Instructor:
Mark Slone, Vice President Marketing and Publicity, Odeon Films

The NBC Universal Film Marketing and Distribution Series has been developed to assist emerging producers navigate the daunting world of film marketing and distribution. Mark Slone, Vice President of Marketing and Publicity for Odeon Films, will provide course participants with a broad understanding of publicity, promotion, advertising and distribution. This 3 evening course will offer participants the opportunity to work with industry guests, examine case studies and further develop a workable marketing strategy for their film project. Participants should have their own original project outline or a script from a recent Canadian release as a basis for individual assignments.

* A producer’s on-set responsibilities
* Vital marketing tools within the industry
* The creation of an effective promotion strategy
* Press Kits, Posters and Trailers
* Using a film festival as a marketing tool
* Budgeting for creative and material costs
* Creating the General Release Plan

Location: National Film Board, 150 John St. (at Richmond)
Date: Tuesday February 7, Tuesday February 21 and Tuesday February 28
Registration: 6:00 pm - 6:30 pm
Time: 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Fee (3 Part Series): $195 + GST Members, $285 + GST Non-members

Registration for the Film Marketing and Distribution Series is required by February 6, 2006. Space is limited (maximum of 25 participants), so register today to avoid disappointment. Please call 416.322.3430 x21 to register or send a completed registration form and resume to wift@wift.com or fax to 416.322.3703.

WIFT-T [awards and events]:

Breakfast Session: Highlights from the 2005 WIFT International Summit
Presented by the CBC and Warner Bros. Canada

Please join us for a Breakfast Session with Wendy MacKeigan, WIFT-T Board Chair, and Lisa Clarkson, WIFT-T Board Secretary and WIFT International Board Member on Thursday January 26, 2006, 7:30am, at the Movenpick Marché, BCE Place, 42 Yonge St. They will be speaking about their experiences during last year’s WIFT International Summit held in Los Angeles from October 29 to November 1, 2005.

This four day conference was held to celebrate the global culture of its worldwide chapters through panels, lunches, cocktail receptions, screenings, and special events. The Summit provided a perfect forum for filmmakers from all over the world to network, greet old friends, and forge new relationships.

Ms. MacKeigan and Ms. Clarkson were able to attend many of the panels and various sessions, from which they accumulated a wealth of information and knowledge from experienced panelists. The breakfast is an opportunity for members to hear about the highlights and advice acquired during the Summit and how this information translates to the Canadian film and television industry. Panels ranged from Financing Your Feature Films, Creating Episodic Television, Pitch Like A Pro, International and Domestic Distribution, Producer's Guide to Producing, and Packaging an Entertainment Story that will Air to Intellectual Property and Copyright. As well Ms. MacKeigan presented the pioneering WIFT-T study Frame Work: Employment in Canadian Screen-Based Media - A National Profile, which was well-received.

WIFT-T Acting President, Diane Davy, will be moderating the session and there will be an opportunity for audience questions.

Date: Thursday January 26, 2006
Time: 7:30 - 9:00 am (registration from 7:30 - 8:00 am, guest speakers 8:00 - 9:00 am)
Location: Movenpick Marché, BCE Place, 42 Yonge St.
Fee: $5.00 for members, $10.00 for non members (payment at door). Breakfast is not included.
Pre-registration: required by Tuesday, January 24, 2005. Pre-registration is mandatory, as space is limited.* To pre-register, call 416.322.3430 x.21, or send an email to wift@wift.com.

NEW: 2006 WIFT International Film Festival
Co-presented by WIFT and the National Film Board

WIFT-T and the National Film Board would like to cordially invite WIFT members to the 1st annual 2006 WIFT International Film Festival, an international event showcasing some of the world’s most exciting Female Filmmakers.

The event, scheduled to take place in a number of locations around the world on Women’s Day (March 8, 2006), will screen various local and international short films, and aims to celebrate, promote and advance the filmmaking talents of women globally.

Please check our website at www.wift.com or contact us at 416-322-3430 ext. 21 or wift@wift.com for more details.

For a detailed listing of the films, as of Monday January 16, please click here.

On a monthly basis, WIFT-T opens its doors for a New & Prospective Members Meeting. At the meeting we give an overview of the organization; its history, mandate, structure, a breakdown of the courses offered and other benefits of membership. It's the perfect place to network with other members, meet the staff and gain the knowledge you need to begin designing your own career strategy.

Please join us at a New & Prospective Member Meeting this winter:

• Wednesday, February 15, 2006 at 6:00 pm

Meetings are held at the WIFT-T office, Suite 405, 2300 Yonge Street (at Eglinton). Each meeting lasts about an hour. Please RSVP for the free member's meetings by calling the WIFT-T office at 416.322.3430 ext. 21 or email wift@wift.com.

WIFT-T Member receive at 20% Discount to an Act Now Events Workshop Series - Toronto - March 25 & 26

Tom Todoroff - Top Hollywood acting teacher & coach and A-List Producer/Director is coming to Toronto to teach a workshop on March 25 & 26. This is an incredible opportunity for Canadians to learn from one of the top teachers working in the industry today. There are performance and non-performance options available. Please visit www.actnowevents.com or call 310-285-3277 to learn more about this exciting workshop. Click on the tab labeled "Tickets" to see all of the registration details. Please visit www.tomtodoroff.com to learn more about Tom Todoroff.

"Tom is a force of nature. He's that rare teacher who inspires you to surprise yourself. With Tom, you not only do your best work-you get work."

TONY GOLDWYN
Director/Actor: "The Last Samurai", "A Walk On The Moon", "Someone Like You", "Ghost", etc.

"Tom's care, sensitivity and insight are second to none."

LIAM NEESON
Actor: "Batman Begins", "Schindler's List", "Kinsey", "Gangs of New York", "Star Wars - The Phantom Menace"

"If I wanted to be an actor, Tom's the guy."

ALEXANDER PAYNE
Writer/Director: "Sideways","About Schmidt","Election",
"Citizen Ruth", etc.

To celebrate Canadian production, Loopmedia is offering a 15% discount to all WIFT- T members. The discount applies from January 9 , 2006 through to December 31, 2006. Loopmedia is a full-service broadcast design, animation and commercial production studio based in Toronto, Canada. We create brand identities, show openings, film titles, trailers, music videos and television commercials. For more information about our company, please contact Jan King at jan@loopmedia.com and visit our company website at www.loopmedia.com.

WFTV UK / Birds Eye View Festival is currently looking for submissions for short films and documentaries for the 2006 festival event. Those selected will be screened at the National Film Theatre, The Institute of Contemporary Arts and the Curzon Cinema Soho, London. The first Birds Eye View Film Festival in March 2005 to tremendous critical acclaim.

The submissions deadline has officially passed, a special extension has been granted to WIFT-T members only. Filmmakers should send in their work by January 23, 2006.

For more information about the festival, please visit www.birds-eye-view.co.uk

For International Guidelines, click here.
For Submission Forms, click here.
For Festival FAQs, click here

Toronto Talks: "Success is Not a Spectator Sport"
with Charles Marcus
Free for WIFT members!

We choose to be successful in business and life the moment we decide to step out of our comfort zone to do whatever it takes to reach our goals. Based on Charles’ book “Success Is Not A Spectator Sport”, this keynote presentation will inform, entertain, educate and inspire you to action. You will discover how to:

* Treat every setback as a valuable learning experience
* Build winning and lasting relationships
* Set goals that work
* Find balance in life
* Leave a lasting legacy
* Become the true leader of their own destiny
* Cross the finishing line on their own terms

This keynote will help YOU to develop the mindset, create the game plan, shape the strategies, and find the discipline and motivation to complete the plays necessary for success.

Date: Tuesday January 24, 2006
Time: 7:00 pm
Location: Metro Hall, 55 John Street, Room 303

For more information or to RSVP for the sessions, please visit www.torontotalks.org

NFB Mediatheque celebrates ABC CANADA Family Literacy Day™
January 27 marks the seventh annual ABC CANADA Family Literacy Day™. This year, families can celebrate all weekend (January 28 & 29) at the NFB Mediatheque with free animation workshops, family-friendly film screenings, scavenger hunts and more! Call 416-973-3012 for more information and to reserve your spot.

NFB doc Smudge hits Sundance this month; check it out in Toronto on the Mediatheque’s digital viewing stations!
Gail Maurice’s short documentary Smudge shows how a small group of Aboriginal women celebrate their right to worship in the city – their way. Smudge was produced by Gerry Flahive as part of the NFB’s Momentum program. It will screen throughout the prestigious Sundance Film Festival, January 19 to 29, and it’s already available on the Mediatheque’s state-of-the-art digital viewing stations.

Drop in sometime and check out Smudge, just one of more than 2200 films from the NFB’s award-winning 65-year history now available for free seven days a week.

Enjoy the best contemporary cinema from around the globe at the NFB Cinema, inside the NFB Mediatheque. From innovative monthly programming to one-of-a-kind events, there’s something for every film lover. Check out a detailed program schedule at www.nfb.ca/mediatheque.

NFB Mediatheque
150 John Street (at Richmond Street West)
Toronto (Osgoode subway station)
416-973-3012
www.nfb.ca/mediatheque

Hours of Operation
Mondays and Tuesdays, 1 – 7 pm
Wednesdays, 10 am – 7 pm
Thursdays - Saturdays, 10 am – 10 pm
Sundays, Noon – 5 pm

The Women In Film Foundation (WIFF) is currently accepting submissions for its 2006 Film Finishing Fund, which provides completion monies for documentary, dramatic, educational, narrative, animated and experimental works by filmmakers and video makers who demonstrate advanced and innovative skills; and whose work relates to WIFF's goals of increasing employment and promoting equal opportunities for women, enhancing the media image of women, and influencing prevailing attitudes and practices regarding and on behalf of women.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: Eligibility is limited to projects that have completed principal photography and are well into post-production by the February 17, 2006 (postmarked) application deadline. All independent producers and non-profit corporations are eligible to apply for completion funding for post-production services on an existing film or video. Projects in development, pre-production or production at the time of the application deadline will not be considered. No student projects, graduate or undergraduate, will be considered. You do not have to be a Women In Film member to apply. We accept applications from filmmakers around the world, but projects must be accessible to English-speaking audiences or, at a minimum, have English subtitles or dubbing. Two (2) NTSC Region 1 DVD or half-inch VHS copies of the work-in-progress are required along with other supporting materials.

To download an application and the specific guidelines/criteria for the 2006 Film Finishing Fund, please click here. For additional information, please call: 310-362-2694.

2006 Banff World Television Festival: June 11-14, 2006

Make it Happen at BANFF 2006:
Register to attend the 2006 Banff World Television Festival!

The Banff World Television Festival is where great television is born. Take part in the exciting and lucrative pitching competitions, network with over 150 international programming decision
makers, learn from some of the industries' most successful players, participate in the Banff World Television awards and so much more. Make it happen at Banff 2006 and enjoy the beautiful surrounding of the Fairmont Banff Springs in the Canadian Rockies between June 11-14, 2006. Register before January 31, 2006 and save with the "kick off" registration offer.

Find out more about the Banff World Television Festival and register at www.banff2006.com.