Chaz Ebert will open the Conscious Film Convergence, speaking on the role of transformational entertainment and its potential impact on humanity. Chaz, wife of late esteemed film critic Roger Ebert, is the CEO of several Ebert enterprises, including RogerEbert.com as well as the Co-Founder of Ebertfest, a film festival now in its 18th year. With a passion for Conscious Cinema, Chaz says she and her husband developed a form of mental telepathy while he was alive. Now, three years after his death, she continues to communicate with him on the other side. Chaz believes in stories that have the power to transform.

Followed by Spotlight Conversation: Norman Seeff On Creativity—The Power of a Dream

As a photographer for the most prolific artists of our time - Tina Turner, Johnny Cash, Jim Henson, Steve Jobs, Martin Scorsese and Will.I.AM, to name a few, Norman Seeff knows something about the creative process. Through his innovative methodology, he has developed a body of content exploring the roots of creativity, innovation and optimal performance. The fundamental tenet of his work is that all creation is sourced in the inner resources of consciousness and that everyone has access to the same innate resources. Photo of Steve Jobs by Norman Seeff

Preceeded by the Conscious Film Convergence Keynote by Chaz Ebert.

Join an in-depth dialogue on film finance moderated by Simon Kilmurry (Executive Director, International Documentary Association), hear from three savvy individuals who are committed to bringing transformational entertainment to mainstream audiences about the art and science of financing conscious and cause-based cinema. 

Media, industry outlets, and tastemakers play an essential role in building buzz, and excitement around new cinema titles as they seek to find their audiences, often defining their position in the marketplace. Join this discussion and learn how to best leverage the media and how conscious cinema can be branded, marketed and presented to build communities, engage audiences and maximize box office.

Disabuse yourself from assumptions about what it is like to tie the knot with a distributor! Get a rare chance to observe a series of conversations between filmmakers and their distributors. Join facilitator Shaeri Richards as she helps distributor-filmmaker couples share their feelings in an entertaining format that will provide abundant wisdom on setting expectations, how to keep the flame alive and when to call it quits with your distributor.

Emmy Award winning screenwriter Dev Ross conducts a workshop focused on the act of transforming your conscious concept into an engaging and authentic screenplay. Sharing the wisdom of Joseph Campbell's "Hero's Journey," Ms. Ross will guide us to a better understanding of the problems inherent in setting out to write a "conscious" screenplay. Then, using the lessons learned, we'll help Dev to draft a foolproof three-act story outline based on audience-contributed ideas.

See for yourself how Virtual Reality is poised to revolutionize the way we experience cinema! Meet three VR pioneers for an overview and demonstration of the technology used to create The Click Effect, a VR film shot almost entirely underwater. Then swim out to the lobby, put your GEAR on and prepare to dive 100-feet below the ocean's surface to witness the "click" communication and visual language of dolphins. Take a deep breath!