Sponsorship Success for Film Festivals is now accepting applications.
Our brand-new international training programme is a complete guide to transforming your sponsorship potential and generating more revenue for your film festival.
Sponsorship expert Jennifer Frees, an experienced trainer who is globally renowned for building one of the most successful partnership programmes in the film festival world at Toronto International Film Festival 2011-2020, will lead the course alongside Catharine Des Forges, ICO Director. Over the course of the last 7 years, Jennifer has trained over 150 festivals through ICO courses alone.
Catharine and the Independent Cinema Office (ICO) have a proven track record, having created and delivered the international gold standard in film festival training, Developing Your Film Festival (DYFF) for 11 years.
This new course builds on that expertise with a more specific and intensive training programme on sponsorship and partnerships. Delegates will come away with new contacts, new skills and, most importantly, a practical toolkit for sponsorship to use immediately.
If you want your film festival to attract and retain valuable new sponsors and ensure its prosperity for years to come, this is the course for you.
This is a three-day programme running from 11-13 January 2023. Hotel accommodation in the heart of Central London and most meals are provided from 10-14 January.
Spaces are limited to only 15 delegates.
Scroll down for application details.
About the course
“Jenn is a pragmatic yet creative business development leader. She guides teams to think big, bold, and develop sound roadmaps to achieve world-class results.”
– Joana Vicente, CEO, Sundance Institute
Sponsorship Success for Film Festivals is taught interactively by Jennifer Frees and Catharine Des Forges with additional case studies from around the world.
The fee for attending Sponsorship Success for Film Festivals is £2,499. This includes four-nights’ accommodation, course materials, and most meals (all breakfasts and lunches, as well as one course networking dinner).
There is an option to attend the course without accommodation for a fee of £1,999. If you would like to take up this option, please speak to a member of the ICO team if your application is successful.
During your stay in London, we will have several networking events for you to better get to know your fellow attendees. These include a course networking dinner, and a film screening.
Course Location – London
For its first edition, the course is taking place in London, on the Southbank of the River Thames. BFI Southbank, the national home of Cinema for the UK, and Tate Modern are all within a few minutes’ walk from the hotel.
What you will learn
Day One – Core Concepts of Sponsorship Strategy
On the first day, you will interrogate key principles that should guide sponsorship and fundraising strategy. Topics will include understanding your unique value, how to identify what a sponsor needs, and defining your value proposition.
Days Two and Three – Festival Sponsorship Case Studies and Festival Spotlights
You will be introduced to a selection of case studies from film festivals that have recently been successful in attaining sponsorships. We will also put a spotlight on your festival to discuss as a group your current sponsorship situation and challenges. Using the tools you have developed over the previous two days, we will work together to generate ideas and improve your proposition.
Our goal is that you will leave this training and immediately use these propositions, with a sponsorship toolkit that you can adapt for future pitches.
Testimonials
Jenn has an innovative approach to partnerships. A compelling sales leader, she is able to envision and articulate a festival’s unique value proposition beyond the classic elements to inspire partners to reach for more.
Cameron Bailey, CEO Toronto International Film Festival
“Jennifer is my colleague and inspiration, she’s bold and visionary. We’ve met while I was working at Vilnius International Film Festival and delivered several sessions on sponsorship at Developing Your Film Festival. I succeeded to increase VIFF sponsorship revenues x5 times in 5 years and I share that achievement with Jennifer for sure.”
Mindaugas Morkunas, Former Head of Development & Sponsorship, Vilnius International Film Festival
“Jenn has great insight into the film festival environment and she was very generous in talking about it. I especially remember her boldness and how she encouraged us to be bold, that you were not asking but giving, in a tight collaboration with the sponsor. Her talk was so inspiring that regardless of the impossible comparison between our small festival and TIFF, it didn’t sound like rocket science, and her tips helped us to increase our budget 4 times during the last 8 years.”
Xavi Lezcano, Co-Director, Americana Film Festival
“I learned so much from Jennifer’s presentation – from an overview of sponsorship strategy to how to approach a pitch. She introduced ideas, like a funding pipeline, how to utilise LinkedIn and how not to approach funders with a scattergun list of every single thing your festival is doing which you think might interest them. Her insights were spot on. The blueprints and suggestions she offered have worked for a multi-million dollar festival, like TIFF and were also applicable and practical to small-to-medium-sized festivals, like WOFFF and other festivals in attendance at the Roundtable. Jennifer is approachable, knowledgable and practical. She’s a funny, engaging and an inspiring speaker and workshop host. It was a delight and an education to share a platform with her.”
Nuala O’Sullivan, Director, Women Over Fifty Film Festival
Speakers
Jennifer Frees
International Festival Sponsorship Expert. Senior Vice-President, Business Development, Toronto Region Board of Trade
Jennifer Frees has diverse experience in revenue leadership, marketing, business development, and strategic partnership for the private, public and non-profit sectors. Her innovative projects have won marketing and design awards for highly regarded international brands, as well as generating over $180M for her non-profit clients globally. Jennifer has served on executive leadership teams at the Toronto Region Board of Trade and TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival), leading units including Membership, Marketing, Analytics, Events, and Partnerships. Jennifer is an internationally sought-after business development speaker and workshop facilitator, and provides senior sales, negotiation, and business development advisory services for an array of organizations in the creative sector.
Catharine Des Forges
Director, Independent Cinema Office
Catharine has spent over 20 years working in the exhibition sector for a variety of organisations including the BFI and Arts Council England. She has worked as a freelance programmer and arts consultant and progammed for festivals and cinemas both in the UK and internationally. She has lectured on film at a number of UK universities and is a regular contributor to industry events and a frequent filmmaker Q&A host. Catharine founded the ICO in 2003 and has been its Director ever since. She is also a voting member of BAFTA.
Henry Disotuar
Programmer and festival manager Ostend Filmfestival
Henry Disotuar is programmer and festival manager at the Ostend Filmfestival (FFO). FFO is one of the largest film events in Belgium. During ten days Ostend, Belgium's largest coastal city, transforms into a vibrant city festival where international and national (film) professionals come together, and where a sizable audience of over 47.000 cinephiles, locals and tourists enjoy the wide range of films and events. Henry Disotuar was born and raised in the suburbs of Santiago de Cuba, the second largest city of Cuba. At the age of 10 he migrated with his mother to Belgium where he studied filmmaking and graduated with his Hamptons Film Festival Student Award winning short "La Manzana" (2017). After graduating, the filmmaker started as a (shortfilm) programmer at both the JEF Youth Film Festival and the Ostend Film Festival. In the following years he was involved in the organisation of industry events for students and young professionals and the Flemish national Film Awards, the Ensors. He was active as partnerships developer at the JEF Youth Filmfestival until in October 2021 he was promoted to programmer and festival manager at the Ostend Film Festival.
FAQs
How do I apply to attend the course?
Applications for the 2023 edition of the Sponsorship Success for Film Festivals training programme remain open.
You can find all the necessary materials at the bottom of this page.
What is included within the course fee?
The fee for attending Sponsorship Success for Film Festivals is £2,499. This includes four-nights’ accommodation, course materials, and most meals (all breakfasts and lunches, as well as one course networking dinner). The hotel nights covered will be Tuesday 10th January – Friday 13th January (check-out Saturday 14th January).
There is an option to attend the course without accommodation for a fee of £1,999. If you would like to take up this option, please speak to a member of the ICO team if your application is successful.
Where is the course taking place?
This iteration of Sponsorship Success for Film Festivals is taking place in London. You will receive details on the location of the course once you have been accepted onto the programme.
How long will it take for a decision to be made on my application?
You will receive an email within three days to confirm receipt of your application. Successful applicants will be notified within one week of the deadline.
How will the decisions be made on applications?
Each application will be assessed by two members of senior ICO staff, who will then discuss and finalise the decision.
We welcome applications from staff members from established film festivals all over the world.
There are no restrictions on the type of film festival you represent. You may be in a paid / unpaid or freelance position at your festival but must be in a position to influence change in your organisation. You must have been working in festivals for a minimum of two years and be based at an established festival or event that has been running for at least two years.
Who should I contact if I have any further questions?
If you have any further questions about the course, then please get in touch with us via email at the following address: training@independentcinemaoffice.org.uk
We will endeavour to answer your questions via email but we are also happy to have a conversation over the phone or via Zoom – just let us know when you email.
In partnership with
