Dream Factory unveils talent roster

The film event is set to take place at Liverpool’s Foundation For Art And Creative Technology (FACT, pictured), the arts and media centre located in the Ropewalks district that houses state-of-the-art screens, art galleries and a café and bar.

Liverpool-born IM Global CEO Stuart Ford and writer-producer Kevin Sampson have curated the programme in association with Pinewood Studios and UK Talent Management Firm Independent.

Day One is focused on creativity and comprises three on-stage conversations with directors that will see Get Carter director Mike Hodges in conversation with The Independent’s Barry Forshaw; Four Weddings and a Funeral and Donnie Brasco director Mike Newell in conversation with Ford; and the Liverpool-born director of The Awakening, Nick Murphy, talking to Sampson.

The first day will include a masterclass in pitching led by Pinewood Pictures, Creative England and Goldcrest Films when aspiring film-makers will be invited to speed-pitch their projects.

Additional panels and masterclasses will cover production on a shoestring budget and a showcase of emerging UK talent. Confirmed speakers include Creative England’s Caroline Cooper Charles, actor Ben Pugh and producers Guy Heeley, Rory Aitken, Tina Gharavi and Colin Vaines.

Day Two will focus on the business side of the industry, featuring workshops and panels on financing, distribution, production, marketing and publicity.

The day will feature the producers, distributors, financiers and publicists behind such films as Philomena, The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Artist, Slumdog Millionaire, Lee Daniel’s The Butler, Locke, Gangs Of New York and Life Of Pi.

Both days will culminate with previews of UK releases. The roster includes director Neil Nightingale and producer Amanda Hill introducing BBC Earth’s Enchanted Kingdom 3D and a screening of Berlinale hit 71, as well as Catch Me Daddy and director Guy Jenkin and producer Dan Winch presenting What We Did On Our Holiday.

“Whether you’re an aspiring film-maker with a project to pitch, a seasoned pro who wants to hear about new developments in the movie business or a regular cineaste relishing the first-hand tales of people behind the hits, Dream Factory offers unparalleled access to the best in show,” said Ford and Sampson.

“As sons of Liverpool, we can’t wait to welcome this amazing array of film talent and expertise to our city.”

IFB 2014 takes place across June and July and is a business forum to explore such themes as urban design, digital industries, financial services, higher education, environmentally friendly practices and science and technology.

Earlier this year the UK prime minister David Cameron said he expected the event to be “the biggest showcase of British industry since 1951.”

For more information on Dream Factory click here.