We’re just 10 days away now from the Directors’ Festival 2016, which takes place at Altitude London on Saturday 16 July. We’ve told you all about the keynote speakers and exciting sessions we’ve got lined up, and now it’s time to reveal the full Festival programme so you can start to plan your day.
As well as all the previously announced panellists, we’re pleased to add director Andrew Lang to the Wonderful World of Commercials session. We can also confirm the moderators for our three headline sessions: Gurinder Chadha will be interviewed by fellow film director Simon Curtis, the Stephen Frears Q&A will be led by Directors UK’s very own Laura Adams, and Mandie Fletcher will face questions from another director who recently brought a much-loved British comedy to the big screen, Oliver Parker. See below for more details of all these sessions.
It’s not too late for Directors UK members to book - login to the website and secure your place now.
| 10.30-11.00: Coffee and pastries available on arrival | |
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11.00-11.50: Gurinder Chadha One of the UK’s most renowned directors, with a career that spans over thirty years, Gurinder Chadha is known for making films that look at the British Asian experience (Bend it Like Beckham, Bride and Prejudice). Her next film Viceroy’s House is due to premiere later this year. In this extended Q&A, fellow director Simon Curtis will ask about her approach to filmmaking and how she directs for the big screen. Session sponsored by Kodak. |
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12.00-13.00: Directing Presenters A good relationship with your presenter is crucial to getting your next job. How do you make sure you’re getting the best out of your presenter and keeping them happy, whether in the studio or on location? How do you direct effectively from the gallery? Steve Smith and Liz Clare share their experiences and tips for directing presenters. And Film... presenter Danny Leigh will also be joining us to talk about the process from the other side of the lens. |
12.00-13.00: Hands on: Virtual Camera Whether on set or location, it can be very difficult to plan your shoot and anticipate your blocking and technical needs. The Third Floor’s Virtual Camera is a device that’s been developed to help you do exactly that. Experience the Virtual Camera for yourself and find out what it can do for your next film at this hands-on session. |
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13.00-14.00: Lunch What do you think a director looks like? Visit the Raising Films table and draw us a filmmaker! |
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14.00-14.50: How Not to Pitch Getting into the room with a commissioner may be the only opportunity you have to convince them your idea for a show is going to work. In this session producer-director Caz Stuart talks to factual entertainment and documentary commissioners Lucy Leveugle (Channel 4), Diene Petterle (BBC) and Derren Lawford (Woodcut Media) about the pitches they have delivered or been subject to that were ill-judged, inappropriate or went very wrong indeed… Make sure you attend this session so that your next pitch doesn’t suffer a similar fate! |
14.00-14.50: Directing Animated Features What is the role of animation supervisor on major animated features? How do you interpret the creative ideas of directors such as Wes Anderson into the characters we see on screen? In this session, Rebecca Manley talks to director Mark Waring about his work and the production process behind stop-motion films like Corpse Bride, Frankenweenie and Fantastic Mr. Fox. |
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15.00-15.50: Post-Production Powertalks What can you do to get the best from colourists, post-production supervisors and music supervisors? Experts in each of these fields - including Marian Briozzo, Pete Lawton and Dado Valentic - will have 10 minutes to tell you about their working process, and explain how you can optimise their time and the money that’s spent on your work during post-production. Moderated by Cath le Couteur. |
15.00-15.50: The Wonderful World of Commercials How do you tell a story that will sell a product in 30 seconds? This extreme short form scenario is the challenge for every commercials director, whether it’s about cars or cat food. Charlie Targett-Adams will talk to directors Kim Gehrig and Andrew Lang, and 1stAveMachine managing director/executive producer Isabella Parish about the campaigns they’ve worked on, how they work with clients and creative agencies, and the scope for creativity that exists in this medium. |
| 16.00-16.30: Tea/coffee break | |
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16.30-17.50: Question Time with Stephen Frears What would you like to ask a director who has over 40 years’ experience in feature films, from My Beautiful Laundrette to Florence Foster Jenkins? This is your opportunity to ask Stephen Frears about his films and how he works. Come armed with your questions. Moderated by Laura Adams. |
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18.00-19.30: Dinner Sponsored by Arri. |
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19.30-21.30: Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie screening + Q&A with Mandie Fletcher Mandie Fletcher talks to Oliver Parker about adapting Absolutely Fabulous for the big screen. |
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22.00: Festival ends Don’t forget to take your Directors UK goodie bag! |
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The Directors’ Festival is FREE for all Directors UK members. There will also be food and drink served throughout the day and plenty of time to socialise with your fellow directors.
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