In the past decade, less than 2% of Hollywood’s films were directed by women. For this public discussion, we bring you five female filmmakers from five different countries to discuss the challenges of bringing their visions to light.

PANELISTS

• Bianca Balbuena (Philippines) – That Thing Called Meant-to-Be
• Katrina Grose (Thailand) – The Last Executioner
• Mattie Do (Laos) – Dearest Sister
• Shawn Simon (United States) – Winter’s Bone

Organized by the Lao Department of Cinema.

Veteran Hollywood filmmaker Stephen Lim (The Insider, Wall Street, Born on the 4th of July) will lead a discussion on the integral role of the producer in film production, including how to maximize resources, managing expectations, as well as budgeting, scheduling, and other preparation work. Lim will explain how “making it their idea” will greatly improve the working dynamic on set, while allowing you to accomplish your own goals with efficiency.

Laos has hosted a few major international feature film productions in the past few years, namely from Australia, Canada, and Japan. Generally, these productions are a terrific injection of skills and experience into the domestic film industry and funds into the local economy. However, operating in a country with limited infrastructure and control of the media can also create challenges in cooperation. Panelists from both the public and private sectors will discuss how to make Laos an appealing and welcoming country for foreign filmmakers looking to shoot in Laos.

PANELISTS

• Azrina Zainal Abidin, FINAS
• Cedric Eloy, International Advisor to Film Commissions
• Chandara So, Cambodian Film Commission
• Liza Diño-Seguerra, Film Development Council of the Philippines
• Vithoun Sundara, Lao PDR’s Department of Cinema