Hey all — I’ll be speaking at Stage 32’s “Art of the Deal - Innovative Financing for Indie Filmmakers” panel at Cannes this year, focused on creative financing strategies for indie filmmakers.
Curious to know — what burning questions do you have around raising capital, international presales, working with financiers, or navigating tax credits? I’d love to tailor my portion of the panel around what matters most to the community.
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This is such an exciting topic, Grady Craig, and incredibly valuable for so many indie filmmakers navigating the realities of funding their projects. One big question I hear often in the Stage 32 community is: How can newer filmmakers position themselves as low-risk investments to financiers when they don’t yet have a track record?
That would be great to bring up during the panel, but if you have any advice to share here in the meantime, we’d love to hear it as well!
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That's a great question!
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Grady Craig what effect would Trump’s tariffs on non-US produced films have on European films? What effect will it have on European tax incentives for films partly produced in the US?
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Hi Grady, I'd love to hear about structuring a project for negative pickup and whether that is still possible for sub-$1M projects. Thanks so much!
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A film financier from Philly -- be still my heart :-) I'd like to know the latest on presales -- they've waned, but seem to be on the rise again? What moves the needle on presales? Bankable names seem to be an off-bet with names like Pierce Brosnan being in demand. So, in short, "the art of presales."
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As a producer that has multiple projects at various stages of completion, post, pre, devel.... I think there are so many weird game changers and expectations...it's become impossible to predict with any certainty any trusted route to success. If you are creating authentic story telling and have a committed team of grounded artists...with some "names" mixed in (sadly sometimes) ...I think that you are in a position of strength BUT... I will always wonder how to spark FIRST MONEY IN ... anyone?????
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Toni D'Antonio development funding as you know, is probably the riskiest phase of any production, so we are looking to raise 5% of the budget and will offer the investor all their money back, plus a 30% premium, on the first day of principal photography. Hope that helps...
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Thanks Geoff Hall . Yes... structuring the deal for first money in/first money out with the premium us always a good idea for that first seed money. I like that and do use that in practice
. It's RAISING even that first 5%, which yes is the riskiest, and so very difficult to get that first trigger pulled. Have you come up with any other incentives/ideas for risk mitigation for your first money in people?
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Toni D'Antonio incentives? Well, there's the 30% premium! ;-) and also non-financial benefits, to give them a whole experience of a film being produced and exhibited.