The official opening of The Nordic Media Festival (#mediedager) 2017 in Bergen will be May 10 with opening ceremony is open to all delegates. The program will be delivered in Norwegian. At the conclusion of that ceremony and reception, another gathering is expected at the festival bar at Ole Bull-huset. On May 10 and May 11, evening events (apart from the Official Opening) will happen at the Festival Bar at Ole Bull-huset, presenting free access to delegates with their pass.
Nordic Media Festival Sessions cover various industry topics and trends. Nelly Gocheva addresses How The New York Times has Triumphed with Content Marketing, Horace Dediu is on Technological Revolution: What’s Next? Clare Malone is on How We Miscalculated Donald Trump’s Victory, Shailesh Prakash is on the Washington Post: When Journalism Meets Tech, Dana Brown is on Behind the Cover of Vanity Fair, and Sarah Hurwitz is on Inside Michelle Obama’s Head. A special workshop, VIZRT: From Story Creation to Social Media in Minutes, will show how Viz Story can be used to produce high quality, professional stories then quickly publish them to social media platforms.
The festival region, Bergen, is generally regarded as “the gateway to the fjords,” is located on the west coast of Norway, surrounded by seven mountains. The conference has organized its presentations so that all sessions run parallel on six different stages, but entirely at the Grieghallen venue. The stages are Peer Gynt, Dovregubben, Klokkeklang, Troldtog, Ad Tech and Sidetrack. On May 12 there will be a parallel track in Grieghallen that features Ad Tech and business models. Most sessions are recorded and either streamed live or uploaded to a VOD available through www.mediedager.no.
Music Business Association’s flagship annual event, Music Biz 2017, is being held again in Nashville for four days starting May 15. The Music Business Association (Music Biz) is a non-profit membership organization that advances and promotes music commerce – helping the music community realize the full spectrum of monetization models in the industry. By leveraging the legacy of the former National Association of Recording Merchandisers (NARM) and its hub for digital initiatives, digitalmusic.org, Music Biz (#musicbiz2017) wants to offer a unique perspective and valuable insight into the trends and changes that innovation brings. The membership of the Music Business Association reflects the representation of the facilitators and enablers of bricks/mortar and online music retailers, streaming services, wholesalers, major and independent labels and distributors, internet radio services, artists, songwriters, publishers, management services and any other entity involved with creation and services. Each evening closes with a cocktail reception or happy hour.
Scheduled for May 15, Music Biz gives the Entertainment and Technology Law Conference full day session, created to merge entertainment law issues with insight on the new technology and media issues. After Law Conference Opening Remarks by Nicole Hennessey, John Tehranian, Chris Harrison and Don Nottingham discuss, The DMCA, YouTube and You: Charting the Future of Music Online. The Fifth Annual Metadata Summit is on May 16. The event will be headlined by a keynote from Barak Moffitt, Executive VP of Content Strategy and Operations at the Universal Music Group. Moffitt will share his expertise on the importance of standardized, high-quality metadata and explain how it can be used to power new experiences in digital music. Updates will be provided on global information infrastructure initiatives such as ISRC, DDEX, ISNI, and OMI by representatives from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), Digital Data Exchange (DDEX), County Analytics, and the Open Music Initiative (OMI).
On May 17, Music Biz has scheduled the returning Brand and Strategic Partnership Summit. The Summit will be headlined by “Telling a Story with Song and Fashion: The Story Behind Fair Child and Macy’s,” a panel featuring Karen Fairchild of Little Big Town and Kelly Russell Jarrell of Sandbox Entertainment and moderated by Alix Kram of Warner Music Artist Services. They will discuss the (branding) process that went into pairing Fairchild’s clothing line, Fair Child, with Macy’s Department Stores. The Summit will also feature commentary from attending industry executives, including representatives from Atlantic Records, Chevrolet, the Country Music Association (CMA), Warner Music Group, Mastercard, Maverick Management, Roc Nation, Nielsen Music and other industry stalwarts.
The Music Biz Industry Jam 2 returns to Music Biz 2017 on May 15 with SiriusXM ’80s host Richard Blade serving as the evening’s emcee. A musical program features a reunion of the original Alice Cooper band and tributes to Emerson Lake and Palmer, with band member Carl Palmer; the 50th anniversary of the ‘Summer of Love,’ with Felix Cavaliere (The Rascals), Chuck Negron (Three Dog Night), Cathy Richardson (Jefferson Starship), and Mark Stein (Vanilla Fudge); the 50th anniversary of The Doors’ self-titled debut album; Joe Cocker’s partnership with Leon Russell; Chicago; Janis Joplin; and Jefferson Airplane. And a planned award ceremony will honor the Alice Cooper band (accepted by original members Dennis Dunaway, Michael Bruce, and Neal Smith), Glen Campbell (accepted by his wife, Kimberly Woolen, with a special performance featuring Ashley Campbell, Shannon Campbell, and Cal Campbell) and artist manager Toby Mamis. Jam 2 will close with house band, The R.A.T.S. (Rock Against Terrorism), featuring a lineup of musicians and industry executives.
Streaming Media is a bi-coastal conference and expo dedicated entirely to the business, technology, and content of online video. Attendees can learn from online video experts, try out new products on the expo floor, learn new capabilities and network with peers. Visitors to Streaming Media East 2017 (#SMEast) in New York City, May 16-17, can hear from over 100 speakers in more than 40 sessions including in-depth workshops, how-to technical sessions, case studies, panel discussions, and other activities. The Welcoming and Opening Keynote to start the conference portion will be presented by Tian Lim, Chief Technology Officer, Hulu. Focus Areas offered for this 2017 expo include Encoding and Transcoding, Enterprise and Education, Monetizing Content, Content Management and Workflows, Devices and Platforms, OTT and TV Everywhere, Live Webcasting, Formats, Protocols and Standards, Media, Entertainment, and Broadcast.
Before the official start of the Expo, Streaming Media will present Streaming Media University Workshops for the technically inclined on May 15. These workshops offer attendees the opportunity to get in-depth training for online video and streaming technologies. At the conclusion of all workshops, a Streaming Media University Completion Certificate will be given out. Aside from early starting SM University there will also be five “how-to” sessions on the various technical aspects of the industry offered during the regular Streaming Media programming. They include Identifying Real-World Options for Live Streaming Playback, Comparing And Choosing The Best HEVC Codec, Publishing Tools and Content Discovery on the Roku Platform, Getting Started with VR/360, Fine-Tuning Your Adaptive Encoding Groups With Objective Quality Metrics
Streaming Media East is co-located with related industry events, Content Delivery Summit and Live Streaming Summit. The Content Delivery Summit is a one-day conference set for May 15, that will give a detailed look at the technology and platforms being used to deliver and accelerate web content. Topics covered include Licensed/Managed CDN, Managing OTT Video Quality, Last Mile Video Delivery, Mobile Content Acceleration and other areas. The Live Streaming Summit makes its initial appearance at Streaming Media East in 2017 after being resident at Streaming Media West for two years. Live Streaming Summit focuses on delivering large-scale live events and live linear channels to multiple screens. Running from May 16-17, topics will include, case studies from leading content owners, Monetization – advertising, subscription, and pay-per-view, Distribution – content delivery networks, real-time analytics, QoS, and QoE, and other areas.
The Expo and Streaming Devices Pavilion comprise a segment of the show floor where attendees can get hands-on with more than 50 of today’s leading hardware devices and content platforms. Visitors can expect to find such vendors as Beamr, CBS All Access, Epiphan Video, Harmonic Inc., Apple iTunes, Limelight Networks, LiveU, movingimage, Netflix, THEOplayer, Globecast, Mediasite, Verizon Digital Media Services, Wowza Media Systems, Broadfield Distributing, Hulu, Amazon Instant Video, nanocosmos, and others ready to assist them in demos and walk-throughs of their company’s products and services. Gain access to industry-leading companies demonstrating cutting-edge technologies in the Expo. The end of the first expo day concludes with a Networking Reception in the Exhibit Hall.
The Film Music Festival in Krakow (FMF), organized by the Krakow Festival Office and RMF Classic, is a showcase of musical interpretations of the moving image, making it one of the few organized international festivals of film music. Performed by musicians and orchestras in Europe and throughout the world, the festival provides a special concert experience by setting it to live screenings of some of the most beloved films. The May 17 opening screening and performance of the festival is The Music of Abel Korzeniowski. The festival is particularly well established for its so-called simultaneous productions, Live in Concert, which features large-scale film productions set to music performed live by designated orchestras, as well as its exclusive Film Music Gala that draws personalities from the world of the big screen. Moreover, the festival is regarded as a broad cultural event to many from the world of music, culture, and film, as well as lovers of cinema and film art.
There are unique Kraków Film Music (#filmmusic) features that lend to its identity as a film music festival. An Audiovisual Forum serves as a professional educational platform for young composers who wish to build their career in the international film market. Through Master Classes, panels and informal meetings led by specialists and seasoned professionals, young composers learn the process of creating a soundtrack as well as the musical needs in the audiovisual market and the global film industry. The festival organizes an international competition for young composers – the Young Talent Award – with the winning privilege of performing the winning suites during the final gala. alterFMF is an aspect of the festival to bring workshops for children, people with disabilities, morning screenings and concerts set to cult-classic fairy tales. Together with the 7th Sense Foundation, FMF organizes audio descriptions for the visually impaired and blind.
Kraków Film Music Festival takes pride in its diversity of featured music and film, stellar roster and the diversity and size of its audience. From retrospective performances of the classics to exclusive ceremonies distinguishing contemporary favorites and celebrating international stalwarts of the industry. May 18 is the world premiere of ‘NEVERENDING STORY’ live in concert. May 19 is a performance of Cinematic Piano. On May 19, Grammy/Oscar award winning musician and EDM pioneer, Giorgio Moroder, hosts DANCE2CINEMA: Midnight Express Party. On May 20, All Is Film Music program celebrates the 10th FMF Anniversary Gala. On May 21, the FMF Youth Orchestra Plays Star Wars. On May 21, there is the Titanic Live in Concert. On May 22 there will be a free admission Outdoor Cinema Screening. The festival runs through May 23.
Honoring international film excellence since 1946, The Cannes International Film Festival – Le Festival International du Film de Cannes – celebrates its 70th anniversary this May 2017. Cannes (#Cannes2017) is the annual, invitation-only film festival which previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from around the world. The Festival Opening Film from the In Competition category is, ‘Les Fantomes D’Ismael,’ Director Arnaud Desplechin. The Festival Opening Film from the Un Certain Regard category is, ‘Barbara,’ Director Mathieu Amalric. Special featured sections held during the festival include the Marché du Film, the Festival’s film market, structured to help meet the needs of film attending industry professionals. To mark its 70th anniversary, the Festival has published “Ces années-là,” the story of the Festival in the words of international film critics, telling the story of Cannes 1939 origins against the backdrop of a World War. The Cannes 2017 Official Selection comprises the following categories: In Competition, Un Certain Regard, Out of Competition, Midnight Screenings, Special Screenings, Virtual Reality (Installation/Exhibition), 70th Anniversary Events.
Italian actress Monica Bellucci has been recruited as Mistress of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the 70th Festival de Cannes. Monica Bellucci was a member of the Jury in 2006 under the presidency of Wong Kar-wai and in her film career she has filmed for a number of noted directors including Bertrand Blier, Danièle Thompson, Francis Ford Coppola, Terry Gilliam, Mel Gibson, Sam Mendes, and Spike Lee. Spanish cinema director and screenwriter, Pedro Almdovar, will be the 2017 President of the Jury for the Festival International du Film de Cannes. Five of his films – ‘All About my Mother’ (Todo Sobre mi Madre, Best Director), ‘Volver’ (Best Screenplay, Best Collective Female Performance), ‘Broken Embraces’ (Los Abrazos Rotos), ‘The Skin I Live In,’ and ‘Julieta’ – have been selected in Competition. On May 28, on the stage at the Grand Théâtre Lumière, the Palme d’Or will be awarded to the best film of the 2017 Official Selection following the decision of Pedro Almodovar’s Jury.
American actress, Uma Thurman, whose filmography encompasses everything from action films to science fiction; intimate dramas to light comedies, will preside the Un Certain Regard Jury at Cannes 2017. French actress, Sandrine Kiberlain, whose career before the cameras takes in some 40 films, will preside over the Jury for this year’s Caméra d’Or. Sandrine Kiberlain and her jury members will award the Caméra d’Or prize at the Closing Ceremony of the Festival de Cannes on May 28.
The Cannes Ceremonies will be produced and broadcast live, exclusively on Canal+. Anyone can find Festival de Cannes TV from the opening day of May 17 on the Festival’s YouTube and Dailymotion channels as well as on the Festival’s website and mobile app. Festival de Cannes TV, co-produced by CANAL +, Orange and the Festival de Cannes, covers the red carpet, press conferences, photo calls and interviews as well as the important official events. Broadcasts are conducted in French and English in the Palais des Festivals and some hotels on the Croisette, and is also available on channel 19 from CANAL and channel 29 of Orange TV. Starting in 2017, you can also follow and comment on the live video of the press conference on Facebook or Twitter.
The Hangout Music Festival generally takes place on the third weekend in May, and this year is no exception with a May 25 start. Held at the public beaches of Gulf Shores, the main stages are the Hangout Stage and the Chevrolet Stage located on opposite ends of the beach from each other. The kickoff party for Hangout is the day before its official open on May 18 featuring Migos, Cherub, Tchami, Jazzy Jeff, Nawas and special guests. Hangout Music Festival (#hangoutfest) is produced by Huka Entertainment, but in 2015, Goldenvoice, the company behind Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival (which was last month), entered into a joint venture to produce Hangout Fest. Viacom holds a multi-year broadcast deal for the event, which includes coverage from outlets such as MTV, VH1, and Palladia.
Hangout programs a range of music listening (dancing) music, including rock, indie, hip-hop, and electronic dance music. For 2017, a partial listing of bands and performers will include, Nora En Pure, 888, Young The Giant, Worn Flints, Shaggy, Franz Ferdinand, Hurray for the Riff Raff, White Reaper, Frank Ocean, Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Mutemath, Fletcher, Major Lazer, New Respects, The Strumbellas, Warpaint, Tkay Maidza, Snakehips, Pvris, Jimmy Lumpkin and The Revival, Cheat Codes, Missio and others. Full listing on the website. And beyond the music, Hangout Festivals look to keep their guests occupied in other ways as well. Other activities include the Ferris Wheel, Big Tap and Barcade, Puppy Kissing Booth, Sour Punch Dodge and Jump, food concessions, a wedding chapel, art, the Malibu Beach House, Camp Hangout, and of course, Beach Volleyball.
The annual ART BALL 2017 event in Perth is designed to fuse the worlds of art, fashion, and music into one. It had the acknowledgment of local newspaper, The West Australian, as one of the Top Ten Events of 2016 for last year’s program. The one day May 20 program of performances and exhibitions will have an accompanying gallery exhibition and activities to stretch into September. The evening’s musical line-up includes 80’s inspired pop standout CLIENT LIAISON, with 2016 ARIA award-winning ‘Best Breakthrough Artist’ MONTAIGNE, Papua New Guinea-born soul singer NGAIIRE and local hip-hop artist MATHAS. Visual and interactive installations include a virtual reality display, nude life drawing and live tattoo artistry that happen throughout the State Art Collection. More entertainment is provided by WA Symphony Orchestra Chorus, a break dance showdown, an aerial performance by Thom Worrell from boylesque group BRIEFS. In addition, visitors can relax in the Artist’s Lounge mid-way or after exploring AGWA’s (The Art Gallery of Western Australia) array of international and local exhibitions.
ART BALL’s program of entertainment and festivities is linked to AGWA’s international exhibition The Rise of Sneaker Culture – showcasing the sneaker’s complex and fascinating history. Although the ART BALL gala is for one day, The Rise of Sneaker Culture (#riseofsneakerculture), runs from May 13 through September 2017. And so, on May 13, event activity “Sneaker Saturday” begins the exhibition that will display over 150 iconic sneakers to view dating back to 1860. The display is drawn from the archives of Adidas, Converse, Nike and Puma, as well as private collectors such as legendary hip-hop group Run-DMC, sneaker guru Bobbito Garcia (Kool Bob Love) and Dee Wells of Obsessive Sneaker Disorder. Also featured are sneaker collaborations between celebrities, artists and high-end fashion houses, including Kanye West, Damien Hirst, Prada, and Lanvin. And then from May 17, and every third Wednesday of the month the Gallery hosts a special tour for parents and their kids to get together for a mid-week art outing followed by coffee, cake, and conversation in the Imagination Room. International fashion lifestyle glossy, VOGUE Australia, is once again co-presenting ART BALL in support of the AGWA Foundation.
The Chicago Underground Film Festival, as an “underground” film festival, provides a five-day showcase for documentary, experimental and avant-garde narrative film and video to gain recognition and thrive. The festival’s mission is to select and screen film, video and related works presenting a diverse lineup of moving image programming focusing on filmmakers working to reinvent and explore new approaches to established filmmaking practices, to foster new forms of media art and to build an audience for these works. CUFF (#CUFF) opens the last day in May with the Chicago premiere of Laura Stewart’s ‘Drifting Towards the Crescent,’ which documents present day life in Keokuk, Iowa, a town, in America’s heartland and along the Mississippi River, that is just north of Hannibal which is the birthplace of Mark Twain.
CUFF will field 25 programs comprised of narrative, documentary and experimental features, shorts, and music videos, representing more than 20 countries, that make up the main body of the festival, along with nightly parties and live music, discussions and other networking and community building events. An important aspect of Chicago Underground Film Festival legacy is that it was founded in 1993 to cater to a more forward thinking and avant-garde audience of film-lovers and filmmakers. Chicago Underground Film Festival evaluates film submissions for possible entry through FilmFreeway and Withoutabox. An online entry form can also be filled out on their website.
The above events are only a sample of what is fully listed. Complete details are on the “Calendar of Global Media and Showbiz Industry Social Networking Events” page. If you like this report and other content found on The Actor’s Checklist, like the Facebook page at this link. India/France fusion band, Trinaad (formerly The Khayal Groove), is using crowdfunding to produce their next album. Learn more and become a supporter (with benefits). Visit their crowdfunding page here. This month’s photo placement shows (starting from top of page) Red Carpet ceremonies at Cannes International Film Festival, Music Biz 2017, orchestras of the Film Music Festival in Krakow, Cannes Film Festival official poster, Chicago Underground Film Festival official poster. We come to June in the global calendar of events, here are important dates to be mindful of. Brooklyn Film Festival hits Williamsburg, MIDEM 2017 takes up residence in Cannes, Drama Desk Awards happen in New York City, Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival is in Manchester, Festival de Television de Monte Carlo is in Monte Carlo, Global Media Forum is in Bonn, The Tony Awards will be in New York City.
