Kerry McCluggage To Deliver Keynote Speech At The IFTA Production Conference

Entertainment industry veteran Kerry McCluggage, chairman of Allumination FilmWorks, will deliver the key note speech at the Independent Film & Television Alliance’s (IFTA) annual Production Conference in June. The announcement was made by Jean M. Prewitt, president and CEO of IFTA, the global trade association of the independent motion picture and television programming industry.
The event, which will take place from 8:00am to 1:00pm on Friday, June 15, at the Beverly Hills Hotel, also will feature the panels 'Marketing and Distributing Movies in the Age of New, User-Centered Technologies' and 'How Do New Incentive Programs Change our Choices for Production Locations?'.
Tickets to the event are available to IFTA members for $60 per person, and $90 for non-members. More information can be found at: www.ifta-online.org
Regarding the announcement, Prewitt said: “We are honored to have Kerry McCluggage serve as our keynote speaker this year. His wealth of experience and leading role in shaping the television landscape provides unique insight into where our business stands today and, more importantly, where it is going.”
'Marketing and Distributing Movies in the Age of New, User-Centered Technologies' will address the new trends changing how filmed entertainment is created, marketed and distributed in today’s multi-platform world. The panel, to be moderated by Pierre David, chairman and CEO of Imagination Worldwide and chairman of the IFTA Producers Committee, will feature Steve Bickel, president of Aura Entertainment; Nicolas Chartier, president of Voltage Pictures; Susan Cleary, IFTA vice president and general counsel; Kirk D’Amico, president and CEO of Myriad Pictures; Richard Guardian, co-president of Lightning Entertainment; Pedro Rodriguez, president of IDC; Marcy Rubin, senior vice president, international distribution, of CineTel Films; and Michael Weiser, CEO of Pinnacle Entertainment.
'How Do New Incentive Programs Change our Choices for Production Locations?' will feature a panel of experts who will look at today’s production incentives around the world and discuss the comparative value to be obtained by producing content in key locations. Moderated by Paul Hertzberg, president of CineTel Films, the panel’s confirmed participants include Dama Chasle, production executive of Axium International; Lloyd Kaufman, president of Troma Entertainment; Michael Ryan, director of Handmade Films Intl.; Hal Sadoff, head of international and independent film for ICM; Kirk Shaw, president and CEO of Insight Film Studios; Trevor Short, CFO of NuImage; and Jimmy Veres, president of Heartstone Films.
Prewitt added: "All of these individuals bring expertise and vision to the discussion of how to best maximize your production budgets and what the future holds in the digital age. Kerry McCluggage and the wonderful panelists comprise a powerful agenda for this event that will greatly serve attendees."
McCluggage has been in the entertainment business since 1978. In 1980, he became Universal Television’s youngest vice president at the age of 25. During his stint at Universal, McCluggage oversaw the development and production of such television hits as Magnum P.I., Murder She Wrote, The A-Team, Miami Vice and Law & Order. He joined Paramount in 1991, where he developed the original plan for UPN and oversaw its 1995 launch. As chairman of the Paramount Television Group, he aided in the development and production of JAG, Deadwood, the Emmy Award-winning series Frasier and the hit magazine show Entertainment Tonight, among many others.
McCluggage and Jeff Sagansky acquired Allumination FilmWorks (formerly Ardustry Home Entertainment) in 2005. An important and dynamic new player in the distribution of quality entertainment to broadcast, satellite and cable television as well as both the theatrical and home entertainment markets worldwide, Allumination boasts an impressive portfolio of nearly 200 quality theatrical films, in all major categories, as well as more than 4,000 hours of television programming, along with music specials and kids/family feature titles for television, cable and home video/DVD distribution markets worldwide. Sagansky and McCluggage are also key investors in Peace Arch Entertainment, a publicly-traded company listed on the Toronto and American stock exchanges.
(DS)