Independent Film & Television Alliance Picks New Board Members

LOS ANGELES: Key executives from a slew of production and distribution companies have been elected to the Independent Film & Television Alliance’s (IFTA) committee and board of directors.

The membership meeting took place at the InterContinental Hotel in Century City and concurrently via telephone at the British Screen Advisory Council in London.

IFTA Chairperson Paul Hertzberg, of CineTel Films, will head the executive committee. The committee’s elected members for 2014-2016 are: General Vice Chairperson Nicolas Chartier (president of Voltage Pictures); Chairperson of Export Alliance Clay Epstein (senior VP of sales and acquisitions at Arclight Films); Vice Chairperson/Finance Brian O’Shea (CEO of The Exchange); and General Vice Chairperson/Non-Californian Michael Ryan (partner at GFM Films). Continuing on the Executive Committee for the second year of their terms are General Vice Chairperson Kirk D’Amico (the president and CEO of Myriad Pictures) and Vice Chairperson/Secretary Lise Romanoff (managing director and CEO of Vision Films).

Elected to the Board for the 2014-2016 term are: Tamara Birkemoe, president of Foresight Unlimited; Camela Galano, president of international at Relativity Media; Gene George, the executive VP of worldwide distribution at Starz Media; Jay Joyce, the VP of worldwide sales at Artist View Entertainment; Lloyd Kaufman, president of Troma Entertainment; Brad Krevoy, chairman and CEO of Motion Picture Corporation of America; Robbie Little, co-president of The Little Film Company; Nicole Mackey, the executive VP of international sales at Fortissimo Film Sales; Barbara Mudge, the president of Worldwide Film Entertainment; and Almira Ravil, the senior VP of international sales at Screen Media.

Carl Clifton, partner of sales and marketing at K5 Media Group, and Mathilde Epstein, VP of international sales at Lightning Entertainment Group, will serve as alternates.

Continuing in the second year of their board term are: Glen Basner, CEO of FilmNation Entertainment; Shaked Berenson, the co-founder and COO of Epic Pictures Group; Roger Corman, the president of New Horizons Picture; Pierre David, chief strategy advisor at Reel One Entertainment; Ennis Hensley, executive VP of international sales and distribution at The Weinstein Company; Andrew Kramer, COO of international distribution at Lionsgate; Albert Lee, CEO of Emperor Motion Pictures; Avi Lerner, chairman and CEO at Nu Image/Millennium Films; Charlotte Mickie, president of international at Mongrel Media; and Thorsten Schumacher, managing director at Hanway Films.

Paul Hertzberg, IFTA’s chairman, said: “The newly elected Board and Executive Committee members are an exceptionally talented group. Their experience and perspective will add immeasurably to our deliberations on key issues affecting the industry and independent sector. We welcome them warmly and look forward to working with them over the next two years.”