Darklight are excited and delighted to welcome Hussain Currimbhoy, curator of the Sheffield Doc/Fest, as our special guest programmer this year. Hussain has selected some feature documentaries for screening that connect with the Darklight 2011 theme Strictly Roots, Sound It Out, Blood In The Mobile, Resurrect Dead plus a special screening and performance by the makers of We Are Poets.

ALT. DIST. DOC. – 21 Oct @ 11am – 12.15 Studio 5
A round table discussion chaired by Alan Maher from the Irish Film Board looking at how documentaries have been leading the charge with alternative and innovative distribution models. Guests include:

Anna Higgs – Head of Film4.0, Film4

Anna has just taken up the newly created role as head of Film4.0 – the digital banner for Film4 productions.  Film4’s current releases include filmmakers Steve McQueen, Paddy Considine, Ben Wheatley, Andrea Arnold, Richard Ayoade, Miranda July and Walter Salles.  She takes to Film4 an extensive track record of independent film and television production with Quark Films, including features THE PEOPLE VS. GEORGE LUCAS and THE REAL SOCIAL NETWORK, TV such as BOY CHEERLEADERS and promos for the likes of the Arctic Monkeys and The Mighty Boosh.  Before Quark Anna worked on BAFTA award-winning digital media production and consulting for major global brands.

Anna Sissons, an outreach coordinator for film distribution company DogWoof.  Anna’s background includes working in research and development for a documentary production company based in Barcelona. As well as coordinating outreach for Dogwoof’s film campaigns, Anna also project manages the Ambassadors Programme and Popup Cinema.

Jeanie Finlay, an artist and filmmaker who is obsessed with music and this passion runs through all her feature documentaries. Sound It Out (premier SXSW 2011) Goth Cruise (IFC) and Teenland (BBC4).

Hussain Currimbhoy – studied film at Curtin University and the Victorian College of Art in Australia, writing and directing several short films. Hussain is the programmer for the Sheffield Doc/Fest in the UK. Hussain lives in Sheffield.

Alan Maher, has been with Bord Scannán na hÉireann / the Irish Film Board since 2006. As a Production Executive, Alan has had particular responsibility for documentary and very low-budget filmmaking. Recent feature documentaries include: His & Hers; Colony; Horses and Today Is Better Than Two Tomorrows. Recent narrative features include: Savage; Snap: My Brothers; Outcast; Eamon and One Hundred Mornings (both Catalyst projects). Prior to joining the Board, Alan was Head of Development at Element Pictures.

Rachel Lysaght, an award winning Film & TV Producer, and Lead Producer at Underground Films.  A graduate of the Samuel Beckett School of Drama in Trinity College, Dublin, Rachel is also a graduate of the European EAVE and Docu Regio programmes.  With experience in live TV studio and large outdoor broadcasts, Rachel’s expertise lies in content and creative production solutions.

Breakout Sessions following the round table discussion.

After the round table discussion there will be a short break and then the audience will get the opportunity to go to another room and participate in one of the break out sessions, which are as follows:

Crowd-funding case studies with Fundit.ie – 21 Oct @12.30-13:00 – Studio 5

Andrew Hetherington from FundIt, along with crowd funding veterans Maya Derrington and Jeanie Finlay will go through the do’s and don’t of crowd funding and how to make the most of your campaign.

What Programmers Want – 21 Oct @12.30-13:00 – Dragon’s Den

Hussain Currimbhoy, Anna Sissons, Anna Higgs and Alan Maher will be taking part in this workshop, which will be an opportunity for the Irish filmmaking industry to get feedback on their specific ideas/projects.

This will be a unique opportunity for filmmakers to talk about their documentary projects in a group session,  informally, amongst peers and to the panel to get feedback.  To participate in this session contact pitch@darklight.ie

YouTube Channel Workshop – 21 Oct @ 12.30-13:00 – Art Room

Hazel Hayes, Partner Manager at YouTube will be introducing the YouTube Partner Programme, which is a revenue-sharing program, allowing creators and producers of original content to earn money from their videos on YouTube. She’ll be discussing all of the opportunities that YouTube offers to creators, on a promotional and financial level as well as optimal ways that new creators can develop and grow on YouTube.

The YouTube team will be presenting the Programme on Friday, but are encouraging all to sign up now so that they’ll be able to guide you directly through your Channels and show you the best ways of developing them.  Please visit www.youtube.com/partners to sign up or email zofia@support.youtube.com with any questions.  And don’t forget to mention Darklight when applying!

Masterclass on D.I.Y. Alternative fundraising and distribution – 21 Oct @15.45-17:45 – Studio 5

Sound it Out director Jeanie Finlay will talk through her film projects & what she’s learned, from successfully crowd-funding her documentary Sound It Out via UK site IndieGoGo, to alternative distribution models and fresh approaches to production.

Application Procedure for Masterclass:
Please apply online at www.screentrainingireland.ie by the 10^th of October 2011.   For further details please email Grainne Bennett on grainne.bennett@fas.ie.