The Independent Film & Television Alliance® (IFTA®) announced the results of its annual elections to select the board of directors.
The following individuals have been elected to serve on IFTA’s 15-person board: Brian Beckmann (Arclight Films), Caroline Couret-Delegue (Film Seekers Limited), Diane Ferrandez (AGC Studios), Jeffrey Greenstein (Millennium Media), George Hamilton (Protagonist Pictures), Jasmin McSweeney (NZ Film Commission), and Lise Romanoff (Vision Films).
Clay Epstein (Film Mode Entertainment), who was elected as chairperson of the Board in 2021, is currently serving the second year of his two-year term as are IFTA board members: J.D Beaufils (VMI Worldwide), David Fannon (Screen Media), Jason Buckley (Lakeshore Entertainment), Lisa Gutberlet (Blue Fox Entertainment), Nat McCormick (The Exchange), Michael Ryan (GFM Animation), and Rob Williams (Participant Media).
Epstein commented, “We are once again honored to have so many uniquely talented members on our Board, who each represent various positions, product, business models, and perspectives within the industry. Together they will play a pivotal role in our year-round efforts to serve and represent the Independents of our industry worldwide.”
IFTA produces the annual American Film Market® (AFM®), which serves as the annual fundraiser for the association. Its 43rd edition, is currently underway in Santa Monica and will conclude on Sunday, November 6.
Nintendo reports lower profits as demand drops for its aging Switch console
Nintendo, the Japanese video game maker behind the Super Mario franchise, said Tuesday that its profit fell 60% in the first half of the fiscal year, as demand waned for its Switch console, now in its eighth year since going on sale.
Kyoto-based Nintendo Co. reported a 108.7 billion yen ($715 million) profit for the April-September period, as sales slipped 34% from the previous year to 523 billion yen ($3.4 billion).
More than 74% of its sales revenue came from overseas, according to Nintendo, which didn't break down quarterly numbers.
Global Switch sales during the period dropped to 4.7 million machines from 6.8 million units the previous year.
But Nintendo said in a statement that Switch sales were still growing and vowed to stick to its goal of selling a Switch console to each and every individual, not just one Switch per every household.
Nintendo stuck to its earlier projection for a 300 billion yen ($2 billion) profit for the full fiscal year through March 2025, down nearly 29% from the previous fiscal year.
Annual sales were forecast to drop 23% to1.28 trillion yen ($8.4 billion).
It also lowered its Switch sales projection for the fiscal year to 12.5 million units from an earlier forecast to sell 13.5 million.
Nintendo and other game and toy makers rake in their biggest profits during the Christmas shopping season, as well as New Year's, a holiday celebrated with fanfare in Japan, when children receive cash gifts from grandparents and other relatives.
Nintendo has not yet announced details on a successor to the Switch.
Among its million-seller game software titles for the fiscal half were "Paper Mario RPG," which sold 1.95 million units since going on sale in May, and "Luigi Mansion 2... Read More