Editor

The Independent Film & Television Alliance will bring leading industry executives together for the 12th annual IFTA Production Conference on Friday, Dec. 3, to discuss strategies for “Monetizing Independent Film in the Digital Marketplace.” The conference will take place from 8:30 a.m.-noon at Century City’s InterContinental Hotel, announced IFTA President-CEO Jean Prewitt and IFTA Vice-Chairman Pierre David.

Dave Habiger, President and CEO of Sonic Solutions, will present the keynote address. Sonic Solutions is a market leader in the development of the “digital ecosystem” that will enable consumers to access and enjoy digital media content across a variety of technology platforms and devices. Mr. Harbiger brings to the conference a wide-angle view of consumer demand for content everywhere and at all times, and of the industry’s efforts to meet that demand.

To set the stage for the conference’s panel discussion, Amy Friedlander Hoffman, President of Priority Digital Media, will present “Video On Demand Today: The Platforms, Viewers and Demand for Content,” providing an overview of today’s major platforms and players in the U.S. video on demand marketplace.

Pierre David, Chairman-CEO of Imagination Worldwide, and Bruce Eisen, Vice President, Online Content Development & Strategy, Dish Network, will moderate the morning-long panel titled “Monetizing Independent Film in the Digital Marketplace.”

The panelists represent a wide range of stakeholders in the emerging marketplace, including film production and distribution and major platforms delivering content to consumers: Jeff Cuban, Executive Vice President, HDNet/Magnolia; Daniel Diamond, President, International Sales, Morgan Creek International; Alex Fragen, President, Domestic Television Distribution, Summit Entertainment; Barry Gordon, CEO & Co-Founder, XLrator Media; Diana Keredes, Vice President, Entertainment Service, Media & Entertainment, Comcast (pending); and Daniel York, President, Content, AT&T.

“Digital distribution increasingly is a part of our marketplace reality. Independent film and television producers today must make production, distribution and marketing decisions that work for these new platforms. Today’s conference assembles a talented and qualified group of executives who will share their insights on how to succeed in this evolving and sometimes confusing marketplace,” Prewitt said.

Tickets are available online at www.ifta-online.org/productionconference for $90; $60 for IFTA members; student rates also available.

About The Independent Film & Television Alliance (IFTA)
The Independent Film & Television Alliance (IFTA) is the global trade association of the independent motion picture and television programming industry. Headquartered in Los Angeles, the organization represents and provides significant entertainment industry services to more than 150 member companies from 23 countries, consisting of independent production and distribution companies, sales agents, television companies, studio-affiliated companies, and financial institutions engaged in content finance.

Collectively, the Independent Film & Television Alliance’s members produce more than 400 independent films and countless hours of television programming each year and generate more than $4 billion in distribution revenues annually. The organization’s premiere event, the American Film Market, held in conjunction with AFI FEST, takes place every year in November in Santa Monica.

As the voice and advocate for the independent film and television industry worldwide, the Alliance speaks out on matters of critical importance and, where appropriate, actively lobbies governments around the world in regard to measures directly affecting the independent industry. For more information on IFTA and the American Film Market, please visit www.ifta-online.org.