AFM Finance Conference

The yearly AFM Finance Conference brings together CEOs, financiers, and filmmakers in two back-to-back sessions where you will learn about the future of independent film financing. These high-powered panels discuss emerging trends and financing options.

First Session: Current Trends in Film Financing
1.5 Hours MCLE and CPE Credit Available

Moderator:
P. John Burke, Partner, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP

Panelists:
Mark Gill, Chief Executive Officer, The Film Department
Bryan LaCour, Senior Vice President Entertainment Finance, Union Bank of California
David Molner, Managing Director, Screen Capital International
Lee Solomon, Chief Operating Officer, The Weinstein Company

Second Session: Film Financing during a Credit Crisis

Moderator:
Benson R. Berro, Managing Director, KPMG LLP

Panelists:
Joseph D. Chianese, Vice President Business, Development and Tax Incentives, Entertainment Partners
P. Clark Hallren, Managing Director, JP Morgan Securities, Inc.
Paul Hanson, Chief Operating Officer, QED International
Mark Amin, Chief Executive Officer, Sobini Films; Vice Chairman/Director, Lionsgate Entertainment

Location: Fairmont Miramar Hotel
Cost: $95 per person. Includes continental breakfast.

Hong Kong: Asia’s Co-Production Centre and Gateway to the China Market
Programmed by: Hong Kong Trade Development Council

A panel of veterans will not just share their views on how Hong Kong plays an effective role in the successful co-production models but also identify opportunities in the most lucrative and promising region in the world, that is Asia, and particularly China.

Moderator:
Patrick Frater, Asia Editor, Variety

Panelists:
Jeffrey Chan, Chief Executive Officer, Distribution Workshop;Chief Operating Officer, Bona International Film Group
Douglas Glen, Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer, Imagi International Holdings Limited
Zhou Tiedong, President, China Film Promotion International, Inc.

Location: Le Merigot Hotel
Cost: $35 per person

Pitch Me!
Programmed by: Independent Film & Television Alliance

Whether you have a meeting with a studio head or you bump into an actor in an elevator, you need to be able to pitch your film well. Learn the art of the pitch in this intensive session where a dozen filmmakers pitch their project to a panel of industry experts - agents, producers, and production execs - who will give their unvarnished feedback on each pitch, saying what worked, what didn't, and why. Space is limited - advance registration is recommended.

Moderator:
Peggy Rajski, Executive Producer, Bee Season; Producer, Home for the Holidays, Little Man Tate; Director, ER (TV Series)

Panelists:
Caroline Baron, Producer, Capote, Centre Stage; Associate Producer, The Wonder Years
Shelby Stone, Senior Vice President, Development and Production, Foxx/King Entertainment; Producer, Life Support; Executive Producer, Lackawanna Blues, Lumumba

Location: Le Merigot Hotel
Cost: $50 per person

Location Expo
Programmed by: Independent Film & Television Alliance

Discover the benefits of working in both familiar and untapped markets during one-on-one interviews with film commissioners from around the world. Discussions will highlight financial incentives, production facilities and services, how to navigate through and capitalize on benefits, and examples of recent productions within each territory. Countries and states will include Bahamas, Canada, Dubai, Fiji, Louisiana, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Quebec, Singapore, Trinidad & Tobago and West Virginia.

2:00pm – 3:45pm Panel 1 - North America

Moderator:
Alissa Miller, Counsel, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP

Panelists:
Susanne Bell, Representative, Canadian Agencies and Commissions
Cristina Caraballo, Deputy Film Commissioner, Puerto Rico Film Commission
Jamie Cope, Locations Service Manager, West Virginia Film Office
Hans Fraikin, Quebec Film and Television Commissioner, Quebec Film & TV Council
Bill Hess, Chief of Development, Mayor's Office of Economic Development City of Alexandria, Louisiana
Mike McHugh, IATSE Local 478, Louisiana
Hugo Villa, Director, Mexico Film Commission

4:00pm – 5:45pm Panel 2 - National Perspectives

Moderator:
Edward Repking, Partner, KPMG LLP for North American States

Panelists:
Jamal Al Sharif, Executive Director, Dubai Studio City
Dan Bolea, Chief Executive Officer, Fiji Audio Visual Commission
George David, Deputy General Manager, Royal Film Commission - Jordan
Carla Foderingham, Chief Executive Officer, Trinidad and Tobago Film Company
Carlene Tan, Business Development & Media Services Manager, MDA Singapore
Abdurrahman Celik, General Manager, Turkish Ministry of Culture

Location: Le Merigot Hotel
Cost: $35 per person

The Indie Glut: Distribution at the Crossroads
Programmed by: British Academy of Film & Television Arts, Los Angeles

With the image quality of "pro-sumer" cameras like the Red and Sony EX3, the editing power of Final Cut, and "experimental" contracts with the guilds, the cost barriers to "real" film-making are tumbling down. The downside is that most of these privately financed movies will never be seen outside of a small circle of friends. Of the 5,000 plus indie features submitted to Sundance last year, only 100 were chosen. Fewer than six received any significant theatrical distribution. More movies, fewer distributors. The U.S. marketplace may be permanently glutted. What’s the answer for indie filmmakers? How can you help your film beat the odds? Get the view from the trenches in session with top executives and experts on acquisition, marketing and distribution.

Moderator:
John Alan Simon, Writer-Director, Radio Free Albemuth (based on the novel by Philip K. Dick); Producer, The Getaway; former staff writer New Orleans Times Picayune

Panelists:
Arianna Bocco, Vice President, Acquisitions & Production, IFC Entertainment
Howard Cohen, Co-President, Roadside Attractions
Jason Constantine, President, Acquisitions and Co-productions, Lionsgate Motion Picture Group
Randall Miller, Producer/Director, Bottle Shock
Ted Mundorff, Chief Executive Officer, Landmark Theatres Corporation
Dan Steinman, Film Finance Agent, Creative Artists Agency (CAA)

Location: Le Merigot Hotel
Cost: $35 per person

Production Incentives: The Reel World
Programmed by: Entertainment Partners

In this current economic climate, are Production Incentives unlimited or will they run out? What type of Production Incentives are currently available and is monetizing Production Incentives still an option? What types of production costs are covered and what types of production costs are not? How do you sell or transfer tax credits, and what’s left after fees and commissions? How long does it take to get your money?

Come learn the answers to these questions and more, This program will be presented in a case-study format and will include practical tips, pitfalls and traps for the unwary.

Moderator:
Joseph D. Chianese, Vice President, Business Development & Tax Incentives, Entertainment Partners
Rich Guay, Vice President East Coast Marketing and Sales, Entertainment Partners

Panelists:
William A. Earon, Managing Director, Coastal Capital Advisors, LLC
Mary Ann Hughes, Vice President of Film and Television Production Planning, Walt Disney Pictures and Television
Cleve Landsberg, Producer and Unit Production Manager
Richard Middleton, Line Producer and Unit Production Manager
David Scott Rubin, Executive Producer and Senior Vice President of Production, Lakeshore Entertainment
Antonio J. Sifre Sein, Attorney,Toro, Colon, Mullet, Rivera & Sifre, P.S.C., Puerto Rico
Bill Thompson, Deputy Commissioner, Georgia Film, Music & Digital Entertainment Office
Jennie Yamaki, Director of Physical Production, Mandate Pictures

Location: Le Merigot Hotel
Cost: $35 per person

DIY: Lessons Producers Can Learn from Those Who’ve Successfully Done it Themselves
Programmed by: Dreamscape Studios

A new breed of producers and distributors are getting their movies out into the market in non-traditional and profitable ways. Learn what they’ve learned and how you can do it too.

Moderator:
Stacey Parks, Film Distribution Consultant; Author, The Insider's Guide to Independent Film Distribution; Adjunct Professor, UCLA Entertainment Studies Department

Panelists:
Adam Chapnick, President, Docworkers; Co-Founder, Cinema Libre Distribution
Marc Rosenbush, Internet Marketing Consultant; Creator, Internet Marketing for Filmmakers Course; Writer-Director, Zen Noir
Marianne Wilson, Producer, The Moses Code; President, Global Event Source

Location: Le Merigot Hotel
Cost: $35 per person

Web Entrepreneurs: Imagination Meets Commerce
Programmed by: Writers Guild of America, West

Join writer/producers who are producing and distributing their own content online. What are the risks and rewards? What are the best business models? Does it make sense to work with media conglomerates or independently?

Moderator:
Tom Smuts Writer, Law & Order, The Guardian, Eyes, Close to Home; Co-Executive Producer, The Tower (CBS pilot)

Panelists:
Rick Eid, Writer, The Street; Supervising Producer, The Guardian; Co-Executive Producer, Law & Order; Co-Creator/Executive Producer, Conviction; Executive Producer, The Ex-List
Mary Feuer, Series Creator/Director/Producer, With the Angels; Supervising Producer/Head Writer, Lonelygirl15; Story Editor, Buried Alive
Brent V. Friedman, Online Creator/Executive Producer, Gemini Division and Afterworld; Videogame Writer, Command & Conquer: Tiberium Wars; Consulting Producer, Star Trek: Enterprise; Co-Executive Producer, Twilight Zone
Ken LaZebnik, Writer, Thomas Kinkade’s Christmas Cottage; Co-Writer, A Prairie Home Companion; Co-Founder, Strike TV (Strike.tv); Writer, Touched By An Angel, Providence, Star Trek: Enterprise

Location: Le Merigot Hotel
Cost: $35 per person

Through Rose (and Aqua) Colored Glasses: The Future of 3D
Programmed by: Directors Guild of America

A discussion of stereoscopic content from process to market and beyond.

Moderator:
Eric Brevig, Director, Journey to the Center of the Earth

Panelists:
Josh Greer, President/Co-Founder, RealD
Charlotte Huggins, Producer, Journey to the Center of the Earth, Fly Me To The Moon
Mimi Maynard, Producer/Casting Director/Voice Director, Fly Me To The Moon
Tim Sassoon, President/Creative Director, Sassoon Film Design
Steve Schklair, Chief Executive Officer, 3ality Digital Systems

Location: Le Merigot Hotel
Cost: $35 per person

International Film Financing in a Weak Dollar Market
Programmed by: International Committee of the Producers Guild of America

Budgets are swelling but funding sources are shrinking as Producers continue to look for creative ideas to fund their projects overseas while fighting a weak US dollar. Join a panel of seasoned producers, sales agents, and attorneys as they discuss strategies to fund and shoot their projects overseas.

Moderator:
Steve Monas, Attorney, Business Affairs, Inc.

Panelists:
Effie T. Brown, Producer, Duly Noted, Inc.
Simon Horsman, Financier, Future Films USA
Avram "Butch" Kaplan, Executive Producer
Amotz Zakai Vice President, Echo Lake Entertainment, LLC

Location: Le Merigot Hotel
Cost: $35 per person

Getting Your Film Seen
Programmed by: Film Independent

Don't be on the outside looking in. Your film can be seen by a wide audience without any involvement of the big studios. Indie filmmakers have found a lot of new ways to get their films out there without tapping into the traditional distribution methods. Come hear the latest innovations in the wonderful world of monetizing your film. The landscape may be changing, but filmmakers who know how to navigate the terrain can enjoy a large measure of success on their own.

Moderator:
Michael C. Donaldson, Attorney, Donaldson & Callif

Panelists:
Peter Broderick, President, Paradigm Consulting
Jim Browne, Founder, Argot Pictures
Jody Savin, Writer/Producer, Bottle Shock
John Sloss, Founder/Partner, Cinetic Media

Location: Le Merigot Hotel
Cost: $35 per person

Globalization: Exploring the Emergence of Independent Global Cinema
Programmed by: Women in Film/L.A., International Committee

It's not just "us and them" anymore. The effects of Globalization in Independent Cinema have become more relevant in the last few years. Integration of cultures and languages in one story as seen in Babel, Diving Bell and the Butterfly, The Bands Visit, and Under the Same Moon has created opportunities and challenges for filmmakers to tell stories shaped by the realities of a growing global community. The Panel will examine how independent filmmakers are creating and distributing stories without borders and connecting international audiences to each other.

Moderator:
Gabrielle Kelly, Advisory Chair, WIFI; Writer/Producer, All Ages Night; Fulbright Scholar, Taiwan; Co-Founder, International Film Workshop, Moscow; Adjunct Professor, USC School of Cinematic Arts

Panelists:
Olga Aylarova, Producer, Viy; Senior Vice President International Production, Rospo Film Group, Moscow
Ehud Bleiberg, Chief Executive Officer, Bleiberg Entertainment; Producer, The Bands Visit, Kirot
Alfonso Gomez Rejon, Casting Consultant and 2nd Unit Director, Babel
Robert Little, Co-President,The Little Film Company; Executive Producer, Tsotsi
Anna Thomas, Screenwriter/Producer, El Norte, Mi Familia; Senior Lecturer in Screenwriting, AFI
Julia Verdin, Producer, Stander, Merchant of Venice

Location: Le Merigot Hotel
Cost: $35 per person

New Technologies and Low Budget Films
Programmed by: American Society of Cinematographers

Moderator:
George Spiro Dibie, Chair, ASC Education and Outreach Committee

Panelists:
Richard Crudo, ASC, Brooklyn Rules, American Pie
Steven Fierberg, ASC, Football Wives, Entourage
Ron Garcia, ASC, Numb3rs, Gilmore Girls
Michael Goi, ASC, My Name Is Earl, Witness Protection
Richard Kline, ASC, Double Impact, Death Wish II
Stephen Lighthill, ASC, Ruby’s Tuesday, She Spies
Izzy Mankofsky, ASC, Too Loud a Solitude, 4 Faces
Daryn Okada, ASC, Baby Mama, Just Like Heaven, Mean Girls
Daniel Pearl, ASC, Friday The 13th, Pathfinder
Dante Spinotti, ASC, X-Men: The Last Stand, L.A. Confidential
Rodney Taylor, ASC, The Wrecking Crew, Home of The Giants

Location: Le Merigot Hotel
Cost: $35 per person