The Whistler Film Festival (WFF) has announced the initial lineup and events at its film industry summit, which runs during the main festival from Nov. 29 to Dec. 3.
It launches on Nov. 30 with a day dedicated to crossing borders and the producer's point of view, focusing on how to foster relationships and discover audiences beyond our borders.
International sessions for independent feature films will be explored on Dec. 1; while two days of connection programming culminate in the annual MPPIA Short Film Pitch on day one, and digital and short film content on Day 2 (Dec. 2 and 3).
The lineup includes Howard Barish, executive producer of Kandoo Films; Bill Bromiley, president of Saban Films; Bruce Cowley, senior director at the CBC Documentary Channel; Christina Davila, creative executive at Stage 13/Warner Brothers Digital Network; and Olivia Thomas Steier, original programming executive at Fullscreen.
The WFF summit will also have 25 interactive sessions for fostering business collaborations, connecting filmmakers with film companies and producers.
Panel discussions and keynote speakers will explore finance, marketing, distribution, technology, and export.
Around 1,000 delegates are expected to attend WFF.
"The Whistler Film Festival's Summit has become a must-attend event for Canadian talent looking to expand their intel and network within the industry," said Angie Nolan, WFF's director of industry programming, in a release.
"This is in direct correlation to the high-level executives and creatives who now make Whistler a chosen stop in their fall festival circuit."
For more information, visit www.whistlerfilmfestival.com.
WIFTV-WFF Market Mentor winner named
B.C. filmmaker Shannon Walsh has been named the recipient of the Women in Film and Television-Whistler Film Festival Market Mentorship for her project Unidentified Minor.
The goal of the mentorship is to provide the recipient with experience in preparing her feature film project for market. Shannon will receive industry immersion at WFF, as well as personalized coaching sessions with producer and owner of Synergy Cinema, Robyn Wiener.
Whistler Music Search's week one winner
Whistler-based Australian singer-songwriter Vendulka has won the first round of the 2017 Whistler Music Search.
This week's competitors at the Crystal Lounge on Thursday, Oct. 12 are Paddy Fraine, Georgina Dacheff, Chris Drummond and Julian Price. Performers hit the stage at 9 p.m.
After three weeks of competition, the winners of each round, plus a wildcard, compete in the final on Thursday, Oct. 25.
Audain Art Museum hours extended
The Audain Art Museum is extending its opening hours on Thursdays and Fridays starting Nov. 16, to 7 p.m. This is to run in conjunction with its upcoming exhibition, Stone and Sky: Canada's Mountain Landscape.
For more information, visit www.audainartmuseum.com.
