Panel 4: SUNDAY OCTOBER 19, 10am-11:50 am (come early and grab a croissant! and premix with panelists)
SECURING MONEY & RIGHTS FOR YOUR INDIE PROJECT IN THE AGE OF AI
Venue: Regal Cinemas 1000 W Olympic Blvd Los Angeles 90015-Mezzanine Floor
Moderator: Nadia Davari
If you are an independent filmmaker, funding is hard. How to find and work avenues to financing to make your film from packaging, bridge financing, gap financing, creating a security offering, and attacking investors. Q & A to follow.
Moderator: Nadia Davari
Nadia Davari is an entertainment attorney with extensive experience across a spectrum of fields including film, television (both scripted and unscripted), documentaries, music, influencer branding, technology, fashion, and startups. She is known for her dynamic legal counsel and has also expanded her portfolio by executive producing and producing several notable projects. Some of her credits include "Senior Moment," "All There Is," "Harpoon," "Here's Yianni," "A Motel," "Workaholics," and "The Crusades."
Ms. Davari's legal and production expertise is complemented by her active participation in educational and industry panels. She has shared her knowledge at prestigious institutions and events, including the USC School of Cinematic Arts, the USC School of Law's Entertainment Law Symposium, Southwestern Law School, UCLA School of Law, and Raindance LA Film School. She has also been a keynote speaker and panel moderator at renowned industry gatherings like Hollywood Women's Film Festival, Wonder Women Tech, Dances with Films, The Multi Cultural Film Festival, Bet Tzedek Legal Services, and the ScareLA horror convention.
Ms. Davari earned her J.D. from the University of Southern California's School of Law. Her undergraduate education was completed at the University of California, Los Angeles, where she received a Bachelor of Science in Molecular, Developmental Biology, and Genetics—demonstrating her ability to bridge the worlds of science and entertainment with her diverse skill set.
Panelists:
Jeff Chao, Toei Animation
Jeff Chao is a seasoned media professional and Executive Producer who has dedicated his career to bridging cultures and social impact entertainment, including during his tenure as Senior Director, Finance at Participant Media. While there, he managed film investments for a $250 million film fund between Participant Media and Image Nation Abu Dhabi, producing hits such as Lincoln, The Help, Hundred Foot Journey, Best Exotic Marigold Hotel I & II, Contagion and Snitch. Previously as Vice President of Finance and Business Development for the world-renowned visual effects studio, Digital Domain, Jeff connects content strategy, business affairs and finance to identify new and innovative business opportunities that accelerate the growth of Digital Domain's global studio. Emerging technologies such as virtual production, extended reality, virtual humans and the evolving cooperation between China and Hollywood fall within Jeff's scope of work at DD. Jeff currently advises Toei Animation on film finance and strategy, Toei Animation is the top Japanese Animation company that produced Anime franchises such as One Piece, Dragon Ball Z, Sailor Moon, Digimon, Slam Dunk and Saint Seiya Knights of the Zodiac.
In addition, Jeff serves as the Head of Finance of the Social Impact Entertainment Society (SIES), where he can bring together all of his skill sets in order to accelerate the growth of the Society and its global community of members. He was also Treasurer and a board member of the Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment (CAPE) which champions diversity by educating, connecting, and empowering Asian American and Pacific Islander artists and leaders in entertainment and media and the Director of Finance & VP of Operations for the Asian Professional Exchange (APEX) a 501(c)(3) non-profit, non-partisan community based organization that serves as a medium to bring increased awareness about and to Asian Americans through community service, fellowship, charitable fundraisers, cultural events, professional networking and educational seminars. For further background see: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffchao
Peter Graham, Film Finance 120db Films
Peter Graham has been actively involved in financing entertainment companies and film production for over thirty years. Since 2005 he has partnered with Stephen Hays on 120dB Films. Before 120dB, Mr. Graham was a Managing Director of the Lewis Horwitz Organization (LHO), one of the premier companies specializing in financing independent film and television production. Prior to LHO (1997-2005), he was a Vice President with Union Bank of California's Entertainment Department (1992-1997) lending to independent film productions. Mr. Graham began his entertainment financing skills with First Interstate Bank from (1990-1992). He is a graduate of the US Merchant Marine Academy with a dual major and has an MBA from UCLA’s Anderson School of Management.
Mr. Graham has expertise in complex international film financing and distribution. He has also provided consulting services for debt restructuring. His specialty is developing creative deal structures encompassing both debt and equity. He has been involved in financing over 400 independent movies and television programs including Jeepers Creepers, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, The Virgin Suicides, The English Patient, Queen of the Desert and the television series “Leverage”.
Mr. Graham previously served on the I.F.T.A Board of Directors and has served on the Advisory Board of Directors for the American Film Institute Festival. He is a frequent speaker on industry panels and a lecturer for university courses.
Adrian Ward, Cast & Crew Financial Services (CCFS)
Adrian Ward joined the pioneering production finance company, The Lewis Horwitz Organization (LHO) in 1991. LHO was the premiere lender for indie producers for the next 15 years. I headed European operations at a time when Europe led the way in tax incentives and returned to LA in 2005, ahead of US states developing their own programs. I was instrumental in the development and implementation of Gap Financing which quickly became an industry standard. After LHO I established a number of successful entertainment lending divisions at various banks in Los Angeles including Pacific Mercantile and Banc of California. After 33 years of entertainment banking, involving financing over 500 independent film and TV projects, I joined CCFS in 2024. Cast & Crew, known for its wide variety of payroll and other industry-leading products and services including Final Draft, is an active production financier focusing on cash flowing tax incentives and pre-sale distribution contracts. We currently serve N. America and the UK & Ireland and will be expanding that footprint in the future to include additional territories. I look forward to providing support to your creative and business activities.
John Tehranian, One LLP
John Tehranian is a founding partner of One LLP. His practice focuses on litigation, counseling and crisis management for clients in entertainment and intellectual property matters. John has handled high-profile disputes and transactions involving numerous legends from the worlds of music (Bootsy Collins, Don Henley, B.B. King, Madonna), film (Luis Bunuel, Harold Lloyd), fashion (Jeremy Scott), theater (Stephen Sondheim), photography (David LaChapelle, Annie Leibovitz,), literature (John Fante, Ernest Hemingway, Frank Herbert, Jules Verne) and athletics (Oscar de la Hoya, Tony Parker, Dean Potter). John recently led the trial team in Hargis v. Pacifica (C.D. Cal. 2024) to victory with a $6.3 million jury verdict, the largest maximum statutory damages award for photography infringement in United States history. He has served as counsel in numerous published appellate decisions on copyright matters, including Mavrix v. LiveJournal, 873 F.3d 1045 (9th Cir. 2017), Direct Technologies, LLC v. Electronic Arts, Inc., 836 F.3d 1059 (9th Cir. 2016) and Mavrix Photo, Inc. v. Brand Technologies, Inc., 647 F.3d 1218 (9th Cir. 2011). Variety's Legal Impact Report has recognized John as one of the world's top 50 entertainment lawyers and Billboard Magazine has identified him as one of the top music lawyers in the business. John Tehranian is also the Paul W. Wildman Chair and Professor of Law at Southwestern Law School. He has previously served as a tenured Professor at the University of Utah, and as a Visiting Professor at UCLA and Loyola Law School. A graduate of Harvard University and Yale Law School, he is the author of three books: Whitewashed (New York University Press, 2009); Infringement Nation (Oxford University Press, 2011); and The Secret Life of Copyright (Cambridge University Press, 2025). His articles, appearing in such publications as the Yale Law Journal, Harvard Journal of Law & Gender, and Northwestern University Law Review, have been widely cited in congressional testimony, court decisions, and briefs before the United States Supreme Court in landmark intellectual property cases.
Guillaume de Chalendar is Executive Vice President and Head of Media and Entertainment Banking at Banc of California. In this role, he leads a team of bankers who provide strategic and tailored banking solutions for various entertainment industry segments, including services for business managers, fiduciaries and their high-net-worth clients.
Mr. de Chalendar joined Banc of California in 2022, and under his leadership, the bank has expanded from a niche financer of independent U.S. films to a prominent player that provides comprehensive cash management services and funding solutions to the entertainment industry. Mr. de Chalendar began his career at a leading entertainment law firm in Paris, where
he developed his foundation in the media and entertainment industry. His passion for the field led him to London, where he spent 16 years at major commercial banks, specializing in financing for film, TV and music. During this time, Mr. de Chalendar played a pivotal role in establishing the media and entertainment practice at Bank Leumi, ultimately leading the business in both London and Los Angeles for nearly a decade. Expanding his expertise, he collaborated with Ingenious Media, one of the UK’s largest independent investors in the creative sector, gaining valuable experience in private equity. After relocating to the U.S. in 2014, Mr. de Chalendar led the media finance practice for the merchant banking division of Alvarium Investments, further solidifying his reputation as a specialist in media and entertainment finance. Mr. de Chalendar is a graduate from the University of Aix Marseille III.
Panel 4: SUNDAY OCTOBER 19, 10am-11:50 am (come early and grab a croissant! and premix with panelists)
SECURING MONEY & RIGHTS FOR YOUR INDIE PROJECT IN THE AGE OF AI
Venue: Regal Cinemas 1000 W Olympic Blvd Los Angeles 90015-Mezzanine Floor
Moderator: Nadia Davari
If you are an independent filmmaker, funding is hard. How to find and work avenues to financing to make your film from packaging, bridge financing, gap financing, creating a security offering, and attacking investors. Q & A to follow.
Moderator: Nadia Davari
Nadia Davari is an entertainment attorney with extensive experience across a spectrum of fields including film, television (both scripted and unscripted), documentaries, music, influencer branding, technology, fashion, and startups. She is known for her dynamic legal counsel and has also expanded her portfolio by executive producing and producing several notable projects. Some of her credits include "Senior Moment," "All There Is," "Harpoon," "Here's Yianni," "A Motel," "Workaholics," and "The Crusades."
Ms. Davari's legal and production expertise is complemented by her active participation in educational and industry panels. She has shared her knowledge at prestigious institutions and events, including the USC School of Cinematic Arts, the USC School of Law's Entertainment Law Symposium, Southwestern Law School, UCLA School of Law, and Raindance LA Film School. She has also been a keynote speaker and panel moderator at renowned industry gatherings like Hollywood Women's Film Festival, Wonder Women Tech, Dances with Films, The Multi Cultural Film Festival, Bet Tzedek Legal Services, and the ScareLA horror convention.
Ms. Davari earned her J.D. from the University of Southern California's School of Law. Her undergraduate education was completed at the University of California, Los Angeles, where she received a Bachelor of Science in Molecular, Developmental Biology, and Genetics—demonstrating her ability to bridge the worlds of science and entertainment with her diverse skill set.
Panelists:
Jeff Chao, Toei Animation
Jeff Chao is a seasoned media professional and Executive Producer who has dedicated his career to bridging cultures and social impact entertainment, including during his tenure as Senior Director, Finance at Participant Media. While there, he managed film investments for a $250 million film fund between Participant Media and Image Nation Abu Dhabi, producing hits such as Lincoln, The Help, Hundred Foot Journey, Best Exotic Marigold Hotel I & II, Contagion and Snitch. Previously as Vice President of Finance and Business Development for the world-renowned visual effects studio, Digital Domain, Jeff connects content strategy, business affairs and finance to identify new and innovative business opportunities that accelerate the growth of Digital Domain's global studio. Emerging technologies such as virtual production, extended reality, virtual humans and the evolving cooperation between China and Hollywood fall within Jeff's scope of work at DD. Jeff currently advises Toei Animation on film finance and strategy, Toei Animation is the top Japanese Animation company that produced Anime franchises such as One Piece, Dragon Ball Z, Sailor Moon, Digimon, Slam Dunk and Saint Seiya Knights of the Zodiac.
In addition, Jeff serves as the Head of Finance of the Social Impact Entertainment Society (SIES), where he can bring together all of his skill sets in order to accelerate the growth of the Society and its global community of members. He was also Treasurer and a board member of the Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment (CAPE) which champions diversity by educating, connecting, and empowering Asian American and Pacific Islander artists and leaders in entertainment and media and the Director of Finance & VP of Operations for the Asian Professional Exchange (APEX) a 501(c)(3) non-profit, non-partisan community based organization that serves as a medium to bring increased awareness about and to Asian Americans through community service, fellowship, charitable fundraisers, cultural events, professional networking and educational seminars. For further background see: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffchao
Peter Graham, Film Finance 120db Films
Peter Graham has been actively involved in financing entertainment companies and film production for over thirty years. Since 2005 he has partnered with Stephen Hays on 120dB Films. Before 120dB, Mr. Graham was a Managing Director of the Lewis Horwitz Organization (LHO), one of the premier companies specializing in financing independent film and television production. Prior to LHO (1997-2005), he was a Vice President with Union Bank of California's Entertainment Department (1992-1997) lending to independent film productions. Mr. Graham began his entertainment financing skills with First Interstate Bank from (1990-1992). He is a graduate of the US Merchant Marine Academy with a dual major and has an MBA from UCLA’s Anderson School of Management.
Mr. Graham has expertise in complex international film financing and distribution. He has also provided consulting services for debt restructuring. His specialty is developing creative deal structures encompassing both debt and equity. He has been involved in financing over 400 independent movies and television programs including Jeepers Creepers, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, The Virgin Suicides, The English Patient, Queen of the Desert and the television series “Leverage”.
Mr. Graham previously served on the I.F.T.A Board of Directors and has served on the Advisory Board of Directors for the American Film Institute Festival. He is a frequent speaker on industry panels and a lecturer for university courses.
Adrian Ward, Cast & Crew Financial Services (CCFS)
Adrian Ward joined the pioneering production finance company, The Lewis Horwitz Organization (LHO) in 1991. LHO was the premiere lender for indie producers for the next 15 years. I headed European operations at a time when Europe led the way in tax incentives and returned to LA in 2005, ahead of US states developing their own programs. I was instrumental in the development and implementation of Gap Financing which quickly became an industry standard. After LHO I established a number of successful entertainment lending divisions at various banks in Los Angeles including Pacific Mercantile and Banc of California. After 33 years of entertainment banking, involving financing over 500 independent film and TV projects, I joined CCFS in 2024. Cast & Crew, known for its wide variety of payroll and other industry-leading products and services including Final Draft, is an active production financier focusing on cash flowing tax incentives and pre-sale distribution contracts. We currently serve N. America and the UK & Ireland and will be expanding that footprint in the future to include additional territories. I look forward to providing support to your creative and business activities.
John Tehranian, One LLP
John Tehranian is a founding partner of One LLP. His practice focuses on litigation, counseling and crisis management for clients in entertainment and intellectual property matters. John has handled high-profile disputes and transactions involving numerous legends from the worlds of music (Bootsy Collins, Don Henley, B.B. King, Madonna), film (Luis Bunuel, Harold Lloyd), fashion (Jeremy Scott), theater (Stephen Sondheim), photography (David LaChapelle, Annie Leibovitz,), literature (John Fante, Ernest Hemingway, Frank Herbert, Jules Verne) and athletics (Oscar de la Hoya, Tony Parker, Dean Potter). John recently led the trial team in Hargis v. Pacifica (C.D. Cal. 2024) to victory with a $6.3 million jury verdict, the largest maximum statutory damages award for photography infringement in United States history. He has served as counsel in numerous published appellate decisions on copyright matters, including Mavrix v. LiveJournal, 873 F.3d 1045 (9th Cir. 2017), Direct Technologies, LLC v. Electronic Arts, Inc., 836 F.3d 1059 (9th Cir. 2016) and Mavrix Photo, Inc. v. Brand Technologies, Inc., 647 F.3d 1218 (9th Cir. 2011). Variety's Legal Impact Report has recognized John as one of the world's top 50 entertainment lawyers and Billboard Magazine has identified him as one of the top music lawyers in the business. John Tehranian is also the Paul W. Wildman Chair and Professor of Law at Southwestern Law School. He has previously served as a tenured Professor at the University of Utah, and as a Visiting Professor at UCLA and Loyola Law School. A graduate of Harvard University and Yale Law School, he is the author of three books: Whitewashed (New York University Press, 2009); Infringement Nation (Oxford University Press, 2011); and The Secret Life of Copyright (Cambridge University Press, 2025). His articles, appearing in such publications as the Yale Law Journal, Harvard Journal of Law & Gender, and Northwestern University Law Review, have been widely cited in congressional testimony, court decisions, and briefs before the United States Supreme Court in landmark intellectual property cases.
Guillaume de Chalendar is Executive Vice President and Head of Media and Entertainment Banking at Banc of California. In this role, he leads a team of bankers who provide strategic and tailored banking solutions for various entertainment industry segments, including services for business managers, fiduciaries and their high-net-worth clients.
Mr. de Chalendar joined Banc of California in 2022, and under his leadership, the bank has expanded from a niche financer of independent U.S. films to a prominent player that provides comprehensive cash management services and funding solutions to the entertainment industry. Mr. de Chalendar began his career at a leading entertainment law firm in Paris, where
he developed his foundation in the media and entertainment industry. His passion for the field led him to London, where he spent 16 years at major commercial banks, specializing in financing for film, TV and music. During this time, Mr. de Chalendar played a pivotal role in establishing the media and entertainment practice at Bank Leumi, ultimately leading the business in both London and Los Angeles for nearly a decade. Expanding his expertise, he collaborated with Ingenious Media, one of the UK’s largest independent investors in the creative sector, gaining valuable experience in private equity. After relocating to the U.S. in 2014, Mr. de Chalendar led the media finance practice for the merchant banking division of Alvarium Investments, further solidifying his reputation as a specialist in media and entertainment finance. Mr. de Chalendar is a graduate from the University of Aix Marseille III.