Panels on innovation, demand distribution and the future of storytelling, along with headline speakers including Sony Pictures’ Glenn Gainor and award-winning director Rachel Ward, are among the highlights of the CinefestOZ Film Festival’s 2019 Industry Program.

This year’s program has been curated to address and provide solutions to the challenges the screen industry is currently and likely to face in the future, and will see local, national and international guests share their wealth of knowledge and ideas about a range of topics relevant to all sectors of the screen industry.

Glenn Gainor, President of Sony Innovation Studios and Head of Physical Production at Screen Gems, Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group is this year’s keynote speaker.

As President of Sony Innovation Studios, he oversees the state-of-the-art facility housed in a sound stage on the Sony Pictures Studios lot. Sony Innovation Studios features the latest virtual production technology for film, television, gaming and other platforms across Sony companies and the broader industry.

He is also Head of Physical Production for Screen Gems, a label under the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group umbrella which has been involved with several high-grossing movies such as The Intruder, The Perfect Guy, No Good Deed, Think Like a Man, Friends with Benefits, and Obsessed.

Gainor’s keynote address, Embracing Technology as an Empowerment Tool, will explore how filmmakers can have their stories heard by millions through the use of emerging technologies.

As part of his address, Gainor will present the World Premiere of Taste, the film fronting the global launch of Sony’s new Xperia smartphone technology, Cinema Pro “powered by CineAlta” which offers cinema-quality images from a pocket-sized camera. This lean and agile production philosophy empowers filmmakers to gain access to a breadth of exotic and remote locations. Taste is the story of a chef who uses advanced technology to source the sub-molecular essence of the food we eat without harming the environment.

“For me, I was intrigued to join the festival because I have always admired the Australian film market and any chance to see homegrown films with a different perspective is truly a treat for me,” stated Gainor. “It’s important to share the passion of storytelling with other passionate professional and emerging filmmakers.”

Another Industry Program highlight is the Director’s Chair, which provides industry practitioners and festival audiences with the opportunity to meet and hear from one of Australia’s acclaimed feature film directors. This year, Australian Directors’ Guild CEO Kingston Anderson will moderate the Q&A session with CinefestOZ’s 2019 guest of honour and Film Prize Jury Chair Rachel Ward.

Ward will head a jury of esteemed film industry professionals who will determine the winner of the 2019 CinefestOZ $100,000 Film Prize. Her film Palm Beach, starring Bryan Brown, Greta Scacchi, Sam Neill and Richard. E. Grant, which opened the 2019 Sydney Film Festival and releases 8 August, will also screen at CinefestOZ.

Other key participants include Australian Directors’ Guild’s CEO Kingston Anderson and WA Chapter Head Cathy Henkel; Screen Producers Australia’s Melanie Horkan; Screen Australia’s Online Investment Managers Lee Naimo and Alyce Adams; and Māori New Zealand and Pacific filmmakers Kerri Warkia and Kiel Mcnaughton from Brown Sugar Apple Grunt Productions (Waru, Vai, Kāinga).

CinefestOZ CEO Malinda Nixon said the festival prides itself on its Industry Program and the role it plays in the Australian screen industry.

“Over the years, the CinefestOZ Industry Program has yielded amazing networking opportunities for screen practitioners, resulting in several films being made in the South West region in the past six years alone with many more in development.” Nixon said.

“Through the Industry Program, we are proud to provide a platform for aspiring and established filmmakers to come together in a welcoming and creative environment to collaborate on projects and celebrate the incredible achievements of our industry.”

CinefestOZ is supported by the State Government through Tourism WA’s Regional Events Program. Rio Tinto is a proud Premium Partner of CinefestOZ. The festival acknowledges its strong partnership with Screenwest, Western Australia’s screen funding and development agency.

The CinefestOZ Industry Program runs from 29 to 31 August in Busselton, Western Australia. To view the full program and purchase tickets and passes, visit our website via the following link https://cinefestoz.com/festival-program/industry/ or download our app from the App Store or Google Play.

The full CinefestOZ film and event program and ticket sales go live on 26 July.

CinefestOZ 2019 Industry Program Highlights:

Keynote Address by Glenn Gainor: Embracing Technology as an Empowerment Tool
There are many ways filmmakers’ voices can he heard. Gainor will explore how filmmakers can have their stories heard by millions through the use of emerging technologies.
Funding provided by the United States Government

Director’s Chair
The Director’s Chair provides industry practitioners and festival audiences with the opportunity to meet and hear from one of Australia’s acclaimed feature film directors. ADG CEO Kingston Anderson will moderate the Q&A session with our guest of honour for this year, Rachel Ward.

SPA Breakfast Briefing
Join Melanie Horkan from Screen Producers Australia for an in conversation with CinefestOZ keynote speaker Glenn Gainor at the SPA Breakfast Briefing. The discussion will cover a range of topics from the importance of sustainable storytelling, to what it takes to make a Hollywood studio movie compared to local market films.

New Platforms Panel
SVOD, OTT and emerging platforms are changing the media and entertainment landscape from how content is commissioned to production processes and distribution. In this session presented by Screenwest, hear from the decision makers from the new platforms about the current state of the industry, new trends and content commissioning.

Brown Sugar Apple Grunt Presentation
Presented by Screenwest.
Māori and Pacific New Zealand filmmakers Kerry Warkia and Kiel McNaughton from Brown Sugar Apple Grunt talk about their experience producing Waru, Vai, and the last film of the trilogy Kāinga. The dynamic team present on their unique production methodology processes developing and creating the portmanteau films and discuss the secret to their success.

Filming in WA Workshop
This workshop explores the results and future of the Western Australian Film Fund, combined with information about Screenwest’s film friendly program. The event will be presented and hosted by Screenwest Production Attraction and Services Co-ordinator Gabrielle Cole and Screenwest Head of Strategic Projects and Screen Investment Matthew Horrocks.

2019 Cinefestoz Industry Program Revealed 1