Finance I: Where The Money Is In the New Global Screen Economy
In an increasingly selective and risk-conscious marketplace, what does it take to get an independent film financed today? Leading voices from across the film finance landscape come together for a high-level conversation on the state of the market, how financing is coming together across different budgets and distribution models, what is driving investment decisions, where financiers see risk and opportunity — and whether raising capital for independent film is likely to get any easier.
Moderator:
Adrian Ward, CEO, 1919 Film Finance, LLC
Speakers:
Ryan Webb, Partner, Greenberg Glusker LLP
Miguel Palos Jr., Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder, AGC Studios
Cory Lynch, Partner and EVP, Manifest Pictures
George Hamilton, Chief Commercial Officer, Protagonist Pictures Limited
Speakers
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Adrian WardChief Executive Officer, 1919 Film FinanceA pioneering entertainment lender with over 35 years experience, responsible for funding over 650 independent film/TV projects. After 15 years at The Lewis Horwitz Organization, launched successful entertainment lending divisions at several SoCal banks and most recently served as President of Cast & Crew’s Financial Services division. Drawing on decades of experience, 1919 Film Finance looks to represent content creators, lenders and other institutions as they navigate the financial path to success.
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Cory LynchPartner and EVP, Manifest PicturesCory Lynch is a Partner and EVP at Manifest Pictures, where she oversees finance, operations and deal strategy for the company’s slate. Lynch built Manifest’s financial and operational infrastructure from the ground up. Before launching the company, she ran FP&A and operations for WME Independent, the agency’s global film financing and sales arm, and was across more than 50 projects annually. Previously, she was Director of Finance at MGM, overseeing the studio’s worldwide licensing revenue for both film and television. Lynch began her career in financial services at AIG and Boston Partners Financial Group.
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George HamiltonChief Commercial Officer at Protagonist PicturesGeorge Hamilton is Chief Commercial Officer at Protagonist Pictures, the leading independent sales, finance and production company. He specialises in film financing, and sales, working closely with filmmakers, producers and financiers to help structure and package projects and securing greenlight.
He has been instrumental in the sales and/or financing of more than 30 feature films, including Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist, which won three Academy Awards, three Golden Globes, and three BAFTAs; Nora Fingscheidt’s The Outrun, starring Saoirse Ronan, which premiered at Sundance and Berlin, Temple Hill’s Clown in a Cornfield, The Rule of Three and Follow Mode, Plan B’s H Is for Hawk starring Claire Foy, and Protagonist’s first in-house production, The Man in My Basement.
Recent projects include Babak Anvari’s Last Flight, starring Benedict Cumberbatch; The Worst, starring Keira Knightley and Alicia Vikander; The Return of Stanley Atwell, starring Nicholas Galitzine, Ella Purnell and Damian Lewis; The Night House, starring Jacob Tremblay and Aaron Paul; and Ben Leonberg’s Follow Mode.
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Miguel Palos Jr.Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder, AGC Studios -
Ryan WebbPartner, Greenberg Glusker LLPRyan Webb is a Partner in Greenberg Glusker’s Entertainment Group and a trusted advisor known for structuring highly complex deals that reflect the evolving needs of the entertainment industry. Recognized by Variety as a top dealmaker, Ryan represents production companies, financiers, authors, rightsholders, established writers, directors, actors, producers, musicians, and emerging talent and influencers. His practice includes structuring single-picture and slate financing and distribution arrangements for independent filmmakers, and he brings a creative, business-forward approach to helping clients navigate financing, recoupment, and the rapidly changing media landscape.
