The fifth annual Director's View Film Festival was held on February 12, 2004 in Norwalk, Connecticut. The festival kicked off with a panel of nine entertainment industry experts addressing a group of interested potential filmmakers and investors on how to get a film made. The panel explored various funding strategies, from the establishment of a mutual fund-like business plan to using credit cards to fund a film project.

The nine panelists were:

Gil Holland:
Creator of CineBLAST! One of the top New York production companies today. Mr. Holland has produced over 30 films with such stars as Kate Hudson and Morgan Freeman. His films have been nominated for numerous awards and he has served on juries for both Sundance and The Academy Awards Student Division. Mr. Gill currently has a number of films in preproduction including a movie about the Wright Brothers and a TV series based on Interpol.

Alex Klymko:
Director and producer having completed three film projects since the summer of 2003, Mr. Klymko is one of the busiest people working in film in the region. Mr. Klymko has explored unique ways of funding film projects and has worked hard to keep filmmaking alive and well in the New York metropolitan area.
Danny Roth:
President of The Casting House, a full-service casting agency based in New York. Mr. Roth has cast numbers of films, commercials, television series and theatrical productions in New York, Los Angeles and around the world. He is also a producer, currently working on a project involving Poker.

Paul Fitzgerald:
An Executive with the Screen Actors Guild, Mr. Fitzgerald is quite familiar with the myriad of contracts filmmakers need to be aware of when starting a professional film enterprise. Mr. Fitzgerald will also address SAG Indie, an effort by the guild to promote and encourage independent filmmaking.

Renee Duff:
A partner in the law firm of Selig, Duff & Associates, Ms. Duff has a great deal of experience in the area of Intellectual Property Law. Her career has taken her from fashion, publishing to the WWE. She currently represents area independent filmmakers and business interests in the technology sector.

Wendy Lambert:
President & COO of Palace Production Center, the largest privately owned post production facility in New England. Palace is known for it work in television, commercials, complex editing, animation and multimedia projects. The organization is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.

Christian Zak:
Technical Director for Technicolor Creative Services, the leader in its field. Mr. Zak is an expert on transference from digitally recorded materials to film, the latest technology in the industry and will give us his assessment of where the industry is headed.

Timothy Dowding:
University of Connecticut professor in the School of Business. Mr. Dowding will discuss important business principals relating to entertainment as a business, the need for a professional business plan and other key elements often overlooked by both investors and filmmakers who sometimes get lost in the magic of film.

Robert Kesten:
President & Founder of The Director’s View Film Festival, former Vice Chairman of the Connecticut Film Commission, current member of the Legislative Committee of the Screen Actors Guild and producer of “The March” winner of the Jury Prize at the Moscow Film Festival.

The three major topics of discussion: union contracts, protection of intellectual property and retaining bankable artists were an integral part of the day-long event.

Contracts:
Screen Actors Guild has a number of contracts to ensure that you maintain a professional level of production when making a film. In addition, SAG has created SAG-Indie, which helps filmmakers find ways to make films using professional actors, without killing their limited budgets.

Protection of Rights:
Whenever you are doing anything, check with a lawyer. When making a film you have scripts, you have ownership, you have contracts with talent and others...you have investors...it is essential that you protect your rights, from the start...for that you need a lawyer.

Getting Name Talent For Your Project:
A good casting director can help you secure known actors for projects paying little or nothing at all. That can help you a great deal in getting a film made. It is important to research casting directors, find out who has worked with the talent you seek, meet with them...get and give ideas and you will soon realize that what you dreamed can be reality.

In addition, the conversation ranged from the importance of supporting independent film and filmmakers, to the economic impact such an industry can bring to a city or town. The program itself took place in a facility used by Paramount Studios for the remake of The Stepford Wivews, starring Nicole Kidman, which pumped millions of dollars into the local community.

The outcome of the program led to the exchange of information and talk of the establishment of the Greenwich Film Fund, a company that would seek to raise between $30 and 35 million dollars to make three to five films per year, with budgets in the $3 to $5 million dollar range.

For more information visit www.dvff.org or call 914.533.0270.

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