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MAX GESCHWIND - CAA Media Finance

Max Geschwind works in the Media Finance department, which focuses on packaging, sourcing financing for, and/or selling the distribution rights to independently financed films, at leading entertainment and sports agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA). Geschwind, who joined the agency in 2021, is a member of CAA Elevate, a state-of-the-art program for agents and executives in training.

 

He graduated from the University of Southern California with degrees in Cinema and Media Studies and Political Science.

 

Geschwind is based in Los Angeles.

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SHELBY SCHULTZ - LOOK Cinemas Director of Programming

​Director of Programming for LOOK Cinemas, Shelby Schultz began her career in film exhibition and distribution before working in film financing, production, and development.  After an extraordinary experience at Independent Artist Group in Scripted Literary, she returned to LOOK Cinemas to bring bring movies to audiences.

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STEPHANIE PFINGSTEN - Lumos PR CEO

Stephanie Pfingsten, Founder of Lumos PR, represents 190+ clients below-the-line in film, TV, Broadway and video games. Specializing in red carpets, film festivals and awards, she has led Oscar campaigns for Anora, Everything Everywhere All At Once, and Elvis; and Emmy campaigns for The Bear, Shogun, Abbott Elementary, and more. She collaborates frequently with Disney, DC and Marvel Studios, including PR for Superman, The Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and more.

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STEVEN ISTOCK - California Pictures President & CEO

Istock has over 20 years of substantial finance experience in corporate, media and real estate finance specializing in the structuring and closing of debt and equity transactions in excess of two billion dollars. He was one of the top new business producers in the country for both Merrill Lynch and Bank of America. He was the banker for clients including MGM, Digital Domain, HKM, Asylum Visual Effects, Academy Tent and Canvas, Sweetener Products, California Clinical Trials, LNR Property Corporation, and Media Services, one of the largest production accounting and payroll companies with many of film studio, network and guild clients including the Screen Actors Guild. Istock has financed several movie productions including “A Warrior’s Heart, “Scavengers” and “Filth” and continues to advise domestic and international filmmakers on debt and equity structuring, production, distribution, and finance for a variety of projects in the beginning, middle and closing stages of production.

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SELENA SCHOUPS - Talent Manager​

​Schoups has almost 20 years' experience in the entertainment industry. While she has worked across various industry specialties, the bulk of her experience lies in Talent Management. Selena spent several years at James Levy Management/James Levy Jacobson, where she worked with clients like James Franco, Dave Franco, Mark Paul Gosselaar, Jake McLaughlin, Billy Miller, and many more. In 2011, she started her own management company, Marque Entertainment, which has grown its own reputable roster over the last ten years. Selena represents a wide range of clients and actors who consistently work, audition, and test for film and TV. She currently has clients on Paramount +'s "Mayor of Kingstown", ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" and "Days of Our Lives", as well as Disney +'s "Big Shot", among others. Her clients work with assorted agencies, including Innovative, Buchwald, and Abrams, and she represents both kids and adults in the areas of Theatrical, Commercial, and Print.