How to Finance Your Feature Film for $250k or Less

Learn from a film financier and distributor with 20+ years of experience who is an Executive Producer on MASERATI: THE BROTHERS, starring Al Pacino and Anthony Hopkins

Walk away with a sample investor agreement, financing template, bank wire template, slate sheet, one-sheet, distribution agreement, and crew deal memo that you can apply to your own film, plus a live Q&A with Michelle!

A $250K budget can become a polished, professional feature that sells — and you can be the producer, writer, or director who makes it happen. Independent film is much more than a small movie. With the right script, financing strategy, cast, and production plan, this budget can become a feature built to compete in today's marketplace. The challenge is knowing how to put the greatest possible value on the screen while treating your film as a viable business from day one. In this webinar, you'll learn exactly how experienced independent producers do it.

Raising $250,000 is only the beginning. The real skill is knowing how to structure, protect, and strategically spend that money so it carries you from development through production, post, and into the marketplace. Too often, filmmakers head into production without a complete financing plan, underestimate critical costs like insurance, legal, music, and deliverables, or overspend in areas that add little on screen. Many also wait until the film is finished to think about distribution, and by then it can be too late. These are the mistakes that put your film, and your investors, at risk — and every one of them is avoidable.

That's why we've brought in Michelle Alexandria to guide you. Michelle is a producer, film distributor, and finance professional with more than 20 years of experience producing, financing, packaging, selling, and distributing feature films worldwide. As President of Light Year Pictures and a member of the Producers Guild of America, she works hands-on with filmmakers, financiers, sales agents, and distributors. Her credits include Executive Producer on MASERATI: THE BROTHERS, starring Al Pacino and Anthony Hopkins, and producer on ETHAN ALMIGHTY, starring Brandon Routh, Selma Blair, and Kelsey Grammer, which recently secured distribution with Arclight. She has also served as Head of International Sales and Acquisitions and has attended Cannes, Berlin, and AFM for more than two decades, so you're learning from someone who knows what buyers want.

Michelle will walk you through the full path from script to finished film. You'll start by determining whether your project is truly a $250K film, then build your budget before you raise a dollar. From there, you'll explore financing options like private investors, equity, crowdfunding, and tax incentives, and learn how to create a package people want to finance. You'll also see where to spend and where to save so your film looks like much more, how SAG-AFTRA affects your cast budget, and how to think like a distributor before you shoot. You'll walk away with a clear, actionable plan to finance, budget, and protect your film all the way to the marketplace, plus a set of exclusive templates, including a sample investor agreement and a film financing template. You'll also have the chance to ask Michelle your own questions live in the Q&A, so make sure you're there.

PLUS! You will receive the following handouts to help you:

• Sample Investor Agreement
• Film Financing & Development Funds Template
• Bank Wire Template & Example
• Slate Sheet Template
• Film One-Sheet Example
• Sample Distribution Agreement
• Crew Deal Memo Template

Praise for Michelle’s Past Teaching with Stage 32

“I learned so much from Michelle about how to break into the film/tv industry. There's so much to learn about the craft and business of working in this industry and I'm grateful to have Michelle's expertise in guiding me through it.” -- Nick S.

"Michelle Alexandria proves to be an excellent guide cutting away at the barriers, self or industry created. Stellar webinar, she provides selflessly a deep knowledge, her experiences towards acquiring interest from the least expected sources, helps streamline efforts towards gaining the optimal financial support and guiding products towards audiences. Going to “throw clay onto the wheel” with confidence. Kudos, highly recommend!" -Jen K

"I can't say enough good things about Michelle! Talk about a woman who knows her stuff. I highly recommend all writers, producers, and directors take a course with her to hone their craft and propel their careers." -- Kaitlin L.