Peter is a Partner in the Film and Television Group. He has specialised in film and television copyright, production and finance for over 30 years. He represents Hollywood studios on rights matters and is responsible for the production legal work on major US films shot in the UK and Europe. Current examples are The Wolfman and Robin Hood for Universal Pictures.

Peter acts for an extensive list of other UK and European independent producers. He is the legal advisor to Film London and regularly advises industry bodies. He is currently a Governor for London Film School and formerly served as the chair of the Intellectual Property and Entertainment Law Committee of the International Bar Association.

ADAM CHAPNICK is a new-model film distribution and marketing specialist known for flipping Hollywood convention on its ear by innovating grassroots, online and digital distribution strategies. He has overseen the theatrical, home video and grassroots distribution of dozens of independent films, from political documentaries to romantic comedies. He co-founded Cinema Libre Distribution, where, during his tenure as President, he distributed over 20 independent films, including Robert Greenwald\'s Uncovered: The War On Iraq. Since 2005, his company, DocWorkers, has helped filmmakers keep their rights and multiply their profits by employing outside-the-box DIY distribution techniques. Adam’s new service, Distribber.com, puts indy films on iTunes for a flat fee, while allowing filmmakers to keep all rights and 100% of their royalties.

Ward Emling was born in New Orleans and raised in Jackson, Mississippi. He was educated in the Jackson Public Schools and earned a Bachelor's degree in English from Millsaps College in 1976, then studied two years at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, England. As an actor, he appeared in HUCKLEBERRY FINN, THE PREMONITION, and in the TV miniseries BEULAH LAND before becoming Film Office director (for the first time) in 1980.

During his first tenure THE BEAST WITHIN, DON'T LOOK BACK, THIS IS ELVIS, BLACK BAYOU, RASCALS AND ROBBERS, MISTRESS OF PARADISE, and THE MISSISSIPPI were filmed in the state. When CBS renewed the series THE MISSISSIPPI, Ward left the film commission and became the series' location manager. After moving to Los Angeles in 1984, he served as location manager for D.A.R.Y.L., AS SUMMERS DIE, IN A SHALLOW GRAVE, BONANZA: THE NEXT GENERATION, VIETNAM WAR STORY, K-9, PROBLEM CHILD, and A PROMISE TO KEEP. He also continued to act, appearing in THE MISSISSIPPI, MATT HOUSTON, ST. ELSEWHERE, KNOT'S LANDING, OUR HOUSE, PROBLEM CHILD, MATLOCK, and several national and regional commercials.

Since returning to the Mississippi Film Office in 1990, Ward has guided the in-state productions of THE GUN IN BETTY LOU'S HANDBAG, THE ADVENTURES OF HUCK FINN, SISTER ISLAND, A TIME TO KILL, THE CHAMBER, GHOSTS OF MISSISSIPPI, MY DOG SKIP, COOKIE'S FORTUNE, RED DIRT, THE RISING PLACE, O BROTHER WHERE ART THOU?, JOHN JOHN IN THE SKY, THE PONDER HEART, BIG BAD LOVE, WALK THE LINE, and BALLAST, in addition to several short films, documentaries, and commercials.

Ward is a past President and Treasurer of the Association of Film Commissioners International (AFCI), the 300+ member organization of film commissions from around the world.

Richard Lowell began his career as a traditional animator/background artist before really diving into Hollywood.  Joining World Wrestling Entertainment’s film division in 2002, Richard quickly moved into a Creative Executive role for the company, and has since been named the division’s Director of Development. Steering production and development on many of the company's film and television projects, Richard was Associate producer on THE CONDEMNED and is co-producing the upcoming broad comedy KNUCKLEHEAD due out in late 2010.

For the past eleven years, ILYSE McKIMMIE has served as a key staff member of Sundance Institute’s Feature Film Program.  As part of her duties, she oversees the selection process for U.S.-based filmmakers for the Screenwriters and Directors Labs, performs ongoing outreach to new filmmakers and provides continuous support to alumni filmmakers, produces the Screenplay Reading Series, and most recently played a significant role in the launch of the Program\'s Creative Producing Fellowship.  Films developed at the Labs during her tenure include Sin Nombre, Sleep Dealer, Half Nelson, Red Road, Me and You and Everyone We Know, Paradise Now, Maria Full of Grace, and A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints, among many others.  Prior to joining Sundance Institute, she began her career in the film world with a position at International Creative Management, working in the talent, literary, and story departments.  Soon after followed a stint at Sony-based Red Wagon Productions, during which time the company developed and produced such films as Gladiator, Girl, Interrupted, and Spy Game.  Her roots lie in the theatre; her first job after graduating from UCLA\'s School of Theatre, Film and Television was as a Production Stage Manager in the Los Angeles theatre scene.

Ravi’s entry into film was working for Paramount Pictures as a ‘Feature Budget Analyst’. After three years at Paramount, Ravi moved to Warner Bros. and worked as ‘Director of Theatrical Estimating’ and ‘Feature Production Accountant’.
 
In 2003, Ravi was promoted to ‘Vice President of Physical Production’ to oversee theatrical production budgets for both Warner Bros. Pictures and Warner Independent Pictures on films such as: “Astronaut Farmer”,” Nights in Rodanthe” “Everything is Illuminated”, “North Country”, “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford”, and “Lady In The Water”. 
 
Ravi was promoted to ‘Senior Vice President of Physical Production’ in 2008 for Warner Bros. Pictures and in 2009 also served as ‘Executive Producer’ on the Warner Bros. film “Jonah Hex” starring Josh Brolin, John Malkovich, and Megan Fox.

Lisa Nitti is a transactional entertainment attorney with broad experience
representing a wide range of corporate and individual clients in the motion picture
and television industries, including producers, screenwriters, actors, directors,
banks, film funds, independent financiers, Internet companies and animation
companies. Ms. Nitti also has experience representing corporations in
connection with entity formation, licensing of intellectual property, joint venture
agreements, and debt and equity financings.

Significant Representation in connection with the financing, production and/or distribution of the following films:

• "Milk"
• "The Informant!"
• "The Visitor"
• "Appaloosa"
• "New York, I Love You"
• "The Messenger"
• "The Tournament"
• "Lesbian Vampire Killers"
• "The Good Doctor"
• "What We Do Is Secret"

Hernany began his career in the mailroom of the Paradigm Agency in 2002, where he worked as an assistant in the Talent department until moving over to Lionsgate in 2004. Since beginning in the company’s production development department, he has worked on films from My Best Friend’s girl the upcoming Killers.

Chris J. Russo is both an accomplished industry professional with ten years of experience working in Hollywood for Eastman Kodak Company, and an award-winning independent filmmaker whose short films have screened at the Sundance Film Festival and on networks such as PBS, IFC, SHOWTIME and MTV’s LOGO.  She is a Film Independent Fellow of both the Screenwriter and Director Labs with her feature script, Directed By Dorothy Arzner, and continues to write, direct and exhibit short films until her feature projects are greenlit.  In an effort to promote low-budget filmmaking, Russo produced Kodak‘s latest technical demo that compares 2-perf to 3-perf cinematography.  Russo also advocates for independent cinema and technology through speaking engagements, moderating a panel at the 2010 Slamdance Film Festival titled, "Shooting Film on a Budget: The Advantages of Super 16mm," and by visiting artist lectures and screenings of her own work, most recently at the media arts center, Chicago Filmmakers, and Redlands University.  For the last ten years she has worked with producers, studio executives and cinematographers in television, and currently serves the feature film community as the Independent Feature Account Manager for Kodak.  When not immersed in the business of film, Russo can be found climbing 14er‘s, cycling centuries, catching waves, and looking for single track in the Rocky Mountains.

Stephen L. Saltzman has broad experience in domestic and international transactions in the entertainment industry. He represents U.S., European, and Asian producers; production companies; studios; distribution companies; broadcasters; digital media companies; banks; film funds, directors and talent. His experience encompasses the legal and business aspects of the development, production, sale, distribution and financing of feature film, television, videogame and digital media projects, as well as related ancillary products such as print publications, merchandise and new technologies.

Mr. Saltzman concentrates his practice on innovative and complex international co-production and co-financing transactions, as well as on the representation of financiers, bond companies and production companies/producers in sophisticated motion picture and television financing and structuring transactions.

Mr. Saltzman frequently participates as a featured speaker and panelist in seminars and symposiums both in the United States and in Europe, and his German-speaking practice has been profiled in various German publications.

As Director of Talent Development at Film Independent, Josh Welsh oversees the Filmmaker Labs, Project:Involve, Fast Track, and works with the filmmakers who receive cash grants at the Spirit Awards. Since 2000, Welsh has been responsible for Film Independent’s Filmmaker Labs. Committed to cultivating writers, directors, and producers with strong, original voices, the Labs provide filmmakers with the opportunity to develop their new work in a nurturing yet challenging creative environment.  Films developed in the Labs include Scott Prendergast’s Kabluey, So Yong Kim’s In Between Days, Beth Schacter’s Normal Adolescent Behavior as well as the Spirit Award nominated American Gun and Robbing Peter. The Labs have been taught by such filmmakers as Allison Anders, Effie T. Brown, Anne Clements, Eric d’Arbeloff, Tony Drazan, Rodrigo García, Keith Gordon, Matthew Greenfield, Vondie Curtis Hall, Nicole Holofcener, Gina Kwon, Jeremy Podeswa, Jeff Stockwell, Barbara Turner, Andrew Wagner, and Lee David Zlotoff.

For the last five years, Welsh has also overseen the Fast Track program. Taking place during the Los Angeles Film Festival, Fast Track is designed to help selected filmmakers develop their current film projects by providing access to industry professionals and to sources of financing.   Projects that have gone through the program include Courtney Hunt’s Frozen River, Sterlin Harjo’s Four Sheets to the Wind, Billy Luther’s Miss Navajo, Jessica Sanders’ After Innocence, and Jennifer Westfeldt’s Ira and Abby.

Prior to working on the Filmmaker Labs, Welsh worked with the nominating committees for the Spirit Awards for four years, as well as the special committees that give out the cash grants at the Spirit Awards.  He was also in Film Independent’s Programming Department where he helped select films for the Festival Buzz, under the Documentary Buzz, and New Visions screening series.  He has been a judge in UCLA’s Screenwriting Showcase, the Outfest Screenwriters Competition, a juror for the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles, and spoken on numerous panels and at film schools.

Before moving to Los Angeles, Welsh earned his Ph.D. in philosophy from Johns Hopkins University.  He is also in the band Meatyard, whose album Toot Toot, Boom Boom, was released on iTunes in 2008.

Tim Williams is Co-President & Head of Production for GreeneStreet Films, a leading independent production company founded in New York in 1996. Since 2006, Williams has run GSF’s West Coast office in Beverly Hills.

His past EP credits include the 2010 Sundance Midnight hit “Frozen;” “Gary the Tennis Coach” starring Seann William Scott and Randy Quaid; “Meet Bill” starring Aaron Ekhart; “Tenderness” with Russell Crowe; “Awake” starring Jessica Alba and Hayden Christenson and “Wedding Daze,” Michael Ian Black’s directorial debut starring Jason Biggs and Isla Fisher.

In addition, Williams produced “Slow Burn” (Lionsgate) with Ray Liotta, LL Cool J and Mekhi Phifer and “Once in a Lifetime,” (Miramax) the documentary about the New York Cosmos which debuted at the Berlin and Tribeca Film Festivals in 2006.

Prior producing credits include; co-producer on the Oscar nominated “In the Bedroom” (Miramax), producer on the multi-ALMA award winning “Piñero” (Miramax) starring Benjamin Bratt, and executive producer on Fisher Stevens’ directorial debut “Just a Kiss” (Paramount Classics), the number one box office hit “swimfan” (20th Century Fox) and “Uptown Girls” (MGM).

Williams also oversaw production on the following GSF’s projects: Robert Altman’s “A Prairie Home Companion,” (Picturehouse) and Sally Potter’s “Yes” (Sony Classics).

His background comes from many years as an assistant director/set PA on numerous features (working with such directors as: Sidney Lumet, Mike Nichols, Penny Marshall, Susan Seidelman, and Paul Mazursky and such producers as: Burtt Harris, Larry Gordon, Laurence Mark, Walter Parkes and Scott Rudin), combined with seven years running a London-based new writing theatre company and venue where he produced, directed and/or wrote more than twenty new plays for the stage.

He has been a visiting lecturer at both Columbia and New York Universities and has served on the Board of Directors for IFP.