REGISTRATION

Early bird conference passes are up for grabs at reduced prices. You can meet and listen to the most inspiring minds from across Asia and Europe working in the arts. EARS is THE creative industry conference to be at in 2019. Register here.

SPEAKERS

PROGRAM

EARS on Helsinki 2019 invites you again to the capital where Europe and Asia meet. This year, the program highlights two giants of Asia – India and China.

For the past two years, EARS has been building a presence in Mumbai, India together with The Mumbai Assembly and we are going to discuss some of those learnings.

As for China, EARS is collaborating with Bigger Picture – a program that includes 19 Finnish TV and film companies that are looking for opportunities and collaboration in China. Bigger Picture, a China export project by Creative Export Innovations is collaborating with us for this. Its main partners are Elisa NordicTV and Elisa Viihde.

Together with Music Finland, we are exploring music exports to these markets. With Finnish Content Export we are looking into AR/VR productions and distribution in performing arts.

Expect stimulating keynotes, panels and performances amongst cultural practitioners from Asia and Europe. Be ready to take part in the dynamic discussions and to be awed by the numerous potential ideas for exchange and collaboration.

THURSDAY 14TH

VENUE: Helsinki Music Centre – Rehearsal Hall Paavo

9:00 | Morning coffee

9:30 – 10:30 | Make music the rights way – The music publishing business in China
The panel will discuss the current situation of music rights collection in China. What are the opportunities in music publishing and the songwriting business in the huge Chinese music market.
Speakers: Maggie Zhou (HiFive Technology), Tony Oh (Jam Factory Music Publishing) and Henrik Tala (songwriter and music producer)
Moderator: Tom Frisk (Backfront Music & Kaiku Entertainment)

10:30 – 11:30 | Make music the rights way – Opportunities in sync and soundtracks in India and China
Continuing from the previous discussion, this panel will focus on the business potential in soundtracks. The discussion will specifically explore the opportunities in audiovisual productions in the growing markets of India and China.
Speakers: Mathew Daniel (NetEase Cloud Music), Rafael Pereira (intellectual property strategist) and Tuomas Kantelinen (film composer)
Moderator: Katariina Sorsa (Music Finland)

12:00 – 12:50 | Life after Netflix – The billion people potential of digital India for film
India is on the cusp of something big in the digital world. In the last year, it became the biggest Facebook nation; it’s music label T-Series is the second most subscribed Youtube channel in the world; Netflix, Amazon and Disney are pouring billions into Indian content production. The growth numbers of digital content consumption are through the roof. How is it changing the film and media industry and the stories that are being told?
Speakers: Shweta Prasad (Producer and actor) and Rohit Mittal (filmmaker)
Moderator: Mikko Aromaa (Night Visions)

12:50 – 13:40 | Over The Top growth in China’s content market
The Chinese content market’s numbers are surging ahead supported by the multitude of streaming platforms and the rapid growth of subscription-based video streaming. Who are these streaming platforms and what kind of content do they buy, develop and co-produce. An introduction and a panel discussion with OTT platform guests.
Speakers: Song Jia (iQIYI Film Business Centre and China Internet-Film Committee), Bo Zhang (Bilibili.com) and Meiyi Wangshao (Magic Stone Cultural Development Co. Ltd. and Shanghai Artown Film)
Moderator: Anni Wessman (Audiovisual Producers Finland)

12:50 –13:30 | Arts incubators – experiments in the performing arts
Meet the people who are influencing the future of performing arts in Europe and Asia. These experts run spaces that train new talent, give space to artists who are pushing boundaries, and play the role of birthing grounds for new ideas.
Speakers: Hilkka-Liisa Iivanainen (Contemporary theatre director, artistic director, and curator), Jayachandran Palazhy (Attakkalari Centre for Movement Arts) and Martin Røen Hansen (Godset)
Moderator: Kevin Lobo (curator and arts manager)

13:40 – 14:30 | What’s hot and what’s not – China
What are the Chinese content buyers looking for in international markets? Do they buy directly from the producers? Are there pre-buys? Where are the films screened? Are there particular genres that succeed better? This session will explore the different kinds of content and genres that Chinese audiences are interested in and will be backed by recent success stories of international cinema in China.
Speakers: Song Yiran (Times Vision) and Esther Li (Beijing Bladerunner Culture Media Co. Ltd)
Moderator: Jani Joenniemi (EARS)

14:30 – 15:30 | Emerging technologies meet live experiences
Online channels are creating new dimensions to live performances and shows. Animations, games, film and TV content are spreading their IP’s and marketing through augmented reality applications. Offline stores are connecting to online through mixed reality solutions and interfaces, especially in Asia. A discussion about these new forms and formats of expression and the new channels that are being used to distribute them.
Speakers: Hanna Pajala-Assefa (contemporary artist and producer), Olle Strandberg (Saloranta & de Vylder), Erik Bordeleau ( SenseLab and Economic Space Agency) and Roger Yang (Jaunt China)
Moderator: Petteri Jakobsson (Virtual Circus Finland)

17:00 – 18:30 | Write songs for the Chinese market | Venue: Music Finland Office
Sign up via Music Finland by mailing  Katariina Sorsa at katariina.sorsa@musicfinland.fi.
The 1,3 billion people in China demand local music content and there aren’t enough quality songs for the artists to perform. The song business in China has slowly opened to international songwriters. This event is tailor-made for songwriters and will talk about concrete and current opportunities for writing songs specifically for Chinese artists.
Speaker: Tony Oh (Jam Factory Music Publishing)

19:00 | Evening party at WHS Union
Showcases and exhibitions from Finnish Circus Groups Circo Aero, WHS, Virtual Circus combining perfoming arts, technology and new media. There will also be a presentation of Devil’s Lungs – a 3D-VR, 360 experience combining dance and accordion music.

Production: Finnish Content Export

address:
Siltavuorenranta 18, 00170 Helsinki

FRIDAY 15TH

VENUE: Helsinki Central Library Oodi – Kino Regina

9:00 | Morning coffee

9:30 – 10:15 | Get the right vision for television in China
Broadcast, satellite, and cable TV landscape in China, who are the main players and how to produce content for TV channels.
Speakers: Bo Zhang (Bilibili.com), Einari Kanerva (Binge business at Elisa) and Ni Jian (Gao Consulting) and Lyu Bingying (Elisa NordicTV) 
Moderator: Harri Hakanen (YLE)

10:15 – 11:15 | Script to screen – Making films in China
An introduction to film production in China including information on different financing models, main financiers, typical budget breakdown, censorship, IP issues, and profit shares.
Speakers: Meiyi Wangshao (Magic Stone Cultural Development Co. Ltd. and Shanghai Artown Film), Ding Jiaxiu (Banana pictures) and Shan Dongbing (China Film Import and Export Corporation)
Moderator: Kati Nuora (Bigger Picture)

11:15 – 12:15 | Enter the dragon – Understanding the Chinese market for producers
A session on the kinds of stories that are being consumed in China – from remakes to literature rights and the formats (ie. short format) they are being adapted to.
Speakers: Song Yiran (Times Vision), Song Jia (iQIYI Film Business Centre and China Internet-Film Committee) and Esther Li (Beijing Bladerunner Culture Media Co. Ltd)

12:00 – 16:30 | 1-2-1 sessions with the Chinese Film industry  professionals 
Booking via Bigger Picture & APFI, members only

12:30 – 13:30 | Digital landscapes – Marketing and cultivating IP’s in Asia’s digital environment
A look at multidisciplinary and multichannel strategies on how to build and manage IP’s in complex digital environments.
Speakers: Roger Yang (Jaunt China), Bo Zhang (Bilibili.com), Mikael Leinonen (Founder and CEO of MyGamez Ltd.) and Jade Jiang (Nexus Entertainment)
Moderator: Petteri Pasanen (Anima Pictures Entertainment)

Evening: Film screenings at WHS Union
18.00 | Garbage by Q
20.30 | Autohead by Rohit Mittal
The films will be followed up with a Rohit Mittal. Rohit and producer and actor Shweta Prasad will also discuss their upcoming production Popcity. The screenings are being held in collaboration with Night Visions International Film Festival, the largest fantasy- horror sci-fi and action film specialized film festival in the Nordics

Programme produced in partnership with:
Bigger Picture, Music Finland, Creative Export Innovations, Finnish Content Export, The Mumbai Assembly and Night Visions.

Supported by:
The Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture, Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Audiovisual Producers Finland and Asia-Europe Foundation.

GENERAL INFO

Located at the crossroads between East and West, we like to call Helsinki the creative hub of the North. With its convenient location and creative vibe, Helsinki is the best spot for professionals from Europe and Asia to meet.

This year’s edition is set to be held right in the heart of Helsinki, at the new Helsinki Central Library Oodi and the Helsinki Music Centre . Close to the conference, expect cosy restaurants, cool clubs and concert venues, winter fashion statements, gorgeous architectural marvels and other manifestations of Finnish urban culture.

VENUES

Helsinki Music Centre

Musiikkitalo, is a concert venue and meeting place open to all. In addition to the 1,704-seat Concert Hall, intended for acoustic music, there are also five smaller halls in the Musiikkitalo – Black Box, Camerata, Organo, Sonore, and the Rehearsal Hall Paavo – and the Klubi Restaurant, all of which have different acoustics and uses.

During the season from September to May, Musiikkitalo hosts 70 to 100 concerts and other events every month.

WHS Teatteri Union

It is an old cinema theatre in the center of Helsinki. Teatteri Union’s program includes visual performing arts, audio visual shows and all kinds of cinema. WHS also offers residency and rehearsal possibilities for selected artists.

Helsinki Central Library Oodi

It is a meeting place at Kansalaistori square, right at the heart of Helsinki.

Oodi complements the cultural and media hub formed by Helsinki Music Centre, Finlandia Hall, Sanoma House and the Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma. Oodi is a non-commercial, urban public space that is open to all, right opposite the Parliament Building.

Oodi provides its users with knowledge, new skills and stories, and is an easy place to access for learning, story immersion, work and relaxation. It is a library of a new era, a living and functional meeting place open for all.

It is one of 37 branches of Helsinki City Library and part of the Helmet library network.

ACCOMMODATION

Helsinki has a lot of beautiful and inspiring hotels to cater tastes and budgets of all kinds. Our top pick to recommend is the Original Sokos Hotel Presidentti. To make your booking, contact Sokos Hotels Sales Service by tel. +358 20 1234 600 or by email sokos.hotels@sok.fi 

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