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IIFF San Francisco Townhall Meeting (December 2008):
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Event Details
IIFF/SF Townhall Meeting at Academy of Art University –
Where Film & Finance Meet to Succeed Together
abstract | moderator | venue | schedule | program | bios | registration | help
The Bay Area chapter of the Institute for International Film Financing (IIFF) continues its successful series of monthly gatherings at the junction of film & finance with another special Townhall Meeting in San Francisco. Our friends at Academy of Art University are again hosting us at their new facilities in the City's SoMa district, conveniently located just a short stroll from SF Caltrain Station at 4th & King.
This "grassroots" community get-together is designed to foster & inform productive relationships between attending professionals and to provide unbiased insight & education about the business of film (and film financing in particular). The event features a powerful roster of highly topical speakers from the filmmaking and financial industries. We are delighted to once 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 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.: January '08 Bay Area Townhall in San Francisco, CA, January '08 Los Angeles Townhall in Venice, CA & January '08 New York Metro Townhall in Manhattan | December '07 Bay Area Townhall in San Francisco, CA, December '07 Los Angeles Townhall in Santa Monica, CA, December '07 New York Metro Townhall in Manhattan & December '07 New England Townhall in Providence, RI | 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 Thomas Trenker (LinkedIn profile | full bio | brief bio) who founded the Institute for Int'l Film Financing (IIFF) and runs FilmAngels, the world's first professional angel investor group for independent film. Besides that and organizing a variety of events and initiatives at the junction of filmmaking, entrepreneurship and venture capital, Mr. Trenker 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 in person at this or another upcoming IIFF meeting.
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Academy of Art University (AAU) – School of Motion Pictures & Television
466 Townsend Street (btw. 5th & 6th St.)
Room #225 – 2nd floor
San Francisco, CA 94107
(415) 274-2200
Map: Get a map of 466 Townsend St. from Ask, Google, MapQuest, MSN, Windows Live or Yahoo. Alternatively, use the map on AAU's website.
Driving & parking directions: Our meeting venue is easily reachable by car from the South Bay via nearby Highway 101 North (US-101 N) or nearby Interstate 280 North (I-280 N), and from the East Bay via nearby Interstate 80 West (I-80 W). Find a comprehensive overview of directions to 466 Townsend St. from different parts of the Bay Area here. Personalized driving directions can also be obtained from the above-listed online mapping services; just follow the link of your choice and enter your start address where required. Curbside parking is generally available at and around 466 Townsend St.; a map of parking facilities in the vicinity of our venue can be found here.
Nearest public transportation stop & walking directions (ca. 0.3 miles or 7 min.): San Francisco Caltrain Station at 4th & King St. is just a short walk from our venue at 466 Townsend St. Take Caltrain or Muni Metro line N Judah to 4th & King St. (San Francisco Caltrain Station), then walk northwest on 4th St. toward Townsend St.; turn left onto Townsend and proceed approx. 2 blocks to the last building on the right-hand side of the second block, a large warehouse-like facility, where our meeting takes place – look for Academy of Art University's signature red, white & black logo above the entrance!
This month's Film Financing Townhall in the Bay Area is graciously hosted by Academy of Art University (AAU), a leading private university founded in 1929 in San Francisco. With nearly 10,000 students that occupy its 30+ buildings in downtown San Francisco, AAU is considered the largest private school of art and design in the United States. It offers both traditional on-campus and online distance-education degree and certificate programs in a wide variety of fine arts-related majors, including Motion Pictures & Television and Animation & Visual Effects. In May 2007, AAU was granted regional accreditation by the Senior Commission of the prestigious Western Association of Schools & Colleges (WASC), one of the six major regional accreditation commissions recognized by the US Department of Education.
At AAU's School of Motion Pictures & Television, students learn the ins and outs of "Lights, Camera, Action!" in a real-world movie studio setting with state-of-the-art equipment and guidance by top industry professionals. The School fosters creativity and independence in filmmaking as an art while also providing instruction in the commercial aspects of filmmaking as a business. The School's educational approach is dedicated to practical, hands-on training in a collaborative framework. Students are immersed in a broad range of filmmaking skills, including producing, directing, cinematography, lighting, sound, editing, and screenwriting. Ultimately, they concentrate on one area and train to become highly employable specialists in their chosen field.
Very special thanks for making this event possible go to Curran Engel, Full-time Instructor in AAU's film school.
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6:00-6:30 pm ... Registration, welcome 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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1) Half Empty or Half Full? Documentary Finance & Distribution Amid a Financial Crisis — by Annie Roney (bio) »
2) Streamlining the Production Process: How Filmmakers & Financiers Benefit From Efficiency Gains — by Hunter Hancock (bio) »
3) The Art of the Deal: Getting Your Movie Funded - An Overview — by Dr. Sanford Rosenberg (bio) »
4) The Changing Landscape of San Francisco Filmmaking: What the Latest Developments Mean for You — by Diana Fuller (bio) »
5) Hollywood Profits: Quantitative Drivers of Motion Picture Profitability — by Thomas Trenker (bio) »
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– Annie Roney (topic): Ms. Roney is the Founder and Managing Director of ro*co films international, a leading worldwide distributor of documentaries that is increasingly active in the development and funding of new projects. As the Sausalito-based company's founder, she has repped numerous Oscar-nominated or -winning documentaries in the past 8+ years of business in the international and domestic markets, including "Born Into Brothels", "Jesus Camp", "The Weather Underground", "Street Fight", "Promises" and "Regret to Inform". Ms. Roney launched ro*co films in January 2000 after accruing 8 years of experience with another leading international distributor, CS Associates, where she worked with noted producers such as Ken Burns and Jon Else as well as series like NOVA and FRONTLINE. Since then, Ms. Roney has compiled a growing but highly selective catalog of feature documentaries and doc series (also including "Gunner Palace", "The Great Warming", "The New Americans", and others). She explains, "I will only represent films that I connect with and feel passionate about. The film, whether it be the characters, or the complexities and subtleties of the story, have to get under my skin." Her credo has helped establish ro*co as one of the most highly respected US distributors among buyers and commissioning editors worldwide. Ms. Roney and her colleagues at ro*co exhibit at the twice yearly MIPTV and MIPCOM TV international markets in Cannes and they attend numerous film festivals and documentary markets throughout the year, including Sundance, Toronto, SILVERDOCS, IDFA in Amsterdam, and DISCOP in Budapest. Ms. Roney also serves on the Board of Directors of the Environmental Media Fund. »
– Hunter Hancock (topic): Mr. Hancock is the CEO of Clever Machine, Inc., a San Francisco-based software company founded in 2003 to make enterprise applications available to organizations of all sizes. He has more than 16 years of experience leading and participating in companies that embrace cutting edge technology. His current company, Clever Machine, is developing scenechronize, an Internet-based service that aims to bring a new level of efficiency and peace of mind to film and TV production. Scenechronize combines the script, breakdown elements and scheduling into a single Web application designed for the entire production, automating and streamlining production management workflows from development through distribution. Prior to scenechronize, Clever Machine was responsible for the applications of a financial services company that manages $10B+ in assets. Mr. Hancock previously served as VP of Engineering and CTO at Switchhouse, where he was part of the executive team that raised $18M in venture capital funding as well as developing the staff and technology to support the company's growth. Before joining Switchhouse, Mr. Hancock was a partner in a consulting firm that supported Fortune 500 clients by providing technical strategy consulting to senior management. Prior to that, he participated in the early days of computer game development (for both the Apple II and Atari consoles) as well as Smalltalk-based object-oriented programming. Mr. Hancock holds a BS in Electrical Engineering and Biology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). »
– Sanford "Sandy" Rosenberg, Ph.D. (topic): Dr. Rosenberg is a licensed psychotherapist, educator, researcher, business consultant, and producer/financier with 25 years of experience working with film, video, TV and emerging technologies. He is the Founder and President at Media Research Associates (MRA), a San Francisco-based consulting firm specializing in qualitative knowledge-based research, examining the relationship between story, structure, symbol, image, emotion and the user experience in all media. Dr. Rosenberg is also a Founding Partner and Executive Producer at Front Street Pictures, a Vancouver and L.A.-based independent film company that has completed numerous feature films since 1999. Recent productions include "The Deal", starring Christian Slater, Selma Blair, Robert Loggia and Angie Harmon, which premiered at the 2004 AFI Fest; and "We Don't Live Here Anymore", starring Naomi Watts, Mark Ruffalo, Laura Dern and Peter Krause, which premiered, won an award, and sold at Sundance in 2004, and was subsequently released by Warner Independent. Front Street also produces a steady stream of made-for-TV movies in a production services capacity for domestic and international broadcast networks including Lifetime, Global and TF1. Dr. Rosenberg received his M.A. from the New School for Social Research in New York City, and earned his Ph.D. in clinical/social psychology at Saybrook Graduate School in San Francisco. »
– Diana B. Fuller (topic): Ms. Fuller is a patron of the arts and former long-time gallery owner who presently works as a freelance curator, producer, editor, and arts administrator/activist. She co-founded the Squaw Valley Community of Writers, where she has been Program Director of the Screenwriting Program for the last 20 years. The Program provides individual attention to screenwriters and filmmakers, helping them fine-tune their work-in-progress stories or screenplays into well-crafted scripts. (Stipends for aspiring writer are available.) Ms. Fuller has also taken on the role of Producer for two of the Community's film projects, now in development. From 1960 to 1990, Ms. Fuller was Owner and Director of a series of San Francisco's leading galleries, including Hansen-Fuller Gallery, Fuller Goldeen Gallery, Hansen Fuller Goldeen Gallery, and Fuller Gross Gallery. She edited the book "Art/Women/California 1950-2000: Parallels and Intersections", published in 2002 by the University of California Press Berkeley, and curated the accompanying traveling exhibition. Currently, she advises the estate of visual artist Richard Pousette-Dart in New York and scheduled a traveling exhibition, "Transparent Reflections: Richard Pousette-Dart, Works on Paper, 1940-1992", which opened at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) in June 2006. Ms. Fuller has served on the Boards of many of the major arts institutions in the area. Her most recent affiliations include the Film Arts Foundation (serving as Vice-Chairperson), Squaw Valley Community of Writers, Mendocino Film Festival, Recycle Center Art Works Program, and the Arts Programming Committee for the Exploratorium in San Francisco. »
– Thomas Trenker (topic): A Wall Street investment banker and Silicon Valley startup executive turned independent film financier, Mr. Trenker (LinkedIn profile | full bio) serves as Chairman of the Institute for Int'l Film Financing (IIFF), 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 in 2003 and incorporated in California as a not-for-profit, public benefit corporation. Headquartered in San Francisco, IIFF has active chapters in multiple cities across the US and continues to grow and expand rapidly. Mr. Trenker is also Managing Director of FilmAngels, the world's first professional angel investor organization for film. Modeled after the way successful angel groups function in Silicon Valley, and adapted to the unique characteristics of the movie industry, FilmAngels focuses exclusively on the financing of independent films and film-related ventures. FilmAngels was founded by a group of accomplished Silicon Valley professionals with backgrounds in venture capital, investment banking, corporate law, real estate, software, and angel investing. The founding team developed the FilmAngels process and established the FilmAngels organization to address the unfilled need for a structured, highly efficient and, ultimately, more effective environment for the screening and financing of high-risk independent film projects. In addition to his leadership roles at FilmAngels and IIFF, Mr. Trenker organizes a variety of events and initiatives at the junction of filmmaking, entrepreneurship and 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. »
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Online registration is available at http://sfb.filmfinancing.org/121808 (top of this page)
Early bird registration NLT Wednesday, November 26:
IIFF Member ... $25 if registered online no later than 11/26
Non-member ... $40
Regular registration NLT Wednesday, December 10:
IIFF Member ... $35 if registered online no later than 12/10
Non-member ... $50
Last minute registration NLT Wednesday, December 17:
IIFF Member ... $45 if registered online no later than 12/17
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 community 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 "Your seminars are FIRST RATE!" — Rowan Joseph, President, Greenwood Hill Productions "Thanks for organizing a great event. I thought it was a very interesting group of speakers." — Tricia van Klaveren, Producer/Exec. Producer & Principal, Fully Loaded Pictures "[T]hank you for a terrific meeting last night…" — Greg Lejnieks, Actor/Filmmaker, Art Dealer & fmr. Pro Soccer Player "First of all, thank you for hosting the Film Financing seminar. Very, very informative. I hope you have another one very soon." — Richard Beaty, Writer/Producer/Director & Co-Owner, Cielo Azul Films "Just wanted to say 'thank you' for last night's IIFF meeting. […] The slides look great […]. I look forward to the next meeting." — Robert Pratten, Founder & Writer/Director, Zen Films "I'm a big fan of all you're doing with IIFF… very inspiring to filmmakers." — Thomas Mignone, Director/Writer, DOOM Incorporated "Thank you for hosting the [Workshop] last week. It was very informative and [the instructor] was spectacular. I learned a lot and met several fantastic people." — Lisa McTigue, Producer/Director, Three Masked Peeps Productions "Thank you for inviting us to present to your [FilmAngels] groups in both Palo Alto and San Francisco. The attendees were warm and educated investors. You've done a terrific job gathering people with a passion for film." — Julie Richardson, Managing Member, Genre Film Partners; Producer, COLLATERAL (Cruise, Foxx) Would you like to speak out? We want to hear from you! Send us your comments by email. |
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Copyright © 2008 Institute for Int'l Film Financing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
When & Where
Academy of Art University
466 Townsend Street
Room 225 - 2nd floor
San Francisco,
CA 94107
Thursday, December 18, 2008 from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM (PT)
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Hosted By
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, the Lower Midwest, the Southwest and the Great Lakes Region.
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.