Wising up with the Foxbar Gurus
ByTaran Khan

For most aspiring filmmakers, the leap from being an outsider with dreams to an insider with access and information is the toughest challenge of them all. This year's Berlinale Talent Campus offers a little friendly cheating along the way through its "Meet the Experts" event. Professionals with experience in various aspects of what is described as the Market meet and talk to Talents every day, offering insider tips, privileged information and contacts.

On Sunday, Talents spoke to Nikolai Petersen, head of program at the Goethe Institute in Johannesburg. Having been involved in different ventures like the forging of a relationship between the Berlinale and the Sithengi Film Festival as well as the creation of a local Talent Campus at Cape Town, Peterson was well placed to field questions from filmmakers hungry for opportunities. A filmmaker got valuable dirt on how the Goethe Institute could support him in Japan if he was to shoot there, including stuff that wouldn't be on their website, such as the institute director's taste in music. Another German director looking to get his documentary - set between Nigeria and Europe — broadcast was put onto possible networks in Lagos.

A word of caution — the exchanges can meander into polite nothings if Talents have only general questions. And while a friendly chat over coffee sounds good and relaxed, the noise levels at the Foxbar don't really make for focused discussions. People drift in and out of the conversation and the space reserved for the session, making it necessary to repeat the basic information ("So what is it that you do?") several times. All of which means that Talents with only a general interest in the proceedings find it difficult to concentrate and benefit in any real way from the exchange. Keeping that in mind, it may be a good idea to research the expert and see if there is anything they can help you with. There is a wide range of expertise to choose from and information on the schedule for the day is available from the Experts Stall in the foyer of HAU 1. For Talents who manage the match, this could be where the search for answers comes to an end.

"Meet the Experts" runs every day at 12.30 and 15.30 at the Foxbar, HAU 1.

Taran Khan

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