StepIn

StepIn 2017

MUBI’s VP of Content Bobby Allen, Alamo Drafthouse’s CEO Tim League, Focus Features’ President Robert Walak, Eurimages’ Executive Director Roberto Olla, SXSW’s Festival Director Janet Pierson and producer Michel Merkt are some of the high-profile participants who joined the interdisciplinary think tank StepIn for its fifth edition at the Locarno Industry Days.

In 2017, StepIn focused on “The theatrical experience and the future of arthouse cinema in the age of global streaming platforms and social networks”, highlighting an increasing issue in today's film industry.

With top executives from MUBI, Alamo Drafthouse and Focus Features leading as keynote speakers, the event hopes to encourage collaborations between global platforms and the theatrical players by sparking a necessary dialogue among all concerned industry players.

Designed for distributors, exhibitors, sales professionals, funding agencies and streaming platforms of auteur cinema, as well as film festivals representatives, StepIn offers a unique discussion platform for international industry key players to exchange their points of view and propose practical ideas and strategies to overcome the challenges they are facing.

The programme of StepIn 2017 unfolded in 3 parts

PART I: Opening Keynote
11:30am – 12:30pm Hotel Belvedere, Sala Granda
Open to all Press, Professional and Industry accredited

An opening keynote held by prestigious industry executives Bobby Allen (MUBI’s VP of Content), Tim League (Alamo Drafthouse’s CEO) and Robert Walak (President of Focus Features). Open to industry, press and professional accreditated

PART II: Private round-table session
StepIn guests only

A workshop session in which the 50-60 selected participants, divided in 5 tables, will address specific topics germane to the keynote’s theme (closed session).

PART III: Wrap-up
5pm – 6pm Hotel Belvedere, Sala Granda
Open to all Press, Professional and Industry accredited

Wrap-up discussion where the moderators and notetakers from the previous session will present their conclusions.

StepIn is organized in partnership with Variety and with the support of Eclair, Europa Distribution, Europa International and Europa Cinemas.

Project Manager: Marcello Paolillo, marcello.paolillo@pardo.ch

Downloads

StepIn 2017

Official Program

Final Report

Speakers

Focus Features | President

Robert Walak

Robert Walak is President of Focus Features, one of the most important distribution and production company of specialty films worldwide, premier label of iconic movies from fearless filmmakers. Based in London, Mr. Walak was previously Co-Managing Director of Universal Pictures International Productions, and before, Managing Director Europe/President Production, Acquisitions and Television at The Weinstein Company, where he acquired titles such as Todd Haynes’ Carol, Justin Kurzel’s Macbeth, Paul King’s Paddington, Morten Tyldum’s The Imitation Game, and Garth Davis’ Lion. Mr. Walak was also executive producer on Tom Harper’s epic miniseries War and Peace. He was previously Senior Vice President, Acquisitions & Production at Alliance Films/Momentum Pictures, shepherding projects such as The King’s Speech, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, the Twilight franchise, and Steve McQueen’s Shame, which he exec-produced. Earlier in his career, he worked in business development at Endemol and was a producer at MTV Europe. Mr. Walak holds a Masters in Film & Television from the University of Amsterdam.

Alamo Drafthouse Cinema | Founder and CEO

Tim League

Tim League graduated from Rice University in 1992 with degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Art/Art History. After a two-year stint at Shell Oil in Bakersfield, California, Tim left the engineering profession and opened up his first movie theater, the Tejon Theater. When that theater closed after a short run in 1995, he and his wife Karrie loaded a truck with 200 seats, a projector, screen, and speakers and headed to Austin. They founded Alamo Drafthouse in 1997, where as CEO League remains committed to providing creative programming and a zero tolerance policy for disruption during the theater experience. League also co-founded Fantastic Fest, the largest genre film festival in the United States, and NEON, the newest powerhouse in US Film Distribution with titles such as Colossal and The Bad Batch.

Mubi | VP of Content

Bobby Allen

Bobby Allen has over twenty years of experience in the global film and entertainment business. Currently he is the VP of Content at MUBI, one of the fastest growing independent VOD platforms in the world, where he is responsible for all programming, content and editorial He is also leading MUBI’s move into theatrical distribution and co-production. Before joining MUBI he was an independent film producer and the VP of Sales & Acquisition at Celluloid Dreams. Before that he was Head of Production at MTV Films Europe, Head Of Acquisitions at Film Four and he has held senior executive positions in international film sales and acquisitions at companies such as PolyGram Film International, Lionsgate, and Mayfair Entertainment.

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