SCENEPR presents Film & Finance Forum
Saturday, March 22nd
10am-12Noon

Join speakers Anthony Verma, Mark E. Downie, Stanley Lozowski, Ralph Ackerman, and Anna Wilding as they talk about the business side of film and provide solid, understandable information about the intricacies of the film business. Topics include intellectual law (copyrights), film finance tips, and working in the international film market. Then ask the questions on your mind at the Q&A.

Time: 10AM-12 Noon

Speakers:

Anthony M. Verna III, Esq.
Entertainment Lawyer

Anthony M. Verna III, Esq., is a member of the NY and NJ bars. He started his own practice in trademark, copyright and entertainment law in New York City after working as an intellectual property associate at the National IP Rights Center outside Philadelphia, PA. He currently has a clientele as varied as the phrase "trademark, copyright and entertainment law" suggests. His paper, "WWW.WhatsInA.Name," about celebrities whose names were used as Internet domain names, was published by the Seton Hall Journal of Sports and Entertainment Law in December, 2004. His websites are www.NYCtrademarks.com and www.NYCcopyrights.com. His law blog - about trademark, copyright and entertainment law issues - can be seen at www.tmcentlawforum.com.

Mark E. Downie
Film/TV Producer, Entertainment Finance/Marketing Consultant

Downie is an independent film producer and TV producer/writer with expertise in fundraising, as well as media & marketing consulting.  In Film, Downie raised over $14 million from private and institutional sources for 4 feature films for which he structured 2 international co-productions, 2 of which he produced (“Franchesca Page” featuring Rossy DePalma/Sundance ‘97, “hundred percent” featuring Tamlyn Tomita/LAIFF ‘99) creating numerous product placement opportunities and selling them worldwide to critical attention via top festival play.  He's consulted UK-based media investment group, Dominion Pacific Plc., and Wall Street-based financial firm DH Blair's entertainment division.  Regarding US-European co-productions, he setup Sergei Bodrov and Dwayne Johnson-Cochran’s "Lucky Stop", for Johnson-Cochran to direct for French-based TF1.  This initiated years spent in Hollywood’s favorite place – development – where he also worked alongside film producers such as Ezra Swerdlow, setting-up  a feature project at Offline Entertainment.  Prior to that, Downie recruited films from the world’s top festivals annually for the San Juan Cinemafest where he originated The American Independents section in San Juan, Puerto Rico.  He built up a track record producing short films, including “El Deseo,” executive produced by executives at Columbia/Tri-Star, starring Lauren Velez; and acting as a literary manager for talents such as Kelley Sane. 

In TV, he has created, developed, produced & is Emmy-nominated for his domestic and international TV/documentary broadcasts.  He co-created and developed a global hip-hop TV series with Danny Hoch for MTV News & Docs.  Previously, Downie developed and was a producer on the first TV news magazine show to broadcast life on America to China, Across the Pacific, airing on Beijing TV then playing on Shanghai TV (as Around the World).  Downie’s documentary producing credits include: Iris F. Kung's internationally acclaimed, "Escape From China" which played before US Congress on Capitol Hill, has been broadcast worldwide, aired nationally on PBS’ Point of View series and was nominated for an International Emmy Award.

Currently, he is raising financing for films on which he and his partner, multi-award winning playwright and TV/screenwriter Joshua Scher, and their Paradigm Shift Productions will collaborate.  Additionally, he is executive producing on Danny Glover’s company, Louverture Films’ celebrity music-driven feature documentary, "Soundtrack for a Revolution," in association with Goldcrest Films International and Wild Bunch, directed by Oscar-winning duo Bill Guttentag & Dan Sturman, presently in production. 


Stanley Lozowski
Producer/Director

Stanley Lozowski is a former teacher having the time of his life blogging about independent films (www.myfilm.com), writing books (www.lulu.com/cdigitalv) and screenplays and producing animated (www.lylofilm.com) and live-action shows (www.clipblox.com) and feature films (www.behindforgotteneyes.com).
 
His company, LYLOFILM, started producing short animated films in 2002. He also began developing serial and feature film projects. LYLOFILM creates Character Designs and Concepts for TV, Internet and Theater, 2D and 3D animations, ADVERTISING DESIGN, GRAPHIC ART, MUSIC VIDEOS, POSTERS, MOVIE TITLES, CGI and SPECIAL EFFECTS for independent filmmakers.
 
Last year, Lylofilm completed its animated second season for Henry Rollins and IFC. Our 'George W. Bush's TEXAS BARBEQUE with Saddam Hussein' premiered on TV July 4th and had a million hits within a few days after dozens of fans posted it all over YouTube.

Lylofilm produced and directed the opening animated title sequences with 18 minutes of animation for BEHIND FORGOTTEN EYES. At the end of September 2007, the feature film won Silver at the Everglades South Africa International Film Festival. NY Newsday called it 'one-of-the- five-films- not-to-be- missed-at- the-Hampton's International Film Festival' where at the end of October 2007 it won BEST FILM in the Conflict & Resolution Competition beating out some very high-budgeted Hollywood heavyweights with major stars and big directors. Many reviewers commented on how the opening animation sets the "tone" and "feel" for the entire movie which is mainly interviews and stock shots.
 
BEHIND FORGOTTEN EYES won Best Documentary - Melbourne Independent Film Fes tival, Melbourne, VIC, Australia and Best Documentary - (Juror's Award) Kern Projection's Film Festival, Bakersfield, Ca.
 
BEHIND FORGOTTEN EYES was directed by student Anthony Gilmore & produced by Alex Ferrari. Animation Directed by Simona Lyriti and Produced by Stanley Lozowski-Lylofilm; Narrated by TV's LOST: YunJin Kim. Official Website: www.behindforgotteneyes.com

Ralph Ackerman
Founder & Director
Film Program Cannes

Since 1963 Ackerman  has been champion of alternative-independent media and is a "working" filmmaker. He made his first film in 1963 which was picked as a highlight of the Ann Arbor Film Festival and sent on a national tour. He holds workshops and consults on independent filmmaking. He wrote break-thru articles on digital production and distribution for Release Print magazine of the Film Arts Foundation of San Francisco. He has a chapter on global film markets in the new book published by Focal Press, Swimming UpStream, A Lifesaving Guide to Short Film Distribution.

Ralph founded the educational, Film Program Cannes. The program was in response to the growing need to arm emerging filmmakers with the essential skills to fund, acquire worldwide distribution and the marketing of their films.

Currently he producing a slate of films. 


Anna Wilding
Producer & Director

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$25 p/person
PAID PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED TO ATTEND.
Buy your Tickets now at http://www.scenepr.com/filmfinance

Includes continental breakfast (juice, coffee/tea, muffin/bagels)

Location:
Ripley Grier Studios
520 Eighth Avenue
16th Floor - Studio 16L
New York, NY 10018