SCENEPR Media Network scenepr.groupsite.com

SCENEPR presents Film & Finance Forum
Thursday, 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.

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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.

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

Mark E. Downie is an indie film producer & TV prod/writer with a comprehensive finance network & expertise in media & marketing consulting.

Currently, he's in financing discussions for films on which he & his partner, multi-award winning playwright & TV/screenwriter Joshua Scher & their Paradigm Shift Productions (PSP); as well as financing negotiations for features & docs from Danny Glover's prod co, Louverture Films. Highlights from PSP's slate incl David Grubin's classical & rock musical romance "Russian Blue" to be produced with Oscar-winning Michael Hausman, slated to star Jeremy Irons. Louverture's slate incl: historical action epic "Toussaint" to star Don Cheadle; coming-of-age drama "Tropic of Angels," slated to star Martin Sheen. Downie is exec producing Louverture's celebrity music-driven doc, "Soundtrack for a Revolution," in production.

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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

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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.

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Anna Wilding
Producer & Director

Movie investing is high risk, and like horse racing, highly speculative.The major majority of feature film investors do not make a return on their investment so why do investors invest?

Anna examines why investors make the choice to invest in smaller mainstream Independent film over large studio blockbusters, the realities of the business from both an investing, production and exhibiting standpoint and the myriad of problems that can face productions, large and small during filming. It also discusses things to watch for as an investor from a legal standpoint, including the ability of a project to be insured. We look at what investors need to be prepared for in the distribution theatrical/exhibition chain, and the realities of sell through in all other markets, DVD, Cable, TV, internet in today's new marketplace."

Anna Wilding is the actress,producer and director about whom movie Director Richard Franklin once said in Cannes with humor "I need an entire address book for you Anna".

Anna completed the indie feature film Buddha Wild (releasing 2006 and 2007), as Narrator/Presenter and Director, Writer and Producer. Her additional responsibilities also included cinematography. The film releasing in Los Angeles, NZ and elsewhere earned Critics Pic in the LA Weekly and was on the Academy eligibility list for 2007 in General Catagories.

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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