American Cinematheque at the Aero Theatre presents the seminar "Unraveling Independent Film Distribution." Leading players in theatrical, television and DVD distribution and exhibition will unravel the mysteries for the independent filmmaker. In this frank discussion, you will learn about options that are available to you when your film doesn't sell outright to a major distributor -- how it all works, what it costs and what you as the filmmaker need to know. Educate yourself about booking, figures for spending and earning on a film, what it costs to advertise, what is expected by the exhibitor (theatre), what materials you will need (including legal agreements) before you are ready to sell or exhibit your film. There will also be discussion of the future of theatrical film distribution and current trends.
The audience will follow the process of distribution through the various phases with experts in the field, including: Bob Aaronson (Red Envelope Ent.); Gary Garfinkel (SVP -- Content Strategy & Acquisition, Showtime Networks); Mike McClellan (VP Film Buyer for Landmark Theaters Corp.); Ted Sarandos (Chief Content Officer, Netflix); Barry Schuler (Managing Director, DFJ Growth, Former Chairman/CEO, AOL, Inc.); and David Shultz, President, Vitagraph Films LLC (Theatrical).
A Q&A session will follow the moderated panel. General admission is $20; $15 Student/Senior; $12 American Cinematheque Members. The 7:30 pm event will take place at 1328 Montana Ave., Santa Monica, California. For more information, visit www.americancinematheque.com.
