Professional Motion Picture Production and Distribution NEWS

New York, NY -- The International Film Festival Summit (IFFS) announced that Marco Müller, Director of the Venice International Film Festival will present the Keynote at the 3rd Annual IFFS Europe this April 7-8, 2009 in Paris. www.filmfestivalsummit.com

Venice International Film Festival Director Marco Müller will present the 2009 IFFS Europe Keynote Presentation. Mr. Müller will draw upon his vast experience and rich understanding of film and art to share his perspective on film festivals and global cinema.

The 5th Annual International Film Festival Summit which will take place this December 7-9 in Las Vegas will bring together festival leaders from across North America to address a wide range of topics. The 2008 IFFS will have industry leaders discussing the latest trends in funding and sponsorship, programming, operations and management, publicity and public relations, acquisition and distribution, technology solutions, long-term planning and sustainable growth, and executive management.

Topics at this year's summit include: Festivals: Distribution Revolution or Evolution?, Sustainability and Long Term Planning, The Art and Philosophy of Curating a Film Festival, Filmmaker Professional Development and the Festival Experience, Board Development for Your Festival, Year Round Festival Programs, Membership & Giving Programs, Creating Value for Festival Sponsors, Building a Culture of Community Outreach, Festival Standards and Formats, Success Metrics: Where to Set the Bar, indie 2.0, Connecting the Dots: Distributors and Festivals, Budgeting Workshop, Dynamic Programming Issues, Unlock Your Festivals Ticketing Potential and Greening Your Fest.

Some of this year's attendees include: AFI Fest Presented by Audi, Atlanta Film Festival, Austin Film Festival, Bside, Starz Denver Film Festival, FilmThreat, Palm Springs International Film Festival, River Run International Film Festival, San Diego Film Festival, San Francisco International Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival, Gen Art, San Diego Asian Film Festival, DC Shorts Film Festival, Seattle International Film Festival, AFI Dallas International Film Festival, SXSW, Variety, Withoutabox and many, many more.

The 2008 IFFS Presenting Sponsor is Withoutabox. Platinum sponsors include B-side with Gold sponsors Enta USA and The NEB. Other sponsors include: Agile Ticketing, Avid, Eyesoda.com, inticketing, Festival Media Corporation, Filmfestivals.com, FilmMaker Magazine, FilmThreat, MovieMaker, NAMAC Production Hub and Variety.

About International Film Festival Summit (IFFS):
The International Film Festival Summit is the only annual conference and trade show for professionals from the film festival industry. The IFFS provides a platform for the community to explore ways to collaborate and promote the advancement of the film festival industry. This is a place to dialogue with your peers, share insights and gain knowledge that will help you grow your film festival and foster sustainability. The IFFS is dedicated to providing resources, information and avenues of communication for industry professionals and the entertainment industry. For IFFS Europe visit www.iffseurope.com. For IFFS North America visit www.filmfestivalsummit.com.