How to Finance Your Film Over $15MM

Learn from a veteran producer and financier who has overseen more than 50 projects totaling over $250 million — and consults for Netflix and Amazon Studios!

Get a Template Finance Plan, Template Waterfall, and Template CAMA you can apply directly to your own film!

Stepping into the $15M–$30M budget range is one of the biggest leaps you can make as an independent filmmaker. At this level, your film can attract recognizable cast, serious sales agents, and real distribution opportunities — the kind that can change the trajectory of your career. But the stakes rise with the budget. Every dollar you raise is a dollar someone expects to see returned, and how you structure, package, and protect that money can determine whether your film reaches audiences and turns a profit — or never makes it out of development.

Here’s where so many producers get stuck. You may have a strong story and a solid budget, but investors, sales agents, and distributors aren’t asking what your film costs — they’re asking what it’s worth. Without a clear read on marketplace demand, sales estimates, and pre-sales, it’s nearly impossible to justify a higher budget. And even when the money comes together, many filmmakers lean too heavily on speculative equity, don’t fully understand recoupment and preferred returns, or sign distribution terms that quietly drain profits before anyone sees a check. The difference between your production budget and the capital actually at risk is one of the most misunderstood — and costly — gaps in independent film.

That’s exactly why we’ve brought in Jeanette B. Milio. Jeanette is a veteran producer and entertainment finance expert with over 25 years of experience across the U.S., Europe, and beyond, overseeing more than 50 projects with a combined production volume exceeding $250 million. As CEO of Alliance Cinema, she structures equity investments, debt financing, and content library strategies, and her credits include “13” starring Jason Statham and Mickey Rourke, “The Experiment” starring Adrien Brody and Forest Whitaker, and “Dark Tide” starring Halle Berry, with work spanning Paramount, Lionsgate, Sony, Netflix, Amazon, and more. She’s the author of “Entertainment Finance Today,” consults for Netflix and Amazon Studios on finance structuring and feasibility, and is a recipient of UCLA Extension’s Distinguished Instructor Award. Simply put, Jeanette sits on the side of the table you need to understand.

In this exclusive Stage 32 webinar, Jeanette will walk you through how to build a film the marketplace can support, determine what your project is truly worth, construct a finance plan that reduces your speculative equity exposure, structure investor economics that work for everyone, and follow the money through the waterfall to protect your profits. You’ll also take home her Template Finance Plan, Template Waterfall, and Template CAMA — and get your questions answered directly in a live Q&A. You’ll walk away with a clear, preliminary financing and distribution strategy for your own project and the confidence to sit across from investors, sales agents, and distributors knowing exactly what needs to align for your film to get financed, recoup, and profit.

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

• Template Finance Plan with Variable Finance & Revenue Options
• Template Waterfall
• Template CAMA
• A Practical Guide to Evaluating Your Project’s Market Value, Financing Structure, Investor Economics, and Revenue Protection

PRAISE FOR JEANETTE'S PREVIOUS STAGE 32 EDUCATION:

"I learned so much from Jeanette and highly recommend you work with her!" -- Kaitlin L.

"Jeanette has invaluable knowledge and made me feel like seeing my movie on the big screen was possible."  --Phillip F.

"Jeanette's experience really comes through in her mentorship. She has seen it all and is so helpful in guiding you through the complex world of film and tv." -- Letty L.