Cineposium will be held in early November this year, near the dates of AFM (American Film Market) which is being held October 31-November 7 in Santa Monica, California. Firm dates and venue will be announced soon. In addition, AFM has offered AFCI Members who also attend Cineposium an AFM Industry Badge Plus package for $295, a 40% discount from the $495 rate everyone else pays. 

New Master Class!

The AFCI Board of Directors has committed to updating the AFCI Professional Development courses. “Leadership for Film Commissioners” is being re-written and updated as a Film Commission Management course - with around 50% new materials focusing on the skills, craft and art required to run a film commission. This course will be offered prior to Cineposium 2012, along with Film Commission Professional (FCP).

Cineposium to Focus on Interpreting Film Budgeting and Financial Decision Making

As we are all too painfully aware, since the introduction of Film Incentives, the role of Film Commissioner has irrefutably changed; it’s now all about the money. And it’s not just about Incentives; even for Commissions that don’t offer incentive programs, the ability to positively influence production decisions based on access to accurate financial information is almost a key competence.

The emphasis of Cineposium 2012 is thus on the importance of getting the financial side of things right. We look at the role of budget literacy in providing commissioners with additional tools to attract projects. We also address how financial issues are handled by producers; the choices they make that affect costs, the costs they look at that affect production decisions, the thought-processes they follow when determining viability, and the management protocols they use to manage a production’s finances. We will also refer to incentives, since confidence in a shooting location will soon be lost if a promised incentive doesn’t deliver.

The AFCI believes that Film Commissioners will be at an advantage if they know how film budgets work, how they can be read and interpreted, and how producers make their financial decisions. Armed with this knowledge, Commissioners will be able both to sway production location decisions and further (and perhaps more importantly) to enhance a film commission’s reputation as a professional destination.

Details and further registration information will be coming soon!