JASON BLUM - THE INNOVATION KEYNOTE

Jason Blum, founder of Blumhouse Productions, is a three-time Academy Award®-nominated, two-time Primetime Emmy Award-winning and a two-time Peabody Award-winning producer. In film, Blum has produced the lucrative, iconic, genre franchises like HALLOWEEN,PARANORMAL ACTIVITY, and THE PURGE as well as acclaimed hits GET OUT, BLACKKKLANSMAN and WHIPLASH.

Blumhouse Productions pioneering approach to filmmaking and prevailing commitment to innovation aligns with Future of Film’s mission to highlight the trailblazers that are dismantling the traditional forms of storytelling and forging new paths. We are delighted that Jason will be opening this year’s programme with his Innovation Keynote speech.

EFFIE T BROWN: THE REIMAGINE KEYNOTE

Effie T. Brown is an award-winning producer and CEO of Gamechanger Films, which launched in 2013 as the first film fund for women filmmakers and now under Brown’s leadership includes projects by and about people of colour, LGBTQ+ and people with disabilities as well as its expansion into television and digital content.

Effie joins Future of Film Summit for a special keynote conversation about her career, diverse storytelling and a reimagined future of film.

IN CONVERSATION: JIM LEBRECHT & NICOLE NEWNHAM

Filmmakers Jim LeBrecht and Nicole Newnham discuss their creative partnership and the making of the pioneering feature documentary, CRIP CAMP.

FEMALE FILM FOUNDERS

In Partnership with Creative England’s Female Founders Programme, the session features innovative female business leaders addressing the challenges film faces right now. In an open and collaborative discussion, the founders will discuss their experience in the role, the industry opportunities that they are addressing and their aspirations for the film's future.

DIVERSIFY, PIVOT, INNOVATE: NEW STRATEGIES FOR STORYTELLERS

In a world where definitions of film and storytelling are increasingly blurred, how are entrepreneurial creators adapting and innovating to get work made and seen? Our panel of trailblazing filmmakers and producers share the strategies they are successfully using to drive forward their careers, businesses and art - and discuss what it means to be a film storyteller in 2020.

FILM’S FUTURE IS SUSTAINABILITY

Film’s future is dependent on its sustainability. But what does this simple statement look like in practice? What are the steps we can each right take and how might new technologies help us achieve this? And looking beyond our own productions, can film itself become more of an agent of change in the world? Our expert panelists discuss the opportunities and challenges in achieving a sustainable future for film.

WHERE NEXT FOR DISTRIBUTION?

Already seismic changes in the media landscape and resulting audience behaviour have been accelerated by the pandemic - so is it now time to create a new blueprint for film distribution? This ambitious session will feature leaders in distribution and production collectively exploring new possibilities for how to reach audiences, maximise revenue and release films in a post-pandemic, post-streaming world.

DOES CINEMA NEED TO REINVENT ITSELF?

As the global cinema industry continues to reel from the impact of Covid-19, the role of the big screen communal experience has been called into question like never before. Whilst many believe cinema will bounce back from this setback, serious concerns persist around how consumer behaviour and distribution patterns are being permanently and fundamentally altered.

Looking to the future, are there new approaches exhibition can adopt to maintain its cultural and economic relevancy and vitality? Our panel will explore how innovative cinema operators are adjusting to the new ‘new normal’ as well as new strategies that can transform the business and user experience. And if cinema does need to reinvent itself - then how?

JOHN GAETA AND KIM LIBRERI: THE STORYTELLING KEYNOTE

Relentless innovators, storytellers and inventors, John Gaeta and Kim Libreri have been breaking ground at the forefront of innovation in film now for over two decades. The pair famously collaborated in inventing and delivering the groundbreaking, Academy Award® winning visual effects on THE MATRIX, pioneering the now legendary ‘bullet time’ technology and sequences. Refusing to let this formative work define them, John and Kim went on to accumulate credits across over 40 films as they continued to invent and develop new approaches to film and visual storytelling. Kim then brought his vast film experience to Epic Games in the role of Chief Technology Officer, where he is driving the uptake of Unreal Engine as the platform for film and entertainment creation on projects such as THE MANDALORIAN. Pursuing his interest in the emerging space of XR and immersive storytelling, John meanwhile co-founded ILMxLab and then joined Magic Leap as SVP Creative Strategy. Now in 2020, Future of Film is honoured to reunite these innovators and colleagues for a very special conversation on the past, present and future of their work - and a journey to new horizons in film storytelling.

DIRECTION OF TRAVEL: BACK-PROJECTING VINTAGE LA FOR DAVID FINCHER'S 'MANK'

Presented by Simon Carr, VFX Supervisor at Territory Studio with an introduction by Peter Mavromates, Co-Producer of 'Mank'

Territory Studios’ VFX Supervisor Simon Carr and Mank Co-Producer Peter Mavromates consider the creative and technical reasons behind the decision to shoot with LED back-projection for David Fincher’s epic biopic ‘Mank’; and how that led to Territory embarking on a CG backlot build of Wilshire Boulevard from 1934, using the latest technology to take a journey back in time. Asking is this the way forward? The new direction of travel? And will green screen car interiors soon be a thing of the past?

THE REALTIME REVOLUTION OF THE CREATIVE PROCESS

Disney and Lucasfilm's THE MANDALORIAN showcased the possibilities of in-camera visual effects and virtual production, powered by Unreal Engine and an LED volume. Yet these advances require a different approach to not just to how visual effects are deployed but potentially the entire process of filmmaking. Does this change the roles of the crafts and the way these teams work together? Are these an improvement to the historic models and as an industry, what needs to happen to fully embrace this way of working? Our panel of experts discuss this and also whether this type of production process may provide a way for film to become both safe and more sustainable in a post pandemic world.

HYBRID IMMERSIVE FILM EXPERIENCES WITH 5G AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES

If a global pandemic can teach us one thing, it's that traditional ways of doing things can always be upended. The "future of film" is no exception. If it's taught us another, it's that technology solutions can be accelerated to accommodate new normals. Again, the "future of film" is no exception. What were once manual and standardized processes for the capture, processing, distribution, consumption, and engagement of content are now being rethought in radical new ways. The timely arrival of 5G and its awakening of supporting technologies like motion and volumetric capture, extended reality, and edge computing are unlocking new opportunities for filmmakers to be creative and engage with their audiences. This includes content captured from unlikely sources and consumed in unimagined ways. Film -- as we think about it today -- has the potential to become a live, immersive experience that lives and grows with its audience. Entertainment will not be exempt from new hybrid models, and 5G will work with supporting technologies to reimagine how we think about immersive hybrid media entertainment -- including traditional film. Join Sarah Gilarsky and Joshua Ness from Verizon and learn how these emerging technologies are driving new partnerships and new ways of connecting content creators with audiences who are ready for what's coming next.

INTERACTIVE FILMMAKING GOES TO THE NEXT LEVEL

Across multiple forms and genres, storytellers are pushing the boundaries of film and games to bring about new types of art, entertainment and experience. This session will explore the commercial and creative opportunities of interactive filmmaking and how it is being used by storytellers in different ways and in different forms. We also explore the range of models, styles and business cases for interactive film with the pioneers who are developing new workflows and techniques that place the audience in control.

HOW I REINVENTED MY FILMMAKING WITH VIRTUAL PRODUCTION // HAZ DULULL

Hasraf ‘HaZ' Dulull started his career in Visual Effects for Film and TV, before transitioning to directing and producing with his breakout sci-fi indie feature film - THE BEYOND. His second feature film 2036: ORIGIN UNKNOWN, earned a limited theatrical release in the US before landing on Netflix.

HaZ talks us through his journey into realtime filmmaking, covering his career from ‘pitchvis’ to animated pilot, to animated feature and then to live action virtual production, revealing the tools, techniques and strategies that have helped make 2020 a pivotal year in his storytelling career.

DEMOCRATISING VIRTUAL PRODUCTION

Virtual Production, or ‘realtime filmmaking’ has the potential to democratise filmmaking in new and unprecedented ways. Beyond high profile projects such as THE LION KING and THE MANDALORIAN, how are filmmakers utilising virtual production to create their work? And if we are indeed on the brink of a new era of democratised filmmaking, what is needed to make this happen and what might it mean for the industry?

KIM LIBRERI & JOHN GAETA Q&A

Academy-award winning designer John Gaeta and Epic Games CTO Kim Libreri return to answer questions from the audience and Future of Film Founder Alex Stolz

ARE BRANDS THE FUTURE OF FUNDING?

As forward-thinking marketers increasingly look to film to share their message, we explore the latest ways in which brands and storytellers are working together. How does this relationship work creatively and financially, and what are brands looking for when they engage with filmmakers? Our expert panel reveals how these partnerships come about, how funding decisions get made and, in a rapidly transforming media landscape, whether brands really are the future of film funding.

THE ART AND SCIENCE OF BUILDING STORY WORLDS

With the increasing fragmentation of channels available for storytelling, the benefits of worldbuilding (developing the ‘storyworld’ before or alongside the story itself) are becoming evident for creators, as a way to build IP and tell stories across multiple platforms. Yet how does this process work in practice and is it ap[plicable to all projects and all budget sizes? Join our panel of expert worldbuilders, as we journey to new horizons, where science, creativity and collaboration converge offering new possibilities for storytelling.