Workshops / Panels

Each year since inception, the New Hampshire Film Festival is proud to present professional development and educational opportunities for filmmakers, screenwriters and film enthusiasts. Here is this year’s roster of workshops and panel discussions:

Individual Workshop Tickets are $12, excluding the Young Filmmakers Workshop. Free entry to all VIP, Weekend and Day Pass holders. All workshop descriptions are below. See, meet and learn at the New Hampshire Film Festival!

YOUNG FILMMAKERS WORKSHOP*

YOUNG FILMMAKERS WORKSHOP* The Young Filmmakers Workshop (YFW) is the featured youth program for the New Hampshire Film Festival. For the past six years, young filmmakers have joined for an intensive full weekend study of the movie making process. The program is one part film school and one part film making challenge.

Last year's special guests included: special effects expert and developer of Lord of the Rings Online, Douglas Applewhite; film producer Tracey Becker (Finding Neverland, upcoming: Losing Jerry); Tufts University film professor and author of The Savvy Screenwriter, Susan Kougell; Steadicam operator and creator of Steadishots.org, Afton Grant; and the cast of the improv comedy troupe Stranger Than Fiction. The weekend is led by New Hampshire filmmaker and artist John Herman.

Students enjoy interactive lectures, movie screenings and the production of an original movie whose premiere screening is held during the festival. Past students cherish their experiences with the YFW and many have gone on to study movie production in college and beyond.

* Advanced registration required for the Young Filmmakers Workshop

Participants range from 14 - 18 years old. Students are provided dinner on Saturday and Sunday. Price for the full weekend is $150. Space is limited so register early!

Tentative YFW schedule:
Friday, October 17 from 6 PM - 8:30 PM
Saturday, October 18 from 9 AM - 8:30 PM
Sunday, October 19 from 9 AM - 8:30 PM

Click here to register››

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WORKING WITH THE FILM OFFICE:
Supporting Filmmakers Through Partnerships and Collaborations
Friday, October 17th
10-12 pm

The New Hampshire Film and Television Office acts as a liaison between film productions and state government agencies, municipalities, and other organizations and associations. These relationships are a key element to having film and television projects run as smoothly and hassle-free as possible. This panel discussion will provide an overview of the New Hampshire Film and Television Office, introduce a few of its partners regularly involved in the film production process, and provide a better understanding of how film offices operate, what filmmakers can expect when working with a film office, and how they can benefit from these kinds of collaborations. Attendees are encouraged to participate and offer their ideas, suggestions, and opinions. Presented by the New Hampshire Film and Television Office in partnership with the New Hampshire Film Festival. More information is available at the New Hampshire Film and Television Office website at www.nh.gov/film.

Moderator: Van McLeod, Commissioner, New Hampshire Department of Cultural Resources.

Panelists Include:
Matthew Newton, Director, New Hampshire Film & Television Office William Boynton, Public Information Officer, New Hampshire Dept. of Transportation Marta Modigliani, New Hampshire Department of Safety Brian Warburton, New Hampshire Division of Parks & Recreation Chuck Miner, New Hampshire Fish & Game Dept.

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Thinking Beyond the Rebate - The Opportunities and Challenges
Friday, October 17th
1:30-3:30 pm

The landscape of filmmaking is changing throughout New England, and as our neighboring states enact legislation and incentives to attract more production to their jurisdictions, New Hampshire is taking a look at how it can remain competitive. What do we offer to filmmakers? What more can we do? How do we become a filmmaking destination while, at the same time, continue to protect our New Hampshire resources and our way of life? Attendees are encouraged to bring their ideas, suggestions, and opinions as this panel discussion will explore New Hampshire’s approach to filming incentives and how the Granite State provides filmmakers the “New Hampshire Advantage.” Presented by the New Hampshire Film and Television Office in partnership with the New Hampshire Film Festival. More information is available at the New Hampshire Film and Television Office website at www.nh.gov/film.

Moderator: Van McLeod, Commissioner, New Hampshire Department of Cultural Resources.

Panelists Include:
Matthew Newton, Director, New Hampshire Film & Television Office Michael Vlacich, Director, New Hampshire Division of Economic Development Mark Constance, Producer, a713production Buzz McLaughlin, Executive Producer, either/or films Rep. Leigh Webb, New Hampshire House of Representatives

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BUDGETING YOUR FILM
Saturday, October 18th
11:00-1:00pm

How do you take your script from the page to the budget?

From low budgets to million dollar budgets, explore the world of budgeting with producers and union representatives. They'll explain how to create and cope with the script-to-budget structure and how financial, artistic and creative decisions affect how you budget your film.

Panelists Include:
Dorothy Aufiero_Producer ("GOOD WILL HUNTING", "STATE & MAIN")
Tracey Becker_Producer ("FINDING NEVERLAND", "LOSING JERRY")
Mark Constance_Producer ("THE SENSATION OF SIGHT", "LOSING JERRY")
Chris Stinson_Producer ("HARSH TIMES", "DON MCKAY")

SCRIPT TO SCREEN:
An Insider Look at the Moviemaking Process
Saturday, October 18th
1:30-3:30 pm

Indie producer Tracey Becker ("Finding Neverland") moderates this panel on the process a typical film takes from inception to completion. The panel, made up of writer Mitchell Ganem ("Elvis Has Left the Building"), producers Chase Bailey ("The Libertine", "The Life Before Her Eyes"), Buzz McLaughlin (“The Sensation of Sight”), and Boyd Hancock ("The House of Usher"), distributor Paul Hudson (Outsider Pictures) and a very special top-secret Guest Director, will relate their personal experiences -- the good and the not so good, as well as giving practical, hands-on advice to aspiring and working filmmakers on the soup-to-nuts process of independent filmmaking.

Moderator Tracey Becker developed the play "The Man Who Was Peter Pan" into the 7-time Academy Award nominated film "Finding Neverland". She is currently in pre-production on the historical romantic-comedy "Hysteria", and currently sits on the Board of Directors for the NHFF.

Chase Bailey began his career as a financial advisor to Mr. Mudd, John Malkovich’s production company, and shortly thereafter opened Paris Mudd, the European based partner to Mr. Mudd. There he produced “The Libertine” starring John Malkovich and Johnny Depp and “Art School Confidential” and then went on to open his own production company, Left Bank Films. He recently produced “The Life Before Her Eyes” starring Uma Thurman directed by Vadim Perelman.

Playwright Mitchell Ganem's screenplay "Elvis Has Left The Building" was directed by Joel Zwick and produced by Capitol Films. He is currently prepping to direct "Losing Jerry" from his original screenplay here on the Seacoast.

Boyd Hancock began her career as a literary agent with three very prestigious agencies in Los Angeles before relocating to New England to start her production company. Her first feature, "The House of Usher", was distributed by ThinkFilm and is currently playing on Showtime.

Paul Hudson A 15-year film industry veteran, Paul Hudson is the co-founder of independent US distribution and sales company Outsider Pictures. Since the company's launch in 2005, Outsider has released Adam's Apples, Klimt and London to Brighton . Current releases include The Unknown Woman and The Tiger's Tail.

Buzz McLaughlin, co-producing partner in New Hampshire-based production company Either/Or Films, is executive producer of THE SENSATION OF SIGHT, the independent feature recently released nationally starring Academy Award Best Actor nominee David Strathairn and shot entirely in Peterborough, NH. Buzz is a playwright and screenwriter, author of the book The Playwright’s Process, and is currently at work developing other feature film projects.

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WORKING IN THE FILM BUSINESS IN NEW ENGLAND AND BEYOND
Sunday, October 19th
12-2 pm

Join working industry professionals to discuss the film business in New England and how you can be part of it. Hear from industry professionals in New England who have worked on such sets as THE DEPARTED, THE WOMAN, ADAPTATION, LITLLE MISS SUNSHINE, BEING JOHN MALKOVICH, THE SENSATION OF SIGHT, and ON BROADWAY to name a few. They'll explain and dissect how they got their starts and how they continue to get jobs. You'll find out that you don't need to write, direct, act and produce your own projects to work in the industry!

Panelists Include:
Sophie Carlhian_Art Director ("FEVER PITCH", "NEXT STOP WONDERLAND")
Scott Davis_Gaffer ("GOOD WILL HUNTING", "EDGE OF DARKNESS")
Virginia Johnson_Costume Designer ("BLACK IRISH", "THE WOMEN")
Greg Smith_Assistant Director ("LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE", "ADAPTATION")

Moderator: Mark Constance

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SHORT FILMS AND THE LAND OF OPPORTUNITY
Sunday, October 19th
2:30-4:30pm

Explore the vast world of short films with leading experts in the field. They’ll discuss the creative process, distribution outlets, and of course making the leap into features.

Panelists:
Marc Dole, An Alumni of the NH state film commission, panelist, and guest lecturer to many Film Festivals, Digital Media conferences and advisor to local schools and colleges, Marc was named as one of the top “it” people by NH Magazine in 2007. In the past 3 years Marc has produced 6 Shorts (The Toll, Endurance Challenge, The Norman Rockwell Code, etc) that have been to over 80 film festivals worldwide winning 12 best of awards, and with 1.5 million views on the internet. Along with countless Branded Ent like commercials and corporate videos Marc is Producing, Writing and developing longer form content for TV and Web series as well as Feature films. Marc lives in Southern NH with his wife and 4 daughters who constantly provide honest feedback to his work in-progress.

Glenn Gardner, has produced a number of short films and a feature in Bergen, Norway where he ran a production company. He is a graduate of the film program at Boston University and Columbia University. In 2006, his short film “Sniffer” was awarded the Palm D’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. “Sniffer” Cannes Film Festival Palm D’or short film recipient.

Hilary Graham, Hilary Weisman Graham’s independent films have played in art-houses and festivals around the world. In 2007, she was selected from a pool of 12,000 submissions to be one of 18 contestants on the Mark Burnett/Steven Spielberg FOX reality series “On the Lot: The Search for America’s Next Great Director.” She is also a screenwriter and an Emmy-nominated broadcast television producer.

Moderated by: Mike Gillis
Mike Gillis is an award-winning filmmaker whose short films have spanned no budget to big budget. His short film "The Listeners" won best short drama at the fifth annual New Hampshire Film Festival. He also produces short new media for Foster's Daily Democrat, where he is the assistant managing editor.

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