Live From Sundance: Day One

An L.A.-based publicist for one of my films woke me up this morning in Park City. After arriving late last night, I jumped into festival mode about our events and ideas related to our client’s film. I am especially excited to attend and participate as counsel and producers representative here at Sundance 2010.

Last night, we learned that Peter Broderick will join me, along with Mynette Louie (Children of Invention), as co-moderators for the Indie Film Empowerment Town Hall discussion tomorrow, Friday 1/22 11 a.m. at 545 Main Street, the NY Lounge. Peter is a film business consultant and a leader in hybrid style film distribution that affords moviemakers great control over how their films are distributed.

The Town Hall discussion format will be a great platform to exchange new ideas about marketing and distributing indie films. As we are at a business crossroads, I am pleased to play a role in this important dialogue. I hope to benefit from the exchange and to discuss issues related to moviemaker empowerment.

Tomorrow happens to also be the day when two of our films premiere: Adrian Grenier’s Teenage Paparazzo and Homewrecker, by the Barnes Brothers. These films are each distinctive and very worthy of a Sundance 2010 premiere.

We will be meeting with the teams today about the films and their plans for distribution. Should be fun.

Perhaps the only bad news is that we will be so busy that we may not have the opportunity to ski.

Attorney Steven C. Beer is a shareholder in Greenberg Traurig’s New York office and has served as counsel to numerous award-winning writers, directors and producers, as well as industry leading film production, film finance and film distribution companies. He is the founder of R&B FM, LLC, a film production company focusing on producing music-oriented films, and was named one of the “21 Great Free Thinkers of Indie Film” in a list by Ted Hope, The Wrap (Dec. 28, 2009). His full bio can be found at http://www.gtlaw.com/People/StevenCBeer.