ROTTERDAM 2:22 AM (NEW YORK TIME)

Greetings from the Rotterdam Film Festival where I am representing the United States (along with Thomas Woodrow) at the 10th anniversary edition of the Rotterdam Lab.

There are 65 other producers here, from all over the world, and over the next four days we will (to quote the official catalogue) be “…offered a varied programme of case studies, panels and speed dating sessions.” And tons of alcohol, of course, this being a film festival. If my wife is reading this, please note: “speed dating” is not some kind of official festival-sanctioned casual encounters mixer. No, it is actually the Lab’s cheeky term for the one-on-one networking sessions that make up the heart of both the Rotterdam Lab and CineMart , the international co-production event also occurring alongside the festival.

I would like to thank my sponsor here — IFP. What a great opportunity – i really appreciate it!

I arrived yesterday and was immediately pulled into one of these speed dating sessions. Imagine two big circles of chairs, one circle inside of the other, filled with 67 international film producers all facing each other. I am sure many directors have imagined such a scenario, and I am sure the results were far more grisly and violent than what actually occurred. Every two minutes a buzzer buzzed and the outer circle moved over one chair, like a human Rube Goldberg networking cog. It was great fun, but I am sure I can speak for my fellow producers when I say: by the fifteenth producer in 30 minutes, a certain confusion of names, facts and stories sets in, like trying to remember the plots of old James Bond movies.

After that was drinks, of course, and the luxury of more time to get to know the other producers who came here from such far flung countries as New Zealand (who “won” with 30 hours of flight and layover time), Zambia, India, Chile, Korea… And I thought I was jet lagged!

The next day (Sunday the 31st) began with a terrific lecture/participation exercise about pitching led by Ido Abram of the Binger Filmlab which I’ll talk about in my next post. After I get some sleep. Wait, no, it’s morning here. After I have a coffee.