> Dear Friends, > > The New York Metro chapter of the Institute for International > Film Financing (IIFF) continues its popular, monthly series of > educational and networking events at the junction of film and finance > with a community meeting on the evening of Thursday, July 19, in > Manhattan. Please join us for this special occasion! You can find > complete event details at ... > http://events.filmfinancing.org/nym/?id=071907 > > We live in a time of unprecedented opportunity in independent > film finance. Make the most of it by learning about the fundamentals > as well as the latest developments in the field, and by connecting > with like-minded professionals from a variety of relevant > backgrounds. IIFF was established in 2003 for that very purpose and > has organized regular Townhall Meetings and Workshops in multiple > cities across the US ever since. > > This month's Film Financing Townhall again follows IIFF's > successful formula and features a powerful, highly topical lineup of > distinguished presenters and expert panelists from the filmmaking and > financial communities. However, our meeting venue for Thursday > evening has VERY LIMITED CAPACITY. Please register now to secure > your seat and avoid disappointment. Take advantage of IIFF's > filmmaker-friendly ONLINE REGISTRATION DISCOUNT by signing up at ... > > http://events.filmfinancing.org/nym/?id=071907 > > Confirmed speakers for our one-of-a-kind gathering on the 19th include: > > 1) LARRY MEISTRICH, Founder & CEO at start-up movie studio > NEHST; fmr. Founder & CEO at leading DVD-of-the-month club & indie > distributor Film Movement; fmr. Founder, Chairman & CEO at > independent production & distribution company The Shooting Gallery; > integrally involved in producing roughly 100 films, commercials & > music videos including Billy Bob Thornton's Oscar-winning "Sling > Blade", Oscar nominee "You Can Count on Me" & Cannes winner "Henry > Fool"; produced leading actors & directors including Al Pacino, > Laurence Fishburne, Spike Lee & Billy Bob Thornton; Executive > Producer or Producer of indie features "The Memsahib," "Daddy & > Them," "Julie Johnson," "Once in the Life," "Everything for a > Reason," "Chinese Coffee," "You Can Count on Me," "The Bumblebee > Flies Anyway," "The Minus Man," "The 24 Hour Woman," "Belly," > "Strangeland," "Frogs for Snakes," "Henry Fool," "Niagara, Niagara," > "Illtown," "Sling Blade" (bought by Miramax for record-breaking > price), "The Last Home Run," "Layin' Low," "Drunks," "New Jersey > Drive," "Cafe Society," "Comfortably Numb," "Hand Gun," "Laws of > Gravity," etc.; received Crain's 1998 Small Business Award, Ernst & > Young's 1999 Entrepreneur of the Year Award & Chlotrudis Society's > 2004 Maverick Award; Board Member at New York Production Council; BA > from Johns Hopkins University > > 2) LUIS SANCHEZ, Wall Street investment pro & "quant" turned > film financier; Founder & Principal at SAGA Capital, a boutique > investment advisory firm specializing in non-traditional funding > solutions for hedge funds, private equity firms & corporations; fmr. > Vice President of Global Markets at leading investment bank Deutsche > Bank in New York & London (Liability Strategies Group, European > Structured Products Group, Asset Backed Securities Group); fmr. Vice > President in Operational Risk Division at risk management firm > NetRisk (now part of Fitch Ratings) in Greenwich, CT; fmr. Senior > Associate in Risk Finance Division at leading insurer American > International Group (AIG) in New York; fmr. Director of Quantitative > Analysis & portfolio manager/trader at hedge fund Parallax Partners > in New York; author of technical articles in magazines & journals > such as the Journal of Risk Finance, RISK Publications, etc.; fmr. > Harvard's LASPAU scholar; studied at Oxford (post graduate), American > University (MBA in Int'l Finance) & Insitituto Universitario > Politecnico de las Fuerzas Armadas de Venezuela (BSc in Civil > Engineering) > > 3) JIM JERMANOK, Hollywood talent agent turned successful > independent filmmaker; Producer of romantic drama "Em" (Nathan > Wetherington, Bre Blair); Co-director of feature documentary "The > Golden Greek: The Harry Agganis Story" (Olympia Dukakis); Writer & > Executive Producer of romantic comedy "Passionada" (Jason Isaacs, > Sofia Milos, Emmy Rossum) released by Samuel Goldwyn Films in the US > & Columbia Tri-Star worldwide; Writer & Poducer of comedy short > "Clear Cut" (Calista Flockhart, Stephen Fry); Director of over 15 > professional & regional theater productions ranging from "G.R. Point" > to "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead" to "The Tramway End" > (3-month run at Chelsea Playhouse); fmr. Agent at top-3 talent & > literary agency International Creative Management (ICM) for 8 years, > representing Isabel Allende, Alan Arkin, Roy Blount Jr., T. > Coraghessan Boyle, John Chancellor, E.L. Doctrow, Lou Gossett Jr., > Spaulding Gray, Helen Hayes, Bill Irwin, Thomas Keneally, Burt > Lancaster, Shirley MacLaine, Arthur Miller, Dudley Moore, Harry > Reasoner, Cliff Robertson, Andy Rooney, Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf, > Henry Winkler, etc.; traveled & worked extensively throughout Europe, > Africa & Middle East; interned at British Parliament in London & > directed short documentary screened before Parliamentary committee; > studied at Cornell University & The London School of Economics > > 4) DONALD BERTRAND, veteran financial-sector corporate attorney > turned entertainment lawyer, film producer & entrepreneur; Founder & > Attorney at private entertainment law practice in CT & NY, providing > legal services to film, TV, music & literary industries as well as > general business development & support services; Founder & CEO at > start-up film company Cat's Eye View Productions, presently in > pre-production on various documentary projects; Member at > Entertainment & Sports Law Section of New York State Bar Assoc.; > Director at Greater New Haven Business & Professional Assoc.; Member > at New Haven Arts Council; fmr. Vice President and Insurance & > Investment Products Counsel at Hartford, CT-based Phoenix Companies > (leading provider of life insurance, annuities & investment products > for accumulation, preservation & transfer of wealth); fmr. Member at > American Council of Life Insurance; fmr. Director at OIC Vocational > Training School; JD from Yale Law School; BA from Amherst College > > 5) RALF VOELLMER, hedge fund expert & film financing consultant; > seasoned financial advisor to Wall Street clients including large > international banks & innovative hedge funds; Principal & Founding > Member at investment advisory boutique SAGA Capital; specializes in > developing novel financing structures & solutions in on- & off-shore > regulatory environments worldwide as well as workarounds for variety > of contingencies; worked on all major aspects of offshore investment > companies for 10+ years; fmr. banker at leading global investment > bank Deutsche Bank in New York for 8 years; helped launch Deutsche > Bank's first hedge fund; fmr. Fellow at American University (AU) in > Washington, DC; MBA from AU's Kogod School of Business > > The full program of speakers, their bios and presentation topics > as well as additional event details and DISCOUNTED ONLINE > REGISTRATION are available at ... > > http://events.filmfinancing.org/nym/?id=071907 > > Trouble registering online? Questions about this meeting or > IIFF in general? Join our discussion mailing list at > http://forum.filmfinancing.org! By participating in this interactive > moderated list, you will not only be able to stay on top of the > latest trends in film finance but also keep in touch with IIFF's > growing community of filmmakers and financiers. > > Since its founding in 2003, IIFF has quickly established itself > as the leading social-entrepreneurship organization dedicated to > independent film financing. Our innovative nonprofit mission is to > sustainably "bridge the gap" between the film and financial