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IIFF North Bay Townhall Meeting (March 2007)
Wednesday, March 21, 2007 from 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM (PT)
San Rafael, CA
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Event Details
IIFF/SF North Bay Townhall Meeting in San Rafael –
Where Film & Finance Meet To Succeed Together
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IIFF is coming to the North Bay!
The Institute for International Film Financing (IIFF) continues its successful series of Townhall Meetings in the San Francisco Bay Area with a special, inaugural event in San Rafael.
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.: March '07 Townhall East in New York City | 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 six presentations & 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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Featured Moderator:
The event will be expertly moderated by Daniel Riviera, a Marin-based seasoned entertainment and intellectual property attorney, longtime friend and supporter of the Institute for Int'l Film Financing (IIFF), and member of FilmAngels, the world's first professional angel investor organization for independent film.
Mr. Riviera has extensive professional experience as an attorney in film, television, music, publishing, trademarks, and copyright. He practiced law in Los Angeles for many years before moving to the Bay Area. He represents both individual artists and companies, and has worked for clients involved in all aspects of the development, production, financing, and distribution of movies, TV, and music, including Carolco Pictures, Imagine Entertainment, Spelling Entertainment, The Groundlings, Keiko Matsui and Gilda Radner. Since coming to the Bay Area, independent film, music, video games, and book authors & publishing have occupied a greater proportion of his practice. Current clients include Oscar-nominated filmmakers, film companies producing narrative work with a social or political edge, award-winning singer-songwriters, and prominent authors. Mr. Riviera's practice also involves intellectual property (trademarks & copyright), the Internet & new media, and corporate work including entity formation & financing, nonprofit corporations, employment law, and the license & sale of assets. He is a graduate of Harvard College and the Georgetown University Law Center.
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Meeting Venue:
Ursa Minor Arts + Media
4318 Redwood Highway
San Rafael, CA 94903
(415) 444-0500
Map: See a map of 4318 Redwood Highway at Ask, Google, MapQuest, Windows Live or Yahoo.
Directions: Our meeting venue is conveniently located along U.S. 101 (a.k.a. Redwood Highway), just a few miles north of downtown San Rafael, about 20 miles (30+ mins) from San Francisco, and less than 25 miles (30+ mins) from Oakland. Personalized driving directions can be obtained from the above-mentioned 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 graciously hosted by our friends at Ursa Minor Arts + Media, a world-class multimedia production facility and creative services consultancy nestled in the quiet rolling hills just below Lucas Valley Ranch in Marin County, California. The company provides a complete range of award-winning creative media production and marketing services to a worldwide client base of entertainment companies and business professionals.
Ursa Minor’s state-of-the-art 8,000 square foot facility was designed and built specifically to produce a full range of digital media products for audio, video, web, and print, including emerging online and mobile device delivery formats. Their studios, combined with proprietary production pipelines and software, also allow the company to deliver world-class post-production services for film and video at highly competitive rates.
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Schedule:
6:00-6:30 pm ... Registration and introductions
6:30-7:30 pm ... Three featured presentations with Q&A (3x 20 min)
7:30-8:00 pm ... Networking break I (30 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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Program Details:
1) Releasing Your Movie Successfully: How Filmmakers & Financiers Benefit from Developing Festival & Theatrical Strategies Well Before Principal Photography
— by Mark Fishkin, Founder & Festival Director at Mill Valley Film Festival (MVFF); Founder & Executive Director at California Film Institute (including San Rafael's Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center)
2) Investing in Films & Media Companies: A Seasoned Perspective on Challenges & Opportunities
— by Tim Harrington, CFP, Chairman at San Francisco Financial Planning Association (FPA); Partner at financial planning & investment management firm Marin Financial Advisors; fmr. investment banker at Barclays Capital
3) It's Easy Being Green: Blending Art & Profit With an Eco-friendly Film Business
— by Jeffrey Weissman, veteran Actor of 36 years who starred & co-starred in dozens of major movies & TV shows grossing over $1 billion worldwide, including "Back to the Future II & III" (with Michael J. Fox), "Pale Rider" (Clint Eastwood), "Twilight Zone: The Movie" (John Lithgow), "Diagnosis Murder" (Dick Van Dyke), "Saved by the Bell", "Dallas" & "Max Headroom"; Director; seasoned Acting Coach at Dominican University of California, Sonoma State University, several acting studios & as guest lecturer at many colleges; Instructor at Ursa Minor Arts + Education Center
4) Rolling Out the Welcome Mat: Marin County's New Plans to Attract Filmmakers & Financiers
— by Mark Essman, Executive Director at Marin County Visitors Bureau (includes recently established Film Coordinator office); about 20 years of experience in business associations, hospitality & event promotion; Board Member at San Rafael Chamber of Commerce
5) Navigating the Turbulent Waters of Indie Film Financing: A Bay Area Producer Shares His Hard-Learned Lessons
— by Mitchell Stein, Principal at Mitchell Stein Productions; Producer of Sundance premieres "Dream With the Fishes" (starring David Arquette) & "Christmas in the Clouds" (Graham Greene); over 2 decades of experience as independent producer in film, television & audio
6) Taming the Tax Monster: Tackling Tax Issues Associated With Film Ventures
— by Gerald Finton, EA, CFP, Principal at Gerald Finton Tax & Financial; Securities Broker, Insurance Agent & Tax Accountant; professional speaker with 30+ years of experience in investing & tax planning
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Registration:
Online registration is available at http://iiff-townhall-nb.eventbrite.com (top of this page)
Early bird registration NLT Sunday, March 11th:
IIFF Member ... $20 if registered online no later than March 11th
Non-member ... $30
Regular registration NLT Sunday, March 18th:
IIFF Member ... $30 if registered online no later than March 18th
Non-member ... $40
Last minute registration NLT Tuesday, March 20th:
IIFF Member ... $40 if registered online no later than March 20th
Non-member ... $50
Same day registration (online) on Wednesday, March 21st:
IIFF Member ... $45 if registered online on March 21st
Non-member ... $55
On-site registration (at the door):
IIFF Member ... $50
Non-member ... $60
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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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) 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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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, Founder & Executive Producer, Sinestra Pictures Would you like to speak out? Send us your comments by email! |
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Link to us:
Please support IIFF's nonprofit mission by spreading the word!
- IIFF/NB Townhall on 3/21 ... http://events.filmfinancing.org/sfb/?id=032107
- Latest IIFF Townhall in the North Bay ... http://iiff-townhall-nb.eventbrite.com
- Latest IIFF event in SF Bay Area ... http://events.filmfinancing.org/sfb/?id=latest
- Latest IIFF event in New England ... http://events.filmfinancing.org/ne6/?id=latest
- Latest IIFF event in New York ... http://events.filmfinancing.org/nym/?id=latest
- Latest IIFF event anywhere ... http://events.filmfinancing.org/?id=latest
- IIFF homepage: "Connecting Film & Finance" ... http://www.filmfinancing.org
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Copyright © 2007 Institute for Int'l Film Financing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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IIFF San Francisco Bay Area
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.
Founded by Thomas Trenker in 2003 and headquartered in San Francisco, IIFF has chapters in the Bay Area, New York City, New England, Florida, Los Angeles, Washington, DC, London, the Pacific Northwest and the Lower Midwest.
Help launch or run an IIFF chapter in your area! We make it easy and worthwhile. Email the chapter development team and tell us about yourself. 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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