SESSION GUide
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The audience is the center of our ecosystem, whether we are film festivals, movie theaters, or film distributors. The shifting moviegoer demographics post-pandemic coupled with years-long uncertainty in audience development puts our sector at a critical point: evolve and thrive, or maintain and dwindle. These sessions will first help us identify who our audience currently is using data and tools before exploring new audiences and how to reach them through partnerships, values-based programming, and inclusive outreach.
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Engaging your organization’s staff, board, volunteers, and audience in a culture of philanthropy is critical to financial sustainability but how do you get everyone to pay attention? Survival of our cinemas and festivals require a philanthropic investment - philanthropy makes possible every aspect of our organizations from salaries to stanchions. These sessions will highlight organizations using philanthropy to make bold moves, develop a shared understanding of non-profit identity and its complexities, and get at the heart of what we all need to practice: stewardship on an individual, institutional, and field-wide level.
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Your mission is the guiding light, but your people are the power source. Addressing the longstanding challenges in the non-profit and film sectors is overdue, and organizations must be prepared to develop new tools and skills to retain their existing staff and volunteers, while simultaneously building the pipeline for future talent. These sessions will start with identifying our collective values before advancing to acknowledging problems and solution-building through collaboration.
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Whether it’s a global pandemic or the loss of a major local donor, our organizations need to better prepare for major change. While many of us survived the COVID-19 pandemic, many more did not. The future may be uncertain, but our field has always found a way to innovate and adapt. These sessions will lead us through field-wide issues like accessibility and inclusion, leveraging new technologies, addressing succession planning and institutional knowledge, and hybrid models like virtual festivals and cinemas; the goal is resiliency, but first we need to stabilize.
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Now more than ever, community partnerships and field-wide initiatives are critical to our shared success. Exhibitors, distributors, filmmakers, archives, critics, and more; we co-exist in the independent film ecosystem and we rely on each other in many different ways. We see the first step toward a bright future lies in rebuilding trust and reestablishing open lines of communication. These sessions will investigate and address ways we can work better together, identify successful collaborations within and outside of our field, and uplift our sector through collective action.
Monday June 24, 2024
Monday Sponsored By:
Registration & Badge Pick-Up
1:00PM - 4:00PM | Agile Registration Hub, Gene Siskel Film Center
Stop by to pick up your badge and swag bag. Questions about the conference? We can answer them here :)
Happy Hour sponsored by Agile
4:00PM - 6:00PM | Agile Registration Hub, Gene Siskel Film Center
Stop by for a drink courtesy of Agile Ticketing Solutions to kick off the conference.
Movie Screening: CALIGULA
6:00PM - 9:00PM | Music Box Theatre
Sponsored by Giant Pictures
Tuesday June 25, 2024
Registration & Badge Pick-Up
8:30AM - 3:15PM | Agile Registration Hub, Gene Siskel Film Center
Stop by to pick up your badge and swag bag. Questions about the conference? We can answer them here.
Audience Insights: Reports from the Field
8:45AM - 9:30AM | Theater #1, Gene Siskel Film Center
Grab a coffee and pop into this insight-fueled presentation on the work of Avenue ISR, digging into AHC's most recent National Audience Survey and a case study with Filmbot on the sweet success of promo codes on audience retention.
Speakers: Woody Smith, Avenue ISR; Max Friend, Filmbot
What is Belonging?
10:00AM - 10:30AM | All Rooms at Chicago Cultural Center
Split up from your colleagues and head into a room with folks you’ve never met before. You’ll review the Community Agreement for the conference, learn about the intentions behind it, and get a chance to meet new faces through lightning-round introductions.
Repertory Revival
11:00AM - 11:45AM | Claudia Cassidy Theater, Chicago Cultural Center
We've all read about, heard about it, and some of us have even seen it: the rise of repertory and its surprisingly young audience. Dig into what's working, what's challenging, and how it's changing programming strategies these days.
Moderator: Bret Berg, AGFA
Speakers: Imani Davis, American Cinematheque; Brian Belovarac, Janus Films; Isabel Fondevilla, The Roxie Theater; Meghan Bowman, Balcony Booking; Dave Jennings, Sony Pictures Repertory
Implementing Values and Collective Power (pre-registration required)
11:00AM - 12:30PM | 4th Floor Meeting Room, Chicago Cultural Center
A4A’s (Alliance for Action) mission outlines how our gathering focuses on working, learning, and anchoring each other in considering and shifting the reality of how the intersections of people, power, and oppressive systems manifest in the film industry. For this interactive workshop-style session, we’d like to think through how we live those values out in an increasingly challenging and hostile industry to do so and what it looks like to be supported and have collective power in your organization, institution, etc. This session may not lead to concrete solutions, but we hope to provide a space for reflection, sharing, and collaboration! Space in this session will be limited, and those interested must pre-register.
Moderators: Kayla Myers, IndieMemphis; Rebecca Fons, Gene Siskel Film Center
Building a Culture of Philanthropy
11:00am - 12:00PM | 5th Floor Millennium Room, Chicago Cultural Center
At its core, a culture of philanthropy is an environment in which everyone—including development/sponsorship teams, leadership, programming, marketing, floor staff, and board—has a role to play in raising funds to support a shared mission. How do you get your whole team on board? This session will kick off with a conversation between two organizations about their journey to building a culture of philanthropy before breaking out into small groups to discuss strategies and obstacles to achievement at your organization.
Moderators: Beth Barrett, SIFF; Cara Ogburn, Milwaukee Film
Do You Know Who Your Audience Is? Think Again.
11:00AM - 12:00PM | 5th Floor Washington Room, Chicago Cultural Center
Unlock the secrets of audience research and persona development in this panel session dedicated to understanding and engaging your audience on a deeper level! In today’s rapidly evolving landscape, connecting with your audience is more crucial than ever, not only for marketing but also for programming and community partnerships. Join us for an insightful discussion led by industry experts on the art and science of audience research and persona development. Whether you’re looking to attract new audiences, retain loyal patrons, or enhance the overall audience experience, this panel offers invaluable guidance to help you tailor your efforts and achieve greater success.
Moderator: Justice Obiaya, Out on Film
Speakers: Stephanye Watts, Be Reel Black Cinema Club; Matt Delman, 3rd Impression; Dor Dotson, Genuine Article; Paul Gonter, Facets
Lunch at the Chicago Cultural Center
11:00AM - 2:00PM | G.A.R Hall & Rotunda, Chicago Cultural Center
Sponsored by Science on Screen
Drop in, grab your boxed lunch, and take a seat at one of our informal roundtables with and discuss various curated topics. Prefer to catch some rays? Take your boxed lunch to-go and head to Millennium Park across the street. Looking to check emails? Snag your sandwich and pop over to the Gene Siskel Film Center for some peace and quiet.
Drop-In Hour with the NEA
11:45am - 12:45pm | G.A.R. Hall at Lunch
Drop by over lunch to discuss how your organization can apply for the NEA’s Grants for Arts Projects funding opportunity in the Media Arts discipline category, which supports Artist Development, Public Engagement, and Field Building activities in the film and media arts field.
Focus, Please! A Collegial Introduction to Projection
12:15PM - 1:45PM | 5th Floor Washington Room, Chicago Cultural Center
As a programmer, you spend hours sourcing prints and negotiating with archives. As a development manager, you write grants emphasizing your institution’s unique technical capacities. As a marketer, you tout your cinema’s commitment to 70mm on social media. But you’ve never spent much time in the booth, you aren’t really mechanically inclined, and (shhh) you can’t really tell the difference between film and digital on screen. This crash course in the wonders of film projection will teach you how to understand and appreciate what goes on in the booth, how to communicate with tech colleagues, and yes, how to see.
Moderator: Kyle Westphal, Music Box Films
Speakers: Rebecca Lyon, Chicago Film Society; Julian Antos, Chicago Film Society
Big Bold Campaigns
12:30PM - 1:15PM | 5th Floor Millennium Room, Chicago Cultural Center
Prepare to elevate your fundraising game with our dynamic panel discussion focused on strategies for successful fundraising campaigns and how to market them! Effectively promoting your fundraising initiatives is paramount, and poor messaging could make or break when it comes to meeting your financial goals. In this session, you'll learn strategies for impactful collaborations between your marketing and fundraising teams to tell the story that drives donations and supports your organization's mission.
Speakers: Beth Gilligan, Coolidge Corner Theatre; Rene Bouchard, Cinema Arts Centre; Dylan Skolnick, Cinema Arts Centre
Metrics That Matter
12:45PM - 1:45PM | Claudia Cassidy Theater, Chicago Cultural Center
Critical decisions require informed decision-making, but gathering and understanding the data needed to guide strategies can be difficult. Join us for this targeted presentation that explores the invaluable world of data analytics. With guidance from a data scientist and two data-led exhibitors, this session will delve into the essential metrics exhibitors should track and how to leverage them effectively.
Speakers: Alicia Kozma, Indiana University Cinema; Tejaswi Bhavaraju, Eventive; Justice Obiaya, Out on Film
Cultivating Community Through Shared Ritual
2:15PM - 3:00PM | Claudia Cassidy Theater, Chicago Cultural Center
Cinema is a communal art form. We all know the shared emotions of watching a movie with a crowd heighten our experience. But what about the shared rituals before and after the film? How can your cinema create moviegoing traditions that foster connection, strengthen audience relationships to your curatorial choices, and make a trip to the theater as much about community as cinema. Whether it be shared meals, collecting stickers, or preshow entertainment, we can build a sense of belonging through shared rituals. In this session, we examine success stories of authentic community building around regular series programming, and examine aligning marketing, programming, concessions and events teams to deliver a consistently engaging experience.
Moderator: Andrew Sherburne, FilmScene
Speakers: Judy Kim, Gardena Cinema; NK Gutierrez, Midwest Film
Complete the Story
2:15PM - 3:30PM | 5th Floor Millennium Room, Chicago Cultural Center
Dr. Grishma Shah (Artist, Psychologist, DEIA Consultant) facilitates an interactive workshop that helps us to expand our DEIA mindset and attract more moviegoing audiences. Join us for the 75 minute session called, “Complete The Story”.
Presenter: Dr. Grishma Shah
Not Clickbait: Making Social Content Work For You
2:15PM - 3:00PM | 5th Floor Washington Room, Chicago Cultural Center
Social media is not a one-size-fits-all enterprise—content that works well for a Massachusetts theater may not get good engagement in Arizona. Experimentation with social media is critical to discovering how your audience engages. This panel will address types of content (e.g. in-house videos, giveaways), what has worked (and what hasn’t) from marketers in the field, and how to balance time/budget constraints. Session participants will come away with creative ideas for new ways to reach, and engage, your audience.
Moderator: Sam Nelson, Coolidge Corner Theatre
Speakers: Saila Reyes, Vidiots; Gray Rodriguez, Film Festival Alliance & IND/EX
Narrating and Building through Changing Times
2:15PM - 3:00PM | 5th Floor Garland Room, Chicago Cultural Center
Whether it’s the loss of a major donor, a wildly successful night or a festival experimenting with a new model our organizations need to better prepare to meet major changes ahead. While many of us survived the pandemic, many more did not and building a series of best practices is paramount to charting our future as we redefine ourselves and adapt to an industry with many new obstacles. This session will lead us through field-wide issues and address them with an eye towards building our institutions for sustainability and resiliency. The aim will be to discuss best practices of organizational leadership by looking at our own and other sectors as we begin to develop a collective vision for future innovation.
Moderator: Allason Leitz
Speakers: Mathias Holtz, Europa Cinemas; Corinne Lea, Rio Theatre; Lesli Klainberg, Film at Lincoln Center
Happy Hour
Sponsored by Eventive
3:30PM - 5:00PM | Music Box Theatre Lounge and Garden
Hop on the Brown Line and join us up at the Music Box Theatre for drinks in their beautiful lounge and garden.
Coming Together: What Do We Really Want?
5:00PM - 6:00PM | Music Box Theatre Historic Screen
Post-Happy Hour, this dynamic panel of exhibitors and distributors will share their unbridled thoughts on what we really need to build stronger collaboration and reveal the one thing they are too afraid to ask the "other side."
Moderator: Ronnie Ycong, Digital Cinema United
Art House Tales
6:00PM - 7:00PM | Music Box Theatre Historic Screen
Charming, hilarious, and heartwarming stories from four cinemas and festivals, highlighting their past, present and future. Thank you to Renew Theaters for overseeing Art House Tales for many years and passing the torch this year to IND/EX.
Movie Screening: LUST, CAUTION (Advance RSVP Required)
7:30PM - 10:30PM | Music Box Theatre Historic Screen
Sponsored by Focus Features and Universal Pictures
Q&A with Ang Lee to follow screening
WEDNESday June 26,2024
Help Desk & Badge Pick-Up
8:30AM - 3:15PM | Agile Registration Hub, Gene Siskel Film Center
Stop by to pick up your badge and swag bag. Questions about the conference? We can answer them here.
Science on Screen
8:45AM - 9:30AM | Gene Siskel Film Center, Theater #1
Join us for a deep dive into Science on Screen, a unique grant opportunity for nonprofit art houses and film festivals with year-round programming. Science on Screen is an innovative film series that pairs screenings of classic, cult, and science fiction films with presentations by notable experts from the world of science and technology. Each year, the Coolidge Corner Theatre (with support from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation) awards several Science on Screen grants (up to $9,000 per venue) to cinemas nationwide. In this session, you'll learn about past success stories and current grant guidelines.
Moderators: Beth Gilligan, Coolidge Corner Theatre; Kristin McCracken, Science on Screen
Speakers: Ben Delgado, FilmScene; Dara Messinger, DCTV
Affinity Meet-Up: Seasonal Festival Workers
8:45AM - 9:45AM | Gene Siskel Film Center, Lobby
Stop by for coffee and meet your colleagues at the informal affinity meet-ups taking place each morning at the Gene Siskel Film Center.
Distributor Presentations
10:00AM - 11:15AM | Claudia Cassidy Theater, Chicago Cultural Center
Calling all programmers: come for a peek at what distributors have to share with you about their past and upcoming slates.
Includes: ArtMattan Productions, Entertainment Squad, Exhibition on Screen, Giant Pictures, MUBI, Sony Pictures Repertory, Universal Pictures/Focus Features
Setting Seasonal Staff Up For Success
10:00AM - 10:45AM | 5th Floor Millennium Room, Chicago Cultural Center
Learn more about setting up your seasonal staff for success! This panel will touch on onboarding and offboarding best practices, wrap reports, and seasonal employee engagement.
Moderator: Carley Callahan, SIFF
Speakers: Debbie Marshall, Cleveland International Film Festival; Laura Henneman, Sundance Film Festival; Vivian Teng, Chicago International Film Festival
How to Build (And Engage) The Right Board For You!
10:00AM - 11:30AM | 5th Floor Washington Room, Chicago Cultural Center
Boards -- we all know we need them, but what exactly are they, and what are they expected to do? Unlock the secrets of successful board leadership with a workshop that will navigate essential topics like board composition, expectations, onboarding, delegation, and empowering your board with the right tools (that they’ll actually use!). Face challenges with finesse, celebrate those shining moments, learn from the full spectrum of board experiences, and turn your biggest cheerleaders into your army! #BoardGovernance101
Moderators: Logan Crow, The Frida Cinema; Lex Sloan, The Roxie Theater
Speakers: Leslie Raymond, Ann Arbor Film Festival
How Big Is Our Moviegoing Audience?
10:00AM - 10:45AM | 5th Floor Garland Room, Chicago Cultural Center
Join this in-depth look at our Economic Impact and Audience Reach through a study led by Keri Putnam with support from Sara Archambault at Harvard's Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy and internal studies facilitated by Art House Convergence and Film Festival Alliance.
Presenters: Sara Archambault, Shorenstein Center; Alicia Kozma, Art House Convergence; Barbara Twist, Film Festival Alliance
Lunch in Preston Bradley Hall
11:00AM - 2:00PM | Preston Bradley Hall, Chicago Cultural Center.
Sponsored by Art House Cinema Solutions
Get to know your fellow attendees over lunch! Grab a boxed lunch and pull up a seat under the gorgeous Preston Bradley Hall Tiffany dome.
What is queer cinema? A community conversation
11:15AM - 12:30PM | 5th Floor Millennium Room, Chicago Cultural Center
An opportunity for queer-identified exhibitors and distributors to have a facilitated conversation with the wider ally community around defining queer cinema and visioning ways to support its distribution and exhibition. We will collectively discuss strategies for authentic programming, audience building and serving our communities.
Moderators: Bears Rebecca Fonte, aGLIFF; Anna Feder, Bright Lights Screening Series, Emerson College
Implementing Accessibility at NOFF: A Case Study
11:30AM - 12:15PM | Claudia Cassidy Theater, Chicago Cultural Center
Like many festivals, New Orleans Film Festival has decided to invest in accessibility but where does one start? Session participants will engage in a recent Case Study focusing on NOFF's decision to require captions and reveal how the team created organizational buy-in and built the structures necessary to improve accessibility at their 2023 festival and beyond, followed by an audience-led Q&A on how to get started at your own organization.
Moderator: Cassidy Dimon, Full Spectrum Features
Speakers: Sarah Escalante, New Orleans Film Society; Tishon Pugh, New Orleans Film Society
Participatory Budgeting
11:45AM - 12:30PM | 5th Floor Garland Room, Chicago Cultural Center
Join us for a workshop on participatory budgeting. In this session we will share our experiences, learnings, steps and considerations for creating an organizational budget that prioritizes equity and agency for the entire team, while supporting organizational accountability and transparency. Attendees will leave with an understanding of the benefits and the processes for collaborative budgeting.
Presenters: Stephanie Avery, Working Films; Natalie Bullock Brown, Documentary Accountability Working Group (DAWG)
Letterboxd or Critics' Pick: Where Is Film Critique Happening Today and Why Does It Matter?
12:30PM - 1:15PM | Claudia Cassidy Theater, Chicago Cultural Center
In the era of democratized film criticism amidst the decline of film criticism as profession, how do we reconcile these two? And how do we leverage the skill and history of our seasoned film critics alongside the up-and-coming talent of our Letterboxd stars? Buckle up for an exciting conversation on the contemporary landscape of film criticism and its impact on audience development, engagement, and moviegoing.
Moderator: Daniella Mazzio
Speakers: Katie Rife, Letterboxd; tt stern-enzi, Over-The-Rhine Film Festival & Critics Choice Association; Tim Gordon, Lightreel Film Festival & Critics Choice Association
Everybody Loves a Joiner: Membership Benefits for Nonprofits
12:15PM - 1:00PM | 5th Floor Washington Room, Chicago Cultural Center
For cinemas and film festivals alike, getting people through the door is often a challenge in and of itself—and a membership ask on top of that can seem daunting. But membership cultivation doesn’t have to feel like such an uphill battle. Join this session of development and marketing professionals to learn how to build or revamp a membership program that is mutually beneficial for both your organization and your patrons. By looking at creative ideas for member benefits (as well as outdated benefit structures that no longer work), examining successful membership drives and promotional materials, and hearing testimonials from experienced theater and festival staff, you’ll come away with a better understanding of how membership can be a fruitful way to engage new patrons, keep audiences returning, and even turn members into donors.
Moderator: Hannah Schockmel, Coolidge Corner Theatre
Speakers: Hayley Crabb, FilmScene; Erica Duffy, Midwest Film; Sam Nelson, Coolidge Corner Theatre
Meet the Distributors
Sponsored by Letterboxd
1:00PM - 3:30PM | G.A.R. Hall and Rotunda, Chicago Cultural Center
Hey programmers and bookers, all your favorites in one room! Stop by to check in with your theatrical reps and take some time getting to know new folks. Discover what titles are available and what plans distributors have for the upcoming year.
Safety First!
1:15PM - 2:00PM | 5th Floor Garland Room, Chicago Cultural Center
Safety plans should be comprehensive, but it’s often confusing knowing where to start or what falls under a safety plan. This session will walk through various frameworks of developing a safety plan for your organization or cinema, so you can identify the gaps in your own and leave with a plan for improving the plan, and the safety of your organization.
Moderator: Carley Callahan, SIFF
Speakers: Gina Cuomo, Cinema Operations Consulting; Lani Simeona, The Cary Theater
From Festival to Cinema
1:30PM - 2:15PM | 5th Floor Washington Room, Chicago Cultural Center
So you run a film festival and you’re thinking about creating your own microcinema or buying an existing theater? What do you need to know to get started? What resources and financing is available? And which model works best for your organization and community? Whether you are a festival, film series, or a theater-passionate person, this panel will tackle some of the thornier questions towards taking the next step: a bricks-and-mortar cinema space.
Moderator: Alan LaFave, Hell’s Half Mile Film Festival
Speakers: Lela Meadow-Conner, mama.film; Patrick Schweiss, Sedona International Film Festival; Gail Clook, VTIFF
A Fair Shot: Strategies for Reducing Hiring Bias
1:45PM - 2:45PM | 5th Floor Millennium Room, Chicago Cultural Center
Do you google job candidates as part of your search? What about scanning their social media accounts? While it’s not illegal, what you do with the information you discover may be. Recalibrating hiring processes to better align with inclusive recruitment practices is not only beneficial to attracting and finding the right talent, it can also help ensure all applicants get a fair shot. Through real-world examples, session participants will learn thoughtful strategies to consider when designing their next search plan.
Moderator: Yasmin Chin Einsehauer, Amherst Cinema
Speakers: Matt Bolish, Film at Lincoln Center; Stephanye Watts, Be Reel Black Cinema Club; tt stern-enzi, Over-The-Rhine Film Festival
Black Curators & Cinema: Fostering Community Connections
2:30PM - 3:15PM | 5th Floor Garland Room, Chicago Cultural Center
Join us for a thought-provoking discussion on the power of Black cinema to spark community conversations and inspire social engagement in the arts. This event will bring together Black curators, filmmakers, and community programmers to explore how film can be used to: Amplify Black voices and perspectives: Highlighting the richness and diversity of Black experiences, Build bridges across communities: Connecting people from different backgrounds through shared cinematic experiences and using film as a tool for education, social change, and community building.
Speakers: Troy Martin, Chinyere "Chi" Achebe, Josh Brainin, Danielle Scruggs
Succession Planning: From ED to Office Manager
2:45PM - 4:00PM | Claudia Cassidy Theater, Chicago Cultural Center
The last thing to be documented but the first question someone new asks: “How do things work around here?” How do you plan for leaders to retire, or a shift in leadership? Are you developing in-house talent to assume leadership roles, or are you planning to hire someone with a brand new vision? And how do you set the new leadership up for success with the staff and board? Succession planning is critical for every role at your organization and the value lies in the institutional knowledge. After an overview from panelists, participants will break out to discuss their own succession plans and the framework for developing an org-wide plan.
Moderator: Beth Barrett, SIFF
Speakers: Kimel Fryer, IndieMemphis; Anne Reed, Milwaukee Film; Jason Matsumoto, Full Spectrum Features
Filmmaker Education: The Value of Developing Filmmaking Talent
2:45PM - 3:30PM | 5th Floor Washington Room, Chicago Cultural Center
Developing emerging filmmaker talent is unique to the independent film sector - it is through our resources, knowledge, and support that many filmmakers can realize their fullest artistic abilities. And our screens and audiences are the beneficiaries. Filmmaking and exhibition are mutually dependent, and yet making the leap to creating a lab for independent filmmakers young and old can seem a daunting task. This panel will share successful lab and development programs for filmmakers tethered to festivals and art houses, diving into their founding, tracking their growth, and exploring the funding and staffing necessary to make them happen.
Moderator: Deirdre Haj
Speakers: Brighid Wheeler, Milwaukee Film; Kayla Myers, IndieMemphis; Lex Sloan, The Roxie Theater
BFFs: Programming and Tech
3:15PM - 4:00PM | 5th Floor Millennium Room, Chicago Cultural Center
Building a knowledge base between programming and tech staff that articulates the impacts programming has on technical processes and vice versa is critical. By doing so, art house theaters can streamline operations, increase efficiency, and create a holistic understanding of the complete process of program production. Acknowledging that efficient operational knowledge between tech and programming staff can be lacking, the session will share the processes several art houses have developed as potential models to develop knowledge bridges between different departments and production functions.
Moderator: Alicia Kozma, Indiana University Cinema
Speakers: Ben Delgado & Ross Meyer, FilmScene; Rebecca Fons & Michael Wawzenek, Gene Siskel Film Center; Albert Chow, Urbanworld Film Festival, Brittany Friesner, IU Cinema
Happy Hour
Sponsored by Magnolia Pictures
3:30PM - 5:00PM | Gene Siskel Film Center, Lobby
Swing by for a drink to download the day with your colleagues before heading out for an evening of Trailer Wars, Trivia, Karaoke, or dinner on your own!
WEDNESDAY EVENING EVENTS SUPPORTED BY FILMBOT
Trailer Wars
Sponsored by Filmbot
6:00PM - 7:45PM | Joe’s on Weed Street
5PM Doors Open | 6PM Kick-Off
A long-standing favorite, Trailer Wars is a battle-of-the-bands style competition to determine the best trailers of the art house and film festival world. Only one contender will survive to call themselves “Champion,” as determined by the audience. Joe’s kitchen will be open for business so come early, order dinner, and stay for the evening!
Film Trivia
Sponsored by MUBI
8:00PM - 10:00PM | Joe’s on Weed Street
Billed as the ‘hardest trivia to beat’ with rousing reviews such as “I had absolutely no idea” and “who even is that person?”, the Film Trivia event of the season is back. Whether you are a walking film encyclopedia or you just want to hang out with your pals, we promise you a great time with cool prizes and a trivia night you won’t forget.
Karaoke
Sponsored by aGLIFF
9:00PM - Close | Brando’s In The Loop, 343 S. Dearborn Street
Sing your hearts out and make new best friends during karaoke at Brando’s In The Loop.
THURSday June 27,2024
Help Desk & Badge Pick-Up
8:30AM - 3:15PM | Agile Registration Hub, Gene Siskel Film Center
Stop by to pick up your badge and swag bag. Questions about the conference? We can answer them here.
Affinity Groups: Small Cinemas
8:45AM - 9:45AM | Gene Siskel Film Center, Theater #2
Stop by for coffee and meet your colleagues at the informal affinity meet-ups taking place each morning at the Gene Siskel Film Center.
Affinity Groups: BIPOC Workers
8:45AM - 9:45AM | Gene Siskel Film Center, Lobby
Stop by for coffee and meet your colleagues at the informal affinity meet-ups taking place each morning at the Gene Siskel Film Center.
Meet the Vendors
10:00AM - 1:00PM | G.A.R. Hall and Rotunda, Chicago Cultural Center
Looking for a new ticketing platform? Planning a renovation of your cinema? Or looking for new solutions in the back office? Find it all at our Meet the Vendors event. Stop by to check in with all our vendors and learn about the latest technologies, software, and solutions for your cinema and festival needs.
Nurturing The Next Generation of Audiences
10:00AM - 11:15AM | 5th Floor Millennium Room, Chicago Cultural Center
First, hear from a roundtable spotlighting programs that serve young people (and families) of a range of ages in and out of school time settings taking different approaches and working in different org and community contexts. We’ll then take those provocations into breakouts to germinate ideas for nurturing the next generations of viewers and makers at your home org.
Moderators: Cara Ogburn, Milwaukee Film; Allison Inman, Belcourt Theatre
How to Make People Do What You Want
10:00AM - 11:00AM | 5th Floor Washington Room, Chicago Cultural Center
Creating behaviors is a key skill for fundraisers and organizational leaders. How do we inspire those we serve (members, donors, patrons, staff, and other stakeholders) to take action? How do we bring the best out of the people around us? How do we support engagement in activities that advance our organizational goals? How do we get people to do what we want? This workshop will explore the fundamental principles that create buy-in, build trust, and inspire the desired actions that drive our success, and will include skill-building exercises and discussion.
Presenter: Rene Bouchard, Cinema Arts Centre
Meet Your New Partners in Audience Development
10:15AM - 11:15AM | Claudia Cassidy Theater, Chicago Cultural Center
Drop in to this lightning round of ecosystem initiative presentations. With a new idea every ten minutes, you'll get a chance to hear from novel programs, new non-profits, and excited funders, all of whom share a common goal: getting more butts in seats at your theaters and festivals and more eyeballs on the films you program.
Presenters: DPop Studios; German Films; The Popcorn List; Distribution Advocates; The Accessibility Scorecard; Missing Movies
Lunch in Preston Bradley Hall
Sponsored by Spotlight Cinema Networks
11:00AM - 2:00PM | Preston Bradley Hall, Chicago Cultural Center
Get to know your fellow attendees over lunch! Grab a boxed lunch and pull up a seat under the gorgeous Preston Bradley Hall Tiffany dome.
No Platters Need Apply: Archival Prints in 2024
11:45AM - 12:30PM | 5th Floor Millennium Room, Chicago Cultural Center
When 35mm prints were plentiful, exhibitors could program familiar classics and deep cuts with ease, especially if they knew the magic words, "We have a dual-projector archival booth with change-over." Today, the old triple-tier platter systems have (mostly) been junked, but merely running change-over is not always sufficient to secure access to prints from studio vaults and archives. This roundtable aims to bridge the gap between programmers and projectionists on the one hand and the archivists and asset managers on the other, demystifying the calculations that determine access in a world where prints cannot always be readily replaced.
Moderator: Kyle Westphal, Music Box Theatre
Speakers: Javier Chavez, AFI Silver Docs; Amy Crismer, Disney; Jason Jackowski, Universal Pictures; Lynanne Schweighofer, Library of Congress
NEA Grants for Non-Profit Film/Arts Orgs: IRL AMA
12:00PM - 12:30PM | 5th Floor Garland Room, Chicago Cultural Center
Grants for Arts Projects is the National Endowment for the Arts’ principal grants program for organizations based in the United States. Through this program, the NEA funds project activities in various disciplines, including Film and Media Arts. Applicants may request cost share/matching grants ranging from $10,000 to $100,000. During this session Jax Deluca, NEA Director of Film/Media Arts, and NEA Media Art Grant Specialists Avril Claytor and Emma Bartley, will share updates on grant guidelines, the application process, and tips for competitive proposals. A brief presentation will be followed by open Q + A.
Raising the Bar on Accessibility and Disability Inclusion
12:00PM - 12:45PM | 5th Floor Washington Room, Chicago Cultural Center
Disability inclusion is a crucial part of the diversity efforts in film festivals. Join a session with film programmers discussing authentic representation and diving deep into how to best program disability, making sure the topic is presented responsibly. From an inclusive selection process to accessible presentation, we aim to take a deep dive into procedures and attitude changes.
Moderator: Isaac Zablocki, ReelAbilities
Speakers: Dr. Grishma Shah; tt stern-enzi, Over-The-Rhine Film Festival
Future Proofing Your Organization
1:00PM - 2:15PM | 5th Floor Millennium Room, Chicago Cultural Center
Nonprofit film leadership often means working hard on the day-to-day issues just to survive, but our responsibility is to ensure an organization thrives past our tenure. This panel addresses tools needed for long term stability, such as capital funds, endowments and investments, accurate replacement planning, succession planning, training and redundancy in team positions, and more.
Moderator: Deirdre Haj
Speakers: Dylan Skolnick, Cinema Arts Centre; Kathryn Spitz Cohan, FilmPittsburgh; Chris Collier, Renew Theaters
Distributor Presentations
1:00PM - 2:15PM | Claudia Cassidy Theater, Chicago Cultural Center
Calling all programmers: come for a peek at what distributors have to share with you about their past and upcoming slates.
Distributors: Darkstar Pictures; GKIDS; IFC Films; Janus Films; Metrograph
How to Answer Unanswerable Questions: Research and Data Partners for Festivals and Independent Exhibitors
1:15PM - 2:00PM | 5th Floor Washington Room, Chicago Cultural Center
This session will convene a group of scholars and seasoned festival professionals to discuss how to incorporate research and data analysis in strategic planning and development. Topics will include audience research, archival management, and what role academic partners can play in supporting strategic planning processes.
Moderator: Brendan Kredell, Oakland University
Speakers: Gianluca Sergi, Nottingham University; Steven Byrne, Freep Film Festival; Kathy Kieliszewski, Freep Film Festival; Matt St. John, University of Wisconsin
Challenges and Strategies for the Theatrical Exploitation of International Independent Films
1:00PM - 2:00PM | 5th Floor Garland Room, Chicago Cultural Center
The panel aims to facilitate an exchange on the state of the exhibition of independent international films in North America / Europe respectively. Which films work / do not work and why? How do cinemas on either side of the Atlantic draw audiences and create visibility for these productions? Which best practices emerge to increase lasting audience engagement with arthouse cinemas in general?
Moderator: Sara Stevenson, GermanFilms
Speakers: Dr. Christian Brauer, CICAE; Peggy Johnson, The Loft Cinema; Sonya William, NICE; Sebastian Naumann, CICAE; Jake Isgar, Drafthouse
Decoding the Publicity Black Box: Optimizing the Studio to Exhibitor to Local Media to Audience Pipeline
2:30PM - 3:15PM | Claudia Cassidy Theater, Chicago Cultural Center
Dive deeper into the mutually beneficial relationship between distributors, exhibitors, and the media with the goal of building audiences while promoting your programming and events. Publicist and strategist Lisa Trifone, of Chicago-based PR agency Bright Iris Film Co., leads a conversation with key players on all sides of this interconnected landscape exploring how publicity efforts can help elevate awareness with audiences, compliment a comprehensive marketing strategy, and facilitate smooth and productive promotions of your organization’s programmatic offerings. From studio expectations in local markets to how best to cultivate relationships with journalists to where exactly publicists can provide targeted, tangible value, this conversation aims to open lines of communication across disciplines with common goals in mind.
Moderator: Lisa Trifone, Bright Iris Film Co.
Speakers: Danielle Freiberg, IFC Films; Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune; Lauren Thelen, Nashville Film Festival
Toward Curatorial Justice
2:30PM - 4:00 PM | 5th Floor Washington Room + Garland Room, Chicago Cultural Center
How can we practice justice and liberation through curation? Join us for the unveiling and unpacking of a new field scan, Toward Curatorial Justice, which gathers ethical, care-centered, and community-rooted film programming practices from over 50 leading POC curators and raises key calls to action for the entire field. Following the discussion of the report, in collaboration with all session attendees, we will workshop and prototype new ways for all of us to advance our liberatory curatorial practices.
Moderators: Karim Ahmad, Restoring the Future; Zuri Obi, New Orleans Film Festival; Mallory Martin, Cleveland International Film Festival; Elijah McKinnon, OTV
Virtual Viewing in 2024: Opportunities and Challenges
2:45PM - 3:30 PM | 5th Floor Millennium Room, Chicago Cultural Center
What is the purpose of virtual viewing beyond COVID? What is the economic sustainability for festivals, cinemas, and distributors? And how can the model be better integrated into existing revenue and programmatic strategies? From audience development to accessibility, revenue generation to program expansion, this dynamic moderated conversation will dive into what is working and what isn't in the field of virtual viewing.
Moderator: Barbara Twist, Film Festival Alliance
Speakers: Bears Rebecca Fonté, aGLIFF; B Glick, GQue Films; Melanie Addington, Tallgrass Film Association; Harrison Bender, Eventive
Dinner Break - On Your Own
4:00PM - 8:00PM
Explore the city with your colleagues and new friends. Whether it’s deep dish pizza or Alinea, Chicago brings its A-game to dinner.
Closing Night Party
Sponsored by Spotlight Cinema Networks and Janus Films
8:00PM - 10:00PM | Preston Bradley Hall, Chicago Cultural Center
Unwind with drinks and a ‘Taste of Chicago’ with light bites and desserts beneath the stunning Tiffany Glass Dome of the Preston Bradley.
Friday June 28,2024
Help Desk & Badge Pick-Up
8:30AM - 1:45PM | Agile Registration Hub, Gene Siskel Film Center
Stop by to pick up your badge and swag bag. Questions about the conference? We can answer them here.
Affinity Groups: Filmmakers
8:45 AM - 9:45AM | Gene Siskel Film Center, Theater #2
Stop by for coffee and meet your colleagues at the informal affinity meet-ups taking place each morning at the Gene Siskel Film Center.
Affinity Groups: Accessibility Action
8:45AM - 9:45AM | Gene Siskel Film Center, Lobby
Stop by for coffee and meet your colleagues at the informal affinity meet-ups taking place each morning at the Gene Siskel Film Center.
Leading People and Culture with Courage
10:00AM - 10:45AM | Claudia Cassidy Theater, Chicago Cultural Center
Are you ready for the most difficult moments your organization could face when it comes to being challenged about your values? This session prepares you to support staff desire for unionization, challenges around compensation, demands to provide benefits you can't afford, poor conduct among the team. You can be ready. You can be the architect for creating a culture of feedback, empowerment, accountability and empathy. Josh Mann, Senior Director of People and Culture at Museum of Contemporary Art will lead us in a discussion around successful approaches that help us to courageously lead.
Hosting Difficult Conversations in Your Cinema
10:00AM - 11:15AM | 5th Floor Millennium Room, Chicago Cultural Center
This session will begin with a case study of a screening of Erin Axelman & Sam Eilertsen’s documentary, Israelism. Originally scheduled at Emerson College 11/9/23, this event was the target of a nationwide campaign to shut down screenings, as well as internal pressure from the college. After months of casemaking by the programmer, the film finally screened on 2/1/24 to a full house plus an overflow screening off-site, with over 240 moviegoers. What could have been a polarizing conversation in another setting became the conversation we all hope to create in our cinemas: one of openness, but also one that challenged audience members, asking them to step outside their long held beliefs and engage with those who they might otherwise dismiss. The case study will dive into how that space was created, and offer insights for how it can be created in other exhibition spaces. After the presentation, session participants will break into small groups to discuss their own experiences holding space for difficult dialogue and brainstorm strategies to share with the wider exhibition community.
Moderators: Anna Feder, Bright Lights Screening Series at Emerson College; Bears Rebecca Fonté, aGLIFF
Hosting Good Q&As
10:00AM - 10:45AM | 5th Floor Washington Room, Chicago Cultural Center
Nailing an engaging Q&A is an artform, allowing audiences to extend and enhance their film program experience. Hear from programmers on their strategies and best practices for the groundwork necessary for good moderation.
Moderator: Bret Berg, AGFA
Speakers: Crickett Rumley, NYFA; Ned Hinkle, BrattleFilm
Analyzing Your National Audience Survey Data: A Music Box Theatre Case Study
10:00AM - 10:45AM | 5th Floor Garland Room, Chicago Cultural Center
The National Audience Survey is an essential tool to learn about your audience and improve all aspects of your organization. Using data provided by Music Box Theatre, this presentation will demonstrate how to analyze your detailed survey responses.
Presenter: Brian McKendry, Music Box Theatre
Lunch at the Chicago Cultural Center
Sponsored by Queering the Cinema
11:00AM - 1:00PM | Preston Bradley Hall
Drop in, grab your boxed lunch, and take a seat at one of our informal roundtables with and discuss various curated topics. Prefer to catch some rays? Take your boxed lunch to-go and head to Millennium Park across the street. Looking to check emails? Snag your sandwich and pop over to the Gene Siskel Film Center for some peace and quiet.
Breakouts
11:30AM - 12:15PM | 5th Floor Rooms, Chicago Cultural Center
These rooms will be reserved for breakout conversations about the issues we need to discuss the most. Check your daily email for the Breakout Room topics.
Working Groups
12:30PM - 1:30PM | 5th Floor Rooms, Chicago Cultural Center
Wrap up the conference by hopping into one of our collective build working groups. Drawing from the ideas born of the conference, these groups will identify a common issue and start to develop a potential solution in collaboration. Check your daily email for the Working Group topics.
