Friday May 22 8.30 am - 12.30 pm: The Art of the Pitch, Ramada Yorkton.
Presented by Canadian Screen Training Centre.  Pitching. It’s a vital step in getting any project off the ground. In this intensive pitch session, participants will receive a crash course in the fundamentals of creating a successful pitch. From an irresistible log line to a selling hook, participants will get insider’s advice on how to refine their skills and perfect the art of their project’s pitch. Registration is limited to 12 participants. Pre-registration required; telephone the Festival office at 306-782-7077.
 The presenter is Stephen Onda, a multi-award-winning producer who works largely in Western Canada. During his career, Stephen has produced feature film and television projects, with co-producers in Canada, United States, Germany, Italy and United Kingdom. Mr. Onda’s body of work includes feature films, television movies, documentaries and dramatic series. Onda launched Heartland Motion Pictures Inc., and served as its president from 1988 to 2000. The comapny focused on development, production and post-production for television. He was the CEO of Tyndal Stone Media Inc. from 1995 to 2000. The company was a developer of interactive products largely delivered on CD-ROM with an emphasis on learning software. In 2000, Onda served as producer for WestWind Pictures Inc., before launching his own company, Stephen Onda Productions Inc. in 2003, where he currently serves as President.
1.30 pm - 4 pm: Interactive Storytelling: The Rise of Multi-platform Productions and Social Media, Ramada Yorkton.
Presented by SaskFilm.  This panel will explore the rapidly changing media landscape with the intention of providing some insights for filmmakers, producers and anyone else trying to navigate into the digital futures. Subjects to be explored will include:
- Is television really dead? And is there life after television?
- What is social media? And what does it mean to filmmakers?
- The rise of Community or community’s media.
- And everyone’s favourite – where is the money? (But it’s not just about the money!)
The panel will feature members with different perspectives and experience and is intended to provide some insights and reference points for people in the film and television production industry who hope to continue to work in the brave new digital reality. Audience members will also be asked to share insights and experience as the subject matter being dealt with is so broad and rapidly evolving that it would be impossible to find a panel who knows all the answers or even all the questions. Panel members are:  Erica Hargreave is a creative producer and writer. Thriving on challenges and the desire to solve problems, Erica has been focusing her storytelling on new and social media for the past year and a half and she's been loving it. During this time, she has been a part of the CBC's Digital Development Labs and the recipient of a Telefilm New Media Fellowship. She has cofounded Bridging Media, an initiative designed to open the channels of communication between the broadcast and digital media communities. She and her partner Megan Cole sold out their inaugural event, went on to help nextMedia and the Banff Television Festival integrate social media storytelling into their festivals, and are currently helping the Women In Film Festival put on a New Media Day. Erica will speak on using social media as a storytelling tool, as a part of this day.
 Gresham Bradley is Director, On-line Development, for e-cast Limited in Auckland, New Zealand. He has over than 30 years experience in educational programming, production and video streaming website development. He was one of the founding staff of the Knowledge Network, BC’s Educational Television service, with a lead role in its development, production and programming. Since returning to New Zealand in 1996, he produced a major documentary series for TVNZ which won Best Documentary Series at the New Zealand Film and Television Awards 2002. He was line producer for the Knowledge Breakfast series on TVOne and managed the related knowledge.nzoom.com website, the first time a TV series was delivered online with supporting resources. He managed the development, design and production of content for a number of other award-winning web sites. From October 2006 till June 2007, Gresham was Director of Programming for The Arts Channel, a premium service on SKY-TV, where he successfully broadened the diversity and reach of the channel. At e-cast, Gresham is leading the development of leading edge video and rich media content over-the-Internet web projects. These include an download shop for independent producers’ films; PlanetAudio.org, a community radio online listening site; High Performance Sport, a secure web service for NZ’s Olympic athlete trainers; Think Tech, an interactive site looking at the future of technology in education; e-cast education, the world’s first online TV program recording and delivery service exclusive to educational institutions, and he is currently leading a project to launch a full online TV platform to the public in New Zealand.
 Filmmaker, journalist and writer Peter Raymont has produced and directed over 100 documentary films and series during his 38 year career. His films have taken him to Ethiopia, Nicaragua, India, Rwanda, the High Arctic and throughout North America and Europe. Raymont’s films have received 42 international awards including a Canadian Genie, four Gemini Awards, several Gold and Silver Hugos, The Sesterce d’Argent and other international honours. His documentary feature, Shake Hands with the Devil: The Journey of Roméo Dallaire received a 2007 Emmy for best documentary and the Audience Award at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival. Raymont's films are often provocative investigations of "hidden worlds" in politics, the media and big business. His films are informed with a passion for human rights and social justice and are regularly broadcast on private and public TV networks worldwide. His career began at age 21 at the National Film Board of Canada in Montreal in 1971. While at the NFB, Raymont also taught film and video production in the Canadian Arctic. In 1979, he moved to Toronto and established his independent film and television production company, Investigative Productions, now operating as White Pine Pictures. He co-partnered the company for many years with his late wife, award-winning filmmaker and author Lindalee Tracey. Raymont’s most recent work as a director, A Promise to the Dead: The Exile Journey of Ariel Dorfman premiered at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival and was shortlisted for an Academy Award for Best Documentary. Raymont also produced Triage: Dr. James Orbinski’s Humanitarian Dilemma which had its North American premiere at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival and was a top ten audience pick at the IDFA Festival in Amsterdam and the Hot Docs Documentary Festival. Raymont is Executive Producer of the hit TV drama series The Border, currently in production on its third season for the CBC. Season one and two of The Border are now airing across Europe.
 The panel will be moderated by Richard Gustin, who joined SCN in July 1989 as Program Manager for Arts & Science and was the Executive Director of Programming from 1995 until his retirement in April of 2009. He was also a member of the board of directors of ATEC (Association of Tele Education in Canada) and a former board member of the CTF (Canadian Television Fund). Born and raised in New England, he moved to Regina in 1972 to attend graduate school at the Communications program at what was then the University of Saskatchewan's Regina Campus. From there he went on to teach at both the University of Regina and SIAST. He has also been a freelance broadcaster, commercial photographer, corporate consultant and is a practicing visual artist whose work has been shown across western Canada.
Saturday May 23 9 am - 11 am: Emerging Producers Workshop, Ramada Yorkton.
Presented by SMPIA.  Let’s get this project started! For everyone who ever had a great idea and couldn’t figure out how to get it off the ground, this workshop will cover the basics of producing 101. What do you do first, how do you approach a director, and how do you get your proposal into the hands of the people that can fund it? The workshop will include discussions on the elements that make a strong proposal as well as an overview of financing structures and the various organizations you will deal with throughout your project. Experienced producer Anand Ramayya shares what he has learned about how to take your idea from conception to broadcast and what to expect along the way.
Anand Ramayya is a four-time Gemini Award winning producer and filmmaker who has worked with a number of creatives and companies from across the country. His projects have ranged from independent feature length films to stop motion animation and documentary films. Cosmic Current, which he wrote and directed for the National Film Board of Canada, went on to receive the 2004 Gemini Canada Award which honours excellence in mainstream programs that reflects the cultural diversity of Canada. Wapos Bay – There’s No I In Hockey, of which Ramayya is a producer, was also honoured with the Gemini Canada Award in 2006. Most recently, Wapos Bay – The Series was awarded the 2008 Gemini Award for Best Individual or Ensemble Performance in an Animated Program or Series. In 2007 Ramayya co-produced his first feature length dramatic film 45 RPM starring Michael Madsen (Kill Bill), Amanda Plummer (My Life Without Me), August Schellenberg (Free Willy) and Kim Coates (Black Hawk Down).
1 pm - 5 pm: Ask an Expert Industry Fair, Ramada Yorkton.
Today’s young filmmakers are an on-demand generation, wishing to avoid the experience of a workshop that requires them to commit several hours to gain experience on a broad topic. Instead, they prefer to have their training delivered on their own terms and their own time. In response to this growing demographic, the Yorkton Film Festival is excited to offer an Industry Fair. Emerging filmmakers will have access to industry professionals who, due to financial limitations or lack of experience, they may not have access to on their own. Throughout the afternoon they have an opportunity to talk to resource people on topics that are relevant to them. Presenters will include broadcasters, funders, insurance brokers, entertainment lawyers and publicists. Confirmed participants are: - Legal: Patricia Warsaba, McKercher McKercher & Whitmore LLP
- Post audio and music: Mike McNaughton, Twisted Pair Sound
- CGI: Jack Hilkewich, Tyrell Media
- Distribution: David Cormican, Minds Eye International and Anna Tsoulogiannis, Movieola
- Insurance: Marie-Louise Deleau, Multimedia Risk
- Interactive media: Ryan Fitzgerald
- Production/production management: Ty Hyland
- Broadcasting: Bravo, CTV and SCN
- Production equipment: Andrew Gordon, William F. White
- Directing: Robin Schlaht
- National Screen Institute: Joy Loewen
- Research: Ryan Lockwood
- Business affairs/producing: Lisa Donahue
- Saskatchewan Motion Picture Industry Association
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