Speaker Series Set For Palo Alto International Film Festival

Palo Alto, CA – The Palo Alto International Film Festival (PAIFF) has announced its speaker series for the 2011 festival. The series will feature eight panels and more than 30 speakers exploring the collaborative nature of the creative process and celebrating the game-changers whose work catalyzes innovation in film and media. 

PAIFF’s speaker series includes panels on the future of global cinema, character animation and hybrid entertainment, along with a panel on the impact of technology on the distribution and marketing of today’s films.  Several of the speakers, including visual effects artists, animators, sound designers, independent film and video game producers, writers, entrepreneurs and financiers, have worked on film projects that are household names, while others are instrumentally involved in the future of film and media in ways that are less obvious. Additionally, PAIFF will be broadcasting several of the panels live at www.paiff.net.

“Audiences will hear what the future of cinema has in store from speakers including Academy Award®-winning visual effects artists John Gaeta and John Knoll, Oscar®-winning film editor Walter Murch and such investors as Saad Kahn of CMEA Capital and Tim Draper of Draper Fisher Jurvetson,” said Alf Seccombe, PAIFF’s Director of Programming. “These speakers are the people who have harnessed technology to push the boundaries of cinema. They share a common enthusiasm for discovery.”

The complete 2011 speaker series is as follows:

Thursday, September 29
9 a.m.–2 p.m. 

The Film Foundation Workshop with Cathy Gourley, author and principal curriculum writer for “The Story of Movies,” a visual literacy initiative of Martin Scorsese’s The Film Foundation.  Gourley will present a discussion on Harrold Lloyd’s “The Freshman.”

Friday, September 30
2 p.m.              

“Making ‘The Startup Kids’” with Valla Halldorsdottir and Sesselja Vilhjalmsdottir.  The two filmmakers and entrepreneurs will talk about how the making of their documentary “The Startup Kids” influenced their new start-up KinWin. Live web broadcast.

4 p.m.              

How Much is Your Idea Worth? With Eric Edmeades, serial social entrepreneur and current owner of Kernerworks (a government think tank) and Kerner Optical (a Lucasfilm spinoff); and Saad Khan, co-founder of Film Angels and Partner at CMEA Capital.  Live web broadcast.

5:30 p.m. 

Global Cinema Tomorrow with Jasmina Bojic, Founder and Executive Director of the United Nations Association Film Festival; Santhosh Daniel, Director of Programs at Global Film Initiative; and Alesia Weston, Associate Director of Sundance’s Feature Film Program, International. Live web broadcast.

7 p.m.              

“Encyclopedia Pictura” with Isaiah Saxon, Daren Rabinovitch and Sean Hellfritsch.  The directing trio known as Encyclopedia Pictura has won numerous awards for their music videos and been named “Directors of the Future” by Esquire.  They will speak about their award-winning work, augmented reality and their upcoming 3D feature “DIY.” Live web broadcast.

Saturday, October 1
11 a.m. 

Tom Sito, 37-year veteran of animation production whose credits include “The Little Mermaid,” “The Lion King” and “Shrek.”  Sito will talk about the history of computer graphics and animated art in the Palo Alto area. Live web broadcast.

12 p.m. 

Paul Debevec, Research Professor at the University of Southern California’s Institute for Creative Technologies; Winner of a Scientific and Technical Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for the Light Stage Facial capture systems used in such films as “Superman Returns,” “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” and “TRON: Legacy.”  He will speak about his research and professional work.

4:15 p.m. 

Steven Gaydos, screenwriter and executive editor of Variety.  Gaydos will speak about writing “Road to Nowhere” (2010) for Monte Hellman and the response to the film around the world.  Live web broadcast.

6 p.m.    

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences presents “Out of this World: The Science of Space Movies”
Hosted by Adam Weiner

“The Day the Earth Stood Still” (Robert Wise, 1951) Cathy Gourley, The Film Foundation, will introduce the film with a discussion about film as a historical and cultural document.

Sunday, October 2
12 p.m. 

Nickhill Jakatdar, CEO of Vuclip, the world’s largest independent mobile video service.  Jakatdar will speak about the future of mobile and movies, and provide insights about where film is headed as we move deeper into the digital age.  Live web broadcast.

1 p.m.              

Richard Beggs, sound designer and re-recording mixer.  Beggs will speak about how to move a story forward by application of sound and music.  He will also discuss the impact of technology on the art of sound design. Live web broadcast.

2 p.m.              

Craig Barron, co-founder and head of Matte World Digital; Academy Award-winning visual effects artist.  Barron will speak about his work creating realistic worlds in classic films and his evolution to digital work at Matte World Digital.

3 p.m.              

“Ditching the Divide” moderated by Santhosh Daniel, Director of Programs, The Global Film Initiative.  This panel is devoted to understanding and exploring some of the new image-makers and imaginations in today’s landscape of digital technology in filmmaking.

Talenthouse, located in Palo Alto, is the host venue and co-sponsor of PAIFF’s 2011 Speaker Series.  Updates to the speaker series will be posted at http://www.paiff.net/index.php/festival/speaker-series.

Tickets to PAIFF’s 2011 Speaker Series, as well as individual screenings and shorts programs are now available at www.paiff.net.  Passes for the 2011 Palo Alto International Film Festival are also available. To be notified of any changes to PAIFF’s Program and Schedule, text PAIFF to 80474.

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