International Film Festival Summit Announces 2009 Graduating Class for the Certified Film Festival Professional Program

New York, NY (PRWEB) December 16, 2009 -- The International Film Festival Summit (IFFS) announced their 2009 Certified Film Festival Professional (CFFP) Program graduating class earlier this month at a special ceremony which preceded the 6th annual International Film Festival Summit.

"We're thrilled to announce this year's graduating class of accomplished festival professionals from across North America," said Waco Hoover, Co-Founder & President of the International Film Festival Summit. "The CFFP is the only course of its kind providing a comprehensive training program for professionals working in the film festival industry. The program provides unparalleled training that will serve professionals for the duration of their careers."

This year's graduating class consisted of: Linda Kass, Founder & Director of Events and Communications, High Desert Shorts International Film Festival; Sage Paul, Manager, Imagine Native Film & Media Arts Festival; Charlie Prince, Director, Lighthouse International Film Festival; Terry Scerbak, Festival Director, Reel Shorts Film Festival, Taiwo Taiwo, CEO, Tywo Tywo Enterprises; Cristina Uranga, Media Coordinator, DALLAS International Film Festival; Deborah Venezia, Executive Director, After Hours Film Society; Ann Weston, Festival Director, Focus Film Festival; and Maria Marcus, Festival Director, Short Script Awards.

The CFFP Program is a two-day course that provides an in-depth training curriculum covering the most important elements involved in film festival work. The course content for each section is developed by a top professional in that field and is taught using lecture and small group session formats.

The course is designed for film festival professionals and anyone interested in acquiring more knowledge about film festival work, particularly those who aspire to a career as a film festival founder, director, or staff member.

The class explored principal topics in-depth including: film festival operations and management, marketing & PR, funding & sponsorship, programming, acquisition & distribution, digital technology solutions, executive management, and long term planning.

About International Film Festival Summit (IFFS):

The International Film Festival Summit (IFFS) is the largest international organization representing the film festival industry. The IFFS mission is to promote and strengthen the global film festival industry through education, networking, dissemination of information, and the cultivation of high standards for the industry. The IFFS was founded in 2002 and provides the only annual conference & symposium for film festival professionals and entertainment executives to network, learn from one another, establish partnerships, and understand the latest trends in festivals and independent film. www.filmfestivalsummit.com.

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