On September 6th, the Producers' Forum held the second in their trilogy of seminars focusing on the sales, marketing and distribution of feature films at the Electric Cinema in the heart of Birmingham. The event saw around 30 of the West Midlands' leading film making talent hearing from high-profile industry experts about the changing face of film distribution and the various methods which they could adopt in order to keep up in the extremely competitive world of film distribution.
Speakers including Laurence Gornall (Head of Marketing, the Works
Distribution) and Pete Buckingham (Head of Distribution, UK Film Council)
delivered a range of entertaining and thought provoking talks followed by
Q&A sessions giving the delegates the opportunity to gain much sought after
advice.
The event, funded by Urban Fusion, provides local filmmakers with the
opportunity to attend seminars with lineups which could normally only be
found in London, but for a fraction of the price. Indeed, members of the
Forum are able to attend such events completely free of charge. Urban Fusion is proud to support the final event in the trilogy, 'How to Sell a Feature
Film' which will take place on December 6th. We look forward to it!
The Business School is run by experienced industry professionals Carl Clifton (ex. Universal Pictures International) and Tom Strudwick (ex. Metro Goldwyn Mayer).
The training equips producers with crucial non-production business skills such as marketing, sales, distribution and financing. It is anticipated that the impact of such an initiative will lead to at least one regional producer being able to finance and produce their first film.
Forum Manager Tom Norton says “It really is a coup for us to have such high-profile industry figures coming to the region to engage with our local talent. By focusing on areas of development such as sales and marketing, we are hoping to create a generation of market-savvy producers who will become part of a sustainable and flourishing film industry in the West Midlands.”
Ongoing support from Birmingham City Counicl's Urban Fusion programme, along with Business Link, Screen West Midlands and Digital Central, has enabled the Business School to develop.
Film Birmingham Director Suzie Ralph says " Film Birmingham is delighted to be involved in such a positive initiative for Birmingham's film producers. By bringing top industry talent to delivery first-rate training, the Producers Forum are ensuring that our city's film industry continues to go from strength to strength."
To find out more about the West Midlands Producers’ Forum, please visit www.producersforum.org.uk.