Latest in IFTA

Clay Epstein, the president of Film Mode Entertainment, has been elected chair of the Independent Film & Television Alliance for the 2021-2023 term, IFTA said Monday. He’s been a board member since 2008 and served regularly on its executive committee. Seven others were elected to the organization's 15-person board…

The Irish Film & Television Academy (IFTA) has picked Irish-Language feature Foscadh (Shelter) as this year's entry for the International Oscar race. Written and directed by Seán Breathnach, the pic stars Dónall Ó Héalai (Arracht), Fionnuala Flaherty (An Klondike), and Cillian O'Gairbhí (Blood) in a story based on…

A broad entertainment industry coalition Friday begged Senate leadership to push ahead with Federal aid for pandemic insurance since it's near impossible to get back to work without it, especially for independent film. Short of something really big — like the public-private Pandemic Risk Insurance Act (PRIA)…

New York Rep. Carolyn Maloney said Thursday that the nation desperately needs pandemic insurance, a "public private partnership that has a mechanism in place that you can depend on," and hopes some version of it will pass early in the Biden administration. "There are a number of proposals out there. People who are…

Film, TV, guilds and sports industry groups from NASCAR to the NFL on Wednesday sent a plea for action to lawmakers ahead of a key Capitol Hill committee meeting on pandemic insurance. The hearing set for Thursday morning, called “Insuring Against a Pandemic: Challenges and Solutions for Policyholders and Insurers,&#8221…

A restart for film and television is bearing down but looming uncertainty around COVID-19 insurance has the business on edge. Pandemic insurance disappeared in March. Three months later there's still no viable alternative to put many independent producers back on a path to completion bond backed financing. It's…

The Independent Film & Television Alliance‘s annual elections has resulted in eight new members voted to the alliance’s board of directors, the organization said Monday at the American Film Market. They join the 20-member board at the indie film and TV trade association chaired by Michael Ryan of GFM Films. The newly…

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and Maudie led the Irish Film And Television Academy’s 2018 Film And Drama awards Thursday night in Ireland with three wins apiece. Michael Inside, a local production from director Frank Berry, triumphed with the Best Film prize. On the TV side, HBO’s Game of Thrones took Best…

Independent film financing has never been a walk in the park, and a lukewarm American Film Market this month coupled with an age of political, digital and economic uncertainty mean the preselling game has become more challenging than ever. But if there's one thing that could kill off the entire indie business as we…

The Independent Film & Television Alliance (IFTA) has renewed the contracts for CEO and President Jean Prewitt and Executive VP and American Film Market (AFM) Managing Director Jonathan Wolf through 2018. Since 2000, Prewitt has headed IFTA, establishing the trade org as a public advocate for the worldwide independent…

Producer and Elevated Film Sales CEO Cassian Elwes used his keynote address at the Independent Film & Television Alliance Production Conference today to rip studios for ignoring movie audiences’ demands for smart, theatrical fare in exchange for comic-book franchises, and warned that the current flood of franchise…

CineTel Films’ Paul Hertzberg has been re-elected to a second term as Chairperson of the Independent Film & Television Alliance‘s Executive Committee. Voting took place during the annual member meeting of the IFTA, the indie trade organization that runs the annual American Film Market in Santa Monica. This year’s AFM…