From Concept to Audience: How Films Come to Life
Filmmakers, producers, and executives share the journey and process of how their latest films went from script to screen.
Panelists
James Huntsman, Owner, Blue Fox Entertainment
Glendon Palmer, EVP of Production, AGC Studios
Sanjay Sharma, Founder, Marginal MediaWorks
Moderator
Patrick Rizzotti, Co-Founder & President, Blue Fox Financing
Speakers
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Patrick RizzottiCo-Founder & President, Blue Fox FinancingPatrick Rizzotti has successfully secured $100MM+ in financing spanning over 20+ feature films. Rizzotti runs the film and television lending marketplace, Blue Fox Financing. Blue Fox Financing is the first transactional digital platform to streamline and expedite film financing opportunities for the entertainment industry, connecting borrowers with the largest database of film and television lenders and gap financiers.
In addition to running Blue Fox Financing, Rizzotti has also produced major internationally successful films including the critically acclaimed “Pride” (Lionsgate), starring Academy Award Nominee Terrence Howard (Empire, Iron man), “The Collector”, co-written and directed by Marcus Dunstan (The Saw Franchise), which spawned a two sequels called “The Collection” and “The Collected”, “The Super”, a psychological thriller starring Val Kilmer (Top Gun, The Doors) financed by legendary television producer Dick Wolf, “The Free Fall” starring Andrea Lando (NARCOS) and Shawn Ashmore (X-Men Days of Future Past, The Boys), “Maximum Truth” Starring Ike Barinholtz (Central Intelligence, Blockers), Dylan O’Brien (Maze Runner, Teen Wolf) Financed by Edward H. Hamm Jr (Get Out, Blackkklansman), “Tiger Mom” starring Ken Jeong (Hangover, Community) and “Bunker”, financed by Blue Fox Entertainment and directed by Adrian Langley (Butchers).
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Glendon PalmerEVP of Production, AGC StudiosGlendon Palmer is AGC Studios’ Executive Vice President of Production. He is a producer on the company’s upcoming film THE PERFECT FIND from director Numa Perrier starring Gabrielle Union and Gina Torres for Netflix. Previous to AGC Palmer was SVP of Development and Production at IM Global where he was an Executive Producer on such projects as Southside with You, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, and Fifty Shades of Black, which was a success internationally and a box office hit for US distributor Open Road. Prior to IM Global Palmer was an independent film and television producer who developed and produced the breakout hit Jumping the Broom for Sony Pictures, and a production executive at Robert L. Johnson’s Our Stories Films and Will Smith’s Overbrook Entertainment. He began his career at Savoy Pictures International before transitioning to a position at the management company Handprint Entertainment. Palmer is a graduate of Northwestern University.
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Sanjay SharmaFounder, Marginal MediaWorksSanjay Sharma is the founder and CEO of Marginal MediaWorks. MARGINAL is a startup content studio focused on underrepresented voices creating authentic but commercial, genre fare for broad audiences — through their unique lens. MARGINAL develops and produces feature film, television, animation and audio series, across scripted and unscripted formats, with a primary focus on popular genres, horror, thriller, near future sci-fi, comedy and aspirational narratives, from writers and directors of color, women, immigrants, LGBTQ+ community members, or “others” of all kinds in the US and globally. In its first 3 years, the company has helped produce 6 feature films, sold two tv series and two premium scripted audio series, all from emerging creators of color. Sharma previously helped found and lead two digital media startups: Machinima, the first YouTube “multi channel network,” which was acquired by Warner Bros, and All Def Media, based on the iconic Def Jam record label and brand. He began his career at Warner Bros. Pictures working across the studios many franchises including The Matrix, Ocean’s 11, Chris Nolan’s Batman and more. Sharma is a graduate of Columbia University and the Stanford Law School. Marginal, Sharma’s third startup, is a public benefit corporation.
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James HuntsmanOwner, Blue Fox EntertainmentJames Huntsman was a founding partner of Blue Fox Entertainment in 2015. After 12 months as a producer representative, Blue Fox expanded into a full service domestic distribution and international sales company handling between 20-25 movies a year of all genres. In 2022, Blue Fox Entertainment acquired Crossroads Lending to form Blue Fox Financing, the largest global marketplace to cash flow debt and provide gap financing . Prior to Blue Fox Entertainment, James was a founding partner of the Beverly Hills based production company Asgaard Entertainment in 2006.