FEATURE
27 S 3 S7
30 B
28 B
2 S4 “The industry is truly international now,
and Arclight is perfectly positioned for this. Success is survival of the fi ttest. The fi ttest are fi lms made for the right price that audi- ences want to see; conventional yet cloaked in freshness. Raising money is key and an art form often more creative than the fi lm itself. I want to collaborate with film-makers worldwide to bring movies to the market- place that distributors will jump up and down about… all in good taste, of course.”
Mathilde Epstein Vice-president of international sales Lightning Entertainment (US)
■ Studied international business at the European Business School. ■ Following graduation moved to Los Angeles in October 2001 and found work in marketing at a law firm. ■ Became director of international sales & marketing at Hannibal Pictures in 2003. ■ In July 2006 moved to Lightning Entertainment as international sales director, then promoted in 2009 to VP. “I was offered an interview at Hannibal Pic- tures, arranged through a mutual acquaint- ance. Two years later I took an opportunity at Lightning Entertainment. Working in an environment that encourages growth and rewards ambition has inspired me to work successfully with a team of valued col- leagues. “I thank Richard Guardian for being at
■ 50 Screen International at Cannes May 18, 2012
the forefront of that encouragement — he is generous with advice and is a treasured friend. Beyond the intricacies of ‘the deal’, he taught me a great reputation is the ulti- mate reward for success. “As the business has changed, it is vital to
stay realistic. As distributors become increas- ingly selective, there is no room for error. Film-makers must deliver the right genre with the right cast in order to stay in the game. I look forward to playing an important role in the continued growth of Lightning to become the ‘go to’ company.”
Tara Erer Vice-president of international sales FilmNation (US)
■ Graduated from Columbia University with a degree in film studies and creative writing in 2007. ■ Interned at Tribeca Productions, The Hollywood Reporter, Esperanto Filmoj, The Weinstein Company. ■ Started as Glen Basner’s assistant, then became head of international at The Weinstein Company in 2007. ■ Moved over to FilmNation when it was launched in 2008 as sales co-ordinator; became director of international sales in 2010; became VP of international sales in 2012. “Growing up in Turkey and studying fi lm at Columbia, I was always fascinated by the creative side and the fi lm-making process. However, I quickly learned the importance of
sales and distribution to the financing of independent fi lms. “Glen Basner has been my mentor since
day one. When FilmNation launched in 2008, Glen immediately adapted to the way he saw the future of the business and Film- Nation has since grown to become one of the leading international distribution and pro- duction companies. “Independent films have a much larger
arena than they did fi ve years ago. Producers are now more creative in putting films together, which allows for companies like FilmNation to board projects that would’ve been lost in the studio system. “Although I’ve adapted my goals and
ambitions, the desire to work with fi lm-mak- ers such as Almodovar, Malick and Soder- bergh has remained consistent and I’m extremely fortunate to work on their fi lms every day.”
Ailsa Ferrier Content and acquisitions manager Curzon On Demand Curzon Artificial Eye (UK)
■ Completed a BA in fine art sculpture from 2002-06. ■ Worked in various roles within Curzon Cinemas. ■ In 2008, became acquisitions executive at Artificial Eye. ■ Joined Curzon as content and acquisitions manager in June 2011.
“I worked at Curzon Cinemas during my final years at university and decided after that to get into distribution — mainly due to the slightly naive and romantic notion I had of the Artifi cial Eye company, which merged with the Curzon Group around the same time. “I moved into acquisitions when Louisa
[Dent] joined the company. I can safely say that anything I know about acquisitions comes from Louisa, and what I know about programming I know solely because of Jason Wood. The beauty of the fi lm industry lies in its volatile nature and fl uidity, and I feel that more than ever now I am acquiring and pro- gramming the Curzon On Demand site. “What the company I work for is doing is
genuinely innovative, and yet true to what both Curzon Cinemas and Artifi cial Eye has always represented. I have a strong sense of responsibility towards that history, as well as staying at the forefront of the uncharted dis- tribution landscape of VoD, whose future path is still very much up for debate.”
Kristen Figeroid Senior vice-president of sales Sierra / Affinity (US)
■ Started at Franchise Pictures in 1998 where she worked for four years and was post- production supervisor for City By The Sea. ■. Subsequently Figeroid held the titles of VP of international for Media 8 Entertainment and director of international for Mainline
»
Clay Epstein Cristina Garza
Tara Erer Jeffrey Greenstein
Ailsa Ferrier
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