On Thursday, April 26, the DGA and the Independent Film & Television Alliance (IFTA) presented a Networking Mixer at Guild headquarters in Los Angeles. Organized by the DGA Independent Directors Committee West and IFTA, “Still (Almost) No Free Lunch In This Town: The Real Deal on New Media Distribution,” gave more than 30 DGA members the opportunity to interface with representatives from IFTA-member production companies on the cutting edge of new media distribution.

Following a welcome and introductions from DGA Assistant Executive Director Jon Larson and IFTA President & CEO Jean Prewitt, the participants were treated to a panel discussion on the subject featuring Aura Entertainment President Steven Bickel; IFTA Manager of Membership Development Michael Kananack; director Lloyd Kaufman, President/Co-Founder of Troma Entertainment; Lightning Entertainment President Richard Guardian; Todd P. Leavitt, manager of the film financing and television-packaging boutique Tulip Media Ltd; former IFTA chair Kathy Morgan, founder of Kathy Morgan International (KMI); current IFTA Chair Michael Ryan, director of Handmade Films International; and Magus Entertainment President Peter Wetherell.

After the panel discussion, DGA members broke into small groups to meet with the IFTA reps. Later everyone reconvened in the boardroom for an evening-capping cocktail reception.

The IFTA was established in 1980 as the American Film Marketing Association with a goal to expand the independent film business by creating a world-class trade show, the American Film Market (AFM). Today, the association has evolved into the trade association for the independent film and television industry worldwide, while the AFM concurrently has become the largest international film market in the world.