IIFF/LA Townhall Meeting at Goethe Institute in Beverly Hills -
Where Film & Finance Meet to Succeed Together
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*** Don't miss IIFF's other upcoming events in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco ***

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Abstract:

The Los Angeles chapter of the Institute for International Film Financing (IIFF) continues its successful series of monthly gatherings at the junction of film & finance with another special Film Financing Townhall in Beverly Hills . We are pleased to be collaborating with a new host for this month's Townhall, at The Goethe Institute, located in the heart of Miracle Mile at their state-of-the-art facilities, conveniently located on Wilshire between Fairfax & La Brea.

This "grassroots" community get-together is designed to foster & inform productive relationships between attending professionals and to provide unbiased insight & education about the business of film (and film financing in particular). The event features a powerful roster of highly topical speakers from the filmmaking and financial industries. We are delighted to welcome real-world financiers among our guests for the evening!

IIFF's one-of-a-kind mission is to sustainably expand the scope & appeal of film financing, and to do so for the benefit of the public at large. True to our proven motto of "democratizing film financing," IIFF's regular Townhall Meetings bring together a wide array of professionals from relevant backgrounds in film, finance and beyond for a vibrant evening of insightful presentations and speeches, inspiring discussion and focused networking. Past meetings (e.g.: January '08 Bay Area Townhall in San Francisco, CA, January '08 Los Angeles Townhall in Venice, CA & January '08 New York Metro Townhall in Manhattan | December '07 Bay Area Townhall in San Francisco, CA, December '07 Los Angeles Townhall in Santa Monica, CA, December '07 New York Metro Townhall in Manhattan & December '07 New England Townhall in Providence, RI | November '07 Bay Area Townhall in San Francisco, CA & November '07 New England Townhall in Norwalk, CT | October '07 Los Angeles Townhall in Santa Monica, CA, October '07 New York Metro Townhall in Manhattan & October '07 New England Townhall in Boston, MA | September '07 Los Angeles Townhall in Santa Monica, CA & September '07 New England Townhall in Norwalk, CT | August '07 Los Angeles Townhall in Santa Monica, CA & August '07 New York Metro Townhall in Manhattan | July '07 New York Metro Townhall in Manhattan & July '07 Los Angeles Townhall in Santa Monica, CA | June '07 New York Metro Townhall in Manhattan | May '07 New York Metro Townhall in Manhattan & May '07 Bay Area Townhall in Mountain View, CA | April '07 New York Metro Townhall in Manhattan & April '07 Bay Area Townhall in San Francisco, CA | March '07 New England Townhall in Stowe, VT, March '07 Bay Area Townhall in San Rafael, CA & March '07 New York Metro Townhall in Manhattan | February '07 Townhall West in San Francisco, CA & February '07 Townhall East in New York City | January '07 Townhall in Santa Cruz, CA | December '06 Townhall East in New York City & December '06 Townhall West in San Francisco, CA | October '06 Townhall in New York City | September '06 Townhall in Oakland, CA | July '06 Townhall in Palo Alto, CA | June '06 Townhall in San Jose, CA | May '06 Townhall in San Francisco, CA | April '06 Townhall at Stanford business school) have reliably delivered useful insights into the business of film, provided valuable networking opportunities, and managed to draw large and enthusiastic crowds.

Who should attend? Entrepreneurs, technologists, attorneys, bankers, investment managers, venture capitalists and other non-film professionals are cordially invited to learn more about independent film. Are you considering taking an active role in film or would you like to expand your current involvement? Don't miss this opportunity to connect with the like-minded! Established and aspiring filmmakers are, naturally, more than welcome to join us as well!

The evening's five seven presentations plus panel discussion will address key issues relevant to filmmakers, financiers, and anyone interested in the economics, business mechanics, and financial dynamics of film. They will be followed by Q&A time. Attendees will also have ample opportunity to interact & network with our distinguished presenters and panelists and amongst themselves.

An informal apres-meeting celebration will take place at an area restaurant.

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Featured Moderator:

The event will be moderated by Tyler Pukatch (bio), who helps run the Los Angeles chapter of the Institute for Int'l Film Financing (IIFF) and organizes IIFF's monthly Film Financing Townhalls in LA. Tyler is a former red-carpet reporter for The Hollywood Reporter.

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Meeting Venue:

The Goethe Institute
5750 Wilshire Boulevard (btw. Fairfax and La Brea.)
Screening Room
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323) 525-3388

Map: See a map of 5750 Wilshire Boulevard at Ask, Google, MapQuest, Windows Live or Yahoo.

** WHERE TO PARK: Here, and bring your ticket up so we can validate! **

Our Host:

This Film Financing Townhall is graciously hosted by The Goethe Institute, an internationally connected cultural enrichment site that seeks to promote an accurate worldview of Germany and German consciousness. The institute has a large variety of materials and supplementals available for loan, including DVD's, books, magazines, periodicals and A/V media titles intended for the use of attaining a greater knowledge of the Germanic arts.

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Schedule:

7:00 PM ... Kick-Off & Welcome
7:00-8:00 PM ... Four Featured Presentations with Q&A (4x 15 mins)
8:00-8:15 PM ... Networking Break I (15 mins)
8:15-9:00 PM ... Three Featured Presentations with Q&A (3x 15 mins)
9:00-9:15 PM ... Networking Break II (15 mins)
9:15-10:00 PM ... Moderated Panel Discussion with Q&A (45 mins)
10:00+ PM ... Community Time at Area Restaurant

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Program Details:

1)“Filmmaker's Q + A : Tips & Tricks.”

- by RENA RONSON (bio), Co-Head of United Talent Agency's Independent Film Group; heralded master of indie film finance & packaging; financed & distributed 150+ films while at William Morris Independent; worked on Oscar nominees "Frozen River," "Half Nelson," "Away From Her"; sold "Thank You for Smoking," "The Good Girl," "Monster's Ball," "Hard Candy," "New York, I Love You"; repped award-winning docus incl. "The Cove"; previously ran Lakeshore Int'l; produced "Twin Falls Idaho," "Female Perversions" & "Love & Other Impossible Pursuits"; received Creative Coalition's Independent Hero & Women in Film's Business Leadership Award; etc... »

2) “How To Just Get It Made: Tips From A Seasoned Indie Distribution Exec.”

- by BILL LISCHAK (bio), COO at Odd Lot Entertainment; widely respected expert on indie distribution & finance; Exec. Producer on Frank Miller's "The Spirit" (Scarlett Johansson, Samuel Jackson) & upcoming "Rabbit Hole" (Nicole Kidman, Aaron Eckhart); has 40+ indie titles to his credit; co-negotiated merger of foreign sales ops of Odd Lot & Bold Films to form Affinity Int'l, uniting two billionaires (Odd Lot's Gigi Pritzker & Bold's Michel Litvak); fmr. President, COO & CFO at indie distribution company First Look Studios; facilitated multi-million credit lines, several rounds of private equity & brought First Look public in 1996; etc. ... »

3) “Approaching A Bank For Lending: The Realistic Breakdown.”

- by DAVID OLIVER (bio), Ass't VP in Comerica's Entertainment Group, which has provided financing for 700+ films; astute entertainment financier who structures & manages financing projects for film clients incl. major & independent movie & TV studios, film funds & private investment firms; worked on slate deals such as $75M credit facility for LG Films; helped finance Peter Jackson-produced 4x Oscar nominee "District 9," "Twilight Saga" series, "Knowing" (Nicolas Cage) & upcoming "Red" (Bruce Willis); fmr. record producer who ran independent label in New York; MBA from UCLA, Master's in Musicology from Yale & BA from Brandeis University; etc. ... »

4) “Doing It Your Way: Going The Independent Route.”

- by JONAS GOODMAN (bio), Partner at leading Vancouver & Los Angeles-based film & TV production company Front Street Pictures; accomplished independent producer & development executive; produced "The Break Up" (Bridget Fonda, Kiefer Sutherland), "Out of Line" (Jennifer Beals, Holt McCallany, Michael Moriarty) & "We Don't Live Here" (Naomi Watts, Mark Ruffalo, Peter Krause, Laura Dern), which premiered at Sundance in '04, secured distribution with Warner Independent & won Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award; previously worked as production exec. at Roven-Cavallo Entertainment (now Mosaic Media Group) & in development for Paramount & Miramax; etc. ... »

5) "How An Agent Can Work For You: Putting The Pieces Together."

- by TIM O'HAIR (bio), Agent in Motion Picture Finance at Paradigm Talent Agency; veteran studio exec. turned indie producer & agent who packages & finances films & slates; Producer of "How to Rob a Bank" (Erika Christensen) & "The Plague" (James Van Der Beek) through his Armagh Films; fmr. VP of Production at Universal; worked on Oscar winner "8 Mile" (Eminem, Brittany Murphy), Oscar nominee "Bridget Jones's Diary" (Zellweger, Firth, Grant) & "Hulk" (Bana, Connelly); helped establish indie production & finance company Dep't of Motion Pictures; fmr. story analyst at Tristar & Universal; started as finance & sales exec. at Orion Int'l; etc... »

6) “Why We Say 'Yes': Movies That Get Greenlit & Movies That Don't.”

- by RICHARD LEWIS (bio), CFO at Sidney Kimmel Entertainment (SKE); renowned expert in film equity financing & seasoned movie exec. with decades of experience; oversaw production & financing of 18 features at SKE incl. "Death at a Funeral" (Zoe Saldana, Chris Rock), "Adventureland," "Alpha Dog" & "The Kite Runner," developed SKE's distribution ops & established $150M credit facility; fmr. CFO at Yari Film Group; financed Oscar winner "Crash", "Hostage," "The Matador"; fmr. CFO at Propaganda Films ("Being John Malkovich", "The Game", "Sleepers") & Interscope Communications ("Mr. Holland's Opus", "What Dreams May Come", "Jumanji"); etc. ... »

7) “Why Bonds Are Important & How To Get One Without Breaking The Project.”

- by TEKLA MORGAN (bio), VP at Aon/Albert G. Ruben Insurance Services, managing risk for filmed entertainment through insurance products; veteran bond specialist who has worked in film finance, insurance & completion bonds for 25+ years; fmr. President at Cinema Completions Int'l, providing bonds for Oscar winner "The English Patient," 2x Oscar nominee "A Simple Plan," "Hard Rain," "Blood & Wine," "The Ghost & the Darkness," "The Rainmaker," "Very Bad Things"; fmr. President at Int'l Film Guarantors, bonding "The Commitments," "A Midnight Clear," "Man Trouble," "A Bronx Tale"; started at The Completion Bond Company in '80s; etc. ... »

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Bios:

- TYLER PUKATCH (moderator): Tyler got his start in the film industry as a red-carpet reporter for The Hollywood Reporter. He moved on to stints in public relations before settling with Hero Pictures, a Los Angeles-based start-up production company backed by a high-profile investor from Spain. At Hero, Tyler handles corporate structure, accounting and international taxation, as well as special projects. In addition, he assists the CEO in developing the company's movie production strategy and managing related financial matters. Tyler graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz with a degree in Legal Studies. »

- RENA RONSON (topic): Currently head of United Talent Agency’s Independent Film Group, Rena is one of the preeminent packaging and finance executives in independent film. Prior to joining UTA, Rena helped secure financing and distribution for more than 150 films during her eleven years at William Morris Independent. Over the past few years, she has been involved in the financing and/or distribution of several films that went on to receive Academy nominations, including “Frozen River” (Best Original Screenplay, Best Actress), “Half Nelson” (Best Actor), and “Away From Her” (Best Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay). Rena has also been instrumental in the sale of many other successful independent films, including “Thank You For Smoking,” “The Good Girl,” “Monster’s Ball,” “Hard Candy,” and the more recent “New York, I Love You.” In addition, Rena has nurtured and represented several documentaries, including the Academy Award-winning “The Cove,” Steven Walker’s “Young @ Heart” (a 2008 Humanitas Award winner), Bunim-Murray’s “Autism the Musical,” and the recent feature documentary “Every Little Step.” She has created creative financing structures for such diverse directors as Gus Van Sant and Woody Allen, as well as raised financing and development funding for producers Lauren Schuler Donner and Mark Canton. In 2008, Rena helped launch the partnership with Screen Capital International to form the film financing entity Incentive Filmed Entertainment. Prior to joining The William Morris Agency, she ran Lakeshore International, a division of Lakeshore Entertainment she helped launch after spearheading the sale of Trans Atlantic Entertainment. In additional to her career in foreign sales and distribution, she produced “Twin Falls Idaho,” which she developed with writer/director Mark and Michael Polish. She also served as executive producer on several independent features, including Susan Streitfeld’s “Female Perversions,” starring Tilda Swinton, and more recently, Don Roos’ “Love and Other Impossible Pursuits.” In 2006, she received The Independent Hero Award by the Creative Coalition, and in 2008, she was honored by Women In Film (WIF) and presented with The Business Leadership Award. Rena received an M.A. in International Educational Development and Media Studies at Columbia University. »

- BILL LISCHAK (topic): Bill Lischak’s knowledge and relationships within the global marketplace, along with his insights to the transitions in the film business, has made him a significant voice in the growth, expansion and presence of independent film production worldwide. Bill recently co-negotiated the merger of the foreign sales operations of Odd Lot Entertainment and Bold Films to form Affinity International, where he now holds the position of COO. The move united the film companies of two billionaires -- Odd Lot's Gigi Pritzker, of Chicago's Hyatt dynasty, and Bold's Michel Litvak, a Belgian industrialist. Bold and Odd Lot continue to operate as separate production entities that finance, develop and produce projects. Affinity's sales slate includes John Cameron Mitchell's "Rabbit Hole," starring Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart; Joe Dante's upcoming "The Hole 3D," the family adventure pic "The Great Ghost Rescue," and the action comedy "Spy High." Bold's recent projects include the recent thriller "Legion," with Paul Bettany and Dennis Quaid. In development are Phillip Noyce's "Above Suspicion" and an untitled dramatic thriller from helmer James Mangold and producer Cathy Konrad. During his previous tenure as COO at First Look Studios, Bill facilitated multi-million dollar credit lines, arranged multiple rounds of private equity investments, courted film production financing arrangements, and brought the company public in 1996. He joined what was then known as Overseas Film Group in 1988 and built it into a fully integrated independent distribution company involved with theatrical distribution, video/DVD distribution, television licensing, foreign distribution rights licensing and production. He holds a B.S.in Business Administration from New York University, where he also studied filmmaking at the NYU Film School. He subsequently earned an M.S. in taxation and has more than ten years' experience in public accounting with multi-national firms, including a six-year tenure with Laventhol & Horwath. Bill has also developed and taught courses at UCLA in accounting, taxation and financing in the film and television industry. »

- DAVID OLIVER (topic): David B. Oliver is an Assistant Vice President at Comerica Entertainment Group, a leading specialty finance group that has provided financing for over 700 films. David structures and manages various types of financing projects for film and entertainment clients, including major and independent film and television studios, film funds, private investment firms and video game production companies. He has worked on various slate deals that include a $75 million credit facility for LG Films, for which Comerica Bank serves as the sole Administrative and Subordinated Agent. Among the films on which David has worked to provide financing include the Academy Award-nominated Peter Jackson-produced “District 9,” the “Twilight Saga” series of films, the Nicolas Cage sci-fi thriller “Knowing,” and the upcoming Bruce Willis action picture “Red.” Prior to Comerica, he was a record producer and ran an independent record label in New York. Born in Toronto, David earned an MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management, a Master’s degree in Musicology from Yale University and a BA from Brandeis University. »

- JONAS GOODMAN (topic): Founded in 2004, Front Street Pictures is a leading film and television production company with offices in Vancouver and Los Angeles that expertly utilizes Canadian tax incentives to become one of the most cost-effective production services available in North America. Under the Front Street label, created with long-time producing partner Harvey Kahn, Goodman has produced the films “The Break Up” (Bridget Fonda, Kiefer Sutherland), “Out of Line” (Jennifer Beals, Holt McCallany, Michael Moriarty), and “We Don’t Live Here” (Oscar Nominee Naomi Watts, Mark Ruffalo, Peter Krause, Laura Dern), which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in ’04, securing a distribution deal with Warner Independent Pictures and winning best screenplay. Before partnering with Kahn, Goodman worked in corporate PR for Westinghouse, in development for Paramount and Miramax, and was a producer at Roven-Cavallo Entertainment (now Mosiac Media). »

- TIM O'HAIR (topic): Specializing in the creative and financial aspects of major motion picture production, Tim O’Hair has had success in both independent and studio film production. Currently, he is an independent producer through his company, Armagh Films, having created “The Plague” (James Van Der Beek, Ivana Milicevic) and “How to Rob a Bank” (Nick Stahl, Erika Christensen, Gavin Rossdale). He began his career as a financial and sales executive at Orion Pictures International, later becoming a story analyst at Tristar Pictures. O’Hair held the same position at Universal, where he then became a production executive, overseeing such projects as “Bring It On,” “Bridget Jones’s Diary,” “8 Mile,” “The Family Man,” and “Hulk.” Before that, he helped establish the Department of Motion Pictures, an independent motion picture production and finance company. He has a Bachelor of Arts from Dartmouth College and an MBA from Columbia University. »

- RICHARD LEWIS (topic): Richard Lewis is an industry renowned expert in film equity financing and a seasoned entertainment executive with decades of experience in the entertainment managerial fields. Mr. Richard Lewis is currently the Chief Financial Officer of Sidney Kimmel Entertainment (“SKE”), a position he has held since 2004. During this time, Mr. Lewis has overseen the production and financing of 18 feature films, including “Death at a Funeral”, “Adventureland”, “Alpha Dog”, “The Kite Runner” and “Lars and the Real Girl”. He has also overseen the development of SKE’s domestic and international distribution operations and the establishment of a $150 million credit facility via a syndicate of banks led by JP Morgan. Mr. Lewis joined Sidney Kimmel Entertainment from the Yari Film Group, where he held the same position. While at the Yari Film Group, Mr. Lewis was involved in the financing of films including “Crash”, “Hostage”, and “The Matador”. He joined the Yari Film Group from Beacon Pictures where he consulted on corporate financial planning. Previously, Mr. Lewis spent seven years at PolyGram Filmed Entertainment, where he served in various executive positions including Chief Financial Officer of Propaganda Films, a company active in the production of feature films (“Being John Malkovich”, “The Game”, “Sleepers”), music videos and television commercials, and Chief Financial Officer at Interscope Communications, the production company responsible for such films as “Mr. Holland’s Opus”, “What Dreams May Come”, and “Jumanji”. Mr. Lewis began his career as a management consultant with The LEK Partnership, an international corporate strategy firm. Mr. Lewis has an MA from the University of Cambridge and an MBA from the Anderson School at UCLA. »

- TEKLA MORGAN (topic): Tekla is a veteran bond specialist in the entertainment insurance industry, having worked on the film finance, insurance and completion bond side of the entertainment business for some twenty five years. Tekla has been active in structuring and providing insurance solutions for both domestic and foreign film finance and production in the Americas, Asia, Africa, Australia and Europe. "Tekla is currently the Vice President of Aon/Albert G. Ruben, and has recently been involved in developing insurance policies which cover both domestic and foreign film incentives, the intent of which is to make it easier to actually "bank" and monetize these crucial elements in the film financing structure. She also spends a large amount of her time following digital archiving and other issues affecting the industry and individual film and television production with an eye to determining what solutions insurance might offer. Tekla’s career in completion bonds started at The Completion Bond Company in the eighties, just as cable and video revenue streams were emerging and fueling increased independent film production both here and abroad. In 1989, she left CBC to head International Film Guarantors (IFG) as its first President, and later segued to the Entertainment Coalition and CCI, where she provided bonds for films including “The English Patient”, “The Ghost and the Darkness”, “A Simple Plan” and “The Thin Red Line”. Tekla received her MA from UCLA. »

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Registration:

Online registration is available at http://gla.filmfinancing.org/042610 (top of this page)

** NOTE: For users without Paypal, simply select "Google Checkout" to proceed, which is the same as a credit card checkout. **

Early bird registration (ends 2 weeks before event):
IIFF Member ... $25
Non-member ... $45

Regular registration (ends 1 week before event)
IIFF Member ... $35
Non-member ... $55

Last minute registration (ends 1 day before event)
IIFF Member ... $45 if registered online no later than 3/31
Non-member ... $65

On-site registration (at the door):
IIFF Member ... $55
Non-member ... $75

To learn more about membership with IIFF, email our Membership Bureau, or approach an IIFF team member at or after the event.

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Proposals!

IIFF and it's sister company, FilmAngels, the world's first professional angel investor group for independent film, proudly accept all independent film finance proposals, receivable directly to the event's moderator, Tyler Pukatch, after the panel. There have been a large number of success stories surrounding attendees with ample existing support on their projects securing varying investments for their projects after submitting. Acceptable materials for consideration include: business plans, cash flow analyses, revenue projects, cast attachments, distribution agreements, and letters of intent. Cast is the #1 most important factor, followed by existing funding placements and distribution agreements. Electronic documents are always best, but paper will do too (although it is slower and more cumbersome).

Feel free to ask, or email Tyler directly!

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Questions?

Please direct all your questions and inquiries regarding this event to IIFF's online forum at http://forum.filmfinancing.org.

Having trouble with Eventbrite (this site), PayPal or Google Checkout? Get help in IIFF's online forum. (You can also notify us by email well in advance of the event, and register on-site.)

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Interns!

Want to learn about film finance and go to our events for free? We need interns! Email Tyler with resume and reason for applying. Only available part time and must be in Los Angeles. School credit definitely available. Must be computer savvy and have solid writing ability.

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