Date: Sat. Nov. 16, 2024
Time: 12:30 PM
Venue: Cloudland
Cost: FREE
Co-Presented by: FilmNorth, Film Festival Alliance, Cloudland Theater, St. Thomas: Music, Film & Creative Enterprise
Meet various Minnesota Film Festival Directors and get their takes, thoughts, opinions, and optimism on the Minnesota film festival scene. Hear what they are noticing in the local film scene, what they have learned navigating a competitive field in selecting local films, what advice they would give filmmakers and artists, and what makes their festival different or similar in the great state of Minnesota.
Panelists:
Vera Bianchini - Festival Director, Minnesota Film Festival
Jim Brunzell - Festival Director, Sound Unseen Music + Film Festival
Craig Rice - Senior Programmer, Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival
Jatin Setia - Executive Director, Twin Cities Film Festival
Moderated by: Deirdre Haj (Producer & Art House Convergence Board Member)
Vera Bianchini
Involved in the industry for over a decade – Vera Bianchini specializes in film festivals and arts community building. She’s worked for regional film organizations like MSP Film, Flip The Script Fest, and the Upper Midwest Film Office. Vera’s also worked for Oscar-qualifying festivals such as Chicago International Film Festival, Sundance, Cleveland International Film Festival, and Palm Springs International Film Festival. Her experience includes being invited to speak on panels about the importance of exhibition and filmmaking for FilmNorth and Art House Convergence. Currently, Vera is the MN Film Programs Director and leads the Minnesota Film Festival and the MN Media Arts School at Zeitgeist in Duluth, MN. Vera’s mission is to elevate artists and provide underrepresented voices a platform to share and celebrate their work while also proving the value of film in the economic development of a community.
Jim Brunzell
Jim Brunzell III was born in the 70's, played sports in the 80's, went to school in the 90's, and started working on film festivals in the 2000's. He joined the Twin Cities based music + film festival, Sound Unseen in 2008 as a programmer and became the festival director in 2012. During his tenure the Sound Unseen was named "One of the 25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World '' by Moviemaker Magazine in 2016 & 2019 and "One of the 20 Great First Time Moviemakers Festival'' in 2022. In 2023, he joined the L.A. based film distributor, Dark Star Pictures as Director of Festivals and Theatrical. He has served on numerous film festival juries and is a big sports nerd, especially a die-hard Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Dodgers fan. He is also the father to a 6-year old tabby cat named Bruce.
Craig Rice
Craig Laurence Rice is a long established award-winning internationally recognized producer, executive producer and director, music executive and adjunct Professor of Filmmaking at Minneapolis College of Art and Design since 2007.
Jatin Setia
As a recipient of ’40 under 40′ Award as well as ‘MN Real Power 50’, Jatin has been recognized by the community as a business leader and innovator. With the Twin Cities Film Fest, Jatin has brought the community together in a celebration of the arts it deserves. Jatin currently serves as a Board Member of Westopolis, SLP Business Council and the TC Actor and Film Industry Expo. Being part of the Minnesota arts and business community, he strives to provide a platform where social conversations, business, culture and arts can not only survive, but work collectively and thrive!
Deirdre Haj
Deirdre Haj is an independent producer and consultant to festivals and art houses throughoutthe US. Haj served as the founding Vice President of the Film Festival Alliance and now on the Art House Convergence Board. She is currently producing Remy Weber’s documentary KISS THE PAST GOODBYE on the life of filmmaker Danny Seymour. Haj served as Executive Director at Film Streams Cinemas, Omaha, where she expanded offices, championed gender parity, improved capital investments, and brought visiting filmmakers and screenings deeper into the community. This followed a decade of leadership at the acclaimed Full Frame Documentary Film Festival. Achievements include becoming an Oscar-qualifying festival, creating the renowned School of Doc teen filmmaking course, Teach the Teachers documentary literacy program, and the festival’s celebrated Speakeasy, including an annual panel addressing diversity in the documentary field. Haj built new offices and the Full Frame Theater and left behind one of the most robust filmmaker advisory boards in the field. Haj served as Senior Advisor for Television and Film at Duke University. Prior, she produced docs, consulted for the Motion Picture Association, and served on the FilmNorth board and on the Advisory Board of MSPFF.