Dispatches from Dreamland: CICLOPE Heads to Europe

After three successful years in Buenos Aires celebrating craft in advertising, CICLOPE Festival is heading to former East Berlin. Below, shots' Acting US Editor Simon Wakelin reports on the development in his latest blog piece.

Launched by founder and director Francisco Condorelli, CICLOPE is a unique festival focused on the art of execution with an emphasis on the production side of the industry. Condorelli recognised the potential for such an event after analysing other advertising festivals worldwide:

“I noticed that there were many but they were all exactly the same,” he says on the genesis behind CICLOPE. “All are primarily focused on agency ideas and I really felt that there was a void to be filled. CICOPE is the only international festival fully dedicated to craft in advertising. The festival has grown quickly in three short years and the move to Berlin should keep that growth on track.”

The next edition of CICLOPE will be held on November 6th, 7th and 8th at Kino International – one of the most legendary film theatres in former East Berlin. The festival’s move to Europe came after the success of Condorelli's CRAFTEN conference, which took place in Amsterdam earlier this year:

“The idea of CICLOPE from the very beginning was to keep the festival moving and not be anchored in one place,” he says. “Buenos Aires was great for us because it’s a sexy location for people to gather and meet – plus South America is booming. Meanwhile, after a great experience at CRAFTEN, we decided to move to Europe. There is such a rich history in Europe’s culture and advertising, and a fascinating diversity that should serve to enrich the festival.”

The three-day event will feature conferences, classes and workshops with attendees that include Daniel Bergmann (Founder of Stink), Erik Verheijen (Head of Broadcast W+K Amsterdam), Robin Shenfield (CEO and Founder The Mill), Dave Rolfe (Head of TV BBDO NY), Vic Palumbo (Head of TV Deutsch/LA), Frank Scherma (president @radical.media) and Richard Ulfvengren (founder Traktor).

The overarching theme of this year’s event will be 'Love'. Each day opens with “Fresh Market” where international creatives get to meet production partners to discuss potential business opportunities. Talks, panels and workshops include deliberations over proactive branding for Ikea, evian and adidas, while Vimeo is also on hand to discuss the importance of craft in social media. The final day will further see “Panorama Brazil” featuring a host of players from the region explaining how Brazil is preparing for the upcoming World Cup and Olympics.

“People come to CICLOPE to be inspired and to discuss the main issues of the production industry,” says Condorolli as close the interview. “I’m really proud of the festival’s intimate nature and exclusive atmosphere. It started that way and continues today. I feel that success hinges on gathering together the right people who truly represent the best of the industry worldwide, and that’s exactly what CICLOPE are about.”