The worlds of documentary filmmaking and reality television continue to merge, with the digital marketplace being the glue that binds them together.  WESTDOC 2013 is proud to announce our keynote conversations with two trailblazers on this digital frontier.

 

Acclaimed filmmaker Ondi Timoner will discuss the convergence of art and entrepreneurship in the rapidly changing digital media landscape. Ondi’s electrifying keynote presentations have been recent highlights of HotDocs and the CFC Media Lab in Toronto, making her presentation a must-see.

 

Kelly Day, CEO of digital entertainment network Blip, will discuss the future of television and digital distribution platforms as they relate to reality/non-fiction. With over 20 years’ experience spearheading multi-platform franchises, Kelly offers essential insights into the intersection of content and commerce.

 

Filmmaker

 

An expert on digital self-distribution and crowd-funding platforms, Timoner has the rare distinction of winning the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival twice: first for her 2004 rock doc, DIG!, and then for 2009’s WE LIVE IN PUBLIC, which explores the need for attention and connection at the expense of privacy in the age of social media. Both films are showcased in MoMA’s permanent collection.  Timoner’s current projects include producing/hosting nearly 100 episodes of the weekly web talk show BYOD (BRING YOUR OWN DOC), the only dedicated program about documentaries in the world.  Her production company, Interloper Films, also produces A TOTAL DISRUPTION, an online portal for innovation and entrepreneurship that features the top minds in the digital landscape and includes a database, profile, weekly webisodes, and online courses.  Timoner’s recent Kickstarter campaign achieved 150% of her fundraising goal, making A TOTAL DISRUPTION the top documentary series event funded on that platform.

 

 

CEO, Blip

A seasoned digital media and online executive, Day has worked at the intersection of content and commerce for more than 20 years, building numerous multi-platform franchises.  Prior to joining Blip, Day oversaw the Digital Media and Commerce businesses for Discovery Communications, which included the company’s U.S. websites, E-Commerce operations, Licensing, and Home Entertainment. Day also previously served as vice president of E-Commerce at popular wedding site The Knot and executive director of AOL Shopping at a time when online shopping was gaining major marketplace traction.