IIFF Pacific Northwest Film Financing Townhall in Vancouver (October 2010): Networking & Education for Filmmakers & Financiers

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Expect a program of speakers and topics that meets or exceeds the high standards set by past Film Financing Townhalls in the Pacific Northwest region (e.g., IIFF's August '10 Townhall in Vancouver or IIFF's June '10 Townhall in Seattle).

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*** Don't miss upcoming film financing events in Vancouver, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Kansas City and New York ***

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Speaker Bios & Topics

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1) "Market Driven Financing: What Are Film Distributors & TV Networks Looking for?" -- by Matthew O'Connor, prolific film/TV producer & partner in production & financing company Reunion Pictures; produced $1.5B+ worth of projects; founded Pacific Motion Pictures (now part of Sextant Entertainment), one of Canada's largest movie companies, producing 80+ films; made 100+ hours of long-form TV, garnering multiple Emmy, Golden Globe, Genie & Gemini nominations; won Peabody for "The Baby Dance" & Gemini for "100 Days in the Jungle"; produced numerous movies for major studios, incl. Genie winner "Magic in the Water" (Mark Harmon); etc. 

2) "Interim Financing for Film: How to Use Tax Credits, Pre-Sales & Other Collateral" -- by Ross Mrazek, seasoned finance professional with 15 years experience; Managing Director at independent capital & advisory firm Media Capital Group (MCG), specializing in tailored financing solutions for movies, TV, animation & media; prior to MCG, led entertainment financing team at investment bank CIBC World Markets, sourcing, underwriting & managing entertainment loans throughout North America; previously managed subordinated debt & venture loan portfolio in media & technology sector; etc. 

3) "Crowd Funding: Viable Funding Source for Indie Films or Just a Fad?" -- by David Geertz, Founder at SoKap Community Networks, provider of fundraising, distribution & audience-building tools for "people with big ideas"; current focus on next-generation crowdfunding & crowdsourcing platform that enables fundraising & risk mitigation for all involved; previously worked in all aspects of media production, post production & delivery; former Partner at DVD authoring, replication & packaging house Pixel Toys, early adopters of DVD multipacks; created specialty horror brand "Modern Evil" at film company Mighty Empire Entertainment; etc. 

4) "Product Placement: What It Can & Can't Do for Your Budget & Production" -- by Real Joynt, product placement maven who successfully negotiated many such deals over past decade; background in music, advertising & product licensing gives him unique insights into still under-explored niche of product placement in films & TV programs; etc. 

5) "Social Media at Your Finger Tips: How Content Creators & Investors Stand to Benefit" -- by Julien Emery, strategist with interactive agency Invoke Media, masterminds behind social-media sensation HootSuite (multi-platform dashboard for branding & outreach via social networks), which has attracted 800K+ users incl. White House, New York Times, Martha Stewart, Dolly Parton & Mashable & is growing rapidly; helps clients such as indie filmmakers build social media into business plans to attract financing & reach other goals; etc. 

6) "3D & Film Financing: What Attracts Investors in Today's Financial Climate?" -- by Ned Goodhue, former hedge fund manager, investment banker & finance educator turned independent filmmaker; previously worked as VP at Citibank & ran Bermuda-based hedge fund; also taught finance at Harvard Business School & international finance at INSEAD; lifelong passion for movies led him to found False Creek Productions, pioneers of 3D filmmaking in Vancouver; co-authored upcoming book "Fundamentals of 3D Filmmaking," designed as textbook for film schools & industry professionals; etc.