Contact Institute for Int'l Film Financing (IIFF) for event and ticket information.
The Institute for International Film Financing (IIFF) continues its successful series of Townhall Meetings in New York City with a special event at City College of New York (CCNY) in Manhattan.
This "grassroots" community meeting is designed to foster productive relationships between filmmakers, entrepreneurs and financiers and to provide unbiased insight and education about the business of film. 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 IIFF's proven motto, "democratizing film financing," our 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.: 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 José, 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 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 moderated by Tom Lassu (bio), who helps run the New York Metro chapter of the Institute for Int'l Film Financing (IIFF) and organizes IIFF's monthly Townhall Meetings in New York City.
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City College of New York (CCNY)
W 140th Street & Convent Avenue
Shepard Hall, 2nd floor, #291 Screening Room
New York, NY 10031
(212) 650-7167
Map: See CCNY's Shepard Hall at 140th St. & Convent Ave. on a map from Ask, Google, MapQuest, MSN, or Yahoo.
Closest subway station (ca. 0.3 miles walking distance): 145th Street station served by the A C (blue) and B D (orange) lines; see all subway stations near CCNY on this map.
Subway & walking directions: Take the A, B, C or D train to 145th Street, walk up the hill (west) to Convent Avenue, turn left (south), and walk five blocks through the CCNY archway to the first building on the left. There, use the second door to enter Shepard Hall. Walk up the stairs or take the elevator to the second floor, turn right, and go all the way to the end of the Hall to #291 Screening Room.
This month's Townhall Meeting is graciously hosted by The City College of The City University of New York (CUNY), a.k.a. City College of New York (CCNY), the nation's flagship institution of public higher education. CCNY prides itself in offering academic excellence, an outstanding faculty, low tuition, and a wide range of extracurricular activities on a beautiful & historic 36-acre campus in the heart of New York City.
Founded to provide children of the poor and new immigrants the higher education that could give them access to the American dream, CCNY has been an important avenue of advancement for generations of New Yorkers over the past 150+ years. Many CCNY alumni have gone on to influence the U.S. & the world in fundamental ways. With eight Nobel Prize winners among its alumni, City College is one of the top public colleges & universities nationwide. Moreover, Standard & Poors ranked CCNY 11th in the U.S. in the number of graduates who have become America's leading business executives.
Today's CCNY is a microcosm of New York City, with one of the most diverse student bodies of any American college — over half of its students were born abroad, representing some 90 countries. Serving nearly 11,000 students, CCNY is really a small university, with a College of Liberal Arts & Science and professional schools of architecture, education, engineering, and biomedicine. It offers more than 40 of its own graduate degree programs and is the site of ten of CUNY's doctoral programs. Innovative programs in environmental engineering & science, graphic design, media arts production, publishing, urban legal studies, urban architecture, and pre-med join more traditional ones in science & engineering, the arts & humanities, and the social sciences.
Very special thanks for making this event possible go to Prof. Campbell Dalglish, a faculty member in CCNY's Department of Media & Communication Arts!
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6:00-6:30 pm ... Registration, welcome and introductions
6:30-7:45 pm ... Three featured presentations with Q&A (3x 25 min)
7:45-8:00 pm ... Networking break I (15 min)
8:00-9:00 pm ... Two featured presentations with Q&A (2x 30 min)
9:00-9:15 pm ... Networking break II (15 min)
9:15-10:00 pm ... Moderated panel discussion with Q&A (45 min)
10:00+ pm ... Community time at area restaurant
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1) The Art of the Pitch: How to Talk to Investors About Film
— by Tony Roberts (bio)
2) Future Proof Producing: How Indie Filmmakers Can Leverage Emerging Technologies to Maximize Financial Success & Appeal to Financiers
— by Mark Perderson (bio)
3) Screenwriting for Profitability: What Writers & Script Doctors Can & Can't Do for a Film's Financial Success
— by Prof. Campbell Dalglish (bio)
4) Dealing Effectively With the Screen Actors Guild: SAG Issues & Production Options, SAGIndie Projects
— by Michael Sládek (bio)
5) Trenker's Hollywood Profits: Quantitative Drivers of Motion Picture Profitability
— prepared by Thomas Trenker (bio)
— presented by Tom Lassu (bio)
*** TO BE FINALIZED SHORTLY ***
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– Tony Roberts: Mr. Roberts started his financial career with brokerage Duke & Co. in 1995. After successfully completing his Series 7 & Series 63 exams, he became one of the firm's top account openers. Trained by some of the most talented brokers on Wall Street, Mr. Roberts was selected by the CEO to help expand to Long Island. There, he was in charge of developing new talent & teaching the art of selling. In less than 2 years, Mr. Roberts & his team went from $3M to $25M in production. In 1999, he was recruited by top producer Arthur Coffey to Gains Berland (GBI), at the time Long Island's largest securities firm with over 400 brokers under one roof. Along with 10 other producers selected by him, Mr. Roberts was given a staff of 15 and again helped develop new brokers throughout the firm in various sales meetings. He grew his team to over $200M under management and was selected to the Diamond Achievers Club for 4 years in a row. After GBI was taken over by Ladenburg Thalman in 2002, Mr. Roberts decided to go independent with Investors Capital Corp., a publicly traded securities firm comprised of Registered Financial Professionals throughout the U.S. Since then, in less than 5 years with Investors Capital, he has opened an independent office near Wall Street and on Long Island, recruited over 40 brokers to the firm, and helped develop other independent offices in the New York area.
– Mark L. Pederson: Film producer, entrepreneur & consultant; Co-founder of NYC based, technology driven production & post-production boutique Offhollywood. An early adopter & innovator, currently drawing attention to being the 'first to market' with the revolutionary 4K RED Digital Cinema Cameras and 4K post services, Mr. Pederson expertly merges disruptive technologies & meta-data with the filmmaking process. He is in pre-production on "The Asylum Seekers"; other recent Offhollywood feature film projects include the Latino-action film "Rockaway" and Josh Zeman's docu-horror film "Cropsey". Previous feature film projects include "Salvage", "Destricted", "Kettle of Fish", "You Belong to Me", "Bittersweet Place" & "Falling for Grace". Mr. Pederson frequently speaks at technology trade shows, conferences and events on technology in media.
– Prof. Campbell Dalglish: Writer, director, producer, educator & social activist. A graduate of Yale School of Drama (1986) & founder of D'Arc Productions, Prof. Dalglish has spent the majority of his filmmaking career as a social activist. His short narrative film about ethnic tensions, "Dance of the Quantum Cats", produced by D'Arc Productions, won over ten international awards including Best Narrative Film, Connecticut Public TV Film & Video Competition; Best Short Subject, Philadelphia International Film Festival; Best Short Picture, Best Story, Best Cinematography from the American International Film and Video Festival, CA; Best of the Fest, Rochester International Independent Film Festival, NY; Golden Diana Award, Austria; Silver Award UNICA/Union Internationale du Cinema, Poland; and was selected by CINE to represent the U.S. at the 12th International Peace and Reverence Film Festival, Hiroshima, Japan. As a writer, Prof. Dalglish wrote several award winning screenplays & plays, including "A Shoreless Sea" (Alliance Productions), "The List" (2 National Playwriting Awards), and "Split" (Drama League Award). He turned his attention to documentary filmmaking in 2000 with the TV pilot for the environmental news magazine "EcoAction", and "Living In Harmony With the Sun" presently in production for PBS/WLIW & WNET. With his partner, Catherine Oberg, he co-wrote, produced & directed 11 segments for "The New Morning Show". Prof. Dalglish began developing his techniques as a writer/director through improvisations behind the walls of prisons with inmates ("Inner City Moves", "The Real Deal", "The Shooting Gallery", co-produced by City Spirit Artists of New Haven & The Connecticut Prison Association), inside shelters with the homeless ("The Community Room", "Tunnel of Light", Grassroots Festival Award at NYC's DCTV, screened on Manhattan Cable TV, produced by The Jericho Project), and in the ganglands of Hartford, CT ("A Hard Way Out", co-produced with Connecticut Public TV, the Institute for Community Research & Hilltop Productions). He is a tenured Associate Professor in the MFA Film & Video Program at City College/CUNY. His screenplay "Deer Woman" has been optioned by award-winning director/producer Chris Eyre ("Smoke Signals", etc.), will be executive produced by Sonny Skyhawk, and is slated for production in August '08.
– Michael Sládek: Mr. Sládek serves as New York Coordinator for SAGIndie. An independent producer, director, cameraman, writer & designer, he founded Brooklyn-based film, video, web & theater production company Plug Ugly Films through which he directs & produces feature films, web content, music videos, EPKs & TV spots. Past clients have included Underground Online, Arista Records & MoveOn.org. His feature film "Devils Are Dreaming" won a Jury Award at Dances With Films (2004), was programmed in multiple festivals & received accolades from the press. His animated music video "The Willowz: We Live on Your Street" won a 2nd place award at Slamdance Film Festival (2007) and a Slamdance Anarchy Online Competition award (2006). Mr. Sládek heads up development for Plug Ugly Films, writes screenplays, and designs & authors all of Plug Ugly's marketing materials. He is currently directing & producing the documentary feature "Con Artist". In early 2007, he was Project Coordinator for composer Allen Shawn and playwright/actor Wallace Shawn's cast recording of "The Music Teacher". Previously, he worked as Filmmaker Coordinator for Tribeca Film Festival, Media Coordinator for the Clinton Global Initiative, Talent Coordinator & Floor Producer at MTV News, and as a coordinator and/or producer for various other corporate clients (e.g., RKO Pictures, ACME Pictures). Mr. Sládek also served for 2 years as Personal Assistant to award-winning author & Harvard professor Jamaica Kincaid. In Los Angeles, he worked for the Vice President of entertainment ad agency Jacobs & Gerber. He has managed & designed marketing materials for New York punk bands and has written for various publications including Mean Magazine. A member of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) for 12+ years, Mr. Sládek has acted professionally since childhood in Los Angeles, Orange County (CA) & Denver. The LA Times called his performance in "Brighton Beach Memoirs" at the Laguna Playhouse "a memorable, even stellar performance."
– Tom Lassu: Writer/Producer/Director of independent film & Organizer at IIFF's New York Metro chapter. Mr. Lassu earned a Masters degree from the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest with a major in music education & a minor in choir directing. He also studied computer science, mathematics, symbolic logic, computer graphics & film art at California State University, Northridge. Mr. Lassu worked as an elementary school teacher, music instructor, computer consultant, business owner, actor, director, and producer of a documentary & several short films. As part of his heritage & cultural indebtedness to one of his professors in Budapest, he acts as the international representative of the Kovács Method, also called "The Care of Musical Work Capacity", a complex system of training & erudite knowledge that belongs to the science of music pedagogy and forms an integral part of a healthy musician's lifestyle. Mr. Lassu has produced, hosted & directed a public access TV show on Connecticut's NUTMEG TV station. As an actor, he worked on "Stepford Wives", "The Interpreter", theater productions in New York, and short films. His film-related activities also include story development, writing, script-doctoring, directing, producing, research, hiring & supervising, teaching & training, management, logistics, database services (Filemaker), some camera & editing work, and music consultation; he is currently learning about movie scheduling & budgeting. Moreover, Mr. Lassu founded & runs the New York Film Synergy Group.
– Thomas Trenker: A Wall Street investment banker & Silicon Valley startup executive turned independent film financier, Mr. Trenker (LinkedIn profile | full bio) founded the Institute for Int'l Film Financing (IIFF) and runs FilmAngels, the world's first professional angel investor organization for independent film. Besides that & organizing a variety of events and initiatives at the junction of filmmaking, entrepreneurship & venture capital, he is always on the lookout for worthwhile and intriguing new indie film projects that are seeking investor financing. Don't hesitate to connect with Mr. Trenker via LinkedIn or at an upcoming IIFF meeting.
*** TO BE FINALIZED SHORTLY ***
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Online registration is available at http://events.filmfinancing.org/nym/?id=121107 (top of this page)
Early bird registration NLT Monday, December 3:
IIFF Member ... $25 if registered online no later than 12/3
Non-member ... $40
Regular registration NLT Friday, December 7:
IIFF Member ... $35 if registered online no later than 12/7
Non-member ... $50
Last minute registration NLT Monday, December 10:
IIFF Member ... $45 if registered online no later than 12/10
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), 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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The Buzz: The following is a sampling of what others are saying about IIFF meetings… "Wow. Last night was great! I want to thank you again for the inspiring work you do. This is such a big need […] and you're truly doing the work of angels (literally and figuratively)." — Brant Smith, Producer, "Quality of Life" "I really must say that I found all speakers very interesting, and I was hanging on their every word. IIFF, the mission and content, seems to be a good fit for me, because it is my dream to run a medium size production house. […] Thank you, BIG THANK YOU […], for inviting me to this very quality and important event." — John Henry, Owner, John Henry Filmworks "Let me again say I think you did a great job putting yesterday's event together — great crowd, smart presentation, lots of enthusiasm." — David Rosen, Convener/Executive Producer, Digital Independence "Wow! For such a moderate investment, so much information. So much good networking. I hope you are proud of the magic you've created with IIFF." — Kevin Morrison, Writer/Director/Producer of independent film & TV "I just wanted to say thanks for another great and informative meeting. The speakers were impressive and I made some good contacts." — Jesse Ford, Founder & Executive Director, Group Hug Productions "IIFF and FilmAngels has really impressed me so far with its focus on the independent film community. I've traveled and interacted with film organizations around the world […]." — Jin Woo Joo, Founder, Cinemasports "Thanks so much for hosting such an interesting program last week. I am always inspired by the creativity, and most recently, by the commitment to 'a better world'. It keeps my cynic's heart at bay! […] again, my heartfelt thanks for your mission and execution. Well done!" — Teri Cundall, Founder & President, Propville.com "The event was great, very helpful." — Marc Perez, Co-President & Founding Partner, Sirk Productions "[…] I greatly enjoyed attending last night's event and found it very informative - certainly something that's been missing in New York so far." — Michael Gunther, Director/Producer, Triboro Pictures "Great presentation tonight. Lots of energetic discussions and questions." — Campbell Dalglish, Prof. of Screenwriting, MFA in Film & Video at CUNY "Thanks so much for tonight's event. It was really inspiring and incredibly informative." — Elizabeth Foley, Founding Faculty Member, Producing Dep't at NYFA "I enjoyed this evening's townhall presentation and found it very informative." — William Doll, Writer/Director, World Stage Pictures "Your Town Hall mtg was stimulating. You managed to attract the right target audience, and I loved your choice of speakers." — Sandra Schulberg, Founder, Independent Feature Project (IFP) "I attended the New York Town Hall Meeting and just wanted to thank you for setting up such an informative colloquium. It was my first IIFF event and I look forward to attending more in the future." — Blythe Frank, Producer, "Kettle of Fish" (Michael Mailer Films) "Thank you again for a wonderful event last night." — Morgan Pehme, Co-founder & CEO, Merlion Entertainment "I'm just writing […] pertaining to the IIFF meeting last night, which I found both entertaining and informative and also promising of great things to come from IIFF in the near future!" — Thomas Woodrow, Producer, Furnace Films "I attended the IIFF town hall last week in New York and came away impressed. Thank you for putting together such an excellent panel of speakers. I found [Mr. Trenker's] presentation especially useful. As a former quant at Putnam Investments, I tend to dig into the numbers and [Mr. Trenker's] analysis was illuminating." — Robert Milacci, Executive Producer, Sinestra Pictures "I very much enjoyed the seminar last Saturday in Stowe, VT. It was a lot of driving in one day (3.25 hrs. each way…), but worth it. […] Thanks again for a very enlightening day." — Marjorie Short, Oscar-nominated Writer/Producer/Director, Short Productions "Just a note to say Larry Meistrich had a good time last night and was impressed with the quality of the group." — Jeff Silverstein, President of NEHST Access + Learning, NEHST Studios "As it turns out, my producing partner [producer/director Leszek Burzynski] attended your IIFF meeting in Santa Monica on July 16. He was quite impressed with the presentations." — Terrance Sweeney, Partner & Producer, Winning Team Studios "I just wanted to say thanks again for putting on such a great forum last night. […] I really enjoyed the occasion and especially the presentations. They were extremely relevant and really strong, credible presenters." — Gordon Clark, CEO, The Movie Portfolio Fund "First, I wanted to say how much I really enjoyed your premier IIFF/LA seminar…!" — Frank Sacks, Founder & Principal, The Frank Sacks Company "I had a very enjoyable experience. The seminar was extremely professional and well put together." — Adam Tantleff, Founder, President & Executive Producer, Sinestra Pictures "THANKS […] There are no organizations or groups that I have come across that are doing what you and Film Angels are doing." — J. Martin, Co-owner, 24 Bros Entertainment "I cannot express enough gratitude toward the great job that you are doing to help talented filmmakers realize their dreams. God bless you!" — Mara Vardanyan, Producer, Roman Pictures Would you like to speak out? We want to hear from you! Send us your comments by email. |
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The Institute for International Film Financing (IIFF) is an innovative, independent social-impact organization that endeavors to bridge the gap between the worlds of filmmaking and finance for the benefit of all stakeholders – including the public at large.
IIFF was founded by Thomas Trenker in 2003 and incorporated in California as a not-for-profit, public benefit corporation. Headquartered in San Francisco, IIFF currently has chapters in the SF Bay Area, New York City, New England, Florida, Los Angeles, Washington, DC, London, and the Pacific Northwest.
Help us expand further, or join our online community at http://forum.filmfinancing.org to keep in touch with a growing number of filmmakers and financiers!
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