IFTA Production Conference, which featured an electrifying opening speech by celebrated independent filmmaker Eli Roth. He spoke before a sold-out crowd of more than 300.  Produced by the Independent Film & Television Alliance (IFTA), the event was titled: “Cost Isn’t An Obstacle Anymore! New Avenues to Finance, Produce & Distribute Films at Any Budget.” 

Writer/director Eli Roth and Jean Prewitt, President..

Eli Roth ignited the ballroom at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills today with a passionate and very candid 40-minute keynote speech for 300+ filmmakers during IFTA’s 13th Annual Production Conference, which focused on emerging models of financing, producing and distributing films at any budget.
Roth, whose credits include "Cabin Fever," "Hostel" and "The Last Exorcism," all made for between $1.5 and $4 million  wasn’t shy about telling the room the reality of the business, how he got to where he is today  and stressing the need to take advantage of every opportunity.  

"Quentin Tarantino told me to go to every film festival," Roth emphasized.  Declaring that filmmakers need be passionate and make money on their first effort, he said, “You have to pay attention to every detail.  Don’t rely on someone else to do it.”  Roth also stressed the importance of building and engaging with your fan base, noting the amount of activity on twitter for “The Last Exorcism” led to theater owners significantly increasing the number of screens. 

At the conclusion of his speech, Roth took time to answer several question from the audience. 

Later, digital marketing and social media expert Damian Hagger, Co-Founder, 6StringMedia, Inc., provided insights into ways lower budget films can successfully harness social media, Twitter, Pintrist and Facebook, while using apps to build awareness and engage audiences.  His company is currently working on campaigns for the independent films “Bernie” and “Intruders.”

Rounding out the half-day conference, a panel of industry leaders moderated by Imagination Worldwide’s Pierre David (NEED IFTA BOARD TITLE) discussed the current landscape, new models of financing, genre vs. talent-driven projects, and the fact that the content, the story, the marketing hooks and knowing your audience is vital before embarking on the voyage to get your film financed and distributed. 

The panel included:

Paul Hertzberg, President and CEO CineTel Films & IFTA Chairman; Adam Chapnick, Principal / Business Development, IndieGoGo.com; Rich Goldberg, President, Arc Entertainment; Molly Hassell, Producer, The Giant Mechanical Man, Vamps; David Rimawi, Partner/Sales & Distribution, The Asylum; Hal Sadoff, Film Packaging & Finance Consultant; Travis Stevens, Founder, Snowfort Pictures, The Aggression Scale, A Horrible Way to Die;  Rob Weston, Managing Director, Straightwire Films Limited, The Thompsons, Zombie Diaries 2