BIG – Brazilian International Game Festival

MIS, Museum of Image and Sound, São Paulo
November 22th to December 2nd, 2012
Av Europa 158, Jardim Europa

* schedule subject to changes

When: Nov. 22nd to Dec. 2nd
Time: Tuesdays to Saturdays, from 12h00 to 22h00, or 11h00 to 21h00 on weekends.
Entrance: free
Synopsis:BIG - Brazilian International Game Festival, the first international independent games festival held in Brazil brings together the best independent games of the year in Brazil and abroad, a 24-hour challenge between isolated teams of expert game designers, presentation of the best demos and unfinished projects, board games workshops, lectures and business forum, film screening and awards.

All activities are free. Come, play games and vote for contestants!

Events

Exhibition and Game Play

Competitive Exhibition of the best international and national Independent Games. The visiting public can play and vote for the Games.

Duration: It’s up to you!
When: From Nov. 22nd to Dec. 2nd
Where: 1st Floor Exhibition Space
Time: Tuesday to Saturday from 12h00 to 22h00, Sundays and holidays, from 11h to 21h
Entrance: free

Dev Island, 24 Hour Challenge

On Dev Island, 4 teams of expert game designers will be isolated in a room for 24 hours. The goal: to develop a game based on identical instructions, without Internet access or contact with the outside world. The best game takes the prize of $ 6,000.

Duration: 24 hours
Start Saturday, Nov. 24th at16h00
End Date: Sunday, Nov. 25th at 16h00
Entrance: free

Workshops

Games and Senior Citizens

Are videogames good to keep your mind healthy and active?
What does Neuroscience have to say about this?
What’s new and upcoming for senior citizens in this regard.

When: Nov. 27th
Where: MIS Auditorium
Time: 11h00
Speaker: Umana Comunication and Guests
Ricardo Mucci – Mediation
Carla Giacominelli – Speech therapist, researcher and neuroscientist – UNIFESP
Dr. Paulo Bertolucci – Doctor and PhD professor in Neurology – UNIFESP
Marcelo Fragoso – Illustrator, creative director, game designer and director of Timepix
Ana Castro – Journalist specializing in health
Luciano Meira – PhD professor of Federal Universityof Pernambuco
Entrance: free
If you are interested in attending, please, send a message to info@bigfestival.com.br

Game as a Profession

Lecture for young people from 12 years old up, with professionals and experts in the Games area, to clarify about the professional possibilities that the universe of Games can offer: which colleges and courses exist in Brazil and abroad, which careers stand out in the international market and in Brazil, how does a game designer lives and works.

When: Nov. 27th
Where: MIS Auditorium
Time: 15h00
Speaker: Delmar Galisi - University Anhembi Morumbi
Entrance: free
If you are interested in attending, please, send a message to info@bigfestival.com.br

Games and childhood

ComKids maps and discusses quality in electronics manufacturing child, the Click is a leading gaming portals of its kind in Brazil and integrates the table "games and childhood" in submitting their trusteeship strategies and search results of Digital Kids.
Farofa Studios is a childish producer of games, apps and digital content and has in their repertoire the creation of the Site World, from EditoraGlobo, a children's virtual world based on the work of MonteiroLobato, with many games and interactive content.

When: Nov. 27th
Where: MIS Auditorium
Time: 16h30
Moderation: Vanessa Fort - ComKids, General Coordination
Speaker: Coordination: Beth Carmona, General Director of ComKids; Ronaldo Bastos, VP of Business Development of BTCF; Saul Ribas, Managing Director of Farofa Studios; Luciano Meira, Professor, Ph.D., of the Federal University of Pernambuco.
Entrance: free
If you are interested in attending, please, send a message to info@bigfestival.com.br

The Game as an educational tool – Serious Games

Lecture for educators and parents with experts discussing the use of digital games as a tool to support learning.

When: Nov. 27th
Where: MIS Auditorium
Time: 18h00
Speaker: Denio Di Lascio - Microsoft Lab/Senac and DayDreamLab
Lynn Alves – University of the State of Bahia
Luciano Meira – University of the State of Pernambuco
Entrance: free
If you are interested in attending, please, send a message to info@bigfestival.com.br

Business Forum

Destined to industry professionals interested in forming new bonds and commercial contacts. This event will provide case studies, lectures, meetings with publishers, platforms representatives, investors, a DemoNight, Awards Ceremony, workshops and Game Doc presentation of the finalists of the BIG International Festival.

Duration: Sessions with different themes and lenght
When: Nov. 28th, Nov. 29thand Nov. 30th (Wednesday to Friday)
Where: MIS Auditorium, LabMIS Auditorium and Interfaces Room
Time: From 10h00 to 22h00
Entrance: free
If you are interested in attending any of these events, click here.

Business Forum Agenda

November 28th, Wednesday

• 9h00/9h30 Registration of pre-registered participants
• 9h45/10h00 Opening Session
• 10h00/10h15Sponsor Speech

  
  President of Telefonica Foundation
  Ms. Françoise Trapenard
  

• 10h30 /12h00 Brazilian Indies: The time is now!

  
  The strategy for strengthening the independent industry in Brazil.
  
  Moderador: Ale Machado
  Mauricio Hirata - Ancine
  Luciane Gorgulho - BNDES
  Fred Vasconcelos - Abragames
  Andre Sturm - MIS
  Joao Lanari Bo - MIDC
  

• 12h00/13h30 Lunch Break
• 13h30/14h30 Opening Lecture

  
  Chris Avellone - Obsidian

• 14h30/16h00 Global Game Business Trends: Discussion of current trends across the game world, exploring the evolutions (and revolutions) of the game business..

  
  Moderador: Emiliano de Castro - Abragames
  Tim Fabian Besser - European Games Group
  Igor Burattini – Rovio
  Fabio Bottalo - Kingston
  Jim Ying - 6waves
  Levi Buchanan- Chillingo
  Amanda Cinfio - Gree
  Bertrand Chaverot – UbisoftBrazil
  

• 16h15/16h30Break
• 16h15/16h30Apresentação Publishers Internacionais

  Presentation of the International Publishers
  Publishers are presenting to developers the kind of content they seek and their business models

  Jim Ying - 6Waves
  Levi Buchanan - Chillingo
  Amanda Cinfio - Gree
  Careen Yapp - Konami
  Tim Besser - European Games Group
  Fredrik Wester - Paradox

  
  

• 17h30/18h30Snacks Break
• 19h00/21h30DEMONIGHT (simultaneous translation)

  
  Opening: Carlos Pessoa, DirectorofWayra
  Moderator: AndreForastieri, Digital Drum, R7

  7 to 10 minutes per project (playable)
  Opportunity for the brazilian developers to present their demos to an audience of potential investors, the media and other devs.
  Target audience: investors, platforms, publishers, journalists and other opinion makers.
  Each developer, pre-registered, has identical time and conditions to present his/her project.
  Come watch and meet the best Brazilian game projects!
  Duration: 2.5 hours

   

November 29th,Thursday

• 10h00/11h00 Speaker

  
  Leah Hoyer - Microsoft

• 11h10/12h40 Games and TV Panel

  
  Moderador: Andre Mermelstein
  Luciano Amaral - Play TV
  LucianeNeno - Gloob
  ArturTillieri - Cartoon
  Luis Bianchi - Philips
  Eduardo Brandini - TV Cultura
  Marco Altberg - ABPI-TV

• 12h40/14h00 Lunch Break
• 14h00/15h30 The Art in the Game, Music and Animation

  
  Moderador: Iain Simmons - Game City, Inglaterra
  Chris Avellone - Obsidian
  Coy Freitas
  David McLoughlin - BMA
  Lionel Zajdweber - Cartoon Network LA
  Ruben Feffer - Ultrassom
  Talita Goldstein - Minority Media

• 15h45/18h00 Presentation: Platforms & Brazil

  
  Nokia
  UNITY Technologies
  ClickJogos
  Kingston
  Philip

• 18h15/19h30 Presentation of the 5 finalists

  
  Finalists for the Best Game category present their games to the media and guests!
  Moderator: Jason Della Rocca
  Tiny & Big
  Unmechanical
  Capsized
  Papo&Yo
  Awesomenauts

November 30th, Friday

Lectures

The Investors of This Segment – Angels of Brazil

When: Nov. 30th
Where: MIS Auditorium
Time:  10h00 to 11h000
Entrance: free
Registration: Click here to sign up (for professionals only)

Videogame Business

When: Nov. 30th
Where: MIS Auditorium
Time:  11h00 to 12h00
Palestrantes: Luis Sakuda, Abragames and Intel
Entrance: free
Registration: Click here to sign up (for professionals only)

Workshops Profissionais

Game Doc Workshop

Opening: Luis Guggenberger
Manager for the Debate & New Projects Awareness Area at Telefonica Foundation
When: Nov. 30th
Where: MIS Auditorium 
Time:  13h00 to 18h00
Entrance: Only for invited guests, Brazilian Game Design students & professionals
Registration: Click here to sign up (for professionals only)

• 13h00/14h00: Tiny & Big - Alemanha
  1h400/15h00: Awesomenauts - Holanda
  15h00/16h00: Unmechanical Suécia
  16h00/17h00: Capsized - Canadá
  17h00/18h00: Papo & Yo - Canadá
  
  

Board Games Workshop

Activity for children between 6 and 12 years. They will learn to think of games from its basic structure: how to build its architecture, establish rules, limitations, physical space and definition of parts, participants, etc. At the end of the workshop, each participant will leave with their own board game developed.
Manager for the Debate & New Projects Awareness Area at Telefonica Foundation
When: Dec. 1st (Saturday) at 10h30 and 16h00; Dec. 2nd (Sunday) at 10h30 and 16h00
Where: Interfaces Room
Speaker/Monitor:  Yuri Fang - Darwin Jogos and Galapagos Jogos
Entrance: Free (kids only)

Business Round

Pre-Scheduled Meetings

Date: 30.11
Where: Interfaces Room
Time:  10h00 to 18h00
Entrance: free
Registration: Click here to sign up (for professionals only)

Awards Ceremony

18h30/20h00

Awards Ceremony

Abertura: Alexandre Fernandes, Diretor de Inovação da Vivo

To encourage the development of quality independent games, BIG Festival distributes nine awards and trophies:

Best Game (offered by Telefonica/Vivo, trophy and R$ 30,000 prize)
Best Art (offered by Rovio – Angry Birds, trophy and R$ 2,000 prize)
Best Sound (offered by Ultrassom, trophy and R$ 2,000 prize)
Best Narrative (offered by Gloob, trophy and R$ 2,000 prize)
Best GamePlay (offered by Umana, trophy and R$ 2,000 prize)
Revelation Brazil (offered by Cartoon Network, trophy and R$ 7,000 prize)
Best Online Game - available at BIG’s website (trophy and prize of R$ 5,000)
Best Game by Popular Vote (Trophy)
Dev Island (offered by Click Jogos, trophy and prize of R$ 6,000)
DemoNight – Best Demo (Trophy)

Master of Ceremonies: Luciano Amaral, Play TV

Come honor the winners!
When: Nov. 30th
Where: MIS Auditorium 
Time:  18h30
Entrance: free (for pre-registered users)

20h00/20h45

Break

21h00/22h00

Film Session
Indie Game, The Movie

Documentary about the challenges of being an indie game designer.
Winner of Sundance 2012, best editing.

When: Nov. 30th
Where: MIS Auditorium 
Time:  20h00
Entrance: Free (for pre-registered users)

Publishers (International Buyers) of BIG Business Forum

• Amanda Cinfio - GREE

  Amanda is specialized in negotiation and international business relationship development with publishers and developers of software for smartphones, with emphasis on mobile games.
  
  She is currently Director and Account Manager at Gree International, a company focused on making mobile social gaming meaningful by building the best ecosystem for users and developers worldwide. It’s one of Japan's fastest growing tech company, reaching140 million users worldwide.

• Careen Yapp – Konami

  As vice president of acquisitions and franchise development, Careen is responsible for Konami Digital Entertainment Inc. strategic direction and pursuit of new business development activities including the acquisition of original intellectual and licensed properties.
  
  Her long-standing relationships with top interactive development teams and major licensors assist the company in acquiring creative and innovative brands to develop into quality interactive entertainment franchises. Games that credit her include Silent Hill: Downpour and Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots.

• Fredrik Wester (Paradox)

  Fredrik is a director member of the Association of Swedish Game Developers and CEO of Paradox Interactive, based in Stockholm, an important publisher for PC strategy games.

  Paradox was one of the first developers to coin the term "Grand Strategy", being the creative force behind the successful franchises Europa Universalis, Hearts of Iron, Victoria, Crusader Kings, Svea Rike & Sengoku: Way of the Warrior.

• Levi Buchanan (Chillingo)

  Levy is the Senior Manager in Chillingo, publisher of important independent titles like Angry Birds, Cut The Rope, Feed Me Oil, among others. He was a pioneer in publishing content for iPhone and released for PSP Mini games, DSiWare and WiiWare. The Chillingo is now part of Electronic Arts, currently one of the largest companies in the business of games.
  
  He previously worked at IGN Entertainment, covering games of mobile platforms for 8 years.

• Jim Ying (6Waves)

  Jim has worked as director of Real Networks, creator of social games for Facebook with over 6 million active users monthly. He was the global product manager of Microsoft Xbox, leading the marketing team of 7 AAA games for console and PC, gathering U$250 million dollars in the process.

  He is currently the vice-president of 6Waves, leader in publishing independent games in social networks and mobile platforms. He publishes games on Facebook, Yahoo Mobage, Mixi and Hagame in Japan, Tencent in China, iOS and Android.

• Tim Besser

  Tim Fabian Besser is CEO Latin America of European Games Group and
  Managing Partner of his own company Besser International. He has been working for more than 15 years in various management positions in international print and online media in Germany, Brazil and Spain.

  European Games Group enables developers to successfully launch and market their F2P browser-based games worldwide, maximizing the game’s commercial potential at all levels, whilst staying independent.  
  Internacional Speakers of Business Forum
  Jason Della Rocca
  BIG International Consultant, our godfather is a former director executive of the International Game Developers Association and founded the Perimeter Partners, a consultancy that provides strategy, guidance and knowledge to companies and organizations Games.
  He was honored for his efforts building industry with the Ambassador Award at the eighth Game Developers Choice Awards. He was also named one of the "50 Game Developers of 2009” by the Game Developer Magazine.

Internacional Speakers of Business Forum

• Jason Della Rocca

  BIG International Consultant, our godfather is a former director executive of the International Game Developers Association and founded the Perimeter Partners, a consultancy that provides strategy, guidance and knowledge to companies and organizations Games.
  
  He was honored for his efforts building industry with the Ambassador Award at the eighth Game Developers Choice Awards. He was also named one of the "50 Game Developers of 2009” by the Game Developer Magazine.

• Leah Hoyer

  Leah worked at Disney Television Animation, where she was the Director of Development for Disney Channel Animated Series. During her tenure at Disney, Leahworked on numerous series, including "Recess," "Kim Possible" and "Phineas &Ferb."
  
  Currently, Ms. Hoyer became Narrative Producer at Microsoft Studios. In this role, she develops and shepherds stories for video games, television series, books, and other properties. Her first game for Microsoft, Adera, an episodic adventure game for tablet and computer, launched in October and will be rolling out eight episodes during its first season.

• Chris Avellone

  Chris is an experienced designer of RPGs, worked on games like Star Wars: KOTOR 2, Neverwinter Nights 2 and Fallout: New Vegas. He is currently one of the owners and Creative Director of Obsidian Entertainment, the creators of some of the most popular RPGs of the last decade.
  
  Also part of the team of Wasteland 2, the Kickstarter phenomenon that has raised a fund of almost $ 3 million.

• Iain Simons

  Iain is the Director of the GameCity Festival at Nottingham Trent University, an event dedicated to humanizing videogames and looking at them from a different perspective: as a tool for learning, teaching and inspiring. The festival has worked with most big game studios, such as Nintendo and Microsoft, and regularly invites innovative game designers to participate, like Peter Molyneux (Fable, Black & White) and Keita Takashi (KatamariDamacy)
  
  Simons has written and talked about videogame culture for a wide variety of audiences and publications. In 2008 he co-founded the National Videogame Archive, a unique collection of videogame software and hardware..