June 2016 Global Media and Entertainment Industry Networking Events

June is a big month for Global Media and Entertainment Industry Networking Events.

For 50 years now, the annual MIDEM (#MIDEM2016) (acronym for Marché International du Disque et de l’Edition Musicale) in Cannes has been an international b2b event encompassing tradeshow, conferences, competitions, networking events and live performances, as well as a platform for showcasing new artists, musical trends and music-related products, and conferences educating about the music industry and new revenue streams. MIDEM music industry events are generally focused on the core music business, the technology sector, brands and the agencies that represent them for music/brand campaigns. MIDEM offers a forum for business talks, visionary, political and legal discussions. This year also marks the 50th anniversary celebration year for MIDEM.

MIDEM ARTIST ACCELERATOR - AKUA NARU.
Artist Acceleration Program is a program highlight at MIDEM 2016. Credit – © V. DESJARDINS : IMAGE & CO

In this celebratory year, with all that is planned when MIDEM opens June 3 for four days, MIDEM is poised to receive the honorary ICMP Ralph Peer II Award for Outstanding Contribution to Global Music Publishing. The Award, initiated by ICMP in 2013, and named after its first honoree Ralph Peer II, recognises visionaries in the field of music publishing, whose roles have helped develop, protect and value the music of composers and authors around the world. ICMP is the world trade association representing the interests of the music publishing community internationally. The members of ICMP are music publishers’ associations from Europe, Middle East, North and South America, Africa and Asia-Pacific.

MIDEM Artist Accelerator programWarner/Chappell Music CEO Jon Platt will keynote MIDEM 2016, with Justin Tranter, songwriter to Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez and others. The event will happen as part of the MIDEM Keynote Series on June 4. Other Keynotes and important events will include: keynotes from Timbaland, Pandora Founder Tim Westergren, Glassnote Entertainment Founder Daniel Glass, Warner Music Group’s Stu Bergen, Alibaba Music Group Chairman Gao Xiaosong, UTA’s Neil Warnock; an exclusive Midem Gala Dinner; three nights of live music, DJ sets, jazz concerts, K-Pop, in addition to sets from the 12 artists and groups chosen as the year’s Midem Artist Accelerator finalists; exclusive news on the European Commission’s plans to support music in Europe.

Midemlab, the international pitching competition for innovative startups, will field 20 selected finalists whose ideas, the selection committee feels, are set to influence the music ecosystem in the years ahead. The selections cover the full scope of music innovation from music discovery, recommendation and creation services, marketing, social engagement and monetization solutions (including video, data management, live experience, ticketing, rights administration), along with hardware and the internet of things (including audio solutions and virtual reality). The Finalists will pitch their business concepts in front of the MIDEM audience and to a jury of potential partners and investors. This year’s 20 finalists have been selected by Midemlab partners Atomico, Bluenove, and Music Ally.

MIDEM after-hours is where attendees will encounter more informal networking that will happen during a series of performances from over 100 international artists held mainly at Cannes’ interContinental Carlton Hotel and on its private beach. Other venues in the city of Cannes will also be dedicated to hosting live acts and events after-hours. Every night, headliners will follow the MAA performances at the Carlton hotel. After-parties, at club Les Marches in the Palais des Festivals, offering MIDEM participants and the general public with a round-up of DJs from around the world. On June 5, the Germany-based dance music label, Exploited Records, presents SHIR KHAN, CLAPTONE and KRUSE and NUERNBERG as part of an all-night set.

Borealis @ Brooklyn Film Festival
Borealis, Sean Garrity, Director, reveals the story of Jonah, an unemployed gambler

The Brooklyn Film Festival (@brooklynfest) (BFF), is an International, competitive festival. BFF mission is to provide a public forum inBrooklyn in order to advance public interest in films and the independent production of films. To draw worldwide attention to Brooklyn as a center for cinema. This year, BFF received 2,854 films from 120 countries, a new record for the festival. The opening night screening, Borealis, Sean Garrity, Director, reveals the story of Jonah, an unemployed gambler, takes his estranged pot-smoking teenage daughter AURORA on a dangerous road trip to Churchill, Manitoba to show her the magnificent Northern Lights – before her vision disorder renders her completely blind. The Opening Night Party, where complimentary drinks and appetizers will be served. Additional programming will be presented on June 9 at Syndicated in Bushwick. On June 4, BFF will present its 12th annual Kidsfilmfest at Made in NY Media Center by IFP. On June 11, BFF will present its fifth Exchange program at BRIC. The festival will screen a total of 110-120 film premieres with each film shown twice. BFF will award the winners with prizes totaling over $60,000 in film services, products, and cash prizes. Opening Night screenings and After Party feature complimentary drinks and Hor ‘d oeuvres. Then, there is a Filmmakers Reception party with food and drinks on June 8. BFF, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization.

In Los Angeles, the New Media Film Festival (#NewMedia2016), evolving its festival program through the years, is about the transformative power of the cinematic arts and the way it can join story through technology to cross cultural boundaries. Festival guests can take in screenings from around the world including World, US and LA Premieres. There are slated Q and A sessions with filmmakers who plan to be in attendance. Opening and Closing Night Programming, the Awards Ceremony, a networking lounge, an International Art Exhibit, a New Media Marketing Table (place one take one) round out the activities. Since the festival emphasizes technology’s impact on motion picture culture, programming is categorized into existing and emerging technologies that make up the contemporary mediascape. This includes 3D, Animation, Apps, Digital Comics, Documentary, Feature, LGBT, Machinima, Made on Mobile/Tablet, Music Video, New Media, Pilots, New Media Scripts, Shorts, Shot on RED, Sniplers, 30 second pitch, SRC – Socially Responsible Content, STEAM-Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math, Trailers and Web Series.

From USA, UK, Germany and Sweden, Years & Years: An Artificial Experience Music Motion Picture, will have it’s LA Premiere at the Seventh Annual New Media Film Festival. And from Tel Aviv, Israel, LIVYATANIM: Myth, an interactive web-based virtual reality short film, featuring the music of LIVYATANIM, directed by Or Fleisher, will have it’s LA Premiere at this Seventh Annual New Media Film Festival. The Festival places an emphasis on the exploration of new media technologies, new distribution models, creating and establishing new methodologies to monetize content on a global scale. The festival also offers further screening opportunities to winning works on the newly launched New Media 2D & 3D channels and other distribution opportunities.

The 70th Annual Tony Awards (#TonyAwards) celebrating achievement on the Broadway stage and the world of theater, will feature some of the top achievers in theatre, film, TV, and music coming out for an evening of tributes and performances. The Tonys will broadcast live from New York City at 20:00 ET/delayed PT, airing on CBS Television Network. The Tony Awards ceremony, which honors theatre professionals for distinguished achievement on Broadway stages, has been broadcast on CBS since 1978. The Tony Awards are presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing. This year’s awards program will be hosted by James Corden, himself a Tony award winner.

Nominees in the category for best play include: Eclipsed, The Father, The Humans, King Charles III. Nominees in the category for best musical include: Bright Star, Hamilton, School of Rock – The Musical, Shuffle Along, Or The Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed, Waitress. Nominees in the category for best performance by an actor in a leading role in a play include, Gabriel Byrne for Long Day’s Journey Into Night, Jeff Daniels for Blackbird, Frank Langella for The Father, Tim Pigott-Smith for King Charles III, Mark Strong for A View from the Bridge. Nominees in the category for best performance by an actress in a leading role in a play include: Jessica Lange for Long Day’s Journey into Night, Laurie Metcalf for Misery, Lupita Wyong’o for Eclipsed, Sophie Okonedo for The Crucible, Michelle Williams for Blackbird.

This year’s recipient for the Regional Theatre Tony Award is Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn. The Regional Theatre Tony Award is awarded based on a recommendation by the American Theatre Critics Association. The award will be accompanied by a monetary gift from City National Bank. Two-time Tony Award-winning lyricist Sheldon Harnick and multi-Tony-nominated Director Marshall W. Mason, will be this year’s recipients of the Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre. Sheldon Harnick is currently represented on Broadway with new productions of two of his most popular musicals, Fiddler on the Roof and She Loves Me. Marshall Mason directed 12 Broadway plays by Lanford Wilson and others that earned him five Tony nominations as Best Director and produced many notable new plays as Founding Artistic Director of Circle Repertory Company.

This year for the first-time ever, Broadway fans will be able to (virtually) go backstage at the Tony Awards with BroadwayHD’s Behind the Scenes Livestream during the CBS telecast of the Tony Awards. TonyAwards.com and BroadwayHD join forces to stream extra behind-the-scenes backstage video footage. There will be first-reaction interviews with award winners moments after they have received their Tony, real-time reactions as winners are announced and as casts prepare to perform onstage, pre-recorded video content from dress rehearsals, and more. Off-site audiences will be able to watch the Behind the Scenes Livestream on BroadwayHD.com and TonyAwards.com beginning at 20:00 ET/delayed PT.

BANFF 2016
BANFF World Media Festival

Banff World Media FestivalFor 37 years, set within the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, the Banff World Media Festival (#BANFF2016) has attracted Development Professionals and a cross-section of television and digital media professionals from across the globe. Over four days, BANFF programs a comprehensive exploration of contemporary issues facing the television and digital media industries through keynotes from industry leaders, panel discussions, expert forecasts, Master Classes, critical case studies, key strategy sessions and other programming. Banff is also a place to green-light new projects made possible through the BANFF Marketplace and other facilities set up to help create new development and production opportunities. The June 12 Opening Keynote will be delivered by the Honourable Mélanie Joly, the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages. The opening day festivities concludes with a Kick-Off Party presented by Netflix with music presented by Festival Music House, and also includes more live performances.

Banff provides an examination of key international territories, pre-booked Face-to-Face Meetings with industry decision makers, networking soirees with potential partners from across the globe. The BANFF Marketplace is set-up to help its attendees create new development and production opportunities. BANFF delivers a comprehensive breakdown of the critical issues facing the television and digital media industries through keynotes from industry leaders, contentious panel discussions, expert forecasts, industry veteran Master Classes, critical case studies, key strategy sessions and more. In the first major address of the conference sessions, Jean-Pierre Blais, Chairman, Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission will speak about where the CRTC is heading next. CBC Radio Canada will host the first major opening day reception over hors d’oeuvres, hand-selected wines and locally-brewed beers, which will then be followed by the Netflix and Festival Music House kick-off party.

Held against the backdrop of EDC Week (Electric Daisy Carnival) in Las Vegas, EDMbiz (#EDMbiz) is a destination for dance music professionals worldwide looking to advance in the electronic dance music experience, which has evolved and expanded into an immersive spectacle of art, technology, and even fashion. Presentations will happen over three days and nights of panels, parties, demonstrations, and discussions curated by avant-garde practitioners of this burgeoning industry at EDMbiz’s new location of Caesars Palace. Keynote speakers for the 2016 event include DJ and producer Moby, Insomniac founder and CEO Pasquale Rotella, and Lefsetz Letter author Bob Lefsetz. Needless to say, EDMbiz club shows will be in full swing at a variety of venues in a town well known for its night life. In scheduled club appearances expect to hear from the likes of GTA, Afrojack, Skrillex and Marshmello, Nicky Romero, Armin Van Buuren, Calvin Harris, Alesso, Lil Jon, Steve Aoki and others.

The new location at Caesars Palace provides an expanded space to boost the size of the Expo, set up more meeting spots, and provide new programming experiences featured in the 2016 agenda. And because of the new infrastructure, Hackathon will enable programmers and entrepreneurs an opportunity to collaborate on and create new digital tools that will help take the festival experience to the next level. Brought to you by the team that created successful Hackathons at Outside Lands, SXSW and Bonnaroo. Then, there is the EDMbiz Song Contest, to give those seeking exposure a chance to get those seeking it a chance to have their best track heard by artists, fans, and key industry players. The Fifth Annual EDMbiz Artist Panel returns as a conference highlight at EDMbiz.

EDMbiz is only a segment of the larger EDC Week (#EDCweek) activity happening in Las Vegas during this period. Situated primarily at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, but also at many venues along the Vegas Strip, from June 13-20, Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC) features DJs, theatrical performers, carnival rides, large-scale art installations, state-of-the-art lighting and sound production across several stages, and fireworks at the close of each evening. EDC producer, Insomniac Events, has indicated the 2016 lineup includes more than 250 performers who will provide the soundtrack for the three-day event expected to bring in an anticipated 135,000 attendees each day. The official EDMbiz kickoff party will feature Afrojack at Omnia on June 14. The closing party will be held at Marquee Nightclub on June 16 featuring Galantis and Loco Dice.

Next TV Summit and Expo (@NextTVSummit) surveys up-to-date news, events and information focused towards professionals shaping the way video and TV content is created, distributed, marketed and monetized. This one-day, future-focused conference, expo and networking event is presented on both coasts annually (San Francisco on June 15), giving insights into the impact of new video devices, delivery systems and consumer expectations in the OTT (Over-the-Top) era. Topics covered at Next TV include: OTT Growth and Business Models, Transformative TV Technologies, Video Consumption Trends and Measurement, Talent and Content in the Digital Age, Valuation Drivers for Online and Offline Video Content Companies. There are planned structured networking with targeted roundtable discussions on pressing topics conducted by vetted speakers. These roundtables provide key introductions and deeper discussions around attendees’ areas of specialty and interest.

VideoEdge Live! is the expo segment of Next TV. VideoEdge Live! providing it’s own full schedule of in-depth discussions, gathering experts for conversations, case studies, viewpoints, and industry predictions. TV and media executives attending Broadcasting and Cable’s Next TV Summit, and anyone registering for the expo hall (https://nbmedia.swoogo.com/videoedgesf), will have free access to the VideoEdge Live! Exhibit. It will be a program to educate and inform professionals who produce, manage and deliver digital content. Some of the topics will include: Structuring a Real-Time, Real-World Streaming Workflow, The Evolution of News and Reporting: Integrating New Content, New Formats, Winning the Streaming Game: Live Sports Production, On the Road: Portable Live Production. Next TV Summit and Expo opens with a Networking Breakfast, concludes with a Networking Cocktail Reception.

3D and Virtual Reality Expo of Tokyo are exhibitions of the innovations in 3D and Virtual Reality projection. 3D and Virtual Reality Expo (IVR) is a viable industry in Japan where one can experience an array of cutting-edge 3D technology and super high definition image technologies. Running June 22-24, IVR is expected to draw users from manufacturing industries, amusement industries, broadcasting stations, image producing companies, content production companies, telecommunication companies, public offices, universities and research centers, who are looking to buy solutions for their businesses and institutions.

3D and Virtual Reality Expo will be segmented into at least six pavilion categories or product groupings. Among the product categories it will showcase, here are some: Super-definition displays (4k x 2k), Head mounted displays, High-resolution cameras (4k x 2k), 3D sound systems, AR, VR network systems, 3D image equipment, 3D contents, 3D CG software, Web3D, Gis, 3D digitizers, 3D measurement devices, Telexistence systems, Picture generation equipment, Robots / manipulators, 3D displays, High-speed cameras, 3D cameras, 3D broadcasting, VR creation software, Data gloves / data suits, 3D monitors, Virtual space / CG image processing technologies, Motion capture, Simulators, 3D maps, 3D scanners, Realistic sensations communication systems, Telerobotic systems, 3D graphics accelerators, other related products.

Mobile World Congress Shanghai (#MWCS16) is organized by the GSMA and held each year in the business hub of Shanghai. It brings together the worldwide mobile industry from C-level mobile executives to tech-savvy consumers. Current trends increasingly show that video content is being viewed more on mobile platforms and migrating away from desktop. The offerings on display at MWCS will reflect interest in the latest mobile trends or of an industry that supports mobile. MWC Shanghai will be co-located at the Exhibition Centre along with Shanghai Digital Information Festival and Smart City Expo — Shanghai Pudong, showcasing innovations in mobile spanning seven large exhibition areas.

The conference Opening Keynote: “The Next Generation Operator,” assembles leading mobile operators of Asia and elsewhere to discuss the next wave of mobile network and service innovations, including 5G, delivering more robust content and services, and the opportunity of the Internet of Things in all its forms. A brief listing of keynote speakers includes: Yang Jie, Chairman, China Telecom; Glenn Lurie, President and CEO, AT&T Mobility; Dr. Ya-Qin Zhang, President, Baidu; Mats Granryd, Director General, GSMA; Shang Bing, Chairman, China Mobile and others.

At the MWCS’s Virtual Reality Summit, pioneers, futurists, innovators, and heads who are driving the VR industry, speak on the scenarios of how VR can push into gaming, films, retail, industry and other outlets and penetrate these markets in a significant way. At some point in the VR program, George Bloom, TEDx Speaker, Executive Producer, CBS Digital, delivers his Keynote on “The Dawn of A Completely New Form of Storytelling.” An entire ecosystem of mobile technology and products will be showcased. There will be a multitude of consumer specific experiences to explore as well, such as drone flying cage, Virtual Reality Zone, professional skateboarding and ESL Sport gaming.

This year at MWCS 2016, YoMo: The Youth Mobile Festival will launch at Mobile World Congress Shanghai 2016 in Hall E7, June 29 to July 1. YoMo is a fun, free, hands-on educational interactive experience for young people (primarily 10 – 18 years) complete with workshops, theatre shows and deep dive interactive learning experiences that will engage and entertain. YoMo aims to show all attendees the exciting and rewarding opportunities out there for them in the mobile ecosystem with the right experience and qualifications, by bringing classroom learning to life. A timetable will be in place each day and the children will be encouraged to participate in all activities either in a theatre show, workshop format or across the interactive show floor. Workshops and theatre shows are limited and will be available on a first come first served basis.

The above events are only a sample of what is fully listed. Complete details are on the “Media, Entertainment and Performing Arts Industry News and Events” page. If you like this report and other content found on The Actor’s Checklist, please consider liking the Facebook page at this link. This month’s photo placement is of EDCweek combined with EDMbiz (top photo), in addition to photos of MIDEM’s Artist Accelerator program, Brooklyn Film Festival opening film, Borealis, BANFF World Media Festival, Mobile World Congress Shanghai. As the calendar now moves into the vacation inclined summer months, convention and conference offerings drop off to some degree, although we do see an uptick in music festivals. But here are some upcoming international industry events that may interest you: Genre Summit for filmmakers launches its first annual event in Los Angeles, the Latin Alternative Music Conference will be in New York City, Comic-Con International opens in San Diego, Lollapalooza music festival will be in Chicago, the Newport Jazz Festival is in Newport, Variety will present its Family Entertainment + Faith-Based Summit in Beverly Hills, Hollywood Show will be in Los Angeles, the Telefilm Exhibition comes to Hanoi, Broadcast & Media Technology Expo runs in Chennai, and London will host its own Film and Comic Con this month running in the same month as the one in San Diego.