Speaking at Cinequest on indie films

I’ll be speaking for the first time tomorrow at Cinequest, the annual independent film festival in San Jose, Calif. Details:

Bucking the Establishment – Should Indie Films Forgo Traditional Media?

Panelists:
Marla Halperin – Magic Lamp; President of Publicity and Promotion
Elliot Kotek – Moving Pictures Magazine; Editor-in-Chief
J.D. Lasica – Co-founder of Ourmedia and Bid4Vid.com
Pat Saperstein – Variety; Senior Editor
Jim Dobson – Indie PR; Owner
moderator: Jens Hussey, Cinequest’s Director of Public Relations

Topic:
The media plays a powerful role in a filmmaker’s life — not only to get the word out about a film in release but also to create buzz on product that has not yet been signed to a distributor. Due to an ever-changing media and distribution landscape, indie filmmakers are shifting focus away from traditional media outlets and are turning to new media. Are blogs beating the trades? Are high-profile reviews still necessary or are they dinosaurs compared to Internet social marketing? This fascinating panel of top media guests will offer a glimpse into a realm that is a confusing entity for many filmmakers to navigate. This is a great opportunity to learn how to stay ahead of the trend and use your PR dollars and time wisely.

Website: Cinequest.org

Admission: $15 here or at the door.

Later: Had a smashing good time at Cinequest, including meeting some of the people running the festival (now 18 years old), reps from entertainment publications and especially the independent filmmakers whose work comes from a place of passion and deep personal commitment.

The session won’t be podcast and I wasn’t taking notes on stage. Suffice to say I encouraged filmmakers to think outside the box, to experiment with new forms of reaching out to their audiences by embracing alternative media forms like Seesmic, BlogTalkRadio and new kinds of trailers that include the filmmaker’s authentic backstory, personal narrative and reason for making the film. It’s not about marketing, it’s about conversations, making yourself available for interviews by bloggers, participating in social networks where the audience is, and taking part in a larger narrative.
JD Lasica, founder of Inside Social Media, is also a fiction author and the co-founder of the cruise discovery engine Cruiseable. See his About page, contact JD or follow him on Twitter.