Film Financing Done Right: Forest Road Company

Our SXSW 2019 podcast coverage continues with two representatives from film-financing company Forest Road. The company sponsored one of the filmmaker dinners at SXSW this year. More importantly, they are a financing company that puts the filmmakers first.

Forest Road Company’s CEO Zach Tarica and Director of West Coast Operations Eric Boshart came on the podcast to break down the film financing process and what filmmakers should know when preparing to secure financing.

Financing is a huge aspect of filmmaking, but for all kinds of reasons film financing companies are often hesitant to go on record about how they do business. Defying those tendencies, Zach and Eric spoke openly about their process and advocated for more transparency in the industry.

Here’s a photo of Zach:

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And here’s Eric:

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Some of the things we discuss include

• How to protect the equity behind a project
• Fees to watch for during the budgeting process
• What should a good term sheet and opinion letter include
• How to determine which states have the best tax incentives for film
• Highlights from SXSW 2019

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Related Episode

If you appreciate Zach and Eric’s transparency about the filmmaking process, you might also appreciate the transparency that 1091 (formerly The Orchard), a prominent film distributor, brings to their filmmaker collaborations. When I met Richard Matson during SXSW 2017, he was the vice president of theatrical distribution at The Orchard, and he shared some helpful insights about the distribution process.

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