One of favorite film writers and critics, David Ansen of Newsweek, has an article up declaring "THE END OF THE DOCUMENTARY FILM MARKET". Lord-eye-lou, really? Isn't that soooo 2007? "(After the success of docs in 2003-2005), (d)istributors gobbled up docs...

Lots of chatter this week about the dire straits of indie film, so it was refreshing to be contacted by IFC Media Lab Studios, who want to cultivate new talent through contests and development deals. From their website: Media Lab Studios, an independent film studio focusing on web and on-air content development and financing, is offering [...]

Each June, The Media That Matters Film Festival selects a group of 12 shorts by independent filmmakers designed to spark action and debate in twelve minutes or less. Unlike other festivals, MTM works to promote its selections year-round through online streaming, broadcasts and community screenings.

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In 2007, an article in the New York Times hailed Phnom Penh, the capital city of Cambodia, as “the next Prague.” Soon thereafter, every footloose hipster in the West seemed to home in on the place. But the city they found was a far cry from “the next Prague.” It is still too alien to most Western sensibilities, and it is at times dismayingly dark, violent, and desperate.

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While vampires made a big splash at this year's Tribeca Film Festival, a documentary about a son of Transylvania carved out a decidedly different niche for itself.

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A recent BBC news story, “Google must divulge YouTube log,” reports on the latest phase in the Viacom case against Google’s YouTube: A U.S. court ordered Google to disclose the viewing logs of each and every YouTube user. This gives Viacom access to over 12 terabytes of data so they can prove their dubious claim [...]

Visit the Kino-Eye.com web site for the full article and more.

Domestic & International Film Financing Tutorial
June 18 & 19 from 6-10 pm BOTH NIGHTS
Location: 93 Border Street, West Newton MA 02465
(The NEW temporary space of the Center for Independent Documentary and the Filmmakers Workshop)

This tutorial will be taught by Sandra Schulberg (sschulberg@aol.com), one of the pioneers of international financing for independent movies. Ms. Schulberg has been active in raising money for independent productions and nurturing indie filmmakers for more than 20 years. From 1998 to 2001, Ms. Schulberg worked as Executive Producer for the private German media fund, Hollywood Partners, and structured its financing in a slate of films (including the Oscar-nominated movie QUILLS, starring Geoffrey Rush and Kate Winslet), all of which involved multiple international production partners. From 1989 to 1996, she served as a senior executive of "American Playhouse," the PBS drama series, charged with raising funds from abroad. During the last three years, she served as Senior Vice President of its movie production subsidiary, Playhouse International Pictures. Her production credits include SHADOW MAGIC, UNDISPUTED, THE LAST YELLOW, WAITING FOR THE MOON (Sundance Grand Prize winner), I'LL TAKE YOU THERE, SHIMMER, ROOSTERS, WILDROSE, BELIZAIRE THE CAJUN, NORTHERN LIGHTS, ALAMBRISTA. Additionally, she was involved in the financing and marketing of more than a dozen Playhouse films, including SAFE, I SHOT ANDY WARHOLL, ANGELS & INSECTS, THE MUSIC OF CHANCE, AMATEUR, SIMPLE MEN, etc., and she helped Barbara Kopple to raising finishing funds for her non-fiction feature, MY GENERATION. She has been a key figure in helping to create worldwide markets for independent films as founder and former president of the Independent Feature Project (IFP) and as creator of the IFP Market. In 1980, Ms. Schulberg co-founded the niche film distribution company, First Run Features, which is also still operating today. She was one of the first nominators to the Sundance Institute's Filmmakers Lab, and served on the Sundance Festival Advisory Committee for 5 years. She also served on the Board of ITVS (Independent Television Service) for 3 years, during which it created a new world affairs satellite channel, Link-TV, in cooperation with Internews. She served as a founding director of the New York Documentary Center and its Docfest film festival. In 1994, Ms. Schulberg received the IFP Spirit Award for her contributions to independent cinema. Her movies have been showcased and have won awards at film festivals throughout the world. She does a limited amount of private consulting to assist both experienced and fledgling producers.


Session I: Domestic Film Financing

Combining For-Profit and Nonprofit Monies
▪ How a movie qualifies for tax-deductible contributions
▪ Understanding the notion of "mission" under non-profit law
▪ Appropriate use of a fiscal agent
▪ Obtaining a PRI, a Program-Related Investment, from a foundation
▪ Development loans from private individuals
Key Elements of a U.S. Investor Offering
▪ Determining the right financial instrument and when to form it
▪ What your offering plan tells investors
▪ Synopsis
▪ Cast/Crew Bios
▪ Chain of Title
▪ Summary of Talent Agreements (producer/writer/director)
▪ Production Budget & Schedule
▪ Financing Plan
▪ Deal Structure (description of investment units for sale and ROI)
▪ Marketing & Distribution Plan
▪ Risk Factors & Disclaimers
Session II: Foreign Film Financing
International Co-Production
▪ Official "treaty" co-productions
▪ Non-treaty co-financing
▪ Tax-driven funds
▪ Regional economic funds
▪ The key Co-Production Markets
Foreign Sales & Distribution
▪ Principles of pre-sale financing
▪ Selecting and contracting with a foreign sales company
▪ Structuring foreign sales and foreign distribution agreements
▪ The role of collection agencies

Session III: Project-specific guidance from Sandra Schulberg
During the final session, on the second night, Ms. Schulberg provides specific financing guidance for each participant's current feature project (whether fiction or non-fiction), applying her sense of the domestic and international opportunities and illustrating how they might be combined where appropriate. This aspect of the Tutorial has proved to be extremely useful and popular. It is conducted publicly, so each participant gets customized guidance but also learns from the discussion of the other projects.



REGISTRATION BY POSTAL MAIL:

Domestic and International Film Financing Tutorial
June 18 and 19 from 6-10pm both nights

Please fill out the form carefully and make sure your phone number and e-mail are correct, it is very important that we be able to contact you.
First Name
Last Name
Company or Organization
Email
Phone
Address
City, State
Zip
What is your primary role? (Producer, Director, editor etc….)

Are you a member of any of these organizations? (check all that apply) If so, you receive the discounted registration price ($40)
( ) Center for Independent Documentary (CID)
( ) MPC (Massachusetts Production Coalition)
( ) AIMM*
If you checked AIMM, specify which AIMM member:

*AIMM consists of Filmmakers Collaborative, Center for Independent Documentary, Central Productions, The Color of Film Collaborative, the LEF Foundation and WGBH Boston Media Productions. If you are a producer with CID, simply check the CID box above.

Registration fees:

$60 (regular)
$40 (discounted- member of one of the sponsoring organizations)
Please return this form along with your check payable to:
THE CENTER FOR INDEPENDENT DOCUMENTARY
And mail to:
680 South Main Street
Sharon, MA 02067

THIS WORKSHOP IS MADE POSSIBLE IN PART BY SUPPORT FROM: