On Tuesday we were lucky enough to host one of the Tribeca Talks: Industry panels during the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival. Since Focus Forward is all about innovation and technology, it was only fitting to structure our discussion around these concepts. The result was a sold-out event we called “The Future Is Short: Storytelling in the Digital Age.”

 The panel, which addressed the increasingly wired world we live in (and what the flourishing of new Internet-based platforms means for short-form documentary filmmaking), brought together some of the most digital-savvy individuals within the industry. Moderator Jason Wishnow, the man behind TED Film and Video, sat alongside CINELAN co-founder Morgan Spurlock, Jason Spingarn-Koff of the New York Times Op-Docs series, YouTube's Director of Content Partnerships Laura Lee, Knuckleball! director Annie Sundberg, and “Solar Roadways” director Michèle Ohayon.

While each panel member had unique experiences and advice to offer the audience of aspiring filmmakers, it was the closing statement from the panel that resonated with us: There is money to be made on the Internet. ( And no, this was not a reference to our $200,000 Filmmaker Challenge… although, if you are interested, there’s more info right here: http://www.focusforwardfilms.com/#challenge )