Braving the Coronavirus Crisis: what’s ahead for film distributors and cinemas?

Four independent distributors-exhibitors together with Europa Distribution and Europa Cinemas join in a virtual debate to exchange ideas and experiences on how creatively responding to cinemas closure: safety protocols for the re-openings, the evolving quality cinema streaming platforms and strategies to keep alive the cinematic collective experience while waiting for theatres to re-open full-steam.

This debate will take place on Monday May the 18th at 4.00 pm CET Time
Make sure to be among the attendees of the live event!

Register HERE

Speakers

Louisa Dent (Curzon-Artificial Eye, UK)
Louisa Dent joined Curzon Artificial Eye in 2008 as Managing Director, overseeing the acquisition and release of titles including The Class, We Need to Talk About Kevin, Still Alice, Fish Tank, 45 Years, Amour, The Handmaiden, Cold War and Parasite. Prior to this she was Managing Director for UGC Films UK. Louisa started her career at Screen International and then worked in Paris and London for UGC in International sales and distribution.

Fatima Djoumer (Europa Cinemas)
Fatima Djoumer manages the international relations of Europa Cinemas, the network of cinema theatres for the circulation of European films. Created in 1992 at the initiative of a group of thirty cinema exhibitors, supported by the European Commission and by the CNC, it has become in 27 years a network uniting more than 1,200 cinemas (3,123 screens) in 43 countries. Its main objectives are to provide support to cinemas that undertake to give a significant part of their screenings to non-national European films. The network now represents 82 million annual admissions.

Christine Eloy (Europa Distribution)
Christine Eloy is managing Europa Distribution, the European Network of Independent Film Publishers and Distributors. With about 115 members, representing 31 countries in Europe and beyond, it acts as a network and a think tank and serves as the voice of the sector.
Previously, Christine was Sales Manager at Cinéart, one of the leading independent film distributors in the BENELUX. She has a long experience in distribution and released about 500 films including Amour, Auf der andere seite, Bowling for Colombine, Chicken run, Dancer in the dark, L’enfant, Persepolis and The angels’ share.

Kim Foss (Grand Teatret and Camera Film, Denmark)
Hired to run the newly established NatFilm Festival in 1993, Kim stayed with the event for 13 years, turning it into the largest film festival in Denmark, simultaneously serving as critic and film journalist. He co-founded the festival CPH:DOX in 2003. In 2006 he became managing director of the arthouse cinema Grand Teatret in Copenhagen as well as the company’s distribution arm, Camera Film. In 2006 he received an honorary Bodil Award from the Danish Film Critics Association. In 2010 he was named Chevalier de l’ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Minister of Culture.

Antonio Medici (BIM Distribuzione, Italy)
Active in the theatrical distribution since 1989, Antonio is from 2014 CEO of Bim Distribuzione, Italian distribution company part of the Wild Bunch group. In that year, he also became a member of the Executive Committee of ANICA and he is President of the BoA of Circuito Cinema, a company active in cinema theater sector, controlling more than 100 screens in Italy. From 2018, he is vice president of Unidim (the Italian national association of theatrical distributors) and from 2019 he is President of the BoD of Bim Production.

Andrea Occhipinti (Lucky Red, Italy)
Andrea Occhipinti is the founder of Lucky Red. Since 1987 he has distributed over 600 titles introducing Italian audience to great directors. In 2016 Lucky Red has opened a new production arm, producing The legend of a Christmas Witch, 18 presents and the sensational debut They Call Me Jeeg by Gabriele Mainetti, whose sophomore film Freaks Out is currently in production. From 2013 to 2018 Andrea served as President of Anica.

Moderated by Wendy Mitchell (Screen International)

In cooperation with

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