IIFF/LA Townhall Meeting at Bergamot Station in Santa Monica –
Where Film & Finance Meet to Succeed Together
abstract | moderator | venue | schedule | program | bios | registration | help

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Following a sold-out chapter premiere in July and a full house in August, the Los Angeles chapter of the Institute for International Film Financing (IIFF) continues its popular, monthly gatherings at the junction of film and finance with another special Townhall Meeting at the state-of-the-art facilities of Writers Boot Camp in Santa Monica's Bergamot Station complex.

This "grassroots" community event is designed to build upon IIFF's successful L.A. launch and further introduce the organization to the Greater Los Angeles Area's community of filmmakers, entrepreneurs and financiers as well as the public at large. Our goal for this and future meetings is not only to provide unbiased insight & education about the business of film but also to foster & inform productive relationships between attending professionals. The event features a powerful roster of highly topical speakers from the worlds of film and finance. We are delighted to again 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, monthly 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.: 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 Jos�, 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 après-meeting celebration will take place at an area restaurant.

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The event will be expertly moderated by Schuyler Moore (bio), a leading Los Angeles-based entertainment lawyer and authority on the business of film. Mr. Moore is a Partner in the Corporate Entertainment Department of Stroock & Stroock & Lavan, LLP; Adjunct Professor at UCLA Law School, teaching Motion Picture Financing, and UCLA Anderson School of Management, teaching Entertainment Law; and author of "The Biz: The Basic Business, Legal and Financial Aspects of the Film Industry" among other highly topical books. He is listed in The Hollywood Reporter ESQ's "Power Lawyers Top 100" … (more)

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Writers Boot Camp (WBC)
Bergamot Station Arts Center
2525 Michigan Avenue, Building I
Santa Monica, CA 90404

Map: Get a map of WBC at Bergamot Station from Ask, Google, MapQuest, MSN, Windows Live or Yahoo. Alternatively, see the map on WBC's website.

Driving directions: Our meeting venue is conveniently located in Santa Monica. It can be easily reached from nearby Santa Monica Freeway (I-10). Please find detailed directions to WBC at Bergamot Station on our host's website. Personalized driving directions can be obtained from the above-listed online mapping services; simply follow the link of your choice and enter your start address where required.

Our Host:

This month's Townhall Meeting is again graciously hosted by Writers Boot Camp (WBC), a leading screenwriting workshop and career development program headquartered in Los Angeles.

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4:30-5:00 pm ... Registration, welcome and introductions
5:00-6:20 pm ... Four featured presentations with Q&A (4x 20 min)
6:20-6:30 pm ... Networking break I (10 min)
6:30-7:30 pm ... Three featured presentations with Q&A (3x 20 min)
7:30-7:45 pm ... Networking break II (15 min)
7:45-8:30 pm ... Moderated panel discussion with Q&A (45 min)
8:30+ pm ... Community time at area restaurant

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1) Investor Financing of Independent Film: Liberating Filmmakers & Financiers From the Studio System

— by John Cones, seasoned securities & entertainment attorney focusing on investor financing of entertainment projects (participated in 250+ such offerings for feature films, production & completion funds, docs, TV pilots, etc.); author of "43 Ways to Finance Your Feature Film" & "Film Finance and Distribution - A Dictionary of Terms"; responsible for funding 40 films through his firm's investor network … (more)

2) Raising Money for Movies in Tough Markets: How to Vet Yourself to Success

— by Dennis Gunn, 25+ years as entrepreneur, CEO, investment banker, management consultant & turnaround specialist; Chief Investment Officer at global boutique investment bank Xnergy LLC, providing business & financial advisory services to public & private emerging growth companies; fmr. Founder of Consultant Elite, now Raging Bull Capital; fmr. Chairman at Crusader Oil Int'l & Black Biscuit; fmr. President at publicly traded Riverside Homes … (more)

3) Funding Your Documentary: Fiscal Sponsorships Can Provide the Money You Need & Here's How to Get Them

— by Sandra Ruch, Executive Director at Int'l Documentary Association (IDA); extensive senior management experience in corporate communication, marketing & PR; fmr. President of Marketing at New Line Cinema (launched 50+ theatrical releases incl. "House Party" & "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles"); fmr. Director of Cultural Programs/Promotions at Mobil Corp.; fmr. VP of PR/Marketing at House of Seagram; fmr. Sr. VP of Marketing at Cinergi Pictures … (more)

4) The New Meaning of Copyright: Monetizing Creative Works in a World Where Media Is Free

— by Mark Chasan, successful entrepreneur, investment banker, Internet veteran, lawyer & digital media pioneer; Chairman & CEO at private equity & strategic advisory firm Transformative Capital; fmr. Managing Director/Partner at private-to-public hybrid equities firms Greenbridge Capital Group & Publex Ventures; fmr. Founder & CEO of online digital music pioneer Emusic; fmr. Founder of web development, hosting & co-location pioneer Webcentral … (more)

5) Foreign Pre-sales of Indies: Tapping the Global Demand for Fresh Content to Finance Films

— by Harris Tulchin, veteran entertainment, multimedia & IP attorney with extensive major studio & indie production background; Co-author of "The Independent Film Producer's Survival Guide"; Founder & Attorney at int'l entertainment & multimedia law firm Harris Tulchin & Associates with offices in Los Angeles, New York, Paris & Rome; Executive Producer of several feature films; fmr. Sr. VP of Business Affairs & General Counsel at Cinema Group … (more)

6) The Power of Packaging: Leveraging Other People's Success to Secure Financing

— by Chris Patton, Producer at Dark Horse Entertainment ("300", "The Mask", "Hellboy", "Sin City", "30 Days of Night") & occasional Digital Visual Effects Producer; Producer/Screenwriter credits include "Sierra Leone", "Destination Mars", "Rosenthal Experiment", "The Wicksboro Incident", "Monarch of the Moon", "My Name is Bruce", "War Monkeys" & "Tesla"; Founder & Producer at documentary film company Zero Point Films … (more)

7) The Changing State of Film Finance: Emerging Trends That Producers & Investors Must Know About

— by Schuyler Moore, leading LA-based entertainment attorney & authority on film business; Partner in Corporate Entertainment Department at national law firm Stroock & Stroock & Lavan; Adjunct Professor at UCLA Law School & UCLA Anderson School of Management; author of "The Biz: The Basic Business, Legal and Financial Aspects of the Film Industry" & other books; listed in The Hollywood Reporter ESQ's "Power Lawyers Top 100" … (more)

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– John W. Cones: Mr. Cones is a Los Angeles-based securities/entertainment attorney and author of "43 Ways to Finance Your Feature Film". His law practice focuses on investor financing of entertainment projects. Mr. Cones has participated in the preparation of business plans and/or the required securities disclosure documents for more than 250 such offerings for feature film development deals, production and completion funds, along with documentaries, music projects and television pilots. Mr. Cones' firm, through its investor network, is responsible for funding 40 films either partially or fully. He is also the author of the internationally distributed book "Film Finance and Distribution - A Dictionary of Terms", and he has spoken on the topic of film financing to audiences exceeding 4,000 people over 150 times. Mr. Cones has been a member of both the California and Texas state bar associations. He also hosts a popular Q&A website about investor financing of entertainment projects.

– Dennis Gunn: Mr. Gunn is the Chief Investment Officer at Xnergy LLC, a boutique investment banking firm with a global network of offices and affiliates that specializes in providing business and financial advisory services for private and public emerging growth companies. His business background includes 25+ years as an entrepreneur, CEO, investment banker, management consultant and corporate turnaround specialist. He was the original founder of Consultant Elite, Ltd. which later became the investment banking company Raging Bull Capital, Inc. Mr. Gunn also served as Chairman of the Board for both Crusader Oil International and Black Biscuit, and President of the publicly traded company Riverside Homes, Inc. He has extensive experience in mergers, acquisitions, private and public corporate development, growth financing, joint ventures, investor and broker relations, executive management, project management, strategic planning, market development, organizational consulting, and investment banking. Mr. Gunn holds various active securities licenses including Series 7, Series 24, and Series 63, and is a licensed Real Estate Broker (Finest Financial Realty). He has been listed in the "Who's Who in Finance" since 1984. Furthermore, Mr. Gunn serves as an Associate Member to the Western Regional Corporate Finance Focus Group for NASDAQ and the American Stock Exchange and was an Associate Member of The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), Los Angeles. He is a Research Diver for the Catalina Conservancy Divers and a Lifetime Member of the United States Tennis Association.

– Sandra Ruch: Ms. Ruch is the Executive Director of the International Documentary Association (IDA). She has extensive senior management experience in all areas of corporate communication, marketing and public relations, having worked in film, television and public affairs. Prior to joining IDA, Ms. Ruch served as President of Marketing at New Line Cinema and launched over 50 theatrical releases. A specialist in niche marketing, she captured the youth and ethnic markets by developing and launching such films as "House Party" and "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles". Previously, Ms. Ruch was Director of Cultural Programs/Promotions at Mobil Corporation for 12 years. She conceived, initiated and implemented all public relations, advertising, promotions and marketing for Mobil sponsored projects, television, visual and performing arts and sports. She supervised the programming and advertising of "Mobil Masterpiece Theatre", the longest running mini-series for PBS, and "Mobil Mystery! Theater". Ms. Ruch's career spans nearly 3 decades and includes being VP of PR/Marketing with the House of Seagram; Senior VP of Marketing at Cinergi Pictures, where she supervised and implemented the marketing campaign behind Disney's "Evita"; Media Consultant to Scholastic, Inc. for entertainment based in-school programs; and Producer on "Quicksilver Highway", Movie of the Week for Fox Television. She also had her own company, Beyond The Box, a full-service marketing communications and public relations firm specializing in the entertainment industry.

– Mark Chasan: Mr. Chasan has an extensive track record as a successful entrepreneur, investment banker, Internet veteran, lawyer and digital media pioneer. He is the Chairman & CEO of Transformative Capital, Inc., a multi-faceted private equity and strategic advisory firm focusing on renewable energy and companies that are sustainable, environmentally conscious and transformative. He has also been in digital media for 12 years, as Founder & CEO of Emusic, started in 1995, which became the first company in history to sell digital music and MP3 players online. In February 1999, Emusic merged with Goodnoise/Emusic.com, Inc. and went public on the NASDAQ (NASDAQ: EMUS). Also in 1995, Mr. Chasan formed Webcentral, one of the first web development, hosting and co-location facilities in the US and hosted such customers as CalTrans, ReMax and AudioNet/Broadcast.com. Webcentral was acquired by Interworld Communications in 1997. Mr. Chasan has been a California lawyer since 1985 and ran the law firm of Chasan & Associates, which focused on corporate, securities, entertainment, transactional and civil law until 1998.

– Harris E. Tulchin: Mr. Tulchin is the co-author of "The Independent Film Producer's Survival Guide" and a veteran entertainment, multimedia and intellectual property attorney with extensive major motion picture studio and independent production background as well as experience in all phases of feature film, television, video, music, infomercial, multimedia and online development, financing, production, distribution, and legal and business services. He is founder of Harris Tulchin & Associates, an international entertainment, multimedia & intellectual property law firm with offices in Los Angeles, New York, Paris and Rome. His clients have included Sony, Vestron, Ed Pressman, Ice Cube, Sid Caesar, David Lynch/Kino Link, Gary Lucchesi/Tom Barad/Toys 'R Us, Richard Leakey, Chris/Rose Productions/MCA Universal, Showtime, Cineville/HBO, Palace Group (UK), KCET Television, Cinema Group, Strand Releasing, Independent Entertainment Group, Galaxy International Releasing, TTL Films (Moscow), SC Entertainment, HMD Distribution, New Horizons, Julie Corman/Ezio Greggio, Matt Salinger, Kevin Yagher, Jones-Reiker Ink, Hills Entertainment, Jorge Rivero, Teleline, Destination Cinema, Esco-Mex, Gibraltar Releasing, Crawford/Lane, Paul Ryan Productions, Ultra Studios, Flint Dille, Cineville Interactive, and numerous independent producers, writers, directors and actors. Mr. Tulchin has also served as Senior VP of Business Affairs and General Counsel for Cinema Group; General Counsel and Head of Business Affairs for KCET Television; Senior Counsel for United Artists; Director of Business Affairs at MGM Television; and Counsel for American International Pictures and Filmways Pictures (now Orion Pictures). He is a graduate of Cornell University and Hastings Law School, and has practiced law since 1978.

– Christopher Patton: Film Producer with Dark Horse Entertainment ("300", "The Mask", "Hellboy", "Sin City", "30 Days of Night") responsible for equity film finance, bank packaging, script development, producing and capital management and, on occasion, Digital Visual Effects Producer; Producer/Screenwriter credits include: "Sierra Leone" (optioned by Warner Bros. for George Clooney & Brad Pitt), "Destination Mars", "Rosenthal Experiment", "The Wicksboro Incident", "Monarch of the Moon", "My Name is Bruce", "War Monkeys", and the upcoming "Tesla". A celebrated filmmaker and a keynote speaker for Panasonic and Canon Camera USA, he is often published on the future of digital filmmaking. After surviving an ordeal during the Liberian Civil War of 1996-97 (his experience inspired the Leonardo DiCaprio film "Blood Diamond"), Mr. Patton created the successful documentary film company Zero Point Films. He has financed and produced over 14 independent documentaries on health, nutrition, science and sustainable technologies.

– Schuyler M. Moore: Variety magazine says that he is 'Long known as a tax lawyer who literally wrote the book about the business'. Schuyler Moore is a partner in the Corporate Entertainment Department at the Los Angeles office of national law firm Stroock & Stroock & Lavan, LLP. Practicing law for over 25 years, he authored several books including "The Biz: The Basic Business, Legal and Financial Aspects of the Film Industry" (Selman-James Press), and "Taxation of the Entertainment Industry" (CACHE). Mr. Moore has also written over 40 articles for legal journals throughout his career. He is an Adjunct Professor at both the UCLA Law School, teaching Motion Picture Financing, and the UCLA Anderson School of Management, teaching Entertainment Law. He is listed in The Hollywood Reporter ESQ's "Power Lawyers Top 100", composed of leading corporate dealmakers arranging film distribution and working with financiers to funnel money to Hollywood. Most recently, Mr. Moore did the legal work for ClickStar, the joint venture between chip-making giant Intel and Morgan Freeman that produces original films for download shortly after their theatrical release; and he closed a Section 181 U.S. tax deal for Inferno. He is in the midst of a large financing transaction for Summit Entertainment; and he is working on a foreign film fund for Endgame Entertainment. Mr. Moore was the founding Chairman of the Entertainment Tax Subsection of the Los Angeles County Bar Association, Taxation Section. He received his B.A. from UCLA in 1978 (summa cum laude) and his J.D. from UCLA School of Law in 1981 (first in his class).

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Online registration is available at http://events.filmfinancing.org/gla/?id=093007 (top of this page)

Early bird registration NLT Saturday, September 15:
IIFF Member ... $25 if registered online no later than 9/15
Non-member ... $40

Regular registration NLT Saturday, September 22:
IIFF Member ... $35 if registered online no later than 9/22
Non-member ... $50

Last minute registration NLT Saturday, September 29:
IIFF Member ... $45 if registered online no later than 9/29
Non-member ... $60

On-site registration (at the door):
IIFF Member ... $55
Non-member ... $70

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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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) or PayPal? Please 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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