- The purpose of the Studio Finance and Distribution panel is to discuss what’s working in studio film finance and distribution, which is 90% of the film market. It’s a fantastic opportunity for independent producers to learn from the big studios what’s working for them and how to make independent films attractive for finance and distribution. The panel costs $40 and is almost sold out. Even if you have an AFM pass you still need to RSVP with AFM to reserve a seat in this session.
“Studio Finance and Distribution”
Nov. 8th, Monday, 3pm to 4:30pm
Programmed by ScreenPlayLab
Le Merigot Hotel (next to Loews), Pacific Room
1740 Ocean Ave., Santa Monica, CA
- Universal Pictures President Jimmy Horowitz
- 20th Century Fox SVP of Domestic Distribution Chris Aronson
- Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions President Steven Bersch
- Summit Entertainment CFO Ron Hohauser
- MovieEditor.com President Robin Rowe, moderator
Program: “The current state and emerging trends in film financing and distribution, including how independent producers can make their films more attractive for studio acquisition or distribution. Panel discussion and audience Q&A.” Note: DreamWorks Studios president and COO Jeff Small was originally scheduled but is unable to attend.
Cost: $40 or included in AFM day pass (be sure to RSVP with AFM if using a pass as sessions do sell out)
The purpose of the Studio Finance and Distribution session is to discuss successful trends in the film industry. Panelists will be asked to talk about what’s working for them as a studio, what types of projects are doing best and what trends they see emerging in the industry as a whole.
Held annually in Santa Monica, the IFTA-produced American Film Market is a key destination for independent filmmakers and film industry executives.
Jimmy Horowitz Universal Pictures President
Jimmy Horowitz manages the day-to-day business operations of the studio. An 18-year veteran of Universal, Horowitz was previously co-president of production and executive vice president. Horowitz joined Universal’s feature legal department in 1992, he previously served as counsel for the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. More…
Chris Aronson 20th Century Fox SVP domestic distribution
Chris Aronson has set film distribution policy for the U.S. and Canada at 20th Century Fox since 2005. Aronson started his career at Universal Pictures in his home town of San Francisco. He’s VP and an Executive Committee board member with the Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation.
Steven Bersch Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions President
Steven Bersch oversees acquisition and co-financing of pictures as President of Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions Group, a position he’s held since 2008. During his 14 years at Twentieth Century Fox, he was President of Fox Interactive and EVP of Business Affairs. Bersch is a member of the Executive Branch of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.
Ron Hohauser Summit Entertainment CFO
Ron Hohauser has raised over $1.5 billion in equity and debt financing for film production and distribution in the last six years. At Summit he’s responsible for financial operations, human resources, information technology and investor relations. Hohauser serves on the Board of Trustees for the Center for Excellence in Education, which nurtures careers of excellence and leadership in science and technology for academically talented high school and college students.
Robin Rowe MovieEditor President
Robin Rowe leads MovieEditor.com, working with companies such as DreamWorks Animation and the BBC. Rowe is a producer and editor at the startup Gosh!TV. He writes for Popular Photography, Videography, Movie Maker and the Motion Picture Editors Guild Magazine. He’s co-president of the film and television industry association ScreenPlayLab. His video search technology was spun off into a commercial video editing system that was sold into more than 100 TV stations under the Leitch brand. He began his career as a technical director of broadcast news at mid-market NBC station WICD-TV.
