How to Make Money With an Indie Film
Indie filmmaking is a very challenging business. But with all of the challenges there are still effective ways to make money with an indie film. Jeff Deverett will share his experiences on how he has successfully financed, produced, and distributed nine indie feature films, three for Netflix, as well as a realistic outlook for the future of indie filmmaking.
Moderator:
Jeff Deverett, President, Deverett Media Group
Panelists:
Ryann Rosenstein, Marketing Director, Deverett Media Group
Adam Lacy, Producer, Healing Humanity Movie
Khoa D. Le, Founder & CEO, Sutudu.TV
Allison Yazdian, CEO, Unscreen
Presented by Deverett Media Group
Speakers
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Jeff DeverettPresident, Deverett Media GroupJeff has independently financed and produced nine feature films, three of which were picked up by Netflix for worldwide distribution. Jeff co-wrote and directed five of these movies and won the Best Director Award for his movie GOD INCORPORATED at the Chandler International Film Festival.
Jeff is a Professor in the FILM/TV department at SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY and at UCLA Extension where he teaches courses on film financing, budgeting, scheduling, distribution, marketing, and tax credits.
Jeff is the founder & CEO of THE INDIE FILM COMMUNITY, an information & consulting platform designed to assist filmmakers in financing, production, distribution & marketing.
Between filmmaking, teaching, and consulting, Jeff hosts a weekly podcast entitled INDIE FILMMAKING / TRUTH & REALITY wherein he presents and discusses all aspects of the indie film business with informative guests that include Distributors, Financiers, Filmmakers, and many more.
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Ryann RosensteinMarketing Director, Deverett Media GroupRyann Rosenstein is the Marketing Manager at Deverett Media Group, where she leads promotional strategy for independent film releases. She played a key role in the marketing campaign for the documentary “Healing Humanity,” building the film’s audience through targeted outreach, partnerships, and platform strategy that helped drive social engagement and presales ahead of its release. Her work sits at the intersection of storytelling and audience engagement, with a focus on getting films in front of the people who need to see them. Based in San Diego, Ryann brings a background in production to her marketing work at the company.
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Adam LacyProducer, Healing Humanity MovieAdam Lacy is co-director, producer, and director of photography on Healing Humanity, a feature documentary that bypassed traditional distribution and reaches audiences directly through a filmmaker-led streaming platform. Lacy helped assemble the team and brought in the brand sponsorship and nonprofit partnerships behind the film’s release. He came to the project after more than a decade as a photojournalist for three international wire services, with work in Sports Illustrated and ESPN, and years spent building his own health-media audience as a Nutrition Network practitioner. He also runs a photography business photographing some 20,000 subjects a year.
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Khoa D. LeFounder & CEO, Sutudu.TVKhoa D. Le is founder and CEO of Sutudu.TV, leading a dedicated team of 18 helping filmmakers launch films, build audiences, and unlock revenue opportunities. Through Sutudu Cinema, theatrical distribution, and the Sutudu.TV app, Sutudu combines distribution with brand strategy and social marketing. Its social team brings experience generating over 4 billion views, while Sutudu’s marketing generated over 25 million views in just six months. By lowering barriers to entry, Sutudu helps filmmakers position their work for growth. At AFM, the team is building partnerships and developing new monetization models to turn audience engagement into revenue and sustainable careers for filmmakers.
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Allison YazdianCEO, UscreenAllison Yazdian is the CEO of Uscreen, the leading video monetization and OTT platform empowering creators and independent video businesses to own their audience, scale their impact, and grow sustainable revenue.
Uscreen provides the tools, infrastructure, and expertise creators need to build and scale fully branded mobile and TV membership apps, complete with robust video catalogs, built-in CRM, live streaming, and community features. Trusted by top creators, media companies, and digital brands, Uscreen powers tens of millions of viewers worldwide.
A seasoned growth leader with experience at LTK and Compass, Allison brings deep expertise in the creator economy and scaling digital platforms. She also advises early-stage companies and investors on growth strategies and business model innovation.”