The Untold Realities of Global Film Sales: What’s Really Shaping Today’s Market?
Moderator
Clay Epstein, Film Mode Entertainment
Panelists
Tiffany Boyle, Ramo Law PC
Mimi Steinbauer, Radiant Films International
Brian O’Shea, The Exchange
Speakers
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Clay EpsteinPresident and Owner, Film Mode Entertainment
Clay Epstein has over twenty years of experience as an Entertainment Executive. Since launching his own company in 2016, he is the President and Owner of Film Mode Entertainment, a worldwide sales and distribution entity with a producer friendly initiative. In addition to bringing films to audiences around the globe, Clay executive produces many of the company’s titles. As an Executive Producer, Clay is instrumental in working with filmmakers in the early stages of pre-production to help build the financing, and creative elements to achieve these successes worldwide. To better help producers and directors who may be less experienced, Film Mode has an active consultancy division, offering producers expertise and guidance on financial models, marketing, and distribution strategies.
Film Mode represents over 70 independent feature films worldwide, with a client base that spans the globe. Recent successes include BREACH starring Bruce Willis, AS THEY MADE US starring Dustin Hoffman, and Candice Bergan, CRYPTO starring Kurt Russel, LITTLE PINK HOUSE starring Catherine Keener, and MONSTROUS starring Christina Ricci.
Prior to launching Film Mode, Clay was SVP Sales & Acquisitions at Arclight Films. He was instrumental in representing high profile films such as Paul Schrader ’s DOG EAT DOG starring Nicolas Cage, and the Spirig brother’s PREDESTINATION starring Ethan Hawke. Earlier in his career, Clay represented prestigious titles such as TSOTSI (2006, Academy Award Winner for Best Foreign Language,) and THE LAST STATION (2010, Academy Award Nominee for Best Performance by an Actress.) Clay earned a BA in Fine Arts, from California State University, Northridge majoring in Film Production and minoring in Italian Language.
Clay holds the elected position of Chairman of Independent Film and Television Alliance, lectures at UCLA Extension and film festivals worldwide. He’s a member of PGA, FIND, BAFTA LA, and the Australian Academy Cinema Television Arts.
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Mimi SteinbauerPresident & CEO, Radiant Films International
Mimi Steinbauer launched Radiant Films International, a full-service film sales company, in 2012.
The Radiant slate includes the Sundance Film Festival Closing Night Film, RUDDERLESS, William H. Macy’s feature directorial debut, starring Billy Crudup, Anton Yelchin, and Selena Gomez; MADAME BOVARY, a remake of the iconic period drama starring Mia Wasikowska and Paul Giamatti; HUNGRY HEARTS, a double winner at the Venice Film Festival starring Alba Rohrwacher and Adam Driver; PLUS ONE, a romantic comedy starring Maya Erksine and Jack Quaid which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival; the upcoming horror comedy BORDERLINE starring Samara Weaving executive produced by Margot Robbie and her team at LuckyChap Entertainment; and WILDCAT directed and co-written by Ethan Hawke, starring Maya Hawke, Laura Linney, Steve Zahn and Liam Neeson which played at both Toronto International Film Festival as well as Telluride Film Festival in 2023.
Steinbauer previously held the position of President at Hyde Park International, overseeing the licensing and distribution operations for the company’s in-house productions, acquisitions and international sales. Hyde Park’s projects included GHOST RIDER 2: SPIRIT OF VENGEANCE starring Nicolas Cage, the acclaimed Sundance title BLUE VALENTINE, starring Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling, as well as MACHETE, a Robert Rodriguez film starring Robert De Niro, Jessica Alba and Michelle Rodriguez.
Just prior to joining Hyde Park in 2008, Steinbauer completed a second Masters degree in Alternative Dispute Resolution and International Peacekeeping at Pepperdine University, School of Law. While attending Pepperdine, Steinbauer maintained her day-to-day connection to the international film business, working as a sales consultant for Voltage Pictures, as well as evaluating sales collateral for select banks and financing entities. As a sales consultant, she licensed major international rights for Kathryn Bigelow’s Academy Award winner THE HURT LOCKER.
From 2000 to 2005, Steinbauer was President of International Sales and Distribution at Franchise Pictures. There she managed all aspects of international distribution and marketing, overseeing single picture financing, as well as overseeing the sales team for a diverse US$100M+ slate including such pictures as David Mamet’s SPARTAN and the Bruce Willis/Matthew Perry sequel THE WHOLE TEN YARDS.
Prior to running Franchise International, Mimi Steinbauer was Vice-President of Distribution at New Line International where she handled international licensing and distribution for such films as the Academy Award winning THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy, RUSH HOUR 2 and THE NOTEBOOK.
In 1997, Steinbauer joined the newly created Village Roadshow/Warner Bros production JV, where she coordinated the distribution of the entire slate through Warner Bros International, including overseeing the international rollouts of the Academy Award winning film THE MATRIX and the George Clooney film THREE KINGS, among many other titles.
Steinbauer started her work in international distribution at Capella International and subsequently ran Trimark International Television (now Lionsgate), where she was integral in multiple large library acquisitions of TV series, documentaries and made-for-TV movies.
After growing up in Vienna, Austria, Steinbauer completed her undergraduate studies in Psychology at Williams College in Massachusetts and attended The American University in Cairo, Egypt. She began her film career as an Assistant Director and Script Supervisor, working in both film and television throughout Austria and Germany. She moved to Los Angeles to attend The Peter Stark Program at USC Film School, where she completed a Master’s degree in Film Producing. She has studied at Le Cordon Bleu, is a certified Kundalini Yoga Instructor, a Reiki Master and world-renowned sound healer. Steinbauer teaches an annual Women’s Negotiation Workshop and has acted as a Teaching Assistant at the Harvard Program on Negotiation. Steinbauer also volunteers at Operation USA, a highly respected international disaster relief organization based in Los Angeles.
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Tiffany BoylePresident of Packaging & Sales, Ramo Law
Equipped with 15+ years of industry experience and a passion for the power of film, Tiffany Boyle is dedicated to bringing dynamic stories to life onscreen. She serves as the President of Packaging & Sales at Ramo Law, leveraging her deep knowledge of the independent film space to bring hundreds of films and documentaries to fruition. Tiffany is also a Producer on Paul Schrader’s feature, OH, CANADA (starring Richard Gere, Jacob Elordi, & Uma Thurman), which premiered this year at Cannes Film Festival. This is just one of the many projects she has overseen for Vested Interest, a production company she founded alongside her Co-Partner, Elsa Ramo. Together, the duo seeks to discover, develop and produce unique filmmaking voices and stories. Their other credits as EPs include Cannes 2022’s Un Certain Regard Jury Prize Winner and Film Independent 2023 Spirit Awards Best International Film JOYLAND; Paul Schrader’s THE CARD COUNTER (Oscar Isaac & Tiffany Haddish); CHICK FIGHT (Malin Akerman & Bella Thorne); the 2022 SXSW documentary MAMA BEARS; Mary Dauterman’s feature directorial debut, BOOGER; and DEAD SHOT (Felicity Jones & Mark Strong).