Filmmakers advised not to lose sight of marketing

Delegates at Qumra, the industry event by Doha Film Institute (DFI), have been given some hard lessons on the global film industry. Experts representing international film festivals, distribution companies, funding agencies and the media were unequivocal in reminding the delegates that the process of filmmaking did not end with post-production work. “Live your artistic vision, no doubt,” advised Sydney Levine, Indiewire journalist and writer of SydneysBuzz, “but reach out to buyers, make sure you have the right selling agent, and keep an eye on festivals as a way to make your money and find your funds”.Sharing insights on “Buzz, marketing, reviews: How to make the most of PR on the festival circuit”, she joined Mark Adams, artistic director of Edinburgh International Film Festival, and film critic Jim Quilty in highlighting the modalities of making their films heard and seen. Adams said “charm offensive is the best way” to engage with the media, especially during festivals, while Quilty underlined how creating a personal legend – how they came about to make the movie – helped create the right buzz. “The more people you meet, the more people know who you are,” said Quilty. He also called on delegates to engage social media as an important tool in building the market buzz. Calling upon the delegates to leverage film festivals as the first entry point to the industry, Adams said emerging filmmakers must be astute about where the film was screening. At a dedicated session on the legal aspects of co-production, Jovan Marjanovic, head of industry at Sarajevo Film Festival, said there were several reasons why filmmakers chose to co-produce – be it financial, technical, artistic or strategic. Other key sessions included what is new the world of documentary film festivals, where Jean-Pierre Rehm, general director of FIDMarseille; Emile Bujes, programmer of Visions du Reel; and Adriek Van Nieuwenhuyzen, head of industry office at the International Documentary Festival Amsterdam, discussed the growing opportunities in the documentary segment.  Matthieu Darras, artistic director of TorinoFilmLab and delegate for Central & Eastern Europe at the San Sebastian Film Festival; Mille Haynes of CPH: LAB; and Gülin Ustün, head of meetings on the Bridge at Istanbul Film Festival, discussed the “development heaven” that festivals and labs provide. Another session on ‘Festivalsphere: a world of its own or an integral part of the film value chain’ saw discussions led by Carlo Chatrian, artistic director at the Festival del Film Locarno; Bero Beyer, festival director at the International Film Festival Rotterdam; and Mirsad Purivatra, festival director of Sarajevo Film Festival.