ICO plans series of UK workshops for producers, distributors, exhibitors

The Independent Cinema Office, with backing from Skillset, is starting a series of six workshops in the UK, to entice producers, distributors and exhibitors to work together on digital initiatives.

The title of the series is Audiences: Making Film Pay and Play in the Digital Future, and sessions will aim to bring together professionals from across the different sectors of the industry to explore new ways to use digital technologies to engage audiences for independent film. Companies will be encouraged to partner on joint initiatives.

About 35 professionals will attend each session; the ICO is encouraging participants to attend the full series of workshops, but a place on the series could be shared between colleagues at the same company. The cost for the series is £450 + VAT (£540) and bursaries are available for qualifying companies.

The first workshop is planned for Sept 8 at London’s ICA and the other five workshops in London, Cambridge, Birmingham and Brighton will follow Nov 3, Jan 12, March 8, May 3 and July 5.  Each day will offer talks, case studies, practical group sessions and networking.

Speakers for the first event will include Monsters director Gareth Edwards [pictured], Take 12 scheme participants, Moviepilot’s Jon Handschi, the Glasgow Film Theatre’s Jen Davies, Sony Music’s Fred Bolza, and others to be confirmed.  BBC Radio 4’s Simon Cox will host.

Topics across the series will include strategic digital marketing; learning from other sectors; crowdsourcing/crowdfunding; on-demand cinema and other new models; learning from other industries such as TV and music; and how collaboration across the film industry can become working practice.