AHC Conference attendees. (Photo courtesy of Chuck Foxen)

 ”The Brave New American Art House”

The Brave New American Art House is not just the theme of the 2013 Art House Convergence; it is emblematic of the passion and purpose evident in independent theaters across North America. The Art House theater, and the independent cinema exhibition world, has undergone many changes in the past few decades; from the introduction of television, and the advent of home video, to the rise in online movie streaming models. The new challenges facing independent cinemas are daunting, and yet, these independent cinema exhibitors are overcoming and adapting to these changes in unprecedented ways. This is not just high-profile Art House theaters on the coasts, or well-known film societies and institutes; The Brave New American Art House is your neighborhood cinema, your local historical landmark, your community cultural center.

Agenda for 2013 Art House Convergence*

*All times, sessions and speakers subject to change

Click here for a list of our 2013 speakers

Day One: Monday, January 14, 2013

3:00pm – 9:00pm – MONDAY, JANUARY 14, 2013
Conference Registration & Office
Registration and conference office open.

3:00pm – 7:00pm – MONDAY, JANUARY 14, 2013
Art House Lounge
The Art House Lounge features snacks, refreshing drinks, distributor displays, a movie trailer show reel and a theater information table.  Sponsored by Emerging Pictures, the largest all-digital specialty film and alternative content theater network in the United States.  Distributors represented in the Art House Lounge: Drafthouse Films, Eammon Films, Focus Features, Fox Searchlight Pictures, GKIDS, IFC Films, Janus Films, Kino Lorber, Inc., Magnolia Pictures, monterey media inc., MTuckman Media, Oscilloscope, Roadside Attractions, Strand Releasing, Variance Films, and The Weinstein Company. Check back for more distributors as they are added.

3:30pm -4:00pm  – MONDAY, JANUARY 14, 2013
How to Converge: Healthy Art Houses, Productive Conference
Geared toward new attendees, but former attendees welcome — this session will prep you for the Convergence by going over a brief history of how the Convergence came to be, as well as a walk-through of the sessions and how the conference works. We will also explain the year-round participation in the Convergence through our GoogleGroup. SESSION LEADERS: Russ Collins, Michigan Theater; Stephanie Silverman, Belcourt Theatre

4:15pm – 5:30pm – MONDAY, JANUARY 14, 2013
The Way Forward: Discussing How to Grow the Art House Movement and Art House Convergence
The Art House Convergence (AHC) started in 2008, when 25 Art House professionals gathered to share their successes and concerns. Six years later, the AHC is a movement intent on increasing the quantity and quality of Art House cinemas in North America. Currently the Art House Convergence is presented in participating with the Sundance Film Festival and is operated under the fiduciary oversight of the Michigan Theater. Within the next five years, by 2018, the intention is for the Art House Convergence to be operated as an independent professional society of community-based, mission-driven cinema culture centers. At this session, Way Forward Committee leaders, Tori Baker and Mark Fishkin, will give a report on work accomplished during the past years and Bob Ottenhoff will facilitate an informal discussion about the future and potential of the Art House Convergence movement. SESSION LEADERS: Robert Ottenhoff; Tori Baker, Salt Lake Film Society; Mark Fishkin, California Film Institute

5:00pm – 7:00pm – MONDAY, JANUARY 14, 2013

Informal Dinner
Early-arriving delegates can plan to join colleagues for dinner before the sixth annual Art House Convergence begins. Cost of this informal meal is the delegate’s responsibility.

7:00pm – 9:00pm – MONDAY, JANUARY 14, 2013
Opening Reception & Art House Slide Show
Greet friends and colleagues and meet new members of the Art House movement over a drink to kick off the sixth annual Art House Convergence. Learn more about your fellow Convergence attendees by watching a slide show of theater and special event photos from attendees, prepared by Beth Gilligan of the Coolidge Corner Theatre and Barbara Twist of the Michigan Theater. Cash bar.

8:30pm – 10:30pm – MONDAY, JANUARY 14, 2013
Special Sundance Screening: UPSTREAM COLOR

Day Two: Tuesday, January 15, 2013

7:00am – 7:00pm – TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2013
Conference Registration & Office
Registration and conference office open.

7:00am – 7:00pm – TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2013
Art House Lounge
The Art House Lounge features snacks, refreshing drinks, distributor displays, a movie trailer show reel and a theater information table.  Sponsored by Emerging Pictures, the largest all-digital specialty film and alternative content theater network in the United States.  Distributors represented in the Art House Lounge: Brainstorm Media, Drafthouse Films, Eammon Films, Focus Features, Fox Searchlight, GKIDS, IFC Films, Janus Films, Kino Lorber, Inc., Magnolia Pictures, monterey media inc., MTuckman Media, Music Box Films, Oscilloscope Pictures, Roadside Attractions, Sony Pictures Repertory, Strand Releasing, Variance Films, and The Weinstein Company.

7:00am – 8:30am – TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2013
Breakfast
This pre-conference breakfast is not included in the Conference fee.

8:00am – 8:45am – TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2013
Meet the Delegates, Pt. 1
You’re invited to join us for a completely optional structured networking event. Sit at a long table across from another delegate and quickly say hello, perhaps exchange cards, before the bell rings and everyone switches partners — it’s a fun and easy way to meet new colleagues and reconnect with old.

9:00am – 9:30am – TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2013
Plenary Session: Welcome from Conference Director Russ Collins & Remarks and Remembrances by Steve Apkon
Art House operators are frequently so busy keeping body and soul together, they don’t have time to think about high minded things like the role of art in society, the historical context of Art House cinema and the important role specialty motion picture exhibition can play in communities large and small. Conference Director Russ Collins will encourage delegates to think both high minded thoughts and consider down and dirty realities, but most importantly you will be challenged to let the work and wisdom of your Art House colleagues inspire you so you can return home energized and armed with tools to make your Art House great and sustainable for generations. Steve Apkon, the Founder and Executive Director of the acclaimed Jacob Burns Film Center will help us remember and pay tribute to Art House colleagues who passed away since the last Convergence.

9:30am – 10:15am – TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2013
Plenary Session: The Art House Survey Project: Benchmarking Year Four
This interactive session includes a report on four years’ worth of statistical information gathered from a wide sample of Art House theaters. Find out how your theater measures up to other Art Houses and commercial theaters. Learn where your theater excels and where it could improve.  SESSION LEADER: Juliet Goodfriend, President, Bryn Mawr Film Institute

10:30am – 12 Noon – TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2013
Option 1: Strategic Planning for Actual Results: Even Art House Cinemas Can Plan for Success
Strategic Planning is sometimes thought of as something developed at a one-day retreat, written up and shelved, never to see the light of day again. But rigorous, thoughtful Strategic Planning can be your best method for growing a quality program in tandem with a viable financial foundation and an aligned, well- managed organization.  Ruth Bardenstein, President of Burns Park Consulting LLC, will discuss key characteristics of an effective Strategic Planning process and the associated tools to help with decision making and balancing resources. She will also discuss how these were applied over time at the Michigan Theater with strong financial, programming, community relations and organizational results- even through the last recession. SESSION LEADER: Ruth Bardenstein, Burns Park Consulting

10:30am – 12 Noon – TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2013
Option 2: Joining the Cult: Midnight Programming for the Art House
“Why midnights?” This seems to be the most-asked question of genre film programmers. While there is no simple answer, this panel will investigate the ideas behind what makes a “midnight movie” (or perhaps more appropriately: what makes a movie draw an audience for a screening at midnight?). Classic cult films, modern and nostalgic horror films, big screen blockbusters, comedies, these are all appropriate genres for the midnight slot, but what makes one film more appropriate than others? Join Coolidge Corner Theatre programmers Jesse Hassinger and Mark Anastasio, Cinefamily programmer Hadrian Belove and SIFF programmer Clinton McClung as they share insights into developing a midnight audience, creating signature events, and identifying the appropriate titles of this cinematic cult. SESSION LEADERS: Jesse Hassinger, Coolidge Corner Theatre; Mark Anastasio, Coolidge Corner Theatre; Clinton McClung, SIFF; Hadrian Belove, Cinefamily; Henri Mazza, Alamo Drafthouse

10:30am – 12 Noon – TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2013
Option 3: The Sundance Session: Demanded Soon At A Theatre Near You
Our 21st century has created new social expectations of “On-Demand” access to all our favorite content: from films to books to music and even, now, ideas themselves. 87% of citizens of the Internet trust a friend’s movie recommendation over that of even their favorite film critic. It’s even been estimated that one single word-of-mouth conversation with a friend has more impact on our desire to see a film than watching 200 television ads for the same product. Using new Social Media tools and controls never before imagined, filmmakers and producers are setting out to distribute films direct to fans. And this past year has seen these approaches graduate from experimental to mainstream. SESSION LEADERS: Joseph Beyer, Sundance Institute; Michael Tuckman, MTuckman Media

12:15pm – 2:15pm – TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2013
Roundtable Lunch Session
Small group lunch discussions allow you to share information and concerns with like-minded colleagues. The lunch is broken into two segments so that you can join two different tables. Box lunch will be served.

Roundtable Topics (check back for more topics soon)

• Will We Get in Trouble For Showing This? – Henri Mazza, Alamo Entertainment
• Film and Non-Film Rental Event Best Practices – Sarah Ruddy, Strand Theatre
• From Dirt to Completion in Four Months: Capital Campaigns – Richard Paradise, MV Film Society
• Strategic Planning for Actual Results: Follow-Up Discussion – Ruth Bardenstein, Burns Park Consulting
• Joining the Cult Pt. 2: Electric Boogaloo – Answering Midnight Queries – Jesse Hassinger, Mark Anastasio, Coolidge Corner Theatre
• Kickstarter, IndieGoGo, Etc. Online Fundraising Tools – Doug Whyte, The Hollywood Theater
• How the Art House Can Thrive With Alliances & Partnerships – Nancy Sabino, The ShowRoom
• Donor Management Systems: A Necessary Evil? – Larry Perlstein, Westport Cinema Initiative
• Film Rental and Other Distributor Issues – Jeffrey Jacobs, Jacobs Entertainment
• Selling Out to the Patrons: Creating the first art house theater co-op – Ben Galewsky, The Art Theater Co-op
• Charge It! The Confusing World of Electronic Payments Explained – Wynn Salisch, Casablanca Ventures
• Finding Common Ground – A Re-Examination of VOD Distribution in a Theatrical Window – James Shapiro, Alamo Drafthouse
• Making the Most Out of Your Concession Stand – Lori Reid, Tropic Cinema; Stephen Golden, The Loft
• Planning for Digital Cinema – Rob Harris, Boston Light & Sound
• Alternate Content for Art House venues: Event Cinema programming that produces supplemental income and generates enhanced community engagement opportunities – Barry Rebo, Emerging Pictures
• Social Media: Continuing the Conversation – Paul Cohen, Torchlight Program, Florida State University
• Small is Beautiful: Microcinemas and Small Venue Issues – Jeff Berg; Peter Schilling & James Parrish, Bijou Richmond
• Documentaries in the Art House – Richard Lorber & Gary Palmucci, Kino/Lorber

2:30pm – 3:15pm – TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2013
Plenary Session: Key Note Address by David Bordwell, Jacques Ledoux Professor emeritus, University of Wisconsin-Madison
David Bordwell, an American film theorist and film historian, who has written more than fifteen volumes on cinema. For most of his academic career, Bordwell has been a professor of film at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he is currently theJacques Ledoux Professor emeritus of Film Studies in the Department of Communication Arts. He and his wife, Kristen Thompson (a fellow film scholar) maintain the blog “Observations on film art” for their ruminations on cinema, located at DavidBordwell.net/blog.

3:30pm – 4:45pm – TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2013
Option 1: Race and Diversity in the Art House
Race in America is a complicated issue with a deep institutional history, especially in media. These complexities play out in the Art House, evident in the historical “Art House” audience, and in the films that appear, and don’t appear, on screen. Ava DuVernay, the Sundance award-winning director of Middle of Nowhere (2012), will discuss her experience and challenges as a black film director, making black independent cinema, as well as her role as the founder of AFFRM (African-American Film Festival Releasing Movement), a boutique distribution company dedicated to discovering and promoting black directorial voices. The session will be an in-depth discussion of the challenges of programming diverse content and the necessity to program for your community, and not just your audience. PANELISTS: Ava DuVernay, AAFFRM, Director of MIDDLE OF NOWHERE; Dylan Marchetti, Variance Films; Diarah N’Daw-Spech, ArtMattan Productions

3:30pm – 4:45pm – TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2013
Option 2: For Before the Credits Roll! Emergency Preparedess and the Art House
It’s time for your next big screening. What do you do if you lose your projectionist unexpectedly, or if an audience member gets injured in your lobby, or there is a tornado warning during the show? Do you have a plan to help your theater get through the crisis? Do you have a partner organization that can help your theater through? Protecting the continuity of operations for art house theaters against any disaster is paramount. Such protection can only be achieved through preparedness planning. This session will help you understand what readiness is, find ways to develop a network of battle buddies before the unexpected occurs, and see how ArtsReady, an online readiness platform, can help your organization become adaptable to almost any situation it may face. SESSION LEADER: Katy Malone, ArtsReady

3:30pm – 4:45pm – TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2013
Option 3: Non-Profit Art House Models
While to the casual observer operations of a for-profit and non-profit art house are virtually indistinguishable, behind the scenes there are numerous differences. Some theatres believe that forming a 501(c)3 is a magical elixir to raising money. Others (wrongly) see it as a way to operate at a loss. Non-profits require a cogent and strategic management. From cultivating a tax-deductible donor base, to creating successful fund-raisers, to forming an inspirational mission, to working with a board of directors, to applying for grants, to a laundry list of other considerations, 501(c) not-for-profits face unique challenges, and opportunities, that we’ll discuss in detail at this panel. PANELISTS: Gabe Wardell, Athens Cine; Richard Paradise, MV Film Society; Sam Scott, Bryn Mawr Film Institute; Landee Bryant, Maiden Alley Cinema

4:45pm – 5:15pm  – TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2013
Coffee Break

5:15pm – 6:30pm – TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2013
Option 1: Key Metrics Management: Building Art House Success
The need for expensive digital conversions and a chaotic and shrinking supply of repertory program content makes managing an Independent movie theater especially challenging. Effectively operating an Art House in this climate requires a sharp eye on financial and key customer service metrics.  Alamo Drafthouse founder and CEO Tim League will discuss the key metrics and accounting systems that allow his theater to thrive and expand in these challenging times. SESSION LEADER: Tim League, Founder & CEO, Alamo Drafthouse/Drafthouse Films

5:15pm – 6:30pm – TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2013
Option 2: Curating For Your Community: A New Model for Engaging Local Audiences
Since its launch at the South by Southwest Festival in 2012, Tugg has been providing art house theaters across the country with a new tool for connecting with local communities. By employing a demand-driven model for theatrical screenings, Tugg provides theaters with a risk-free way to program a wider variety of content and appeal to the tastes of local moviegoers. Join co-founders Nicolas Gonda and Pablo Gonzalez and Clinton McClung from SIFF Cinema for a discussion on how to use Tugg to attract new audiences, diversify programing, and fill auditoriums in off-peak hours. PANELISTS: Nicolas Gonda, TUGG; Pablo Gonzalez, TUGG; Clinton McClung, SIFF Cinema

6:30pm – 7:30pm – TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2013
Opening Cocktail Reception

7:30pm – 9:00pm – TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2013
Opening Night Dinner with remarks from Robert Redford about the Sundance Institute

9:15pm – 10:15pm – TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2013
Special Presentation by Crispin Hellion Glover
Join renegade auteur Crispin Hellion Glover for a special presentation for the members of the Art House Convergence. Crispin will be performing a special version of his live show Crispin Hellion Glover’s Big Slide Show Parts 1 and 2, a one-hour dramatic narration of eight different profusely illustrated books. The images from the books are projected behind Mr. Glover during his performance. Following the performance, he will present trailers for his feature films WHAT IS IT? and IT IS FINE! EVERYTHING IS FINE, and give out copies of his books to members of the audience. He looks forward to lively discussion with Art House Convergence attendees because he has specific things he wishes to discuss with them.

9:15pm – 12 Midnight – TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2013
Art House After Hours
Enjoy drinks and snacks and wind down from a thought-provoking and productive day.

Day Three: Wednesday, January 16, 2013

7:00am – 7:00pm – WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2013
Conference Registration & Office
Registration and conference office open.

7:00am – 7:00pm – WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2013
Art House Lounge
The Art House Lounge features snacks, refreshing drinks, distributor displays, a movie trailer show reel and a theater information table.  Sponsored by Emerging Pictures, the largest all-digital specialty film and alternative content theater network in the United States.  Distributors represented in the Art House Lounge: Brainstorm Media, Drafthouse Films, Eammon Films, Focus Features, Fox Searchlight, GKIDS, IFC Films, Janus Films, Kino Lorber, Inc., Magnolia Pictures, monterey media inc., MTuckman Media, Music Box Films, Oscilloscope Pictures, Roadside Attractions, Sony Pictures Repertory, Strand Releasing, Variance Films, and The Weinstein Company.

7:00am – 8:30pm – WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2013
Complimentary Breakfast

7:00am – 8:45pm – WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2013
Self-Selected Meetings
This time is set aside for delegates to schedule meetings with other like-minded people at the Convergence. Delegates often use the Google Group to spread the word about such meetings.

8:00am – 8:45am – WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2013
Meet the Delegates, Pt. 2
You’re invited to join us for a second session of our completely optional structured networking event. Sit at a long table across from another delegate and quickly say hello, perhaps exchange cards, before the bell rings and everyone switches partners — it’s a fun and easy way to meet new colleagues and reconnect with old. Come Tuesday or Wednesday or both days!

9:00am – 10:15am – WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2013
Option 1: Going Digital: A Case Study of the County Theater
The County Theater in Doylestown, PA installed two DCP projectors in July, 2012 (and its sibling the Ambler Theater, just installed three in December).
This panel will breakdown the Digital Cinema conversion process, from planning to fundraising to installation to positive DCP advantages. This
presentation will not only be aimed at those theaters still in the planning stage, but also at those midway in the process, as well as at those who have
already converted. SESSION LEADERS: John Toner, Executive Director, Renew Theaters; Chris Collier, Associate Director, Renew Theaters.

9:00am – 10:15am – WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2013
Option 2: Film Education for Adults: Why Should Kids Have All the Fun?
When most art house theaters think about developing an education program, everyone’s first thought goes to children, and with good reason.  Yet there is a lot to be gained by crafting educational initiatives specifically geared to an older set.  This presentation will discuss the opportunities and challenges of film education for adults and elucidate a number of ways in which such programs align with the broader art house mission.  It will examine some of the successes and failures of the Bryn Mawr Film Institute’s own curriculum, which has evolved since its 2005 inception to annually present more than 25 different courses to roughly 700 students, provide some practical advice for those looking to dip their toes into the adult-ed waters, and, of course, welcome questions from all who are eager to let grown-ups in on the film-learning fun.  SESSION LEADER: Andrew Douglas, Director of Education, Bryn Mawr Film Institute

9:00am – 10:15am – WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2013
Option 2:  The Art House Answer Person Panel: Gary Meyer and Friends Address “What Makes Your Theatre Special?
Some of today’s most creative specialized cinema operators and programmers will help you address your vexing Art House challenges.  This is your chance to hear this crackerjack panel’s thoughts about why customer service is paramount and how “unfair” competition can be managed with pluck and creativity. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn and share some of your own experiences and ideas about making your cinema “a home away for home” for audiences.
PANELISTS: Gary Meyer, Telluride Film Festival; Kristen Bell, Alamo Drafthouse; Hadrian Belove, CineFamily; Andy Smith, Nickelodeon Theatre; Vivian Marthell, O Cinema

10:15am – 10:30am  – WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2013
Coffee Break

10:30am – 11:45am  – WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2013
Option 1: The Digital Convergence Mandate: How Are Art Houses Coping One-Year Later?
One year later – has anything changed? Come to the session to discuss the changes and challenges of the D-Cinema world. What should you expect for the rest of 2013? Jan Klingelhofer will lead a panel of D-Cinema experts who will update us and discuss the new technology and problem-solving in the digital cinema environment. What is clear one year later digital cinema exhibition has ascended to primacy, but there are still questions about how to best acquire and pay for DCI equipment and what role celluloid exhibition will play in the future of the well-tempered Art House. SESSION LEADER: Jan Klingelhofer, Pacific Film Resources PANELISTS: Chapin Cutler, Boston Light & Sound; Hannah Cash, Doremi; Pat Moore, Ballantyne Strong; Molly Hintlian, Sony; Scott Hicks, American Cinema Equipment

10:30am – 11:45am  – WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2013
Option 2: Foreign Perspective of the American Art House Market
Pulling panelists from across the globe, Irene Cho will moderate a discussion of the foreign art house landscape and the opportunities, and challenges, for foreign films making their way to American Art Houses. MODERATOR: Irene Cho, Park City Film Series PANELISTS: Oliver Marhdt, German Films; JEON Chanil, Busan International Film Festival; HWANG Soojin, Korean Film Council (KOFIC)

10:30am – 11:45am  – WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2013
Option 3: Money, Money, Money: Who Gives It, Why Do They Give It, and What Your Art House Needs To Do
In this session we’ll explore the Art House community institution business model.  What does it take to build community support? What motivates a foundation or individual to make a donation?  How can we partner with local and state governments?  What lessons can we learn from recent giving trends? Bob Ottenhoff returns for his fourth time at the Art House Convergence to share his experiences managing, sustainable nonprofit organizations.  SESSION LEADER: Bob Ottenhof, President and CEO, Center for Disaster Philanthropy

12noon – 1:30pm – WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2013
Meet the Sponsors Lunch
Visit all of the sponsor display tables and earn the chance to win prizes, including a free registration to the 2014 Art House Convergence!

2:00pm – 3:30pm – WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2013
Option 1: The Digital Art House: Lessons and Experiences from Europe
The panel presentation will address the digital cinema roll-out itself as well as post-transition challenges and opportunities. The panel brings together academic, policy and sector perspectives in order to present a multi-faceted picture of the European issues and solutions. The panel will present and evaluate the main characteristics of the digital transition for art houses in Europe by enabling participants and audience members to get a better view on the similarities of the digital transition in Europe and the US but also to draw main lessons from the European ‘digital’ experiences that may be of use to US art houses tackling similar issues (and vice versa). SESSION PANELIST: Dr. Sophie De Vinck, iMinds-SMIT, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Belgium); Ann Overbergh, BAM Art; Ula Śniegowska, American Film Festival in Poland/CICAE; Fatima Djoumer, Europa Cinemas

2:00pm – 3:30pm – WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2013
Option 2: Beyond the Oscars®: Opportunities, Alliances and Expertise
Discover how your organization can engage with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts. For the first time, you can meet Academy staff who will discuss granting opportunities, curatorial alliances and archive collection loans as well as answer your questions. Our esteemed panel will generously share their expertise with the AHC audience and explain the variety of programs and initiatives organized and supported by the Academy throughout the year. PANELISTS: Shawn Guthrie, Grants Coordinator; May Haduong, Public Access Manager, Film Archives; Randy Haberkamp, Managing Director of Programming, Education and Preservation; Patrick Harrison, Director of New York Programming

2:00pm – 3:30pm – WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2013
Option 3: The Virtues and Challenges of Repertory Film Programming
Repertory film programming can be a highly valuable and beneficial addition to your theater’s regular programming. The uncertainty around the availability of 35mm prints, the slow roll-out of new digital prints, and the worry of a shrinking repertory film library often come up in discussions of whether or not to book repertory films, and especially in the discussion of how to book these films. This panel will be an opportunity to fully understand these implications, and to show exhibitors how they can, and in fact, how they must include repertory films in their programming. Hollywood classics, foreign films from the early 50s, B-movies from the 80s: all of these films fall under the repertory category, and the panelists will discuss the hows and whys of finding and booking these films.  Give your audience a little cinema history education, and let your audience rediscover their favorite films. MODERATOR: Dylan Skolnick, Cinema Arts Centre PANELISTS: Chris Lane, Sony Pictures Repertory; Sarah Finklea, Janus Films; Brian Block, Northwest Chicago Film Society; Clinton McClung, SIFF Cinema

3:45 – 4:30pm – WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2013
Plenary Session: Science on Screen
The Coolidge Corner Theatre’s Science on Screen series has expanded film and scientific literacy with this popular program, now in its eighth year. Last year, 20 grants of $7,000 were awarded to Convergence participants. Those grant recipients return this year to tell us about their Science on Screen experiences, and to encourage other theaters to apply for this year’s grants program. Through generous funding support from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the Coolidge Corner Theatre will launch a third year of its national Science on Screen initiative at the Art House Convergence. In 2013, the Coolidge will once again issue 20 grants of $7,000 to art house cinemas across the country for use in implementing their own Science on Screen programming.   SESSION PANELISTS: Denise Kasell, Executive Director, Coolidge Corner Theatre; Richard Peterson, Director of Programming, Smith Rafael Film Center, California Film Institute; Doron Weber, Vice President, Programs, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation; Cheryl White, Science on Screen Program Manager, Coolidge Corner Theatre; Will K. Wilkins, Executive Director, Real Art Ways

4:45 – 6pm – WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2013
Option 1: The Film Restoration Process
Grover Crisp, Executive Vice President of Asset Management & Film Restoration at Sony Pictures Entertainment, will provide an inside look into the art of film restoration.  In the presentation, he will discuss the concepts of the traditional photochemical process and how the high-end digital technologies of today are applied to this workflow.  Mr. Crisp will showcase before-and-after clips of titles restored in 4K by Sony Pictures so you can see what Sony is doing to restore and preserve the Columbia, TriStar, and Screen Gems libraries so that they look the best that they can for your theatre’s screen. SESSION LEADER: Grover Crisp, Sony Pictures Entertainment

4:45 – 6pm – WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2013
Option 2: Community Matters!
Film centers are not only places to escape and find entertainment and a bucket of popcorn.  At their core – they are community centers (in the truest sense).  This is not only part of a community-based independent art house mission, it is also the most effective way to achieve success.  Identify your unique position within your own community and build from there.  KNOW and GROW your strengths.  SESSION LEADER: Steve Apkon, Executive Director, Jacob Burns Film Center

4:45 – 6pm – WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2013
Option 3: Increasing Leadership Resilience, Minimizing Burnout
As passionate leaders working in under-resourced organizations facing myriad demands on our time and energy, the risk of burning out is high. Now more than ever, it’s vital that you develop your leadership resilience. In this interactive workshop, participants will learn about the different types of burnout, assess their risk for burnout, and develop a personalized plan for increasing their leadership resilience. SESSION LEADER: Dewey Schott

6:30pm – 7:30pm – WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2013
Cocktail Reception

7:30pm – 9:00pm – WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2013
Dinner with Key Note Address by Liesl Copland
Join your fellow delegates for dinner as we wrap up the last full day of the Convergence.

9:00pm – WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2013
Special Screening of Newly Restored INVESTIGATION OF A CITIZEN ABOVE SUSPICION
Watch a special  film screening of the newly restored INVESTIGATION OF A CITIZEN ABOVE SUSPICION, the 1970 Academy Award Best Foreign Film winner. Support for this film comes from Sony Pictures Repertory and Sony Digital Cinema.

9:00pm – 12 Midnight – WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2013
Art House After Hours
Enjoy drinks and snacks and wind down from a thought-provoking and productive day.

Day Four: Thursday, January 17, 2013

7:00am – 12 Noon – THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 2013
Conference Registration & Office
Registration and conference office open.

7:00am – 12 Noon – THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 2013
Art House Lounge
The Art House Lounge features snacks, refreshing drinks, distributor displays, a movie trailer show reel and a theater information table.  Sponsored by Emerging Pictures, the largest all-digital specialty film and alternative content theater network in the United States.  Distributors represented in the Art House Lounge: Brainstorm Media, Drafthouse Films, Eammon Films, Focus Features, Fox Searchlight, GKIDS, IFC Films, Janus Films, Kino Lorber, Inc., Magnolia Pictures, monterey media inc., MTuckman Media, Music Box Films, Oscilloscope Pictures, Roadside Attractions, Sony Pictures Repertory, Strand Releasing, Variance Films, and The Weinstein Company.

7:00am – 8:30pm – THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 2013

Self-Selected Meetings
This time is set aside for delegates to schedule meetings with other like-minded people at the Convergence. Delegates often use the Google Group to spread the word about such meetings.

7:30am – 9:00am – THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 2013
Meet the Distributors Breakfast
Come to our complimentary breakfast and meet the distributing sponsors of the Convergence. Get cool prizes and hear about this year’s upcoming films!

9:30am – 10:45am – THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 2013
Option 1: Driving Marketing for Films Without Major Studio Backing
Expanding from the Roundtable hosted last January, this session presents to exhibitors interesting ways in which they can utilize very inexpensively the wonderful world of the internet, social networking, Skype, community outreach, and organizations to energize and reach audiences you may not be reaching to heighten awareness for the films they are showing. Within your communities, within your staff, you have the ability to significantly add to the marketing of a film, either working  independently or in conjunction with the creative independent distributors that are bringing you films. SESSION LEADER: Scott Mansfield, Monterey Media PANELISTS: Doug Whyte, Hollywood Theater; Andy Smith, Nickelodeon Theatre; Stephanie Silverman, Belcourt Theatre

9:30am – 10:45am – THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 2013
Option 2: Fundraising: Finding Your Center
What is it about your theatre and your programming that makes you superior to your competition?  What makes you unique in your marketplace?   What is your competitive edge?  How can you convert that into fundraising dollars?   Ken Stein, former Executive Director of the Austin Theatre Alliance and current Executive Director of the League of Historic American Theatres will discuss how he took a bankrupt little theatre and turned it into a beloved and profitable institution while sitting in the shadows of two larger, newer performing arts centers by increasing annual fundraising by more than 300% in three years.   With half the number of seats and even less money than its neighboring competitors, the Paramount Theatre in Austin sold more tickets, booked bigger acts and out-fundraised every other arts organization in the city.   During this presentation, Mr. Stein will discuss how to identify your best features and then turn them into your competitive edge to increase revenue streams and build brand loyalty that will make sure you remain on solid financial ground regardless of what the competition throws at you. SESSION LEADER: Ken Stein, Executive Director, League of Historic American Theatres (LHAT)

11:00am – 12 Noon – THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 2013
Check Out
Deadline to be checked out of the Zermatt Resort. Luggage storage in St. Moritz from 11am – 2:30pm.

12 Noon – 2:00pm – THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 2013
Lunch, and Closing Key Note Address by Ira Deutchman: “The Circle of (Art House) Life”
Independent marketing & distribution veteran Ira Deutchman looks back over the last 40 years of the art house business and finds that the more things change, the more they stay the same.

2:15pm – THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 2013
Group Photo
Meet at the Registration Desk at 2:15 so we can get a group photo of this year’s Convergence delegates.

2:30pm – THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 2013
BUS LEAVES FOR MAIN STREET, PARK CITY, UTAH
Sign-up at registration!

2:30pm – THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 2013
BUS LEAVES FOR SALT LAKE CITY AIRPORT
Sign-up at registration!