Keanu Reeves, Johnnie To among the first round of announced guests
August 1, 2013
TORONTO—The Toronto International Film Festival® today announced the first round of details for the Asian Film Summit, which takes place during the 2013 Festival, on Tuesday, September 10 at the Shangri-La Hotel, Toronto. The Summit, now in its second year, is a key element of TIFF’s ongoing commitment to build bridges between Asia and the West, and features an international guest list of industry experts and programming that explores the East-West relationship. Highlights include actor-director Keanu Reeves discussing the making of Man of Tai Chi, which will receive its North American premiere at the Festival, as well as appearances by legendary industry veteran Tatsumi “Tom” Yoda, Hong Kong director Johnnie To and more.
“The Asian Film Summit is the product of many years’ work and a natural outgrowth of the Festival’s role showcasing the best of global cinema,” said Piers Handling, Director and CEO of TIFF. “Building on the momentum and excitement of our own recent Japanese and Chinese film retrospectives, and the global attention focused on the region, the Summit will continue to grow and develop. We’re looking forward to even more exchanges of the type that made the inaugural event such a success.”
“The immediate future of the global film industry will be defined by its ability to bring East and West together. TIFF’s Asian Film Summit is our effort to aid that dialogue,” said Cameron Bailey, Artistic Director of the Festival. “This year’s Summit will offer practical opportunities for producers to meet counterparts from the other side of the world, as well as the chance to learn from industry leaders who’ve made pioneering strides towards bridge-building.”
The 2013 Asian Film Summit will include panel discussions, in-depth working sessions and a gala banquet, offering a platform for industry leaders to connect, generate ideas, collaborate and find new business opportunities. This year’s event will feature a Case Study: Man of Tai Chi panel, with director and star Keanu Reeves, producer Lemore Syvan and RADiUS-TWC co-president Tom Quinn sharing insight into the process of bringing the US-China co-production to fruition. Michael Lake, CEO of Pinewood Iskandar Malaysia Studios, Reliance Big Pictures (Mumbai) CEO Sanjeev Lamba and Canadian producer Shan Tam (Finding Mr. Right) discuss their experiences working cross-culturally and the challenges and opportunities of global storytelling. Marco Mueller, producer and the Artistic Director of the Rome Film Festival, and director Johnnie To engage in a one-on-one discussion on issues of international filmmaking, global audiences and more. Other confirmed panelists include influential Japanese film figure Tatsumi “Tom” Yoda and Canadian producer Niv Fichman (Blindness).
Further information on Asian Film Summit guests and programming will be announced in the coming weeks.
The TIFF Industry Office will be selling a limited number of passes to industry professionals who are registered with the Festival. Visit tiff.net/industry for more details.
About TIFF TIFF is a charitable cultural organization whose mission is to transform the way people see the world through film. An international leader in film culture, TIFF projects include the annual Toronto International Film Festival in September; TIFF Bell Lightbox, which features five cinemas, major exhibitions, and learning and entertainment facilities; and innovative national distribution program Film Circuit. The organization generates an annual economic impact of $189 million CAD. TIFF Bell Lightbox is generously supported by contributors including Founding Sponsor Bell, the Province of Ontario, the Government of Canada, the City of Toronto, the Reitman family (Ivan Reitman, Agi Mandel and Susan Michaels), The Daniels Corporation and RBC. For more information, visit tiff.net.
The Toronto International Film Festival is generously supported by Lead Sponsor Bell, Major Sponsors RBC, L'Oréal Paris, Visa and Audi, and Major Supporters the Government of Ontario, Telefilm Canada and the City of Toronto.
The Asian Film Summit is supported by Telefilm Canada.
The Pinewood Studios Group is a sponsor of the Asian Film Summit.
-30-
For information, contact the Communications Department at 416.934.3200 or email proffice@tiff.net
No comments:
Post a Comment