CITY TO COHOST CONFERENCE TO HONE SKILLS OF LOCAL FILMMAKERS AND PRODUCERS IN THE WEB-BASED FILM INDUSTRY

CITY TO CO-HOST CONFERENCE TO HONE SKILLS OF LOCAL FILMMAKERS
AND PRODUCERS IN THE WEB-BASED FILM INDUSTRY

NEW ORLEANS, LA - Today, the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Economy and Film New Orleans, in partnership with the New Orleans Video Access Center (NOVAC), The New Orleans Film Society and the Downtown Development District, announced the launch of the first Web Weekend. The three-day micro-conference consisting of panel discussions, professional networking and featured video content from online and web series celebrities, will take place October 18-20, 2013.

Following the successful close of the 24^th annual New Orleans Film Festival, Web Weekend will focus on the national boom of web-based video production and distribution that is revolutionizing the film industry and its culture. The conference will bring together national talent and expertise to host master classes, think tanks and screenings to give Louisiana video producers and filmmakers access to the tools necessary to participate in the burgeoning web-based industry. This event will allow local and regional film industry professionals to learn the latest trends and the information needed to expand their creation of video for the web and online distribution.

“Hosting Web Weekend with our partners at NOVAC is extremely exciting and aides in our efforts to continually hone the skills of our local talent,” said Scott Hutcheson, advisor to Mayor Landrieu for Cultural Economy. “This conference builds on our commitment to investing in the growth and success of the New Orleans film industry.”

“NOVAC is thrilled to bring Web Weekend to New Orleans along with our partners, including the City of New Orleans, to bring Web Weekend to New Orleans,” said Darcy McKinnon, Executive Director of NOVAC. “We believe that one of the keys to our city’s prosperity is the cultivation of a creative and innovative community and we hope events like this will connect the local tech and filmmaking communities with access to national resources and expertise that will galvanize their projects and careers.”

Held at the New Orleans BioInnovation Center, Web Weekend will feature panelist from Funny or Die, The Webby Awards, SnagFilms, Creator Up! and Black Folk Don’t.

Tickets for the event can be purchased here or by calling the NOVAC offices at 504-940-5780.

Film New Orleans assists productions with the City’s permitting process, connects productions with local crew and resources, and facilitates communication between productions and the local community.

In 2012, New Orleans hosted 61 tax credit film projects (TV, films and commercials with budgets over $300,000), with direct spending of $669.8 million. In 2011, the City hosted 46 tax credit projects with an estimated $544 million in direct spending.

For questions about filming in New Orleans, please contact Film New Orleans at (504) 658-0923 or visit http://www.nola.gov/film.

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