Executives from Alamo Drafthouse, Disney, Filmnation, History Channel, Intel, Lifetime, Neon, Picturestart, Verizon Media, Wattpad and More Join American Film Market® Speaker Lineup
Los Angeles, CA – October 21, 2019 – The American Film Market (AFM®) announced today more confirmed speakers for this year’s Conferences and programming which runs alongside the AFM’s marketplace and industry screenings. Over six days, more than 150 thought leaders, decision-makers and experts will discuss topics and issues most relevant to global filmmakers across three dedicated stages. This year’s market takes place November 6 – 13 in Santa Monica and marks its 40th edition.
The AFM Conferences will kick off on Friday, November 8 on the AFM main stage at the Fairmont Hotel. Highlights include:
The opening Conference will feature Breaking the Mold: The Innovators bringing together Erik Feig, CEO, Picturestart, Tim League, Founder, Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, and Aron Levitz, Head of Wattpad Studios, and Tom Quinn, Founder & CEO, NEON.
As part of its new Television Conference, network executives including Disney’s VP of Original Programming, Lauren Kisilevsky, the History Channel’s VP of Development and Programming, Mike Stiller, and Lifetime Original Movie’s Vice President of Programming, Tia Maggini will take the stage to present their feature-length programming needs and priorities.
The Producing for the International Pre-sales Marketplace panel featuring Miranda Bailey, CEO, Cold Iron Pictures, Sherryl Clark, President, Production, The H Collective, Mark Gooder, Co-President, Cornerstone Films and Nat McCormick, EVP, Worldwide Distribution, The Exchange.
Producer Effie Brown will join AFM’s popular Pitch Conference as a panelist and advisor.
New speakers for the Immersive Summit presented by Winston Baker include Rick Hack, Head of Media & Entertainment Partnerships, Intel Studios, Laura Hertzfeld, Director of XR Partnerships, Verizon Media’s Yahoo! News, Randal Kleiser, Film Director, and Lauren Xandra, Director of Strategic Initiatives, National Research Group.
In addition, the AFM’s Palisades Stage at the Loews Hotel will host Roundtables and Presentations exploring specialized and timely issues. Highlights include:
- Audiences Want More: Bringing Diverse Projects to the Marketplace – presented in partnership with ReFrame and featuring Glen Basner, CEO, FilmNation, Producers Zanne Devine and Cassian Elwes, and Monica Levinson, President of Production, ShivHans Pictures.
- Seizing the Moment: Producing LGBTQ Content in a Time of Unprecedented Visibility – presented in partnership with Outfest and featuring River Gallo, Writer/Director/Star, Ponyboi, Stephen Kelliher, Director, Sales & Marketing, Bankside Films, Keya Khayatian, Partner, United Talent Agency, LaShawn McGhee, Co-Founder & CPO, Revry, and Valerie Stadler Big Swing Productions & Outfest Board of Directors.
- Distributing & Monetizing Feature Documentaries with Josh Braun, Co-President, Submarine Entertainment, Alexandra Johnes, Producer, Very Special Projects, Melanie Miller, Co-Founder/Producer, Fishbowl Films, and Evan Saxon, Head of West Coast Acquisitions and Business Development, Abramorama.
- Respecting the Genre: Why Some Horror Films Work While Others Don’t with Roxanne Benjamin, Producer, V/H/S, Southbound, Patrick Ewald, CEO, Epic Pictures, and Natalie Metzger, VP, Development & Production, Vanishing Angle.
- Shooting Intimate Scenes – with Amanda Blumenthal, Intimacy Coordinator, Euphoria, The L Word: Generation Q, Penny Dreadful: City of Angels and Founder of Intimacy Professionals Association.
The full list of 2019 speakers announced to date are:
| Adam Lewinson, Tubi TV Alexandra Jones, Very Special Projects Alex Ferrari, Indie Film Hustle Alysa Nahmias, Ajna Films Amanda Blumenthal, Intimacy Professionals Association Amanda Marshall, Cold Iron Pictures Anthony Layser, Xumo Arjun Mendhi, MTonomy Baba Uppal, Secret Location Barbara Mudge, Worldwide Film Entertainment Benjamin Wiessner, Producer Brad Krevoy, Motion Picture Corporation of America Bruce Eisen, Digital Advisors Cassian Elwes, Producer Clay Epstein, Film Mode Entertainment Colin McCormack, SAGIndie Cynthia Tollett, DGA Darren Ehlers, Entertainment Partners David Offenberg, Loyola Marymount David White, SHIFT72 Denise Denson, MTonomy Dr. Patrice Poujol, Lumiere Effie Brown, Producer Emmanuel Itier, The Wonderland Group Erik Feig, Picturestart Eunice Shin, PROPHET Evan Saxon, Abramorama Floris Bauer, Gunpowder & Sky George Campanellas, Invest Cyprus Glen Basner, FilmNation Gregg Schwenk, Newport Beach Film Festival Heather Rae, Iron Circles Pictures Illya Szilak, Cloudred Ivo Felt, Allfilm Jānis Kalējs, Producer Jason M. Berman, Mandalay Pictures Jeff Shultz, Chief Business Officer, Pluto TV Jennifer Chavarria, Kite & Lightning Joanelle Romero, Red Nation Celebration Institute John Hadity, EP Financial Solutions John Zois, Anton Jordana Mollick, Semi-Formal Productions Josh Braun, Submarine Entertainment Joy Ganes, Producer Julian Franco, Vudu Karen Robson, Pryor Cashman LLP Katherine MacDonald, Paramount Pictures Katya Mtsitouridze, ROSKINO Kayvan Mashayekh, Producers Without Borders Keya Khayatian, United Talent Agency LaShawn McGhee, Revry |
Laura Hertzfeld, Verizon Media’s Yahoo! News Lauren Kisilevsky, The Disney Channel Lauren Xandra, National Research Group Lee Jessup, lessjessup.com Linda Nelson, IndieRights Lise Anderson, WGAW Manuel Badel, Badel Media Mark Gooder, Cornerstone Films Marko Post, VFX Specialist Megan Gilbride, Producer Melanie Miller, Fishbowl Films Michalis P. Michael, Invest Cyprus Mike Stiller, History Channel Miranda Bailey, Cold Iron Pictures Monica Levinson, ShivHans Pictures Myfa Cirinna, Entertainment Partners Nat McCormick, The Exchange Natalie Metzger, Vanishing Angle Patrick Ewald, Epic Pictures Paul Audley, FilmLA Paul Bales, The Asylum Paul Hertzberg, CineTel Films, Inc. Pierre David, ReelOne/Lance Entertainment Pilar Alessandra, On the Page Randal Kleiser, Randal Kleiser Productions Randi Feldman, Cinema Workshops Richard Botto, Stage 32 Rick Hack, Intel Studios River Gallo, Ponyboi Roxanne Benjamin, Producer Russell Schwartz, Pandemic Marketing Group Ryan Koo, No Film School Shaked Berenson, Entertainment Squad Sherryl Clark, The H Collective Sr. Rose Pacatte, Pauline Center for Media Studies Stephen Kelliher, Bankside Films Steve Nicholaides, Producer Steven Wolfson, UCLA Suzy Sammons, The Giving Company Tanel Toom, Director Ted Schilowitz, Paramount Pictures Tia Maggini, Lifetime Network Tim League, Alamo Drafthouse Tobin Armbrust, Virgin Produced Tom Quinn, NEON Tony Vassiliadis, MarVista Entertainment Trevor Crafts, Macrocosm Valerie Stadler, Big Swing Productions / Outfest William Bibbiani, Bloody Disgusting Zanne Devine, Producer |
View the full programming lineup for AFM 2019. For badge and ticket information, please visit the AFM website.
###About the American Film Market®
The American Film Market is the most efficient film acquisition, development and networking event in the world. Unlike a festival, AFM is a marketplace where production and distribution deals are closed. More than US$1 billion in deals are sealed every year – on both completed films and those in every stage of development and production.
Over 7,000 industry professionals from more than 70 countries converge in Santa Monica every November. They include acquisition and development executives, agents, attorneys, directors, distributors, festival directors, financiers, film commissioners, producers, writers, the world’s press and all those who provide services to the motion picture industry.
At AFM, participants can discover the entire global catalogue of available films and projects, attend 50+ best-in-class class conferences, summits, roundtables and presentations, and connect with the independent film community’s decision makers, all in one convenient location without the distraction of a film festival.
About the Independent Film & Television Alliance®
The Independent Film & Television Alliance (IFTA®) is the global trade association of the independent motion picture and television programming industry. Headquartered in Los Angeles, IFTA represents and provides significant entertainment industry services to more than 140 Member companies in 23 countries, consisting of independent production and distribution companies, sales agents, and financial institutions engaged in production finance. Collectively, IFTA Members produce more than 500 independent films and countless hours of television programming each year, generating more than $5 billion in distribution revenues annually. For more information on IFTA, please visit www.IFTA-online.org.
About Winston Baker:
Co-Founded by Katherine Winston and Amy Baker, Winston Baker is the leading producer of entertainment conferences worldwide addressing finance, innovation and growth. Winston Baker has been successfully organizing educational events globally since 2008 in cities such as Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Menlo Park, Cannes, Zurich, Shanghai, Beijing, Los Cabos, Rio de Janeiro, Toronto, Moscow and Singapore. Winston Baker’s conference series includes the CONFLUENCE SUMMIT, FILM FINANCE FORUM, IMMERSIVE SUMMIT, and MUSIC FINANCE FORUM. For more information, visit www.WinstonBaker.com.
Media Contact:
Jennifer Garnick, VP Communications
jgarnick@ifta-online.org | 310.446.1006
