The Independent Film & Television Alliance (IFTA), the trade association representing independent producers and distributors worldwide, has elected its new Executive Committee and Board of Directors. The elections were held Friday as part of IFTA’s annual Members Meeting, which took place in Century City.
IFTA’s Board of Directors is headed by Chairman Paul Hertzberg (CineTel Films, Inc.), elected last September and serving the second year in his term. Four of its seven-member Executive Committee positions, along with ten positions on IFTA’s twenty-person Board of Directors, were open for election this year. With 26 individuals on the ballot, this is the most active election for IFTA since 2008.
After the results were tallied, IFTA’s Chairman Paul Hertzberg stated, “I’m thrilled to have such immensely talented and passionate people working together to share ideas and tackle the biggest challenges facing the Independents. We are lucky to have had such a terrific slate of candidates to choose from. I’m proud of the work we’ve done over the past year and I’m looking forward to working with our new and returning Board members moving forward.”
Newly elected Executive Committee members include: Clay Epstein (Arclight Films),Chairperson of the Export Alliance; Nicolas Chartier (Voltage Pictures),General Vice Chairperson; Brian O’Shea (The Exchange Inc.), Vice Chairperson/Finance; and Michael Ryan (GFM Films), Vice Chairperson/Non-Californian.
Continuing in the second year of their two-year terms are IFTA Executive Committee members: Pierre David (Imagination Worldwide), as Vice Chairperson and Brad Kembel (Lionsgate) as Vice Chairperson/Secretary.
Elected to the Board for the 2012-2014 term are: David Garrett (Mister Smith Entertainment Limited), Gene George (Starz Media), Tatyana Joffe (IM Global), Jay Joyce (Artist View Entertainment, Inc.), Robbie Little (The Little Film Company), Nicole Mackey (Fortissimo Film Sales), Barbara Mudge (Worldwide Film Entertainment, LLC), Almira Ravil (Screen Media), Mimi Steinbauer (Radiant Films International), Lisa Wilson (Solution Entertainment Group).
Charlotte Mickie (Entertainment One) and Thorsten Schumacher (Hanway Films Ltd.) will serve as Alternates.
Continuing in the second year of their Board term are: Lloyd Kaufman (Troma Entertainment), Shaked Berenson (Epic Pictures Group, Inc.), Carl Clifton (K5 Media Group GmbH), Roger Corman (New Horizons Picture Corp.), Kirk D’Amico (Myriad Pictures), Albert Lee (Emperor Motion Pictures), Bobby Meyers (Founder, Meyers Media Group), Kathy Morgan (Kathy Morgan International (KMI)), Ed Noeltner (Cinema Management Group), and Lise Romanoff (Worldwide Sales, Vision Films, Inc.).
About The Independent Film & Television Alliance (IFTA)
The Independent Film & Television Alliance (IFTA) is the global trade association for the independent motion picture and television programming industry. Headquartered in Los Angeles, the organization represents more than 150 member companies from 23 countries, consisting of independent production and distribution companies, sales agents, television companies and financial institutions engaged in film finance. IFTA is dedicated to protecting and strengthening its Members’ ability to finance, produce, market and distribute independent films and television programs in an ever-changing and challenging global marketplace.
IFTA members produce more than 400 independent films and countless hours of television programming generating more than $4 billion in distribution revenues annually. The organization’s premiere event, the American Film Market, the largest Film Market in the world, takes place every year in November in Santa Monica.
For more information on IFTA and the American Film Market, please visit www.ifta-online.org.