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IIFF's Film Financing Workshop (April 2011) in Los Angeles:...

IIFF's Film Financing Workshop (April 2011) in Los Angeles: "The Universe of Film Finance: Everything from Equity & Debt to Soft Money & Beyond" with Peter Levitan, Esq.

Saturday, April 9, 2011 from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM (PT)

Los Angeles, CA


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Ticket Information

Ticket Type Sales End Price Fee Quantity
IIFF Member   more info Ended $170.00 $5.24
Non-member   more info Ended $195.00 $5.87
IIFF Member: Last minute   more info Ended $190.00 $5.74
Non-member: Last minute   more info Ended $215.00 $6.37
IIFF Member: On-site   more info Ended $220.00 $6.49
Non-member: On-site   more info Ended $245.00 $7.12
LAFSC Student or Alumnus   more info Ended $50.00 $2.24
Add: Bring a friend (limited availability)   more info Ended $150.00 $4.74
*** Associate Membership (1 yr) ***   more info Ended $99.00 $3.46
*** Full Membership (1 yr) ***   more info Ended $199.00 $5.97
Add: Attendee bio book for Members   more info Ended $10.00 $1.24
Add: Attendee bio book for Non-members   more info Ended $20.00 $1.49

Event Details

 
 
Visit IIFF at http://filmfinancing.org

IIFF/LA Film Financing Workshop with Attorney Peter Levitan

The Universe of Film Finance:
Everything You Always Wanted to Know

From Equity & Debt Financing to Soft Money & Beyond

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*** Don't miss other IIFF events in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Phoenix, Albuquerque, Seattle, Vancouver, New York and London ***

 
 
 

Abstract

"If there's some aspect of film financing you'd like to know more about, join us at this all-day marathon workshop."Peter Levitan

Our tour-de-force seminar covers everything from A to Z on film financing:

  • Why film formulas don't work;
  • Risk management and mitigation;
  • Selecting and setting up the right entity;
  • Equity, debt, studio and development financing;
  • Securities laws;
  • Negative pickups;
  • Presales;
  • Bank loans;
  • Completion bonds;
  • Mezzanine and gap financing;
  • Co-productions and co-financings;
  • "Soft money" incentives;
  • Microbudgeting and crowdfunding; as well as
  • Brand integration and branded entertainment.

By the end of the day, attendees will know how to get movies funded with confidence and competence!

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Featured Instructor

HeadshotThe Workshop will be taught by Peter Levitan, Esq. (LinkedIn profile | bio | website), a former studio and independent film executive who practices general entertainment law and specializes in motion picture finance.

He is the Principal of the Law Office of Peter Levitan in Sherman Oaks, CA and Adjunct Professor of Entertainment Financing at Loyola Law School. His clients have included major film studios and European film funds, mini-major production companies, and many other U.S. and overseas production companies and individual producers, writers and directors.

Before starting his own law practice, Peter served as Executive Vice President of Business and Legal Affairs at Intermedia Films and as Vice President of Legal Affairs at 20th Century Fox. Over a period of nearly 10 years, he handled numerous film financings including the largest such deal at the time.

Peter graduated from Columbia Law School. He is a member of the California and New York State bars. »

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Attendees

Who should attend?

Established and aspiring filmmakers looking to raise capital for their independent films, production companies, movie slates, film funds or other film-related ventures are well advised to participate in this high-value yet low-cost learning experience.

Entrepreneurs, consultants, attorneys, bankers, investment managers, venture capitalists, angel investors and other professionals with an interest in the business of film will also find the Workshop useful & worthwhile.

Why attend?

Whether you are new to the subject of film finance, need to brush up your relevant skills or want to deepen and expand your topical knowledge, this seminar is right for you!

Don't miss the rare opportunity to gain crucial insights from a top expert in his field. Connect with like-minded peers and potential collaborators in the process.

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Workshop Venue

L.A. Film Studies Center

5455 Wilshire Boulevard
Suite 1615 – 16th floor
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323) 965-2705

Map: Get a map of 5455 Wilshire Blvd from Ask, Bing, Google, MapQuest or Yahoo.

Directions: Find an overview of driving directions to 5455 Wilshire Blvd here.

Parking: $4 visitor parking (flat fee) is available in the building.

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Our Host

LogoThis Film Financing Workshop in Los Angeles is hosted by the L.A. Film Studies Center (LAFSC), an intensive semester program designed for final-semester seniors from colleges all over the U.S. who are completing film or communications degrees.

Special thanks for making this event possible go to Rebecca Ver Straten-McSparran, the Director of the L.A. Film Studies Center!

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Schedule

From To What
10:00 AM 10:30 AM Registration, Welcome & Networking (30 mins)
10:30 AM 12:30 PM Workshop Session I with Peter Levitan (2 hrs)
12:30 PM   1:30 PM Lunch & Networking Break (60 mins)
  1:30 PM   3:30 PM Workshop Session II with Peter Levitan (2 hrs)
  3:30 PM   4:00 PM Networking Break (30 mins)
  4:00 PM   6:00 PM Workshop Session III with Peter Levitan (2 hrs)
  6:00+ PM Community Time at Nearby Restaurant

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Program Details

Session I 

(2 hours) with Peter Levitan
  1. Why formulas don't work: Understanding chaos theory
  2. Risk management and mitigation
  3. Setting up: Choice of entity and standalone entities
  4. Overview of types of financing
    1. Equity
    2. Debt
    3. Studio
    4. Development deals
    5. Overhead deals
    6. "Soft money" incentive programs

Session II 

(2 hours) with Peter Levitan
  1. Equity financing
    1. Avoiding lawsuits: Securities laws, exemptions, investor documents and disclosures
    2. Division of proceeds
    3. Completion bonds
  2. Debt financing
    1. Distributor financing: Negative pickups, presales, bank loans and completion bonds
    2. Mezzanine and gap financing
  3. Studio financing
    1. PSAs and PFDs
    2. Co-productions and co-financings
  4. Development deals

Session III 

(2 hours) with Peter Levitan
  1. Overhead deals
    1. First-look and housekeeping deals
    2. Going public
  2. "Soft money" incentive programs
    1. Subsidy and lottery programs
    2. International co-productions
    3. National, state, provincial and foreign tax incentive programs
  3. Talent Deferments
  4. New Trends
    1. New technology and microbudgeting
    2. Crowdfunding
    3. Brand integration and branded entertainment

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Registration

Filmmaker-friendly affordable online registration is available at the top of this page.

Ticket type IIFF Member Non-member Registration deadline
Early bird $150 $175 3 weeks before event
Regular $170 $195 1 week before event
Last minute $190 $215 1 day before event
On-site (at the door) $220 $245 Day of event

Register now to secure the best available price!

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Need Help?

Direct all your questions and inquiries about this event to IIFF's online forum at http://forum.filmfinancing.org.

Having trouble with Eventbrite (this site), PayPal or Google Checkout? Get help in our online forum. You can also notify us by email well in advance of the event and register on-site.

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Speaker Bios

Peter Levitan, Esq.

HeadshotPeter Levitan is a veteran entertainment and general business attorney in Sherman Oaks, CA, specializing in entertainment financing. He has represented major film studios and European film funds, mini-major production companies, and numerous other U.S. and overseas production companies and individual producers, writers and directors.

After practicing in the corporate department at Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison in New York and the entertainment department at Loeb & Loeb in Los Angeles, Peter joined 20th Century Fox, where he oversaw the legal work on the studio's financings, in addition to various productions and special projects. While at Fox, he worked on over 40 films, including "Titanic," "X-Men" and "Independence Day," to name just a few. He also oversaw the largest film financing at the time, Fox's $1 billion securitized facility with Citibank, which involved coordinating the work of 35 law firms in 11 countries, and created a new model for film financing subsequently adopted by several other studios and mini-majors.

After Fox, Peter served as Executive Vice President for Business and Legal Affairs at Intermedia Films, where he worked on "Terminator 3," "K-19: The Widowmaker" and "K-PAX." Then he started his own practice in 2002.

Peter graduated from Columbia Law School, where he was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar, Notes Editor of the Journal of Art and the Law, and research assistant to Judge Jack B. Weinstein. He is a member of the California and New York State bars, the Executive Committee of the Entertainment Law Section of the Beverly Hills Bar Association, the Los Angeles County Bar Association (Intellectual Property & Entertainment Law Section), and the San Fernando Valley Bar Association (Intellectual Property, Entertainment Law & Internet Law Section).

His publications include "A Primer of Selected Copyright Concerns in Motion Picture Practice" (Clark Boardman Co. Ltd., 1990), "Financing Entertainment Industry Ventures" (Loyola Law School, 2006), "Protecting Film Industry Clients: When the Only Certainty is Uncertainty" (Valley Lawyer, 2009), and "Risk Management in Entertainment Financing: Do We Know What We Don't Know?" (Beverly Hills Bar Association, 2010).

Moreover, Peter is an adjunct professor at Loyola Law School, where he teaches a course on entertainment financing, covering the financing of film, television, music, theatre and new media, the first such course in an American law school. He has also taught classes on legal issues for writers at USC's Master of Professional Writing Program, and a series of California Bar-certified courses on comparative business law and ethics at the American Jewish University. »

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The Buzz

These quotes are samples of what past attendees say about IIFF events:

"Wow. Last night was great! I want to thank you again for the inspiring work you do. This is such a big need […] and you're truly doing the work of angels (literally and figuratively)." — Brant Smith, Producer, "Quality of Life"

"I really must say that I found all speakers very interesting, and I was hanging on their every word. IIFF, the mission and content, seems to be a good fit for me, because it is my dream to run a medium size production house. […] Thank you, BIG THANK YOU […], for inviting me to this very quality and important event." — John Henry, Owner, John Henry Filmworks

"Let me again say I think you did a great job putting yesterday's event together – great crowd, smart presentation, lots of enthusiasm." — David Rosen, Executive Producer/Convener, Digital Independence

"Wow! For such a moderate investment, so much information. So much good networking. I hope you are proud of the magic you've created with IIFF." — Kevin Morrison, Writer/Director/Producer of independent film & TV

"I just wanted to say thanks for another great and informative meeting. The speakers were impressive and I made some good contacts." — Jesse Ford, Founder & Executive Director, Group Hug Productions

"IIFF and FilmAngels has really impressed me so far with its focus on the independent film community. I've traveled and interacted with film organizations around the world […]." — Jin Woo Joo, Founder, Cinemasports

"Thanks so much for hosting such an interesting program last week. I am always inspired by the creativity, and most recently, by the commitment to 'a better world'. It keeps my cynic's heart at bay! [A]gain, my heartfelt thanks for your mission and execution. Well done!" — Teri Cundall, Founder & President, Propville.com

"The event was great, very helpful." — Marc Perez, Co-President & Founding Partner, Sirk Productions

"I greatly enjoyed attending last night's event and found it very informative - certainly something that's been missing in New York so far." — Michael Gunther, Director/Producer, Triboro Pictures

"Great presentation tonight. Lots of energetic discussions and questions." — Campbell Dalglish, Prof. of Screenwriting, MFA in Film & Video at CUNY

"Thanks so much for tonight's event. It was really inspiring and incredibly informative." — Elizabeth Foley, Founding Faculty Member, Producing Dep't at NYFA

"I enjoyed this evening's Townhall presentation and found it very informative." — William Doll, Writer/Director, World Stage Pictures

"Your Townhall mtg was stimulating. You managed to attract the right target audience, and I loved your choice of speakers." — Sandra Schulberg, Founder, Independent Feature Project (IFP)

"I attended the New York Townhall Meeting and just wanted to thank you for setting up such an informative colloquium. It was my first IIFF event and I look forward to attending more in the future." — Blythe Frank, Producer, "Kettle of Fish" (Michael Mailer Films)

"Thank you again for a wonderful event last night." — Morgan Pehme, Co-Founder & CEO, Merlion Entertainment

"I'm just writing […] pertaining to the IIFF meeting last night, which I found both entertaining and informative and also promising of great things to come from IIFF in the near future!" — Thomas Woodrow, Producer, Furnace Films

"I attended the IIFF Townhall last week in New York and came away impressed. Thank you for putting together such an excellent panel of speakers. I found [Thomas Trenker's] presentation especially useful. As a former quant at Putnam Investments, I tend to dig into the numbers and [Mr. Trenker's] analysis was illuminating." — Robert Milacci, Executive Producer, Sinestra Pictures

"I very much enjoyed the seminar last Saturday in Stowe, VT. It was a lot of driving in one day (3.25 hrs. each way…), but worth it. […] Thanks again for a very enlightening day." — Marjorie Short, Oscar-nominated Writer/Producer/Director, Short Productions

"Just a note to say Larry Meistrich had a good time last night and was impressed with the quality of the group." — Jeff Silverstein, President of NEHST Access + Learning, NEHST Studios

"As it turns out, my producing partner [producer/director Leszek Burzynski] attended your IIFF meeting in Santa Monica on July 16. He was quite impressed with the presentations." — Terrance Sweeney, Partner & Producer, Winning Team Studios

"I just wanted to say thanks again for putting on such a great forum last night. […] I really enjoyed the occasion and especially the presentations. They were extremely relevant and really strong, credible presenters." — Gordon Clark, CEO, The Movie Portfolio Fund

"First, I wanted to say how much I really enjoyed your premier IIFF/LA seminar…!" — Frank Sacks, Founder & Principal, The Frank Sacks Company

"I had a very enjoyable experience. The seminar was extremely professional and well put together." — Adam Tantleff, Founder, President & Executive Producer, Sinestra Pictures

"THANKS […] There are no organizations or groups that I have come across that are doing what you and FilmAngels are doing." — J. Martin, Co-Owner, 24 Bros Entertainment

"I cannot express enough gratitude toward the great job that you are doing to help talented filmmakers realize their dreams. God bless you!" — Mara Vardanyan, Producer, Roman Pictures

"Your seminars are FIRST RATE!" — Rowan Joseph, President, Greenwood Hill Productions

"Thanks for organizing a great event. I thought it was a very interesting group of speakers." — Tricia van Klaveren, Producer/Exec. Producer & Principal, Fully Loaded Pictures

"[T]hank you for a terrific meeting last night…" — Greg Lejnieks, Actor/Filmmaker, Art Dealer & fmr. Pro Soccer Player

"First of all, thank you for hosting the Film Financing seminar. Very, very informative. I hope you have another one very soon." — Richard Beaty, Writer/Producer/Director & Co-Owner, Cielo Azul Films

"Just wanted to say 'thank you' for last night's IIFF meeting. […] The slides look great […]. I look forward to the next meeting." — Robert Pratten, Founder & Writer/Director, Zen Films

"I'm a big fan of all you're doing with IIFF… very inspiring to filmmakers." — Thomas Mignone, Director/Writer, DOOM Incorporated

"Thank you for hosting the [Workshop] last week. It was very informative and [the instructor] was spectacular. I learned a lot and met several fantastic people." — Lisa McTigue, Producer/Director, Three Masked Peeps Productions

"Thank you for inviting us to present to your [FilmAngels] groups in both Palo Alto and San Francisco. The attendees were warm and educated investors. You've done a terrific job gathering people with a passion for film." — Julie Richardson, Producer, "Collateral" (Tom Cruise, Jamie Foxx)

"It was another great event and I appreciate all your work […]. Thank you." — Paul Oja, Writer/Director, "Bus Trip"

"I must thank you for sending [Workshop instructor] Dr. Patrick O'Heffernan down to Los Angeles last month. It was the best $200 I have ever spent on a seminar. [S]ince Patrick has both raised money and invested money, his perspective was simply invaluable!!!" — Rosser Goodman, Director, KGB Films

"You assembled an impressive group of speakers (and characters). […] I think we share a strong desire to help filmmakers." — Darren Ehlers, COO, Scenechronize

"First, I simply must say what an amazingly informative session it was and well carried out by [Workshop instructor] Tricia van Klaveren and her guest speakers. It packed a memorable punch. […] I had never heard of IIFF previously and now look forward to more of the same from you guys." — Teo, CEO, Cool Room Entertainment

"I really enjoyed [Kaiser Wahab's] class. A great value. Thank you for sharing your knowledge." — Bob Rudis, Director of Photography & President, Tubular, Inc.

Speak out, we want to hear from you! Send us your comments by email.

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  Workshop contents are Copyright © 2011 Peter Levitan & Thomas Trenker. All other content is Copyright © 2011 Institute for Int'l Film Financing (IIFF). All rights reserved.  
 

When

Saturday, April 9, 2011 from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM (PT)

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Where

L.A. Film Studies Center
5455 Wilshire Boulevard
Suite 1615
Los Angeles, CA 90036




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Hosted By

IIFF Greater Los Angeles

The Institute for International Film Financing (IIFF) is an innovative, independent social-impact organization that endeavors to bridge the gap between the worlds of filmmaking and finance for the benefit of all stakeholders – including the public at large.

Founded by Thomas Trenker in 2003 and headquartered in San Francisco, IIFF has chapters in the Bay Area, New York City, New England, Florida, Los Angeles, Washington, DC, London, the Pacific Northwest, the Lower Midwest, the Southwest and the Great Lakes Region.

Help launch or run an IIFF chapter in your area! We make it easy and worthwhile. Email the chapter development team and tell us about yourself. Or join our online community at http://forum.filmfinancing.org to keep in touch with a growing number of filmmakers and financiers.

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