Editor

The Independent Film & Television Alliance (IFTA) today announced the results of its Board of Directors election in which four industry leaders will join the global trade organization’s Executive Committee. The announcement was made today by Jean Prewitt, president and chief executive officer of IFTA.

Elected to two-year terms on the IFTA Executive Committee are Roger Corman, Vice Chairperson (New Horizons Picture Corporation); Elisabeth Costa de Beauregard Rose, Chairperson of the Export Alliance (Lakeshore Entertainment Group); Albert Lee, Vice Chairperson (Emperor Motion Pictures Limited HK); and Avi Lerner, Vice Chairperson/Finance (Nu Image, Inc.). Executive Committee members whose terms continue for another year are Lloyd Kaufman, Chairperson (Troma Entertainment); Michael Ryan, Vice Chairperson (Handmade Films International); and Paul Hertzberg, Vice Chairperson/Secretary (CineTel Films, Inc.).

The IFTA Board of Directors consists of 20 members serving two-year terms. Newly elected Board members who are serving on the Board for the first time include Clay Epstein (The Little Film Company), Kim Fox (QED International), Jay Joyce (Artist View Entertainment, Inc.), Brian O’Shea (Odd Lot International) and Adam Wright (Regent Worldwide Sales LLC).

Individuals returning to the Board include Steve Bickel (The Film Department), Nicolas Chartier (Voltage Pictures), Kirk D’Amico (Myriad Pictures), Mark Damon (Foresight Unlimited), Richard Guardian (Lightning Entertainment), Brad Krevoy (Motion Picture Corporation of America) and Kathy Morgan (Kathy Morgan International).

They join current Board members Stephanie Denton (Bold Films), Brad Kembel (Summit Entertainment, LLC), Nicole Mackey (Fortissimo Films UK), Almira Malyshev (Screen Media Ventures, LLC), Charlotte Mickie (Maximum Films International), Barbara Mudge (Worldwide Film Entertainment LLC), Nestor Nieves (Independent) and Andrew Stevens (Stevens Entertainment Group, Inc.).

“I am looking forward to working with our new Executive Committee and Board of Director members, who I believe comprise one of the industry’s strongest groups of executives,” said Prewitt. “I also want to extend my gratitude to our outgoing directors for the important leadership, dedication and guidance they provided to me and IFTA during their terms.”

Kaufman stated, “Over the past year IFTA has claimed a leading position in addressing key issues affecting the state of the independents. This is in large part due to the vision and contributions of our Board members, as well as the hard work and tenacity of President/CEO Jean Prewitt, Executive Vice President Jonathan Wolf and the entire IFTA team. The incoming Board members are some of our industry’s leading figures and I’m confident over the next 12 months IFTA will continue to grow its brand internationally and keep fighting to protect the creative and economic interests of the independent business.”

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 160 member companies from 22 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, will take place this year from November 5 to 12 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.