Forecasting the Future for Independent Film
Industry leaders go beyond the headlines to discuss the state of the industry, what it means to be an Independent today, and how their companies are working to shape the future of film.
Panelists
David Fannon, EVP, Distribution, Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment & President, Screen Media Ventures, LLC
Martin Moszkowicz, Chairman of the Executive Board, Constantin Film
Ashley Stern, President, Picture Perfect Federation / Federation Entertainment of America
Moderator
Patrick Frater, Asia Editor, Variety
Speakers
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David FannonEVP, Distribution, Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment & President, Screen Media Ventures, LLCDavid Fannon, currently president of Screen Media, assumes leadership of all of CSS Entertainment’s distribution and content acquisition initiatives. He first joined Screen Media in 2005 and over the course of his 14-year tenure, Mr. Fannon has been intimately involved with the growth and expansion of Screen Media from a home video company to a truly digital pioneer. Screen Media acquires the rights to TV series, films and other video libraries, and monetizes these assets by licensing those rights to companies that deliver video to their own audiences. The team sells the content worldwide across a comprehensive range of video platforms, including theatrical releases, cable TV, local TV, digital platforms, DVDs and CSS Entertainment’s own VOD/Online Networks.
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Ashley SternPresident, Picture Perfect Federation / Federation Entertainment of AmericaAshley Stern serves as President of Picture Perfect Federation, a joint venture by Picture Perfect Entertainment and top global studio Federation Entertainment, for which Stern continues to serve as President of the US division, Federation Entertainment of America. Alongside Chairman of Picture Perfect Federation Patrick Wachsberger, Stern develops and produces premium television and film content for both US and international markets with top talent from around the globe. Stern also oversees the company’s slate of high-profile projects, including the ongoing development and production of IMPOSSIBLE, written and directed by Siân Heder, the visionary behind the Oscar®-winning CODA, which Wachsberger produced. She will also produce the fully financed feature film “Bad Genius,” written by Julius Onah & J.C. Lee in collaboration with Erik Feig’s Picturestart.
Stern continues to acquire big IP for the company, such as Christian Jacq’s series of five international bestselling books, “Ramses,” which Stern is co-producing for television with frequent collaborator Anonymous Content; Amazon’s #1 psychological thriller, “A Perfect Marriage,” with William Broyles Jr. writing the feature adaptation; genre-bending “Rules For Vanishing,” set up with a top streamer for television adaptation; and financial thriller “Bad Banks,” alongside Rian Johnson’s T-Street.
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Patrick FraterAsia Editor, VarietyPatrick Frater is Asia Editor of Variety, based out of Hong Kong and Bangkok, where he oversees a small team of Asia regional correspondents, in addition to reporting on the international film and TV markets. He was previously International Editor at Screen International and co-founder of Film Business Asia. Before focusing his attention on the entertainment sector, he worked for finance industry publications in London and Paris.
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Martin MoszkowiczChairman of the Executive Board, Constantin FilmMartin Moszkowicz is the Chairman of the Executive Board at Constantin Film. In this capacity, Mr. Moszkowicz is responsible for the company’s film business, including worldwide production and distribution, world sales, marketing and publicity as well as corporate communication and legal affairs. On March 6, 2019 Martin Moszkowicz was appointed Honorary Professor at HFF Munich (University of Television and Film Munich). Commencing with the winter semester 2019/2020 he will also chair the degree program “Production & Media Economics” at HFF Munich.
As producer, executive producer, or co-producer Mr. Moszkowicz has been involved in well over 300 nationally and internationally successful feature films and numerous television shows. Recent projects include “What about Adolf?” (2018), “Polar” (2019), “The Collini Case” (2019), “The Silence” (2019), “The Perfect Secret” (2019), “Dragonrider” ( 2020), Monster Hunter (2021), Contra (2021), Welcome to Raccoon City (2021), The Last Name (2022) and Love Things (2022).