Schedule and Topics:

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Oct. 19
7:00 pm
The forum kicks off with a sneak preview screening of Marc Forster's The Kite Runner followed by a Q & A with the film's producers Bill Horberg, Laurie MacDonald, Walter Parkes, Bennett Walsh, and Rebecca Yeldham. Reception will follow the screening.
Read an interview with Rebecca Yeldham discussing how The Kite Runner was put together.
Read an interview with Marc Forster on directing The Kite Runner.

Oct. 20
9:15 am
Keynote speech by Stephanie Allain, producer of Hustle & Flow
THE FILMMAKER: Mapping and Sustaining a Career in Film

10:15 am
THE MONEY: Where It Is and How to Get It
What sources of financing are available to independents? How does the money for a project come together? Filmmakers who have successfully packaged and financed their films come clean on how they pieced together the financing puzzle.
Moderator: Charlotte Koh, Future Films. Panelists include Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, CAA; Rosanne Korenberg, producer, Half Nelson; Celine Rattray, Plum Pictures; Mirjam Wertheim, Orange Entertainment; and Donald Zuckerman, producer, Hooligans.

12 Noon
THE PRODUCTION: Breakout Sessions (choose one)
- Getting Started: Setting up your production company.
Moderator: Stu Pollard, Pollard Film Consultants. Panelists include Paul Battista, Mind Fusion Law Corporation, and Michael Roiff, producer, Waitress.
- Budgeting and scheduling: From pre to post and beyond.
Panelists include Isabel Henderson, post-production supervisor, We Own The Night, and Ted Kroeber, producer, American Gun.
- The Nuts and Bolts of Production: Managing, crewing up, and running the set.
Moderator: Danielle Renfrew, producer, November. Panelists include Anne Clements, producer, Quinceañera; Gina Kwon, producer, Me and You and Everyone We Know; Dara Weintraub, line producer, Superbad; and Dwight Williams, UPM, Waist Deep.

1:30 pm HOSTED NETWORKING LUNCH

3:00 pm MEET AND GREET: Film Commissions and Guilds (runs concurrently to afternoon sessions)

3:00 pm
THE DEALS: Demystfiying Contracts
A close look at investor deal points, optioning material, talent contracts, agreements with writers/directors, crew deal memos, and much more.
Panelists include Keith Fleer, Loeb & Loeb, and Irwin Rappaport Esq.

4:30 pm COFFEE BREAK - an opportunity to mingle and network with guest speakers and conference participants.

4:50 pm
GETTING YOUR FOOT IN THE DOOR AND YOUR FILM OFF THE GROUND
Some of the most established producers started without any contacts in the industry or a deal with a studio. In candid conversation they will reveal how they got that first break or how they got their first signature film off the ground.
Moderator: Jeff Kleeman, United Artists. Panelists include Richard Gladstein, producer, Finding Neverland; Linda Moran, producer, Transamerica; Michael Nozik, producer, Syriana; and Michael Shamberg, producer, World Trade Center.

Oct. 21
9:00 am
Keynote speech by Bob Berney, president of Picturehouse
THE MARKETPLACE: Distribution Today

10:00 am
YOUR SALES TEAM: Filmmakers Off-the-Record
Filmmakers take us through the world of producer reps, lawyers, sales agents, and publicists—the pros who can maximize or hinder your film's potential in the marketplace. What can they really do for your film and career?
Moderator: Lance Weiler, director/producer, Head Trauma. Panelists include Miguel Arteta, director, The Good Girl; Lisa Muskat, producer, Snow Angels; Celine Rattray, Plum Pictures and producer, Grace is Gone; and M dot Strange, director/producer, We are the Strange.

11:30 am
YOUR FESTIVAL STRATEGY: Filmmakers Off-the-Record
Experienced filmmakers recount launching their films—from marketing materials, ad agencies, and guerilla tactics to getting press attention, evaluating buyers, and taking the next step when their films did not sell at a festival. An in-depth discussion offering first-hand accounts of various distribution scenarios.
Moderator: Rich Raddon, Los Angeles Film Festival. Panelists include Mike Akel, director/producer, Chalk; Mark Duplass, producer, The Puffy Chair; Ali Selim, director/producer, Sweet Land; and Brad Zions, producer, Ira & Abby.

1:30 pm HOSTED NETWORKING LUNCH

2:30 pm MEET AND GREET: Distribution, Festivals, and Publicity (runs concurrently to afternoon sessions)

2:30 pm
BREAKOUT SESSIONS (choose one):
- HYBRID DISTRIBUTION: THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS
Previously, filmmakers often had to choose between lopsided traditional distribution deals and the perils of self-distribution. Now, forward-looking independents are maximizing revenues by simultaneously partnering with distributors and selling films directly from their websites. Learn from their successes.
Presenter: Peter Broderick, Paradigm Consulting.

- THE SALES: Deconstructing a Contract
What is the structure of an acquisitions deal? An experienced attorney breaks down a sales contract and explains who gets paid, when, and how much. You'll get an understanding of the different revenue streams when selling your film, what the delivery requirements are, and how they can impact your sale.
Moderator: Lisa Callif, Law Offices of Donaldson & Hart. Panelists include Liesl Copland, Red Envelope; David Garber, Lantern Lane Entertainment; Linda Lichter, Lichter, Grossman, Nichols & Adler; and Rob McEntegart, Mandate Pictures.

4:00 pm COFFEE BREAK - an opportunity to mingle and network with guest speakers and conference participants.

4:30 pm
THE PROFESSIONALS' ADVICE: Positioning Your Film For Success
Producers' reps, publicists, sales agents, critics, and distributors reveal how they work with filmmakers and festivals, and provide specific advice on creating a strategy to build a buzz and maximize your chances of selling your film.
Moderator: Eugene Hernandez, IndieWIRE. Panelists include Josh Braun, Submarine Entertainment; Sean Furst, Overture Films; Richard Klubeck, UTA; Mark Pogachefsky, mPRm; Rena Ronson, William Morris Agency Independent; and John Sloss, Cinetic Media.


6:00 pm
Sloan Producers Grant Award Announcement and Cocktail Reception

In addition to all the panel discussions giving you nuts-and-bolts information, the Forum offers valuable daily networking opportunities for you to meet peers and industry leaders. This is your chance to find collaborators or get specific advice from the pros.

MEET AND GREETS
Simultaneous to the panel discussions, representatives from the guilds, film commissions, film festivals, film markets, sales agents, and distributors will be available in the lobby during the afternoon for informal discussions with Forum participants.

COFFEE BREAKS
Opportunities on both days for an afternoon break to mingle with guest speakers and conference participants.

HOSTED NETWORKING LUNCHES
Choose a table and sit down for intimate, off-the-record talks over lunch with prominent indie film leaders. Lunch hosts include Udy Epstein, 7th Art Releasing; Carl Hampe, Warner Independent; Matt Lessall, Lessall Casting; Gary Rubin, First Independent Pictures; and Duncan Tucker, writer-director, Transamerica.