Oct 25, 2006

AMERICAN FILM MARKET ANNOUNCES

CONFERENCE AND SEMINAR LINEUP  

LOS ANGELES, October 25, 2006 – The American Film Market (AFM) today announced the lineup for its Finance Conference and Seminar series presented by Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP and KPMG LLP, set to take place during the November 2006 Market (1-8 November). 

This year, the AFM will host a record 13 sessions, which span a broad range of topics and issues important to the global entertainment industry and feature a diverse cross section of prominent entertainment executives, filmmakers and talent from around the world.  These informative panels provide a forum where attendees can interact with and learn from prominent filmmakers, financiers, industry executives and talent. 

The series will kick off with the AFM Finance Conference on Friday, Nov. 3 at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel (101 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica), with additional panels taking place at the JW Marriott Le Merigot Hotel (next door to the Loews Hotel) through Tuesday, Nov. 7. 

These popular seminars are being programmed by the Independent Film & Television Alliance (IFTA), as well as a number of major industry organizations, including Directors Guild of America, Writers Guild of America, west, SAGIndie/Screen Actors Guild, American Society of Cinematographers, Film Independent, International Committee of Women in Film, British Academy of Film and Television Arts/L.A. and Hong Kong Trade Development Council.   

Below is the full schedule of seminars, including participants and venue. For pricing and ticket information, please visit www.americanfilmmarket.com.

Friday, 3 November, 2006

9:00am - 12:30pm

AFM Finance Conference
Programmed by: Independent Film & Television Alliance

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

Session One:

New Sources of Equity for Financing Film: Wall Street Develops a Taste for Hollywood

Moderator:                                                                                                                            

John Burke, Partner, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, LLP

Panelists:

Laura Fazio, Managing Director Capital Markets Origination Media, Communications   & Entertainment, Dresdner Kleinwort

Tom Pollock, Principal, The Montecito Picture Company

Roy Salter, Principal, Salter Group

Bob Yari, Principal, Yari Film Group

Session Two:

Maximizing Your Distribution Rights

Moderator:                                                                                                                   

Penny Mavridis Sales, Principal, International Corporate Tax, KPMG LLP

Panelists:                                                                                                                        

Vicki Cherkas, Partner, Head of Business Affairs, Business Development and New Ventures, Greenestreet Films, Inc.

Joseph D. Chianese, VP of Business Development & Tax Incentives, Entertainment Partners Los Angeles

Hal Sadoff, Head of International & Independent Film, International Creative Management Agency

Diane Stidham, Managing Director, Newbridge Film Capital

4:00pm - 5:30pm

Hong Kong as an Asian Co-production Centre
Programmed by: Hong Kong Trade Development Council

Known for its exceptional productions and creative talents, Hong Kong has evolved from an Asian leader for filmmaking to an incomparable hub for co-production in the hot region. Learn from our expert panelists about partnering with Hong Kong companies and hit the expressway to the China market via Hong Kong.

Panelists:

Lee Beasley, Head, Media and Entertainment, Creative Industries, Client Relationships, Wholesale Banking

Charmaine Koo, Partner, Deacons

Han Sanping, General Manager, China Film Group Corporation

Nansun Shi, Executive Director, Film Workshop Co. Ltd.

Saturday, 4 November, 2006

9:00am - 12:30pm

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:
Stephanie Palmer, President, Good in a Room

Panelists:
Peggy Rajski, Executive Producer, Bee Season; Producer, Home for the Holidays, Little Man Tate; Director, ER (TV Series)
Sebastian Twardosz, VP, Craftsman Films

2:00pm - 5:30pm

Location Expo®
Programmed by: Independent Film & Television Alliance

Sponsored by: Air New Zealand

Film Commissioners and representatives from around the world discuss incentives and "soft money." Learn how to get 30% or more of your budget covered! Space is limited - advance registration is recommended.

Session One:

North American States

Moderator:

Steve Fayne, Partner, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, LLP

Panelists from:
Dan Chugg, Alberta Film Commissioner

Jamie Cope, Location Services Manager, West Virginia Film Office

Jamie Delatte, Film Commissioner, Louisiana Capital Area Film Commission
Tonya S. Holly, President, Alabama Filmmakers Association
Luis A. Riefkohl, Executive Director and Film Commissioner, Puerto Rico Film Commission
Christopher Stelly, Economic Development Manager, Louisiana Film Office

Session Two: National Perspectives

Moderator:

Mark Hutchinson, Principal, Rothstein Kass

Panelists:
Jamal Alsharif, Manager, Dubai Studio City

Owen Bethel, President, Bahamas Invest International

Taniela (Dan) Bolea, CEO, Fiji Audio Visual Commission

Patrick Mao Huang, Taiwan

Carlene Tan, Manager, Industry Development (Media Services), Media Development Authority of Singapore

David Zitzerman, Partner, Goodmans LLP, Canada

Sunday, 5 November, 2006

11:00am - 12:30pm

Who Backs Movies and Why
Programmed by: Film Independent

Have you ever wondered what made an investor say yes? Is a great script enough, or can a killer idea be thwarted by a poorly thought-out business plan or budget? Players in packaging and film financing reveal why they say "No" most of the time, and what producers need to assemble to hear that elusive "Yes." Learn about current sources of financing; finding the right fit for your project; attracting interest from talent; and the do's and don'ts of approaching an investor.

Moderator:

Michael Donaldson, Partner, Donaldson and Hart

Panelists:

Holly Becker, Senior Vice President, Production, Sidney Kimmel Entertainment

Cassian Elwes, Senior Vice President, William Morris Agency

Bo Hyde, CEO/Co-Founder, Cherry Road Films

Diane Weyermann, Executive Vice President of Documentary Production, Participant Productions

3:00pm - 4:30pm

Practical Production Incentives: What You Think You'll Get, What You Actually Get, and How to Make it Better

Programmed by: AXIUM

Moderator:

Jeff Begun, Axium International; author Guide to U.S. Production Incentives

Panelists:

Dama Chasle, independent producer; formerly Tax VP, 20th Century Fox

Jeff Geoffrey, partner, Blue Rider

Mike Upton, Head of Production, 2929 Entertainment

Monday, 6 November, 2006

11:00am - 12:30pm

Writing for the Marketplace: How Trends are Determining Content
Programmed by: Writers Guild of America, west

It's a killer script but will the film be marketable? Are non-theatrical markets - TV, Internet, iPods, DVDs - limiting or expanding creative content? Screenwriters discuss how marketing and distribution trends affect (or don't) the topics they choose and the way their ideas are expressed.

Moderator:
Billy Ray, Co-Writer/Director, Breach; Co-Writer, Flightplan; Writer/Director, Shattered Glass

Panelists:
Doug Atchison, Writer/Director, Akeelah and the Bee; Writer/Director, Outspoken; Co-Writer, Spinning Into Butter
Jessica Bendinger, Writer/Director, Stick It; Writer/Co-Producer, Bring It On; Co-Writer, First Daughter, Aquamarine; Writer, Sex and the City

Ted Elliot, Co-Writer, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl; Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest; Co-Writer/Co-Producer, Shrek
Tyger Williams, Writer/Co-Producer, Menace II Society

2:00pm - 3:30pm

House of Cards: Perspectives on Collapsing the Exhibition Windows (working title)
Programmed by: Directors Guild of America

Directors, exhibitors, and distributors discuss the aesthetic and financial implications of shifting business models and the pervasive trend toward narrowing exhibition windows.

Panelist:

John Fithian, President, National Association of Theater Owners

Marcy Magiera, Editor, Video Business

4:00pm - 5:30pm

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Film Festivals!
Programmed by: The International Committee of Women In Film

Getting your independent feature or short film into a festival can often be the first step to distribution. Top executives and senior programmers will tell us what they are looking for... how and when to apply... and how to maximize your experience if you are accepted.

Moderator:
June Shelley, Chair, Women in Film International

Panelists:
Nancy Collet, Director of Programming, AFI FEST presented by Audi
Matt Dentler, Film Festival Producer, South By Southwest Conferences and Festivals

Eleonora Granata, USA Representative/Programmer, Venice International Film Festival
Caroline Libresco, Senior Programmer, Sundance Film Festival

Jeremy Platt, Artistic Manager/Head Programmer, Santa Barbara International Film Festival
Rachel Rosen, Director of Programming, Film Independent's Los Angeles Film Festival
David Straus, Co-Founder/CEO, Withoutabox.com

Tuesday, 7 November, 2006

11:00am - 12:30pm

Totems & Taboos: The Rules and Myths of the International Marketplace
Programmed by: The British Academy of Film & Television Arts, Los Angeles

What genres work internationally? What genres are taboo? Romantic comedies? Westerns? Baseball movies? Erotic thrillers? What are the "rules" and what are the "myths" of the foreign marketplace? How can you make your movie the exception? An insider's guide for the perplexed.

Moderator:

John Alan Simon, producer, The Getaway; former staff writer New Orleans Times Picayune

Panelists:

Chris Auty, Managing Director, The Works Media Group

Jane Barclay, Managing Director, Capitol Films

Kirk D'Amico, President, CEO, Myriad Pictures

Stuart Ford, President, First Look International

Brad Krevoy, Chairman, CEO, Motion Picture Corp. of America

Penny Wolf, Executive Vice President, Peace Arch

3:00pm - 4:30pm

Artful Movies on Shoestring Budgets
Programmed by: American Society of Cinematographers

ASC cinematographers discuss how new film, digital and hybrid tools are affecting the art and craft of cinematography.

Moderator:
George Spiro Dibie, ASC; Chair, ASC PR Committee; Member, Board of Governors
Bob Fisher, Cine Journalist

Panelists:

Mat Beck, ASC, Visual Effects Supervisor, Miami Vice (2006), The Aviator, Spider-Man 2, Smallville
James Chressanthis, ASC, Ghost Whisperer, The Reagans, Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows
Richard Crudo, ASC, American Pie, Down to Earth, American Buffalo
Allen Daviau, ASC, Bugsy, Empire of the Sun, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Michael Goi, ASC, Invasion, The Kids Who Saved Summer, Judas
Francis Kenny, ASC, Scary Movie, Heathers, New Jack City
Denis Lenoir, ASC, The Clearing, Uprising, Carrington
Stephen Lighthill, ASC, Nash Bridges, Coming out Under Fire, Open Season
M. David Mullen, ASC, Akeelah and the Bee, The Quiet, Shadowboxer

Guillermo Navarro, ASC, Zathura: A Space Adventure, Spy Kids, Jackie Brown, Cronos
Michael Negri, ASC, The Dream Factory, Local Color, Nightwatch
Daryn Okada, ASC, Just Like Heaven, Mean Girls, Cradle 2 the Grave
Daniel Pearl, ASC, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974), The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (2003), Madonna: Truth Or Dare
Wally Pfister, ASC, The Italian Job, Laurel Canyon, Memento
Robert Primes, ASC, Money Talks, Bird on a Wire, "thirtysomething"
Nancy Schreiber, ASC, November, Lover Boy, The Celluloid Closet
Leon Silverman, ASC; President, LaserPacific Media Corp.; VP, Entertainment Imaging, Eastman Kodak Co.; President, Hollywood Post Alliance
David Stump, ASC, Effects DP, X-Men, X2, Stephen King's Storm of the Century

John Toll, ASC, Seraphim Falls, The Thin Red Line, Braveheart, Legends of the Fall

For additional Conference and Seminar information, including location and to purchase tickets, please visit www.americanfilmmarket.com.

About the AFM

As previously announced, as a result of the continued growth, the AFM, for the third consecutive year, has increased office space at the Le Merigot Hotel, located directly next to the Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel in order to meet the needs of its new and returning exhibitors. 

The business of independent motion picture production and distribution reaches its peak every year at the American Film Market (AFM), the premiere global marketplace.  Founded in 1981, the AFM is a pivotal destination for independent filmmakers and business people from all over the world.  Each year, more than 8,000 industry professionals converge in Santa Monica for eight days of deal-making, screenings, seminars, red carpet premieres, networking and parties. Participants come from over 70 countries and include acquisition and development executives, agents, attorneys, directors, distributors, financiers, film commissioners, producers, writers, the world’s press, and all those who provide services to the motion picture industry. 

Unlike a film festival, the AFM is a marketplace where production and distribution deals are closed.  In just eight days, more than $800 million in deals will be sealed — on both completed films and those that haven’t started shooting yet.

The AFM offers more than 900 screenings of approximately 600 films - 32 new films every two hours - the majority of them world or U.S. premieres. Titles range from big budget blockbusters that will be released by the major studios in the U.S., to lower budget genre films and art films recognized at international film festivals, all destined for theaters and television around the world. 

The AFM is produced by the Independent Film & Television Alliance (IFTA), the trade association representing the world’s producers and distributors of independent motion pictures and television programs.  For more information, please visit www.americanfilmmarket.com.