The first module of Inside Pictures is wrapping up today, following an intensive week of training and networking for 2015’s 20 participants. The programme was based at Lee & Thompson where visiting speakers shared their knowledge and experience of all aspects of the European film industry.
On Thursday evening, over 100 industry guests and alumni joined the participants at a networking event where Jill Tandy, Inside Pictures’ Executive Producer, said a few words: “When I started Inside Pictures with Michael Kuhn in 2002, we were training a small group of UK executives-mostly producers. They are now key players in the UK Industry. I’m delighted to have seen the programme grow over the years to embrace 200 of the brightest and best participants from across Europe and this year, for the first time, from all over the world. Inside Pictures has played an important role in creating a strong film business infrastructure in Europe for the continuing growth of our creative industries and it has become a truly international programme, Year on year we see our alumni go on to become industry leaders. Our fantastic class of 2015 are set to continue this tradition, and I am so excited to follow their journey over the course of the year.”
As part of the module, participants have been split into pairs and tasked with developing a real or fictional film project, which they will be asked to pitch in January 2016, before they graduate from the programme. While some participants develop fictional projects, the majority use the opportunity to build their pitch for a real project, and many of the projects developed in past years have gone on to become successfully released theatrical features.
The participants will reconvene in September in Los Angeles for Module 2, the US leg of the programme. Here they will get an insight into the workings of LA’s studio and independent sectors, hearing from some of the top players from across the film value chain.
Module 1 speakers in 2015 included Tim Bevan (Working Title Films), Chris Bird (Amazon), Katherine Bridle (See-Saw Films), Andrew Cripps (IMAX Corporation), David Garrett (Mr Smith Entertainment), Wayne Marc Godfrey (The Fyzz Group), Malte Grunert (Amusement Park Films), Daniel Heale (Way To Blue), Pim Hermeling (September Film Distribution), Simon Hewlett (Universal Pictures International), Billy Hinshelwood, Lilla Hurst (DRIVE), Brandon DiMassa and Zachary Slatter (Universal), Ildiko Kemeny (Pioneer Pictures), Steve Knibbs (Vue Entertainment), Mark Lane (The Tea Shop & Film Company), Graeme Law (eOne Features), Christos Michaels (Lee and Thomson LLP), Charles Moore (Wiggin LLP), Al Munteanu (SquareOne Entertainment), Rebecca O’Flanagan (Treasure Entertainment), Joe Oppenheimer (BBC Films), Dr Andreas Pense (UNVERZAGT VON HAVE), Richard Phillips (Reed Smith), Nik Powell (National Film & Television School, James Shirras (Film Finances), Robert Walak (The Weinstein Company), Fabien Westerhoff (WestEnd Films), Mark Woolley (Ecosse Films) and Stephen Woolley (Number 9 Films).
