Film Financing Day: Dramatic Features 2017

Film Financing Day: Dramatic Features 2017 

Learn how successful indie producers can get their dramatic feature films financed in this intensive all-day seminar presented by Entertainment Partners. Film Financing Day will feature industry pros that have successfully worked to finance independent features. During four intensive panel sessions, panelists will provide insider perspectives and frank advice on what it takes to get indie pictures made, as well as how ever-changing technologies, distribution windows and crowd funding opportunities are impacting the financing process. Gain fresh insights from some of the finest minds in entertainment and position your projects for optimum success.


9:00am
Registration

9:30am – 11am
Individual Investors, Private Equity: Exploring the Myths and Realities of the Present State of Film Finance

This panel will include real stories about how indie filmmakers raise their financing – including working with another country to bring in the money. The different types of financing to be defined and discussed will include Debt (Gap, Mezzanine, Pre-Sales) and Private Equity, as well as more unconventional sources.

Alexis Alexanian, Producer
Andrea F. Cannistraci, Attorney
Vicki Cherkas, Cherkas Strategic Consulting
Susan Muir, SVP Production, Film Finances, Inc.
John Hadity (Moderator) Executive Vice President, EP Financial Solutions (Moderator)

11:15am – 12:45pm
Budgeting Case Studies: Tricks of the Trade

This panel will discuss best practices during the budgeting phase in order to avoid shortfalls and mishaps down the road during production.

Declan Baldwin, Producer
Sirad Balducci, Independent Film Producer
Jason Block, Production Accountant
Shirley Escott, Producer
Jennifer Freed, CEO & Founder, Trevanna Post, Inc.
Benj Whitehouse (Moderator) Production Accountant

12:45pm – 1:45pm Lunch Break

1:45pm – 3:15pm
Tax Incentives: How to Avoid Disqualifying Yourself from Receiving the Cash

This panel will discuss best practices when setting up your production so as to make certain you have done everything correctly to make your show eligible to receive the cash, as well as how to maximize the benefit from the jurisdiction where you are working.


Susan Leber, Producer
Fred Siegel, CPA
Alexandra MacDowell, Senior Vice President of Production Management, A+E Networks
Scott Brant (Moderator) Manager, Production Incentive Administration, EP Financial Solutions
3:30pm – 5:00pm
Other Money: Grants and CrowdSourcing

This panel will explore alternative sources of funding and ways to build financing from several different sources including tax subsidies (refunds, rebates, etc), grants from foundations and crowd sourcing, in-kind donations, and sponsorship deals. Discussion will also examine the balance between using grants with other types of financing, and how sometimes this can become tricky once private equity investors get involved.

Erica Anderson, Director of Crowdfunding & Community, Seed&Spark
Leah Gibin, Head of Grants, Cinereach
Afia Nathaniel, Director, Dukhtar
Jason Ward, CEO and Founder, Candy Factory Films
Terry Lawler (Moderator) Executive Director, New York Women in Film & Television

(Please note: Panels subject to change.)

5:00 – 6:00pm
Drinks

Characters Bar & Grill
243 West 54th Street
(Between Broadway & 8th Avenues)

Presented by Entertainment Partners