visual Researcher and Copyright Clearance Specialist, E Klinck Research (Canada)
Moderator
Ralph Lee, Head of Factual, Channel 4 (UK)
Speakers
Julia Cort, Senior Producer, NOVA (USA)
Martin Davidson, Commissioning Editor, History and Business Programming, BBC (UK)
Naofumi Nakamura, Senior Producer, Special Programs Development Center, NHK (Japan)
Sponsored by PBS International
04:30 pm - 05:45 pm
The Joy of Tech: Innovative Storytelling Through New Technology
St-Antoine Room
It is becoming harder and harder to be surprising as a visual medium, but emerging technology and creative uses of existing technology are breathing new life into science, history and natural history programming. This session features current projects that use completely fresh approaches to storytelling through unprecedented use of advancing technology. We get the inside-track on these ingenious and often visually stunning techniques, explore exactly how they can unravel even the most complex subject areas with ease, and then unpack what these technologies hold for the future in factual programming.
Session Producer
Dan Wan, Assistant Producer, Arrow Media (UK)
Moderator
Phil Fairclough, EVP Development and Production USA, NHNZ (New Zealand)
Speakers
Archie Baron, Creative Director, Wingspan Productions (UK)
Anthony Geffen, CEO and Executive Producer, Atlantic Productions (UK)
Karina Holden, Head Of Production and Development, Northern Pictures (Australia)
Aidan Laverty, Editor, Horizon, BBC (UK)
Ruth Roberts, Head of Development, Atlantic Productions (UK)
Thomas Viner, Executive Producer, Arrow Media (UK)
Sponsored by NHK
04:45 pm - 05:15 pm
Close Encounters of the Funding Kind: Catherine Alvaresse, Marie Beuzard and Hélène Coldefy (ARTE France)
Ramezay 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 at the Registration and Information Desk one hour before the start time of each Close Encounters session.
Session Producer
Dorota Lech, Coordinator, WCSFP/Industry Programmer, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival (Canada)
Speakers
Catherine Alvaresse, Deputy Director of the Knowledge and Discovery Factual Programming Unit, ARTE France (France)
Marie Beuzard, Commissioning Editor, Specialist Factual Department, ARTE France (France)
Hélène Coldefy, Head of Specialist and Factual, ARTE France (France)
05:15 pm - 05:45 pm
Close Encounters of the Funding Kind: Adrian Wills (UKTV)
Viger 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 at the Registration and Information Desk one hour before the start time of each Close Encounters session.
Session Producer
Dorota Lech, Coordinator, WCSFP/Industry Programmer, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival (Canada)
Speaker
Adrian Wills, General Manager, Factual, UKTV (UK)
06:15 pm - 07:15 pm
Sneak Peek: Congress 2014
Member Lounge - Fortifications Ballroom
Enjoy drinks and canapes as we reveal a preview of WCSFP 2014 in Beijing.
Open bar.
Presented in partnership with CCTV9
09:30 pm
Last Hurrah: Battle of the Scoresheets
Montreal Forum – Sports Bar, 4th Floor | 2313 St. Catherine Street West (intersection St. Catherine & Atwater Avenue)
Please use Atwater Avenue entrance.
Strike, spare or champion of the gutter ball? Will you be the winner in the Battle of the Scoresheets? Be inspired by the greats that have played before you. The historic Montreal Forum is most well known as the home of the Montreal Canadiens, but tonight it’ll play host as the venue for “The Great WCSFP Bowling Showdown.”
Presented in partnership with CCTV9
FRIDAY, DEC. 6
12:30 am - 05:00 am
Insomnia
It’s midnight and you can’t sleep. Blame the jet lag, but even in normal life about one in three people in the developed world are insomniacs.
Why not make an appointment with A Journal of Insomnia, a highly acclaimed web-based interactive documentary from the National Film Board of Canada, world pioneers in the digital media and interactive space. It’s a unique nocturnal online experience that breaks the silence around the distressing condition of insomnia, gathering the intimate stories of insomniacs from around the world. A Journal of Insomnia takes a very human look at this phenomenon, exploring it through the perspectives of people who suffer from insomnia and share their intimate experiences while in the grip of sleeplessness.
Visit nfb.ca/insomnia ,to make an appointment with one of the four main protagonists—real-life insomniacs Tina, Fathia, Francis and Sarah. You will get a phone call when it’s your turn to experience insomnia from the point of view of your chosen character, and you will be invited to add your own experiences of sleeplessness to the thousands of others who have already contributed to the journal.
08:00 am - 09:00 am
Breakfast With… CBC/Radio-Canada and Explora
Beaver Hall
Join decision-makers from CBC, SRC and Explora as they discuss their science and environmental programming. There will be highlight presentations from the flagship series The Nature of Things and Découverte. Learn about the series’ biggest successes, hear what’s currently in development, and what’s being commissioned from Canadian independent producers and international partners. 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 their work.
08:30 am - 02:00 pm
Registration and Information Desk Open
Registration and information desk open for pass pickup and general inquires.
09:00 am - 02:00 pm
WCSFP Member Lounge