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May 29, 2007
LOS ANGELES, May 29, 2007 – Entertainment industry
veteran Kerry McCluggage, chairman of Allumination FilmWorks, will deliver the
key note speech at the Independent Film & Television
Alliance’s (IFTA) annual Production Conference next month. The announcement was
made today by Jean M. Prewitt, president and CEO of IFTA, the global trade
association of the independent motion picture and television programming
industry.
The event, which will take
place from 8:00am to 1:00pm on Friday, June 15th, at the Beverly
Hills Hotel, also will feature the panels “Marketing and Distributing Movies in
the Age of New, User-Centered Technologies” and “How Do New Incentive Programs
Change our Choices for Production Locations?” Tickets to the event are
available to IFTA members for $60 per person, and $90 for non-members. More
information can be found at www.ifta-online.org.
Regarding the announcement,
Prewitt said, “We are honored to have Kerry McCluggage serve as our key note
speaker this year. His wealth of experience and leading role in shaping the
television landscape provides unique insight into where our business stands
today and, more importantly, where it is going.”
“Marketing and
Distributing Movies in the Age of New, User-Centered Technologies”
will address the new
trends changing how filmed entertainment is created, marketed and distributed in
today’s multi-platform world. The panel, to be moderated by Pierre David,
chairman and CEO of Imagination Worldwide and chairman of the IFTA Producers
Committee, will feature Steve Bickel, president of Aura Entertainment; Nicolas
Chartier, president of Voltage Pictures; Susan
Cleary, IFTA vice president and general counsel; Kirk D’Amico,
president and CEO of Myriad Pictures; Richard Guardian, co-president of
Lightning Entertainment; Pedro Rodriguez, president of IDC; Marcy Rubin, senior
vice president, international distribution, of CineTel Films; and Michael
Weiser, CEO of Pinnacle Entertainment.
“How Do New Incentive Programs
Change our Choices for Production Locations?” will feature a panel of experts who will look at today’s
production incentives around the world and discuss the comparative value to be
obtained by producing content in key locations. Moderated by Paul Hertzberg,
president of CineTel Films, the panel’s confirmed participants include Dama
Chasle, production executive of Axium International; Lloyd Kaufman, president of
Troma Entertainment; Michael Ryan,
director of Handmade Films Intl.; Hal Sadoff, head of international and
independent film for ICM; Kirk Shaw, president and CEO of Insight Film Studios;
Trevor Short, CFO of NuImage; and Jimmy Veres, president of Heartstone
Films.
Prewitt added, “All of these individuals
bring expertise and vision to the discussion of how to best maximize your
production budgets and what the future holds in the digital age. Kerry
McCluggage and the wonderful panelists comprise a powerful agenda for this event
that will greatly serve attendees.”
McCluggage has been in the entertainment business since
1978. In 1980, he became Universal Television’s youngest vice president at the
age of 25. During his stint at Universal, McCluggage oversaw the development
and production of such television hits as Magnum P.I., Murder She Wrote, The A-Team,
Miami Vice and Law & Order. He joined Paramount in 1991, where he
developed the original plan for UPN and oversaw its 1995 launch. As chairman of
the Paramount Television Group, he aided in the development and production of
JAG, Deadwood, the Emmy Award-winning series
Frasier and the hit magazine show
Entertainment Tonight, among many
others.
McCluggage and Jeff Sagansky
acquired Allumination FilmWorks (formerly Ardustry Home Entertainment) in 2005.
An important and dynamic new player in the distribution of quality entertainment
to broadcast, satellite and cable television as well as both the theatrical and
home entertainment markets worldwide, Allumination boasts an impressive
portfolio of nearly 200 quality theatrical films, in all major categories, as
well as more than 4,000 hours of television programming, along with music
specials and kids/family feature titles for television, cable and home video/DVD
distribution markets worldwide. Sagansky and McCluggage are also key investors
in Peace Arch Entertainment, a publicly-traded company listed on the Toronto and American stock
exchanges.
About IFTA
The Independent Film &
Television Alliance (IFTA) is the global trade association of the independent
motion picture and television programming industry. Headquartered in Los Angeles, the
organization represents and provides significant entertainment industry services
to more than 170 member companies from 22 countries, consisting of independent
production and distribution companies, sales agents, television companies,
studio-affiliated companies, and financial institutions engaged in film
finance.
Collectively, the
Independent Film & Television Alliance’s members produce more than 400
independent films and countless hours of television programming each year and
generate more than $4 billion in distribution revenues annually. The
organization’s premiere event, the American Film Market, takes place every year
in November in Santa
Monica.
As the voice and advocate for the
independent film and television industry worldwide, the Alliance speaks out on
matters of critical importance and, where appropriate, actively lobbies
governments around the world in regard to measures directly affecting the
independent industry. For more information on IFTA and the American Film
Market, please visit www.ifta-online.org.
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