The only global conference led by screen industry experts which brings Film Commissions and industry leaders together to discuss hot-button topics around creativity, policy and economic development. 

AFCI’s 43rd Cineposium will be held in Saint Petersburg, Russia, from 13th to 16th September 2019 and is co-presented by AFCI and the Russian Office of Film Commissions and supported by Saint Petersburg Committee on Tourism Development and Saint Petersburg Convention Bureau.

Cineposium runs concurrently with the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) General Assembly. There will be collaboration between Cineposium and UNWTO (details will be provided in the program as it is released). The Assembly is a major global event, with over 1,000 attendees from 158 countries. Registration includes FREE admission to KINO EXPO INTERNATIONAL, the world’s 3rd largest International cinema industry convention and exhibition.

Saint Petersburg is the considered the cultural center of Russia and will provide an incredible backdrop for attendees from around the world to engage. The Conference programming is being designed to ensure registrants will be up to speed with the current cultural and economic trends that affect the screen industry. High-profile speakers from the US and Europe, as well as regionally based Industry will participate in the two day Cineposium Conference and the AFCI Film Commission Member-only event, Business-to-Business Industry Day.

MORE INFORMATION

Visa Information:

Some countries do not need a visa for Russia, if you DO need on it will be a Tourist Visa.Standard time for ease of visa turnaround is usually 4-5 days (maximum 14 days). HOWEVER, as with most countries, expedited visas are available for an additional cost. These expedited visas can be obtained in as little as 3 days.

Who can help with visas? MAKO Congress Management is the organization designated by the Saint Petersburg Tourism Bureau as the official technical operator for AFCI’s 43rd Cineposium. If you need a Tourist visa you will need a letter of invitation/visa voucher from MAKO. Please contact Liz at MAKO directly by email: se@makongress.ru. Processing the letter takes 1-3 business days. Electronic copies of the letters are provided at no cost.

You will then need to fill in a visa application form and provide other documents e.g. passport-sized photos. For complete information please visit the Russian Embassy website.

Note to Film Commissioners: If you are interested in attending but do not have full approval yet, it is suggested you request the letter of invitation/visa voucher in advance.

If you have any questions or need additional information, please email Liz at: se@makongress.ru.  Feel free to CC Marj Galas, AFCI’s SVP Membership & Industry Relations at marj.galas@afci.org.

For more detailed information on Saint Petersburg (including the city, visas, flights etc), please click HERE to visit the event site with comprehensive local information. If you have any questions about Cineposium, please email Marjorie Galas, SVP Membership & Industry Relations at marj.galas@afci.org.

Accommodation:

The Cineposium Host event team has confirmed rates across a number of different hotels in Saint Petersburg. For information on rates and how to book, please see HERE.

September, 13 - 16 2019 | EVENTS SCHEDULE

The conference portion of Cineposium will run across two days (Friday 13th and Saturday 14th) with the Industry + Cultural Tour being hosted Sunday 15th.
Monday 16th is the date for Meet the Execs – open to AFCI, EUFCN and AFCNet members only.

Friday & Saturday, September 13 - 14, 2019 – Conference Schedule

Cineposium Conference will consist of 2 days of panels, including the AFCI Film Commission Member-only session ‘How Would You Handle It’. This session which is closed to non-members and press.

Speakers will be drawn from North America and Europe as well as locally in Russia, ensuring dynamic conversations and multiple perspectives.

Venue: Corinthia Hotel

CORINTHIA ST PETERSBURG

Venue: Corinthia Hotel

Friday 13th, Cineposium Day 1:

Content Boom (Part 1)

Responding to the television and streaming services phenomenon: how is it disrupting the global production and consumer landscape? Who are the players and what are their strategies? How can producers and talent meet this unprecedented demand?

SPEAKERS:

Jay Roewe, SVP West Coast Production, HBO
Tomasz Dabrowski, EMEA Production Policy, Netflix
Ashley Rice, EVP Physical Production, Legendary Television & Digital Media
Olga Filipuk, CEO, Yandex Studio
Jonathan Olsberg, Chairman, Olsberg SPI (Moderator)

Launch of AFCI's Report on Best Practices in the Film Sector Development

SPEAKERS:

Leon Forde, Associate Director, Olsberg SPI 
Jess Conoplia, President, AFCI

Content Boom (Part 2)

Seizing the opportunity: growing the production hubs of the future. Building production infrastructure: studios, facilities, crew and incentives. The dangers of an overheated ecosystem.

SPEAKERS:

Andrew Reid, Head of Production, Northern Ireland Screen
Nick Smith, former Commercial Director, Pinewood
Todd Christensen, Director, New Mexico State Film Office
Dr Marijana Stoisits, CEO, Vienna Film Commission
Jonathan Olsberg, Chairman, Olsberg SPI (Moderator)

Afternoon content in collaboration with UNWTO

SPEAKERS:

Session intro by Jess Conoplia, President, AFCI
Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary General, UNWTO
Zarina Doguzova, Head, Rosturism
Evgeny Pankevich, Chair, Saint Petersburg Committee for Tourism Development

Film Tourism

A discussion about the significant economic injection from this specific type of tourism. How to build a tourism campaign and how to manage visitation when success exceeds expectations.

SPEAKERS:

Philippa Mossman, Head of International Screen Attraction, New Zealand Film Commission
Marcelo Risi, Director of Communications, World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)
Christopher C. Marcich, CEO, Croatian Audiovisual Center
Donne Dawson, State Film Commissioner, Hawai’i Film Office
Marjorie Galas, SVP Membership & Industry Relations, AFCI (Moderator)

Spotlight: Russia

An overview of the production landscape in Russia: the largest country in the world, covering eleven timezones, one eight of the earth’s inhabited land and some of the most diverse environments on the planet.

Locations v Budget

Executives discuss productions that have gone against the grain, chosen unusual or non-incentivized locations

SPEAKERS:

Jeanette Volturno, Head of Physical Production, Blumhouse
Michel Ruben, Producer, NARCOS, ALL ABOUT MY MOTHER, TALK TO HER and CONTRACORRIENTE
Lily Sheroziya CMO, Premier Studios
Chris Evans, News & Locations Editor, KFTV.com (Moderator)

Evening Reception at CATHERINE PALACE

The Catherine Palace is a Rococo palace located in the town of Tsarskoye Selo (Pushkin), 30 km south of St. Petersburg, Russia. It was the summer residence of the Russian tsars.

Read the History of Catherine Palace

Venue: Catherine Palace

Saturday 14th, Cineposium Day 2:

Balancing the Gender Scale

How far have we come? How do we initiate meaningful change? 

SPEAKERS:

Cristen Carr Strubbe, SVP Physical Production, Universal Pictures
Helene Granqvist, President, WIFTI
Jess Conoplia, President, AFCI (Moderator)

Producer Spotlight

SPEAKERS:

Iain Smith OBE, Producer (MAD MAX: FURY ROAD, CHILDREN OF MEN, SPY GAME, THE KILLING FIELDS)
Chris Evans News & Locations Editor at KFTV.com (Moderator)

Cross-Border Collaboration and Co-Production Across Europe

Presented in collaboration with EUFCN

SPEAKERS:

Marco Valerio Pugini, Producer + President, Panorama Films – 6 UNDERGROUND (Michael Bay), SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY (Dolomites), AMERICAN ASSASSIN (Italy), JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 2 (Italy), ROME
Per-Henry Borch, Location + Production Manager (Norway) – MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: FALLOUT (Norway), BERLIN STATION, EX MACHINA, TRANSFORMERS: THE LAST KINGDOM, HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF BLOOD PRINCE
Pavlína Žipková, Head, Czech Film Commission (Moderator)

Working in and Collaborating with the Asian Market

A spotlight across the industry and on UNESCO’s International Council for Film, Television and Audiovisual Communication Silk Road Project 

Presented in collaboration with AFCNet

SPEAKERS:

Xueyuan Hun – Project Manager, of the executive office of International Council for Film, Television and Audiovisual Communication (ICFT) at UNESCO
Aaron Shershow, Producer, Line Producer for Pacific Rim 2: Uprising (China), Iron Man 3 (China), Skyfire (Malaysia), Executive Producer for The Adventurers (Czech), UPM for Marco Polo (Malaysia), Man of Tai Chi (China).
Ruriko Sekine, Secretary General, Japan Film Commission
Leena Narzary, Head – Outreach, National Film Development Corporation, India (Moderator)

The Evolution of Gaming

the development of film and television content from game IP? What’s around the corner?

SPEAKERS:

Asad Qizilbash, Head, PlayStation Productions, VP of Marketing, PlayStation
Dr Jo Twist OBE, CEO, UKIE (Moderator)

How Would You Handle It?

 Closed Session: Open to AFCI, EUFCN + AFCNet Film Commission Members only (no press or public attendees)

Presentation: Accreditations

Join us for a special presentation of Certified Film Commissioner accreditations.

Evening Reception & Networking

Held at the SO SOFITEL overlooking St Isaac’s Cathedral.

Just around the corner from St. Isaac’s Cathedral and within a 10-minute walk from State Hermitage, So Sofitel St Petersburg offers captivating views of Saint Petersburg landmarks.

Venue:SO SOFITEL

Sunday, September 15, 2019 – Industry + Cultural Tour

AFCI is excited to be working with the Russian Office of Film Commissions and the Saint Petersburg Convention Bureau to coordinate an unforgettable tour of the city

Monday, September 16, 2019 - Meet the Execs

Featuring a range of speakers including senior executives from:

For AFCI Film Commission Members only

Venue: EXPOFORUM

Meet the Execs is designed specifically for AFCI Film Commission Members (this year open to EUFCN & AFCNet Film Commission members as well) and connects commissioners with show runners, creatives and decision-making executives from production companies making tremendous strides in film, television and online content.

Speakers will be scheduled from around the world and will speak to their career, their production slate, where they’re shooting and why, and what projects are coming down the pipe.

In order to foster an intimate environment with as much open discussion as possible, this is a closed-door event – media are not permitted access.

Over 100 members participated in each of the inaugural Meet the Execs day (then called Business-to-Business Industry Day) during Cineposium 2018, which was hosted at Netflix and the second event at Universal Studios in April 2019. Participating companies have included: Facebook, YouTube, di Bonaventura Pictures, Amblin Partners, Tencent, Netflix, Gunpowder and Sky, HBO, Starz, Blumhouse Television, Arclight Films, Crackle and more.

AFCI Member: Registration

Non-Member: Registration

For further information or inquires, please contact Marjorie Galas | marj.galas@afci.org