Stage 32 + United Airlines Descend Upon Park City This Week

Hey, Creative Army!

Every year thousands of filmmakers flock to Park City, UT for one of America's most well-known festivals celebrating independent cinema, Sundance! Some of the industry’s most legendary films and filmmakers have been born out of independent film. It's always an exciting time for creatives and film enthusiasts to congregate and celebrate new independent films and collaborate on the shifts in the industry.

In Stage 32's continuing effort to contribute to diversity, equality, and inclusion in the industry, we will be in Park City shining a light on female and non-binary filmmakers and the impact they make on entertainment. We will be descending on Park City for the festivities and are excited to announce an incredible partnership with United Airlines! We have been working hard behind the scenes together to help support United's commitment to the entertainment industry and together at the United Lodge on Main, we will host a fantastic expert panel with a private cocktail party directly following the event! 

Stage 32 + United Airlines: Empowering Women & Non-Binary Voices in 2024

In 2023, women still only makeup 24% of directors, writers, producers, and editors working on the most successful films, yet some of the top-grossing films in 2023 are female-driven, like BARBIE, HEART OF STONE, MOTHER, and M3GAN. In our expert panel, we’ll discuss why films like these have broken through the mold and resources filmmakers and producers can tap into for opportunities for gender-neutral, non-binary, and female creatives in their productions.

Our Expert Panelists:

Elsa Ramo, Founding Partner, Ramo Law, Variety

Elsa Ramo is the Founder and Managing Partner of the boutique firm, Ramo Law with offices in California and New York. At the forefront of entertainment dealmaking, Ramo represents clients in all aspects of content (films, non-nonfiction, television series, podcast & audio, branded content and beyond). Ramo guides her clients into innovative terms that optimize their reach and prevalence in today’s ever changing marketplace.

Ramo works with established content-creating powerhouses such as Imagine Entertainment, Concordia Studios, The Comedy Store Studios, Hello Sunshine, Skydance, Lion Forge, Boardwalk Pictures and Scout Productions.

She also represents prolific producers (Jamie Patricof, Anne Clements, Yale Productions), directors (Liza Mandelup, Zackary Drucker), and content creators, developers, producers, and distributors.

Ramo is also a Forbes contributor, speaking to current issues and topics in the entertainment industry. She was recently recognized among Variety’s 2023 Legal Impact Report and 2022 Dealmakers Impact Report, Daily Journal’s Top 100 Women Lawyers, and Los Angeles Business Journal’s 2022 Women of Influence; she was nominated for the LA Times B2B Inspirational Women Awards; and her Firm was featured among Los Angeles Business Journal’s Most Admired Law Firms in 2020 and 2021.

Kristin Harris, SVP Production & Development, Vertical Entertainment

Kristin Harris has spent nearly two decades working across development, production, acquisitions and distribution. She is currently the SVP of Production & Development at Vertical Entertainment. She has held key acquisition, development, and production roles at Good Deed Entertainment, Starz Media, Overture Films, and Cinedigm Entertainment Group. Notable releases that she was involved include Short Term 12, Meadowland, The Men Who Stare at Goats, Sunshine Cleaning, Last Chance Harvey, Loving Vincent, The Visitor and Masters of Horror.

Kristin has spent time teaching at UCLA Extension, and maintains an active speaking and guest lecturing schedule, having participated in panels, mentorship programs and events at SXSW, Cannes, and LAFF. She is an alumna of UCLA where she earned her bachelor’s degree in English Literature

Viviana Zarragoitia, SVP, Financier & Producer, Three Point Capital

Viviana Zarragoitia is the Senior Vice President of Three Point Capital. She began her career in the entertainment industry working in production accounting at Millennium Films and Bold Films.

She then spent 5 years at Lionsgate, where she started working in the accounting department and segued into the finance division, specifically, profit participation. While working in profit participation, she oversaw the preparation of multi-million dollar film and television distribution deals. She was then promoted to the group's audit division, where she managed film and television royalty audits of producers’ profit participation statements.

Almost a decade ago she joined Three Point Capital, a boutique firm that specializes in senior lending on film and television projects. While at Three Point Capital, Viviana has been involved in the financing of over 100 independent films, and worked with such producers as Cassian Elwes, Rob Barnum, Anthony Bregman, James Schamus, Aaron Gilbert, Kimberly Steward, Nicolas Chartier and Kevin Frakes, among others.

As Vice President, Viviana closes the financing on every film that the company is involved in, as well as manage the company's operations in its satellite offices (Ohio, Kentucky and Louisiana). Viviana has received over a dozen Executive Producers credits on titles she has financed. She only works on projects that already have financing attached.

She graduated Cum Laude with a double-major in Business and English from Loyola Marymount University.

Are you headed to Park City this week? If so, let us know in the comments and we'll get you an invitation to join!

Let's hear your thoughts in the comments below!

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Stage 32 is NOT an official partner or representative of the Sundance Film Festival or Sundance Institute

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