Film commissioners and screen industry experts from around the world will be in the Buffalo Niagara region next year. Plans for AFCI Cineposium 2020 were announced in the North Park Theater, on Hertel Avenue in Buffalo, Monday. The Association of Film Commissioners International President Jess Conoplia says the 44th annual conference will include two days of panel discussions and keynote speeches.
"We look at topics from film tourism, diversity and inclusivity, various economic development policy issues. There's also usually, wherever we are, there's one day of sort of cultural or industry tour. And then there's an extra day which we run, which is just for our members only, and that's a meet the execs program and we get several executives to come in one by one and do these nice fireside chats with our members," Conoplia said.
She says Buffalo was selected for a range of reasons.
"It has its own screen sector here that is thriving. I think there's been actually more than thriving, there's been an explosion of the screen sector here. And I would say a number of our members are wanting to be in the place that Buffalo is in. And so, I think, that will be very interesting to actually do a deep dive and look at Buffalo as if a case study actually given what has happened here over the last ten or so years."
Conoplia says Cineposium 2020 is expected to attract about two hundred of the group's members. But she says the conference is open to anyone interested in hearing about "the latest hot button issues affecting the film industry." It will be held Sept. 16-19. Location details are expected to be announced soon.
