Networking Seminars, Inc. announces its Third Annual Film Finance Summit to be held at  in New York City on April 26, 2010.  With the decline of Wall Street investors and the banking credit crisis, there is a need to find new sources of financing and innovative structures to enable financing for film, television and online content.  Now in its third year, Networking Seminars’ Film Finance Summit has become the place where the major power players in the film industry converge to discuss the current state of film finance and how to raise capital under the present economic conditions. 

The Film Finance Summit provides an opportunity for leading financiers, studio executives, and branding and media experts to discuss the latest trends in how to secure financing for film and television content, to explain funding opportunities available through product integration, and to explore ground-breaking methods for branding entertainment and distributing content on multiple platforms.

The Summit includes one workshop and one full day devoted to financing solutions and will provide an overview of federal and state tax issues impacting the film and television industry.  We will also have production executives explain what and why State tax credits, tax rebates and financing tax credits are critical to film financing.  

This Summit is for film and television professionals, film & television producers, finance executives, bankers, venture capitalists, high-net worth individuals, private equity & hedge fund executives, production & post-production executives, entertainment attorneys, finance & tax executives, digital distribution executives, film distributors, studio executives and filmmakers.

There are up to 8 CPE/CLE credits available

Film Finance Summit

Monday, April 26, 2010

9:00 AM Registration & Continental Breakfast  

10:00 AM Overview of a Film Finance Transaction

Representatives from various perspectives in a film financing transaction will take you through a sample financing content transaction.  This panel will provide practical overview to the economics of a financing transaction, as well as, practical advice and information to utilize in financing your projects

• Structure of a Motion Picture Financing Transaction
• Components of Financing:  Equity, Debt & Soft Money
• Security Interests and Controls
• Essential Elements:  budgets, letters of intent, script; chain of title
• Producers, Bankers, Lawyers & Accountants – Who Controls the Deal?  
• Completion bonds, Credit Insurance and Enhancements

Moderator:  David Steinberg, Partner, Heenan Blaikie, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

11:30 AM Networking Break

11:45 AM The Economics of Motion Picture Production: From Box Office to Profit Participation

This panel will discuss the revenue stream and payment waterfall using a sample of a single independent feature film.  It will also examine who gets what from which revenue stream and the schedule of payment returns to the various players in the finance transaction.

Moderator:  Patricia V. Mayer, Partner, Mitchell Silbergerg & Knupp LLP, Los Angeles

12:30 PM Networking Luncheon

1:45 PM Current Sources for Content Capital

This panel will cover the latest trends, requirements and primary sources of financing content in the current economy including the role of debt lenders and the conditions a producer and filmmaker need to secure financing from investment bankers, private equity and hedge fund sources as well as other sources of financing.

2:45 PM U.S. Incentives and Production Strategies for Financing Credits 

With states offering 20 – 40% in tax incentives, credits and rebates, where you shoot has become a critical part of financing because it is a way to lay off some of the financial risks.  This panel will discuss the States with the best incentives, what requirements must be meet to file for tax credits, when it is better to take a tax credit or a tax rebate and the differences between each and how to cash flow and/or transfer the credits.  Each attendee will receive the 2010 Production Incentives Guide filled with the latest incentives from each State and Puerto Rico.

Moderator:  Jeff Begun, Production Executive, The Incentives Office, Santa Monica

3:45 PM Networking Break

4:00 PM Federal & International Tax Issues for the Entertainment Industry

This session will provide an overview of federal tax issues impacting the film and television industry, including Section 409A, loan-out corporations, deductions; income forecast amortization, income recognition, inbound and outbound international tax issues, withholding, independent contractor qualification, and characterization and taxation of various financing transactions.

Moderator:  Warren Nimchuk, Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Vancouver, BC, Canada

5:00 PM International Financing 

This panel will be an insider’s look at an international financing and the various players from a film will discuss the advantages and disadvantages in filming in various country’s as well as accessing funds, grants, treaties, tax credits & shelters available globally.