First Names Announced For FEST, Film Making Classes and Workshops

FEST Training Ground is an annual film conference education event that takes place alongside FEST - New Directors | New Films Festival, and hosts more than 30 masterclasses and workshops where the public, upcoming filmmakers and film students from all over the world, attend deluxe training, lectured by some of the film industry's top experts with highly acknowledged achievements - our audience has come to expect the best. Every year the program covers as many filmmaking subjects as possible, including scriptwriting, cinematography, editing, sound design, photography, production design, acting, directing, casting, non-fiction filmmaking, make up, pitching, distribution, financing, and many more, providing the broadest and most complete view of the 7th art today.

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FEST - Training Ground is warming up and with 18 weeks to go the first batch of Experts is out:

Eddy Joseph - has worked in over 80 films, with all the biggest names in the film business and has won several awards for his remarkable work as sound editor and designer. Throughout his carreer he has collaborated with innumerous outstanding film directors like Anthony Minghella, Neil Jordan, Alan Parker, Tim Burton, Paul Greengrass, and, many more. His outstanding work can be heard in projects like "Pink Floyd: The Wall" (1982), "Interview with the Vampire" (1994), "Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone" (2001), "Cold Mountain" (2003), "Corpse Bride" (2005), "Casino Royale" (2006), "Quantum of Solace" (2008),. Eddy Joseph won the BAFTA award for Best Sound twice, first with "Pink Floyd: The Wall" (1982) and again with "Casino Royale" (2006).

Gareth Wiley - left a mark in the contemporary film business by his now long collaboration with American film legend Woody Allen, having produced "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" (2008), for which he was awarded a Golden Globe; "Scoop" (2006) and "Match Point" (2005). Alongside his production work, he has spent years developing Screen Advantage, an online production tool created to assist producers in the financing phase of film projects. This tool has proven to be incredibly useful for independent filmmakers who often find the financing stage difficult to grasp.

Paul Miller - The American producer first became a household name due to his production work on John Sayles' "Lone Star" (1996), which earned him a nomination for the prestigious Independent Spirit Awards, as the film also made an impact in both the Oscar and Bafta award ceremonies. After his initial success, Paul took over as Head of Film Production at Crossroads Films, where he did production work in David Gordon Green's masterful "Snow Angels" (2007). He also produced the screen adaptation of Elizabeth Wurtzel's bestselling novel "Prozac Nation" (2001). In addition to his film production success he has also been at the forefront of the film financing scene. He first worked as a film finance expert in the influential Doha Film Institute. Between 2012 and 2014 Miller he oversaw a $2.5M education training program, a $1m global grants fund and managed a $25M film financing fund. More recently he set up a new consultancy firm based in the Netherlands called Internal Affairs. His new adventure was created to advise clients on everything from best practices to film financing for cinema and commercials.

Tim Corrie - is a former Chairman of BAFTA (The British Academy of Film and Television Arts) as well as a former agent and founder of United Agents. On leaving Bristol University, Tim Corrie went straight to work for John Boorman as his assistant/researcher in BBC Bristol. He subsequently worked in various capacities on a number of films including Isadora Duncan (Karel Reisz) and The Adventurers (Lewis Gilbert). This was followed by a short period at Paramount Pictures in London working alongside Max Setton. On leaving Paramount, he was invited to join Fraser and Dunlop Scripts, as it then was, to help develop that Agency in the realms of film and television. Tim worked for the company (which became PFD) for more than thirty years and held the role of Co-Chairman. In 2007, along with 80 colleagues, Tim left to found a new agency - United Agents. When in United Agents Tim represented a large list of clients including some of the top writers, directors and producers in the UK.

Jessie Auritt - is an award winning documentary filmmaker based in New York City. Her short film, "The Birman", about the quirky owner of a used music store, premiered at DOC NYC in 2012 and was an official selection at festivals across the country and received numerous awards, including the Grand Jury Prize for Short Documentary at Slamdance in 2013. Jessie made her first film, "The Price of Education", about a single mother struggling to provide a better future for her family, as an undergraduate at Tufts University. In addition to independent filmmaking, she has shot, edited, directed and produced videos for UNICEF, Great Big Story, IFC.com and The New York Daily News, as well as many other companies and non-profit organizations. "Supergirl" marks Jessie's debut as a feature film director and editor.

You can keep track of how the experts panel is developing here. The next few weeks will provide a few more updates.