RIGA IFF FORUM PANEL:
EUROPEAN CHILDREN’S FILM MEETS TECH
A large number of quality children’s films are traveling around festivals and bright ideas for children’s content are pitched in forums all across Europe. At the same time considerably smaller number of films are shown at European cinemas, making existence in the market more challenging for sales agencies and distributors. In the meantime new mediums as virtual and augmented reality are open for new content. As quality and innovative content is one of the strongholds of European cinema, there is a food for thought: is there an open possibility of symbiotic co-operation between the domains of cinema and tech? But are they more accessible and more effective in capturing the public’s eye than traditional ways of marketing? Also – what would the linking of the two worlds mean for cinema?
Experienced producer with a demonstrated history of working in the production industry, Aija is also one of the founders of and the current president of RIGA IFF. Aija's lead company TASSE FILM received a Crystal Bear at Berlin International Film festival for the youth film Mellow Mud.
Inese is the head of marketing and distribution at the biggest independent movie distributor in the Baltic states - ACME Film Latvia. Coming from cinematography studies background, she is a seasoned expert in film, working with Hollywood as well as independent productions.
Being a researcher at the computer graphics and virtual reality lab of University of Tartu, Madis is also the founder of the Tallinn based Virtual Neuroscience lab, which aims to take VR and our knowledge of ourselves to new depths and to develop VR products that have a real effect.
Silke is a seasoned expert in acquisitions and film sales. She is currently consulting for the globally known Sola Media as well as leading her own, Germany based company SilkWay Films.
Ainārs is the founder and owner of OVERLY - the first and only agency in the Baltic States that focus on the development of augmented reality solutions and other interactive technologies.
KRISTĪNE SIMSONE
Freelance film journalist, working at Latvian weekly magazine IR. Kristine joined RIGA IFF at the first year of the festival as curator of children's film programme KIDS WEEKEND, willing to encourage filmgoers in regarding film more as an art form, not merely entertainment.