Tuesday, May 21st, 2019

2:40 PM - 3:40 PM

Track I: Finance - Film-TV-Production Track - Haas, Room 171

The Content Development & Financing Workshop - Film – TV – Indie Production – Internet Programming

Elissa Friedman, SVP Development & Production, Covert Media

Jim Milio, Producer/Executive Producer of Motion Pictures and Television Programming

Elizabeth Blake-Thomas, Director/Writer

Tobias Queisser, co-founder & CEO, Cinelytic

Karen M. Robson, Partner, Pryor Cashman, Moderator

Jim Milio has been an award-winning writer, producer and director of television and films for more than thirty years. Milio has written, produced, or directed more than 400 hours of primetime television including “Dog Whisperer” for National Geographic, “Founding Fathers” for the History Channel, The Discovery Channel’s “Eco-Challenge Australia,” “Rescue 911” for CBS, the Emmy nominated “Great Moments in Disney Animation” for ABC, and “The Real Las Vegas” for A&E. In film, Milio wrote and directed Men Seeking Women starring Will Ferrell and was the co-executive producer of the highest grossing romantic comedy of all time, “My Big Fat Greek Wedding.” Milio was co-chair of the Non-Fiction

Committee of the Writer’s Guild of America (WGA) and was a member of the Non-Fiction Steering Committee of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (ATAS) for two years. He has won three People’s Choice Awards (“Dog Whisperer,” “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” and “Rescue 911”) and been nominated for numerous Emmy Awards and Writer’s Guild Awards.

Elissa Friedman, Production Executive, Covert Media: Friedman develops and builds the Covert Media slate. She serves as an Executive Producer on all of their titles including the highly anticipated Ophelia starring Daisy Ridley and Naomi Watts, the newly announced The Ice Cream Man, Forty-Six directed by Alik Sakharov, YA thriller Need, and Resurface produced alongside Broken Road Productions. Before joining Covert Media, Elissa served as production executive at QED International for over six years working on such films as Fury, Sabotage, Fading Gigolo, Haunt and Dirty Grandpa, as well as associate producer on Rock The Kasbah.

Tobias Queisser is the co-founder & CEO of Cinelytic – the AI-driven analytics & project management platform that digitizes workflow and provides data and predictive analytics resources that enable entertainment industry professionals to make faster and better-informed decisions. Tobias has a background in film and finance. He is the founder of Arctic Pictures Limited, an international, London-based film production company that focuses on sourcing, development, financing & production of filmed entertainment. Prior, he spent 10 years in the finance industry as an investment banker at Ermgassen & Co, advising on complex international merger & acquisition transactions (deal value €2bn+). He later cofounded & managed a global investment fund in London. The fund was acquired in 2013. Tobias holds an MSc in International Accounting & Finance from CASS Business School in London and a BA Honours from the European Business School in London. Further, he studied Film Finance & Production at UCLA Los Angeles and Film Production & Production Management at the National Film and Television School in London.

Elizabeth Blake-Thomas is an LA-based British filmmaker. She got her start in theater directing but transitioned effortlessly into film about 3 years ago. Elizabeth has directed seven feature films in the past 2 years, her latest being Maybe I'm Fine. She has won multiple film festival awards for her films and has many more projects lined up for 2019. Elizabeth is also the co-founder of Mother & Daughter Entertainment a production company she started with her daughter Isabella.

Karen M. Robson, Partner, Pryor Cashman: Karen Robson is a veteran entertainment lawyer who co-leads the Los Angeles office of Pryor Cashman LLP. Originally an actress and a lawyer in her native Australia and then in NYC before opening Pryor Cashman’s LA office, she has a unique ability to understand the various angles of stakeholders on every side of the table. She is an expert in indie film and TV finance production and distribution (both US and international), but has expanded into many areas, including international co-production of film and TV, reality TV, digital media and children’s programming and the financing, production and monetization of these productions. She has a wealth of experience speaking in large crowds, and has been a speaker in festival markets and seminars in the Middle East, Spain, Singapore, Australia and the U.S. (focusing on both domestic and emerging markets such as India and South America).