For immediate release Contact: Pahl Shipley, NM Film Office
May 27, 2010 (505) 476-5613
Governor Bill Richardson Announces Inaugural Conference on Film Financing and Distribution for
New Mexico Filmmakers
Experts will discuss current trends and developments in financing and distributing small films
SANTA FE- Governor Bill Richardson today announced that the New Mexico Film Office will present a two-day conference designed to educate local filmmakers on how to obtain financing and distribution for small films. The conference will take place Friday, June 11 and Saturday, June 12 at the National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque. It will feature panels and discussions led by experts and seasoned film industry professionals. The events are free and open to the public, however because space is limited those wishing to attend must register in advance.
"The primary focus of our film program is to provide jobs, opportunity, and support for New Mexico filmmakers," said Governor Richardson. "This conference will offer critical information and advice to those trying to find a way to make and distribute their small films. It is one more way we are making the film industry work for New Mexicans."
Friday afternoon programs will run from 2:00 p.m. until 5 p.m. and will include panel discussions focused on "How to Maximize Your New Mexico Film Incentives." These will be followed by discussions about the New Mexico film Loan Program, the Film Crew Advancement Program, and the wide variety of services offered through the New Mexico Filmmakers Program.
Saturday's sessions will run from 9:00 a.m. until 6 p.m. and will focus on topics like general film financing, creative financing for indie filmmakers, and new distribution platforms. There will also be a session on pitching films.
"Understanding how to navigate the complicated world of film financing and distribution will better equip New Mexico filmmakers to find opportunities and compete on a local, national, and even global scale," said Lisa Strout, Director of the New Mexico Film Office.
Those wishing to attend must register in advance by phone or email, and must provide the following information:
· Name and title (or area of interest, such as "producer" or "aspiring director"),
· Phone number and email address, and
· Days that you will be attending (Friday, Saturday, or both).
To register call (505) 476-5671 or email filmmakers.nm@gmail.com.
Below are the bios of several of the panelists participating in the conference:
PETER BRODERICK
Peter Broderick is President of Paradigm Consulting, which helps filmmakers and media companies develop strategies to maximize distribution, audiences, and revenues. In addition to advising on sales and marketing, Paradigm Consulting specializes in state-of-the-art distribution techniques—including innovative theatrical service deals, hybrid video strategies (mixing retail and direct sales online), and new approaches to global distribution.
Broderick was President of Next Wave Films, which supplied finishing funds and other vital support to filmmakers from the US and abroad. He helped launch the careers of such exceptionally talented directors as Christopher Nolan. A key player in the growth of the ultra-low budget feature movement, Broderick became one of the most influential advocates of digital moviemaking.
Now focused on the revolution in film distribution, Broderick gives keynotes and presentations internationally, most recently in Amsterdam, Sydney, Toronto, Cannes, Guadalajara, Berlin, London, and Rio de Janeiro. Broderick has written articles for Scientific American, The New York Times, and The Economist. His seminal article, "Maximizing Distribution," has been reprinted in publications around the world. His reports, "Welcome to the New World of Distribution" and "Declaration of Independence" are concise guides to the latest distribution strategies. Read his articles and subscribe to his Distribution Bulletin at www.peterbroderick.com. He is a graduate of Brown University, Cambridge University, and Yale Law School.
CHAD BURRIS
Chad Burris, founder of the company Indion Film Finance, is a member of the Chickasaw Nation and is a native of Oklahoma. Chad serves as Of Counsel attorney for the law firm of Doerner, Saunders, Daniel and Anderson in Tulsa, Oklahoma where he practices in the areas of Corporate Transactional, Entertainment, and Indian law. Doerner, Saunders, Daniel and Anderson is one of the oldest and most respected law firms in Oklahoma and the entire region. A graduate of the University of Tulsa Law School, Chad received his J.D. with an emphasis in Indian Law. He devoted much of his time in law school toward developing programs through federal economic development incentives that would attract film production to and promote industry growth in lower-income areas of Oklahoma and other states. Understanding the value of local incentives for companies seeking financial assistance, he set out to construct a business model that would accommodate both. To date, Chad has been instrumental in financing a number of feature films and creating an industry within the state. In addition to film, he has worked with other industries, including construction and technology, to structure several million dollars worth of credit transactions that have contributed significantly to the overall growth and vitality of rural business.
Chad's influence in the film industry is attributed to his work, producing award winning films including Goodnight Irene, Four Sheets to the Wind, and Barking Water by Sterlin Harjo. His films have collectively screened at some the world's most prestigious festivals including Sundance, Tribeca, New Directors/New Films, and Venice. Chad most recently produced the short film Shimasani for Navajo director Blackhorse Lowe and Executive Produced the new Michael Winterbottom feature The Killer Inside Me, starring Jessica Alba, Kate Hudson and Casey Affleck. Both of those films premiered at Sundance 2010.
Chad has been a speaker on tax credit usage, entertainment law, and film finance for the Sundance Institute, Tribeca and Smithsonian American Indian film festivals, the Producers Guild of America, and the Los Angeles Incentive Office. His expertise in the field is chronicled in several newspaper articles and in a primer on the topic, in an article he wrote for an industry magazine, "Movie Money: Minimizing Risk in Raising Capital," (Indie Slate, Issue #56). He is on the advisory board for the Oklahoma Film Commission, serves as an Advisory Director for the non-profit Circle Cinema festival in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is on the Board of Directors of the Tulsa Girls Art School and is the Entertainment Law chair for the Tulsa City Bar Association.
SUZANNE LYONS
After ten years as VP of Marketing for a television network in Canada, Suzanne moved to Philadelphia where she worked in domestic and international distribution for film and television. She moved to Los Angeles in the mid 90s and co-founded the Flash Forward Institute, leading Entertainment Industry seminars to over fifteen thousand people in the US and Canada.
In the late 90's Suzanne co-founded Snowfall Films, Inc. and in 2005 she co-founded WindChill Films, Inc. To date she has produced or executive produced eight movies. Suzanne has worked with wonderful talent including Brenda Blethyn, Christopher Walken, Naomi Watts, Alfred Molina, James Caan, Dean Cain, Jennifer Tilly, Jon Lovitz, Asia Argento, Winona Ryder, Peter Fonda, Adrian Paul and more. Her budgets have ranged from $200,000 to $10 million. Ms. Lyons' films have won a gamut of awards and festivals from the prestigious British BAFTA award, a premier at the Directors Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival, best picture at Shockerfest and acceptance into the Toronto, Berlin. LA and Montreal Film Festivals. Her films have been distributed by Miramax, Screengems and Lionsgate.
On Suzanne's slate for 2010 is an animated Christmas feature, OMARR THE CAMEL with interest from Randy Travis and Amy Grant; a historic family drama, SCOUTS HONOR; THE CHAPERONE, a family film Suzanne is Co-Producing with the WWE in New Orleans with Director Stephen Herek attached. Suzanne has just signed on to produce a suspense drama by U.K. writer Anthony Horowitz titled MINDGAME with Ken Russell attached to direct and a film based on a Canadian best-selling novel THE CALLING. Suzanne's first film, "Undertaking Betty", is now being produced as a Broadway musical with Tony Award Director Casey Nicholaw.
CHAD MATHIS
Chad Mathis is a founding partner of Mathis, Regazzi & Associates. Working out of the Albuquerque office, Mr. Mathis focuses on advising entertainment industry professionals from across the United States and the world. In particular, he assists independent filmmakers in taking their project from development, to financing and production, and all the way through distribution while avoiding the legal pitfalls that plague the film industry. Mr. Mathis also represents business owners across the state of New Mexico and helps them establish solid legal foundations on which to grow their business. His practice is geared toward preventing legal problems for his clients through insightful and creative advance legal planning. He earned his undergraduate degree in English, History, and Music Performance from Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. After a successful music and business career, Mr. Mathis returned to higher education and received his Juris Doctor from DePaul University College of Law in Chicago, Illinois, and has also studied international trade and finance in Beijing and Shanghai, China. In addition to entertainment and business law, Mr. Mathis assists clients with estate planning, real estate law, and the immigration of family members to the United States.
BIRD RUNNINGWATER
N. Bird Runningwater is born of the Cheyenne and Mescalero Apache peoples, and was reared on the Mescalero Apache Reservation in New Mexico. He is currently based in Los Angeles, California with the Sundance Institute where he serves as the Director of the Institute's Native American and Indigenous Program. In this capacity he scouts world-wide and across the United States for Indigenous artists with projects that can be supported through the Institute's Feature Film Program, Documentary Program, Theatre Program, the Independent Producers Conference/Creative Producing Initiative, and Sundance Film Festival. He also oversees the Sundance Institute-Ford Foundation Film Fellowship established for emerging Native American filmmakers and the Indigenous Producers Initiative. Filmmakers and projects he has identified for support include Sterlin Harjo and his Spirit Award-nominated FOUR SHEETS TO THE WIND; Academy Award nominee Taika Waititi and his feature debut EAGLE VS. SHARK; Billy Luther's award-winning MISS NAVAJO; And, Andrew Okpeaha MacLean's Sundance Jury Prize winning SIKUMI. Forthcoming projects include: Blackhorse Lowe's SHIMASANI; Julianna Brannum's LADONNA HARRIS: INDIAN 101; Briar Grace Smith's THE STRENGTH OF WATER; Andrew Okpeaha MacLean's ON THE ICE; Aurora Guerrero's MOSQUITA Y MARI; Sterlin Harjo's BARKING WATER; and Taika Waititi's TAMA.
Before joining the Sundance Institute, Runningwater was based in New York City and served as executive director of the Fund of the Four Directions, the private philanthropy of a Rockefeller family member. The Fund focused on supporting the revitalization of the languages and lifeways of North America's indigenous peoples. Prior to joining the Fund, Runningwater served as program associate in the Ford Foundation's Media, Arts and Culture Program, where he built and managed domestic and global funding initiatives focusing on specific issues within the media, arts and culture fields. The emphases of those initiatives included: expanding arts and cultural programs that play a role in public discourse on important civic issues; reducing systemic media bias against racial and ethnic minority communities; expanding efforts to strengthen the infrastructure that supports non-commercial television, radio and other public service media; and strengthening Native media programs and institutions that combine new media technologies with their media practices. Runningwater currently serves as a patron to the imagineNative Indigenous Film Festival in Toronto and as an advisor to the newly established American Indian National Center for Television and Film in Los Angeles. He serves as an advisor to Film Independent's Project: Involve Program and was a creative consultant on WGBH's landmark documentary series WE SHALL REMAIN which premiered in 2009. Most recently he was featured and profiled in The Color of Our Future, a book written by Political Commentator Farai Chideya, and was honored by the University of Oklahoma's Gaylord School of Journalism and Mass Communication as a Distinguished Young Alumni in 2008. A recipient of the Woodrow Wilson Foundation's National Fellowship in Public Policy and International Affairs, Runningwater is also an alumnus of Americans for Indian Opportunity's Ambassadors Program and the Kellogg Fellows Program. He is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma with degrees in Journalism and Native American Studies, and he received his Master of Public Affairs degree from the University of Texas at Austin's Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs.
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Pahl Shipley
Head of Publicity and Media Relations
New Mexico Film Office
418 Montezuma Avenue
Santa Fe, NM 87501
505.476.5613 direct
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