Event Details

Speakers update: April Ye, the CEO of Film Finances China and the founder of April Harvest Productions will also be joining the panel on April 17.

AmCham China's Media & Entertainment Forum is pleased to invite you to attend an exclusive China Film Finance panel taking place during the Beijing International Film Festival. Forum Co-Chair Mathew Alderson is honored to host three industry experts Ellen Eliasoph, President and CEO, Village Roadshow Entertainment Group Asia, Bennett Pozil, EVP Head of Corporate Banking, East West Bank and April Ye, CEO of Film Finances Inc.

China’s film business continues to grow but developments late last year point to a period of correction and rationalization. Box office has slowed in face of concerns about ticket pricing and accounting. Several high profile projects have fallen over or achieved disappointing results. Hollywood’s financing models are stretching to fit this new environment. Concerns about box office reporting abound. Completion bonds and insurances are just emerging. Collection account management also faces new challenges.

As filmmakers and studio executives from around the globe converge for the Beijing International Film Festival, come hear from two of the industry's leading experts. Issues to be covered include:
• Financial structuring of Sino-US motion pictures,
• The roles of banks and lenders in the financing process,
• Tips for foreign producers or studios raising money from Chinese investors,
• Tips for successful co-productions,
• Collection account management in China,
• Completion guarantors and production insurers in China.

Please note that this is an No Media event.

Agenda

5:30 PM - 6:00 PM
Registration
6:00 PM - 6:45 PM

Speakers

  • Ellen Eliasoph (President and CEO of Village Roadshow Entertainment Group Asia)

    Ellen Eliasoph

    President and CEO of Village Roadshow Entertainment Group Asia

    Ellen Eliasoph joined Village Roadshow Entertainment Group (“VREG”) Asia in 2011 as its President and CEO after having worked in the Asia filmed entertainment sector for two decades. Ms. Eliasoph became the first Hollywood executive to be based in China when she established Warner Bros.’ Beijing office in 1993. She imported ‘The Fugitive’ to China as the first Hollywood revenue-sharing film and in doing so opened the marketplace for Hollywood studio films and films from other countries to be imported into China. During her two decades at Warner Bros. Ms. Eliasoph arranged the China releases of the ‘Matrix’ and ‘Harry Potter’ series and many other films on the Warner Bros. slate, and developed and managed a number of groundbreaking Chinese productions and co-productions directed by some of Greater China’s leading and most promising upcoming directors. In that capacity, Ms. Eliasoph pioneered the creation of the deal structures by which Sino-foreign co-productions are developed, produced and exploited. Since joining VREG Asia, she has established and led the company’s production efforts, working in concert with many of the leading filmmakers in the Greater China region (see filmography below).
    Ms. Eliasoph is a summa cum laude graduate of Yale College and Yale Law School, and is qualified to practice law in New York, California and Washington DC. She is fluent in Mandarin Chinese and Japanese. Ms. Eliasoph was a member of the first group of American students to study in the People’s Republic of China following normalization of Sino-US diplomatic relations.
    Village Roadshow Entertainment Group Asia (“VREG Asia”) has established a platform that joins the Chinese film industry and Hollywood in a closer partnership, to provide development, financing, production, technical services and distribution support to film producers, directors and creative talent across Greater China.

    Ellen Eliasoph selective filmography:
    制作与后期中的作品:
    In Production and Post-Production:
    《影》(2018年上映: 拍摄中)(导演:张艺谋;主演:邓超,孙俪,郑恺,关晓彤,王千源,吴磊,胡军):出品人兼制片人
    Shadow (影) (2018 release: currently filming) (Directed by Zhang Yimou and starring Deng Chao, Sun Li, Zheng Kai, Guan Xiaotong, Wang Qianyuan, Wu Lei and Hu Jun): Executive Producer and Producer
    《机器之血》(2017年上映:后期制作中)(导演:张立嘉;主演:成龙,欧阳娜娜,罗志祥):出品人
    Bleeding Steel (机器之血) (2017 release: in post-production) (Directed by Leo Zhang and starring Jackie Chan, Nana Ouyang and Show Luo): Executive Producer
    《解码者》(2017年上映:后期制作中)(李海龙导演处女作;主演:韩庚,凤小岳,李媛):出品人
    Reborn (解码者) (2017 release: in post-production) (Directorial debut of Li Hailong and starring Han Geng, Rhydian Vaughan and Li Yuan): Executive Producer
    《石头》(2017/18年上映,待定:已完成制作)(赵祥导演处女作;2017年2月于柏林国际电影节新生代儿童竞赛单元全球首映):制片人
    Stonehead (石头) (completed: release in 2017/18, date tbd) (Directorial debut of Zhao Xiang; held its world premiere in February 2017 in Competition in the Generations Kplus section of the Berlin International Film Festival): Producer

    已上映作品:
    Released:
    《捉迷藏》(2016年上映)(由金马奖得主刘杰执导;主演:霍建华,秦海璐,万茜):制片人
    Hide and Seek (捉迷藏) (2016) (Directed by Golden Horse award winner Liu Jie and starring Wallace Huo, Qin Hailu and Wan Qian): Producer
    《喊·山》(2016年上映)(由新星作家/导演杨子执导;主演:郎月婷,王紫逸):制片人
    Mountain Cry (喊.山) (2016) (Directed by upcoming writer/director Larry Yang and starring Lang Yueting and Wang Ziyi): Producer
    《钟馗伏魔:雪妖魔灵》(2015年上映)(由奥斯卡最佳摄影奖得主鲍德熹执导;主演:陈坤,李冰冰):出品人
    Zhong Kui: Snow Girl and the Dark Crystal (钟馗:雪妖魔灵)(2015) (Directed by Oscar-winning cinematographer Peter Pao and starring Chen Kun and Li Bingbing): Executive Producer
    《西游降魔篇》(2013年上映)(导演:周星驰;主演:黄渤,舒淇,文章):出品人
    Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons (西游降魔篇) (2013) (Directed by Stephen Chow and starring Huang Bo, Shu Qi and Wen Zhang): Executive Producer
    《101次求婚》(2013年上映)(导演:陈正道;主演:黄渤,林志玲):出品人
    Say Yes! (101次求婚) (2013) (Directed by Leste Chen and starring Huang Bo and Lin Zhiling): Executive Producer
    《太极侠》(2013年上映)(导演:基努·里维斯;主演:基努·里维斯,陈虎,莫文蔚,任达华):出品人
    Man of Tai Chi (太极侠) (2013) (Directed by Keanu Reeves and starring Reeves together with Tiger Chen, Karen Mok and Simon Yam): Executive Producer

    美国国务院特别项目:
    Special Project for the US State Department:
    2010年上海世博会美国国家馆总出品人
    Executive Producer of the USA National Pavilion
    at the 2010 Shanghai World Expo

    任中影华纳横店影视公司副总裁兼制作总监时期作品:
    Produced at Warner China HG Films as Studio Vice President and Production Executive:
    《疯狂的赛车》(2009年上映)(导演:宁浩;主演:黄渤,戎祥,高捷)Silver Medalist (疯狂的赛车) (2009) (Directed by Ning Hao and starring Huang Bo, Rong Xiang and Gao Jie)
    《保持通话》(2008年上映)(导演:陈木胜;主演:古天乐,刘烨)
    Connected (保持通话) (2008) (Directed by Benny Chan and starring Louis Koo and Liu Ye)
    《投名状》(2007年上映)(导演:陈可辛;主演:李连杰,刘德华,金城武)
    Warlords (投名状) (2007) (Directed by Peter Chan and starring Jet Li, Andy Lau and Takeshi Kaneshiro)
    《第601个电话》(2007年上映)(导演:张国立;主演:张柏芝)
    Telephone 601 (第601个电话) (2007) (Directed by Zhang Guoli and starring Cecilia Cheung)
    《爱情呼叫专业》(2007年上映)(导演:张建亚;主演:徐峥,范冰冰,宋佳)
    Call for Love (爱情呼叫转移) (2007) (Directed by Zhang Jianya and starring Xu Zheng, Fan Bingbing and Song Jia)
    《面纱》(2006年上映)(导演:约翰·卡兰;主演:爱德华·诺顿,娜奥米·沃茨,列维·瑞施博尔)
    The Painted Veil (面纱) (2006) (Directed by John Curran and starring Edward Norton, Naomi Watts and Liev Schreiber)
    《疯狂的石头》(2006年上映)(宁浩导演处女作;主演:黄渤,徐峥,郭涛)
    Crazy Stone (疯狂的石头) (2006) (Ning Hao’s directorial debut, starring Huang Bo, Xu Zheng and Guo Tao)

    任职华纳兄弟(中国)总经理兼公司执行官时期作品:
    Produced at Warner Bros. China as Managing Director and Studio Executive:
    《向左走,向右走》(2003年上映)(导演:杜琪峰;主演:金城武,梁咏琪)
    Turn Left, Turn Right (向左走,向右走) (2003) (Directed by Johnnie To and starring Takeshi Kaneshiro and Gigi Leung)

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  • Bennett Pozil (Executive Vice President, Head of Corporate Banking at East West Bank)

    Bennett Pozil

    Executive Vice President, Head of Corporate Banking at East West Bank

    Bennett Pozil heads the Corporate Banking Division at East West Bank and is a leading industry expert on US-China cross-border entertainment financing. His team also specializes in middle market lending, trade finance and developing business opportunities on both sides of the Pacific.

    Media and entertainment lending has expanded substantially over the past five years under Pozil’s leadership, making East West Bank one of the premier entertainment financers in both the US and Greater China, and the only bank with a significant presence in both markets. With strong ties in the entertainment industries of both countries, East West Bank is able to add value in financing and facilitating landmark partnerships, like financing for Bona’s investment in TSG for a slate of tent pole films produced and released by Twentieth Century Fox including The Martian. East West Bank also took the lead on debt financing for the co-investment deal between Lionsgate Entertainment and Hunan TV & Ltd. In addition, East West Bank was the sole financer of the deal between STX Entertainment and Huayi Brothers Media Corp for the co-financing, co-production, and distribution for 12 to 15 releases per year.

    The entertainment lending team has made over $1.8 billion in loans since 2011 to finance the production and distribution of film and TV products in the US and China markets. For example, East West Bank was the lead lender for the production of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny (2016), and worked with Le Vision Pictures in the financing of its share of the biggest US-China co-production Great Wall (2016). Other high profile financing projects include The Hunger Games franchise and Silver Linings Playbook (2012), several popular Netflix drama series including Orange is the New Black and Marco Polo, plus multiple Tyler Perry television series for the OWN Network among others. In the Chinese market, the team has financed many top local language films and television programs including director John Woo’s two-part film blockbuster The Crossing (2014-2015), director Chen Kaige’s film Monk Comes Down the Mountain (2015), and an English language film Skiptrace (2016) starring Jacky Chan and Fan Bing Bing. They also have created banking relationships with the major Chinese studios including Bona Film Group, Enlight Media Group, Le Vision Pictures, New Classics Media, Talent Television & Film and Huayi Brothers. The entertainment team has also made a dedicated push into the digital media space, working with such companies as Fullscreen, Digital Domain and The Virtual Reality Company.

    During his career, Pozil has structured the financing of hundreds of motion pictures, including major Hollywood films like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000), Hero (2004), Fearless (2006), and Lost In Translation (2003). In March 2015, Pozil was named as one of the Most Influential Lenders in Los Angeles County by Los Angeles Business Journal. As a leading industry voice on US-China joint ventures, Pozil is a frequent speaker and panelist on cross-border film partnerships and financing at international film festivals and summits. Recent engagements include panelist at the Producers Guild of America’s Produced By Conference and film finance summit of the Beijing International Film Festival, moderator at the Asia Society US-China Film Summit, speaker at the Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival, and keynote presenter at the inaugural 2014 US China Film & Television Industry Expo. Pozil is a regular lecturer and adjunct professor at the Beijing Film Academy.

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  • April Ye (CEO of Film Finances China, Founder of April Harvest Productions)

    April Ye

    CEO of Film Finances China, Founder of April Harvest Productions

    April Ye is the CEO of Film Finances China and the founder of April Harvest Productions. She has been working as an executive and line producer for many renowned co-productions in China for the past 14 years. Films April has worked on include: “Mission Impossible 3”, “Looper”, “John Rabe” “Man with the Iron Fists”,“007 Skyfall”, etc.

    In 2013, April founded April Harvest Productions in Shanghai, a film production company specializing in co-productions and assisted productions with international companies. April Harvest Productions offers a strong production team and, in the past 4 years, the company has done films like the Korean film "Assassination", STX's “The Foreigner” and “Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon Two”.

    April then joined Film Finances Inc. in 2015 to head the Film Finance China office to develop a completion bond business in China. FF China has just bonded Jackie Chan's new film "Bleeding Steel" which has a production budget of almost $60M. It's a first for a Chinese film using a completion bond.

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  • Mathew Alderson (Moderator) (Partner at Harris Bricken)

    Mathew Alderson (Moderator)

    Partner at Harris Bricken

    An Australian-qualified transactional entertainment lawyer with more than 25 yearʼs experience, Mathew has lived in Beijing since 2009. He represents major Hollywood studios, as well as American and other foreign producers and agencies, in relation to their projects, investments and business affairs in China. He also advises Chinese studios and producers on their business and legal affairs in Hollywood. His work ranges from development, production and production finance to international co-productions and joint ventures for motion picture, television and gaming projects. He has been described by Variety as a “game changing” attorney and is frequently quoted in Hollywood trade publications and leading US newspapers.

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Tickets

Member
Member Price RMB 90
Member Price (Pay at the door) RMB 150
Employee of Member Company
Standard Price RMB 250
Door Price RMB 250
Non-Member
Standard Price RMB 300
Door Price RMB 400