News
TFT and The Wrap Co-Host Reception at Sundance
Guests join Dean Schwartz and The Wrap Co-founder and CEO Sharon Waxman
Posted on January 23rd in Announcement
The highly anticipated annual TFT Reception in Park City, produced for the first time in partnership with leading entertainment news website The Wrap, had a new venue this year at the refurbished Claim Jumper Hotel on Main Street, where a lavish CAA party took place the night before.
More than 400 festival guests attended the TFT event, with a line winding out the door.
"This year’s reception was dedicated to TFT’s remarkable alumni, who continue to inspire with their humanistic approach to storytelling, with many of their films shown at this year’s festival," stated Teri Schwartz, dean of the School.
"A record number of TFT students traveled to Park City this year, as a direct result of our latest strategic efforts to provide fresh opportunities and special workshops, in addition to adding newly created classes solely focused on festivals. I am honored to be a part of a School where our students and alumni continually support our initiatives, which was displayed by the large number of alumni and students who attended the reception to network with other alumni, industry leaders, and tastemakers."
Guests at the reception included two members of TFT's Executive Board, Turner Broadcast Systems CEO Phil Kent and Participant Media Chief Executive Jim Berk. They were joined by such long-time industry innovators and friends of TFT as producer Ron Yerxa ("Little Miss Sunshine"), a frequent participant and honoree at the School's year-end Film Festival, Slated CEO Duncan Cork and Chairman Stephen Paternot, and Bob Berney, founder of the newly relaunched Picturehouse.
Several guests were slated to participate in the Monday afternoon TFT/The Wrap panel discussion “How to Make and Sell Your Independent Film in the Digital Age,” including Scilla Andreen, the CEO of IndieFlix, director and producer Richard Rosenthal, founder of Whitewater Films, Lynne Shelton, director of "Touchy Feely," Chris Williams, Chief Development Officer for Maker Studios, and producer Jonathan Dana.
A selection of TFT alums enjoying this annual get-together included PGA Award-nominated producer and director Marius Markevicius MFA '02 ("The Other Dream Team"), screenwriter, alumna and faculty member Felicia D. Henderson MA ''04, producer Giacun Caduff MFA '08 and UCLA Producers Program alumna Ella-Pauline Franklin, representing the lauded short film "To the Bone," about undocumented immigrants, which played across town at Slamdance.
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