Co-Founder, Co-Chairman, & Principal, The Weinstein Company
Co-Chairman of The Weinstein Company, Harvey Weinstein is one of the most powerful and influential moguls in Hollywood. Weinstein founded The Weinstein Company with his brother in 2005 after leaving his position as CEO and Co-Chairman of Miramax Films, which he also co-founded. Many of Weinstein’s films have garnered extensive critical acclaim, including this year’s Academy Award winner for Best Picture, The King’s Speech. In addition to film production, Weinstein has won Tony awards for producing a variety of plays and musicals.
CEO & Founder, The Wrap News, Inc.
As an award-winning journalist, author and founder of TheWrap.com, Sharon Waxman represents one of the most influential voices in news media and popular culture. Since Waxman's launch of TheWrap.com in 2009, the premiere news organization covering the business of entertainment and media, she has successfully guided the daily news site to phenomenal growth as it today reaches over 1 million unique visitors per month. Prior to her launch of TheWrap.com, Waxman is best known for her work as the Hollywood correspondent for The New York Times, covering every facet of the industry's evolution during the 1990's and into the early 2000's. Leading up to her work at the Times, Waxman spent over a decade at The Washington Post, serving as both a correspondent for the Style section and foreign correspondent in Europe and the Middle East.
Jane Rosenthal co-founded Tribeca Productions and the Tribeca Film Center with Robert De Niro in 1988. She has distinguished herself as a leading film producer with a roster of both critically and commercially acclaimed films. In 2001, Rosenthal along with partners De Niro and Craig Hatkoff, founded the Tribeca Film Festival after 9/11 to heal the community through film. The Festival has attracted more than 2 million visitors and generated over $425 million dollars in economic activity since its inception. In six years, the festival has showcased over 950 films from 54 different countries. At the same time, Rosenthal and partners co-founded the Tribeca Film Institute where she has served as co-chairman of the board since its founding. The Institute has become an instrumental resource for filmmakers through initiatives such as Tribeca All Access, a program designed to help foster relationships between film industry executives and filmmakers from traditionally underrepresented communities. Prior to founding Tribeca Productions, Rosenthal was an executive at CBS-TV and The Walt Disney Company. She is an active leader on the boards of New York City Outward Bound Center, NYU Child Study Center, the American Museum of the Moving Image, and the NYU Tisch School of the Arts Dean’s Council.
Director & Sundance Winner, Like Crazy
At age 17, after writing and directing five plays in high school, Doremus and best friend Jones bought a digital camera and his passion for film began. He went on to become the youngest fellow accepted into the American Film Institute for Advanced Film and Television Studies. Since then, Doremus has directed a number of films, and his most recent project, Like Crazy, won the Grand Jury Dramatic Prize at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival.
Producer, Super Crispy Entertainment, Inc.
Producer Jonathan Schwartz entered the entertainment industry as a lawyer at International Creative Management. In 2004, he started what was then known as Crispy Films and has since produced several critically-acclaimed features. He served as producer on the 2011 Sundance Award-winning film, Like Crazy, which will be distributed by Paramount in the fall. Super Crispy Entertainment continues to develop, produce and finance quality material of all genres, with over 20 projects in development.
President, Blacklight Transmedia
A writer/creator with a decade of diverse entertainment industry experience across film development and marketing, as well as comic book and new media production, R. Eric Lieb is a founding partner of Blacklight Transmedia, a next-generation producer of film, video game, television, book, comic book and new media franchises under a first-look deal with Imagine Entertainment. Prior to Blacklight, Lieb was a marketing and production executive at Fox Atomic, while concurrently the Editor-in-Chief of Fox Atomic Comics. While at Fox, Lieb spearheaded the creation of Fox Atomic Comics, creating a publishing arm inside a major studio to focus on generating new IP as well as extending the ‘transmedia’ life of library titles. In creating Fox Atomic Comics, Lieb architected and implemented publishing deals with top publishers such as HarperCollins and Boom! Studios and oversaw the complete creative and publishing process, working with top talent on multiple, award-winning original graphic novel and comic book titles. Before joining Fox Atomic, Lieb held positions at Artisan Entertainment and Lionsgate, where he worked on such films as the Academy Award-winning Crash, as well as ‘The Punisher’, ‘Saw’, ‘Saw II’, ‘The Devil’s Rejects’, and ‘Hostel’. While at Lionsgate, Lieb lead the studio into the comics-to-film space, writing the story for the ‘Saw: Rebirth’ comic series. Born in San Antonio, Texas, Lieb graduated with a BA from the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts.
Founder, VP Content Development & Acquisitions, Fandor
Jonathan Marlow is a cinematographer, critic, curator, and composer with over two dozen short films to his credit. Before taking his position at Fandor, Jonathan worked at companies including Amazon.com, the rent-by-mail / video-on-demand service GreenCine and the VOD/IPTV enterprise VUDU. He is also presently the Executive Director of the prestigious San Francisco Cinematheque.
President & Member of Investment Committee, Cross Creek Pictures
Brian Oliver is President of Cross Creek Pictures and a member of the investment committee of Cross Creek Partners, a film fund formed by Timmy Thompson and a consortium of private business investors from Louisiana and Texas. Oliver is involved in all aspects of Cross Creek's film development, acquisitions, financing, and production. A veteran feature film executive and producer, Oliver brings a tremendous amount of feature film production and financing expertise to Cross Creek Pictures.
Oliver started his entertainment career at Paramount Pictures and has been working in the entertainment industry as either an executive or a Producer for over 12 years. He has also been involved in the development, financing, production, and distribution of over 20 films. Prior to forming Arthaus Pictures, Oliver was the V.P. of Production at Propaganda Films, after working in the Motion Picture Department at the William Morris Agency.
CEO, Snagfilms
Rick Allen has run successful companies in nearly every form of media, and helped to develop or extend some of the country’s most prestigious brands. Rick is the CEO of SnagFilms which he helped to found with Ted Leonsis. Allen previously was President and CEO of Sporting News, the country’s oldest sports media company, leading a revitalization that saw it named twice to Adweek’s annual “Hot List” as a top-10 media property. Earlier, he served as President and CEO of the for-profit arm of the National Geographic Society, responsible for television and film; interactive products, websites and e-commerce; maps; travel; retail; catalog; and consumer products. Before coming to National Geographic, Rick was a senior executive at Discovery Communications, where he extended the company’s brand into filmed entertainment, education, technology and retail.
Social Technologist, New Media Investor
Chris Kelly is a Silicon Valley veteran with a long track record of working with innovative companies. As the first Chief Privacy Officer, General Counsel, and Head of Global Public Policy for Facebook, Chris helped the company grow from its college roots to the ubiquitous communications medium that it is today. Chris left Facebook in 2009 to seek the Democratic nomination for Attorney General of California, garnering 17 percent of the vote in a seven-way race, his first run for statewide office. Since the June 2010 primary, he has become an active angel investor. Chris received his undergraduate degree from Georgetown University, a master's degree from Yale University, and his law degree from Harvard University. Raised in Santa Ana and San Jose, he lives in Atherton with his wife Jennifer, an entrepreneur and former prosecutor, and their son Aidan.
Writer-Director, "Who Killed the Electric Car"
Chris Paine is the writer/director of the feature documentaries "Who Killed the Electric Car" (2006) and "Revenge of the Electric Car" premiering at Tribeca 2011. He served as executive producer on the indy docs "Faster" with Ewan McGregor, "No Maps for these Territories", and the upcoming "Charge!" about electric motorcycle racing. His latest project is "Counterspill.org" challenging spin from the fossil fuel and nuclear industries.
(CEO), Endgame Entertainment
James D. Stern is the Chief Executive Officer of Endgame Entertainment. He founded Endgame as a private entertainment financing and production fund in February 2003. During its first iteration, Endgame specialized in production, financing of third party projects, and late stage financial investments. In 2006, due to the success of the first fund, Endgame raised additional capital and became an operating company with an increased focus on full scale production.
Since its inception, Endgame has financed or co-financed 25 films, 14 Broadway shows, and a children’s television series. During that time, Endgame’s value has appreciated dramatically and it is now one of the fastest climbing new companies in Hollywood.
In addition to his producing and directing career, Mr. Stern founded and ran the financial investment company Stern Joint Venture, L.P. (“SJV”), a hedge fund “fund of funds.” Under his leadership SJV has compounded an annual rate of return of 19.75% since its inception in 1989. SJV began investing with five hedges and has grown in size and scope to investments in 45 hedge funds.
FilmDistrict, President of Theatrical Distribution
Bob Berney is the President of Theatrical Distribution at FilmDistrict, a multi-faceted acquisition, distribution, production, and financing company. FilmDistrict theatrically distributes between four and eight wide release commercial pictures per year, some of which will go through Sony Pictures Entertainment’s TriStar and Triumph labels. The company also provides consulting services to Sony Pictures’ well-established worldwide theatrical and ancillary acquisition business.
Previously, Berney founded and operated independent film distribution and marketing companies Apparition, Picturehouse, Newmarket Films and IFC Films, and was responsible for releasing critically acclaimed and award-winning films such as Memento, La Vie En Rose, Pan’s Labryinth, The Young Victoria, The Passion of the Christ, Monster and My Big Fat Greek Wedding, among many others. He has also served as an independent distribution and marketing consultant and began his career in exhibition, managing and owning movie theaters in Texas.
President, Sundance Selects and IFC Entertainment
As President of Sundance Selects and IFC Entertainment, Jonathan Sehring oversees multiple brands that are devoted to bringing the best of specialty films to the largest possible audience: Sundance Selects, IFC Films, IFC Midnight, IFC Productions, IFC Center and SundanceNow.
One of the most well respected executives in the specialty film business, Sehring is considered a maverick among his peers for expanding the audience for independent films. He was part of the team that launched The Independent Film Channel in 1994 and later created Sundance Selects/IFC Entertainment and each of the brands that they operate today.
Sehring forged new ground with the launch of the first theatrical/VOD day and date distribution model in 2006. Sundance Selects/IFC Entertainment’s unique distribution model makes independent films available to a national audience by releasing them in theaters, as well as on demand. Today, all three of the division’s film distribution labels utilize the model: IFC Films, a label established in 2000 that has grown under Sehring’s direction to become a leading U.S. distributor of high profile talent-driven independent film.
Prior to Sundance Selects/IFC Entertainment, Sehring oversaw all programming and production activities for Bravo and The Independent Film Channel. Before joining Bravo, Sehring was Director of Programming for Janus Films, Inc., where he worked in various positions in both distribution and production.
Chief Creative Officer, Tribeca Enterprises
Geoffrey Gilmore serves as Chief Creative Officer of Tribeca Enterprises. He is responsible for Tribeca's global content strategy and leads creative development initiatives and expansion of the brand. Tribeca Enterprises is the New York-based media company founded by Jane Rosenthal, Robert De Niro and Craig Hatkoff that owns and operates the Tribeca Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival International, Tribeca Cinemas and other branded-entertainment businesses and initiatives.
As the former director of the Sundance Film Festival, Gilmore is one of the film industry's most widely-trusted and influential figures. At Sundance he was responsible for film selection, artistic direction and general festival management. He was also a programming consultant for Robert Redford and the Sundance Channel since its inception in 1996, and he consulted for and helped build the Sundance Group and the Sundance Film Series. Additionally, he created and directed the annual Sundance Independent Producers Conference and other major events and initiatives related to independent filmmaking and distribution.
Gilmore has extensive international experience and has served on numerous international film juries. He teaches a master class for the Ludwigsburg Film Academy and is a featured guest lecturer at many film schools and cultural institutions. He has also written extensively on the American independent film scene. Prior to Sundance, Gilmore served as head of the UCLA Film and Television Archive's Programming Department for 15 years.
Co-Founder & Producer, Killer Films
Christine Vachon is an American movie producer who, along with partner Pamela Koffler, founded indie powerhouse Killer Films in 1995. The company has produced a number of the most acclaimed American independent films over the past two decades including FAR FROM HEAVEN (nominated for four Academy Awards), BOYS DON'T CRY (Academy Award winner), ONE HOUR PHOTO, KIDS, HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH, HAPPINESS, VELVET GOLDMINE, SAFE, I SHOT ANDY WARHOL, CAMP, SWOON and I’M NOT THERE (Academy Award nominated) ). Most recently, Christine executive produced Todd Haynes’ five episode HBO mini series “Mildred Pierce,” starting Kate Winslet and Guy Pearce.
Killer’s movies have received multiple awards and nominations from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, the Emmy Awards, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and the Independent Spirit Awards On the occasion of Killer’s 10th anniversary in 2005, the company was feted with a retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art. For her work on FAR FROM HEAVEN, Christine was honored by the New York Film Critics Circle, and received the Producer of the Year Award from the National Board of Review.
Christine is the author of two books: A Killer Life: How An Independent Producer Survives Deals And Disasters In Hollywood And Beyond (Simon and Schuster, 2006); and Shooting To Kill: How An Independent Producer Blasts Through The Barriers To Make Movies That Matter (Avon, 1998). Both books were Los Angeles Times bestsellers.
CEO, Kino Lorber Inc.
Richard Lorber is the CEO of Kino Lorber Inc., the company that launched last year after his acquisition of Kino International Corp., the 30 year leader in the release of acclaimed world cinema and classics. Kino Lorber releases over 20 films per year theatrically on its two labels, Kino International and Lorber Films, and over 60 per year digitally and on DVD/Blu-Ray. This year Kino Lorber also launches its third label, Alive Mind Cinema, focusing on "transformative" cultural and spiritual documentaries.
An industry pioneer with over thirty years experience, Mr. Lorber was the co-founder and head of Fox Lorber for 15 years, which he merged into the telecom WinStar. As Co-Chairman of WinStar TV and Video, he also led the acquisition of Wellspring Media. Mr. Lorber subsequently founded and served for 6 years as President of Koch Lorber Films (now E 1). Before his business career, Richard Lorber earned bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees from Columbia University, taught art history at NYU and was an art critic for Artforum. The French government has honored him with the “Chevalier de L’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.” He is also Chairman of the Board of Film Forum, America’s pre-eminent non-profit cinema for art house films and documentaries.
Co-President and Founding Partner, GreeneStreet Films
John Penotti is the Co-President and Founding Partner of GreeneStreet Films, an independent film, television, and digital content production and finance company with offices in New York and Los Angeles. Since its founding, GSF has produced over twenty five critically acclaimed films. Additionally, through it's relationship with Jetpack Media, it produces the web series Jews Telling Jokes.
Penotti began his film career working under Sidney Lumet on several features that include Q+A, Family Business, and A Stranger Among Us. He graduated with honors from Tufts University with a dual degree in Biology and Psychology. He was born in Paterson, New Jersey.
Co-Founder and CEO, Wayfare Entertainment
Ben Browning is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Wayfare Entertainment, the independent film production and financing company founded in New York City in 2008. Through Wayfare, Mr. Browning produced Neil Jordan’s Ondine, which recently won 4 Irish Film and Television Awards, as well as the Best Cinematography prize at the Shanghai International Film Festival. He is currently producing James Cameron’s 3-D underwater epic Sanctum and developing a screen adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book.
Mr. Browning was previously the production executive at Industry Entertainment in Los Angeles, producing various projects including such television anthology series as Fear Itself, Masters of Science Fiction, and Masters of Horror. Prior to that he worked at the talent agency APA and for the advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi. He was educated at the London School of Economics.
Be part of the leading conversation about the business of independent film as it intersects with new business models and technology.
TheWrap and Tribeca are partnering to convene a half-day conference featuring the most innovative thinkers and commanding voices in the business of independent film.
Speakers will address the latest trends in financing, production, distribution, marketing and technology, as TheGrill@Tribeca fosters debate about the realities and opportunities for indie film professionals.
TheGrill presents a half-day program on Friday, April 22, 2011 at The Tribeca Grill. Sign-up now, attendance is extremely limited.
Register Here for tickets. Registration price: $495
TheWrap is honored to have the following speakers confirmed to participate in TheGrill@Tribeca. The conference will feature intimate conversations between key leaders from a range of disciplines. Leading independent editorial voices including Sharon Waxman (CEO & Founder, TheWrap News, Inc.) and others still to be announced will moderate.
Confirmed speaker list subject to change without notice.
Schedule subject to change without notice.
TheGrill@Tribeca is proud to announce that its inaugural conference will take place at the Tribeca Grill in New York City, with all meals designed by executive chef Stephen Lewandowski.
Tribeca Grill is co-owned by renowned restaurateur Drew Nieporent and legendary actor Robert De Niro. It opened to much acclaim in 1990 and was instrumental in helping put the Tribeca neighborhood on the map. Now in its 21st year, Tribeca Grill has become one of New York’s downtown restaurant landmarks.
The Grill has also become a wine destination with an extensive list featuring the world’s largest selection of Chateauneuf-du-Pape (over 300) as well as many rare California Cabernet verticals. The 1,900 selection, 20,000 bottle list is one of only seven restaurants in New York to receive the Grand Award from Wine Spectator Magazine.
The restaurant is located on the first two floors of the Tribeca Film Center, which is the headquarters for Mr. De Niro’s film company, Tribeca Productions, the Tribeca Film Festival, and the Weinstein Company. The building is a historic 1905 warehouse that was once the Martinson Coffee factory. With its high ceilings, original exposed brick, large mahogany bar (from the revered Maxwell’s Plum restaurant), and oversized windows, the Grill reflects the industrial character of the Tribeca neighborhood. In addition to the main dining room, the Grill has three private party spaces--one of which, the Loft, adjoins the 72 seat Tribeca Screening Room. The restaurant also serves as a permanent gallery for the artwork of Mr. De Niro’s father, the late Robert De Niro Sr.
Directions from surrounding areas to Tribeca Grill can be found online here
A local map of the surrounding area can be found online here
April in New York City can be rainy, with an average of over four inches of precipitation for the month. Average daytime temperatures are in the low 60s, and average nighttime temperatures are in the mid-40s.
Register Now!
Registration: $495
The Conference fee of $495 includes access to our welcome breakfast, lunch, and all conference sessions.
Full payment is required in order to complete the registration process. The following credit cards are accepted: MasterCard, Visa, American Express, and Discover. If your company policy requires payment via a company check or wire transfer, please contact us at thegrilltribeca@thewrap.com.
Ticket sales are being handled through Tribeca's ticket office. For Ticket sales contact call (866) 941-FEST *337. For information about the program contact TheWrap at (424) 248 0662.
Conference registration fees are refundable, less a $200 service charge, for those who cancel on or before April 8, 2011. After April 8, refunds will not be granted, however transfers and substitutions are accepted. To request a refund or transfer, please provide your request in writing to thegrilltribeca@thewrap.com.
The conference attire for all sessions and social events is business casual.
TheGrill@Tribeca is a small, high-level conference bringing together innovative thinkers across multiple industries. In order to curate and balance the audience, media attendance will be by invitation-only. If you would like to request a complimentary media registration, please email your full contact details to thegrilltribeca@thewrap.com. Requests will be reviewed and granted on a space available basis, and you will be contacted should space be available.
Our thanks to Relativity Media for underwriting tickets to TheGrill@Tribeca.
