The Business of Filmmaking Summit · August 30 – September 5, 2026 · Free to Attend
You know how to make films.
Now learn how to build a career from them.
6 days. The business knowledge film school never taught you. Free to attend.
Event Starts In
The Missing Piece
Film School Taught You
the Craft. We Teach the Business.
Most filmmakers are excellent at making films and terrible at turning them into a sustainable career. Not because they lack talent — but because no one ever taught them the business side: how deals work, how to get funded, how to get distribution, how to protect their rights, and how to actually get paid.
The VIP Film & TV Summit exists to close that gap. Over 5 focused days — plus a Bonus Day on AI for filmmakers — you'll get the business education the industry runs on: financing, distribution, TV deals, rights management, marketing, and the tools that give independent creators a competitive edge. Two sessions per day, 40 minutes of real content + 10 minutes of live Q&A, built to fit your schedule.
Your host, Ron Newcomb — known as The Indie Coach — is a producer, writer, and director with 27+ years in the industry. His films have landed on Netflix, Amazon, theatrical releases, and festival circuits worldwide, earning multiple accolades along the way. A former Marine and police officer with degrees in Business and Counseling, Ron brings a rare combination of creative depth and business fluency to this summit.
Ron Newcomb
The Indie Coach · Host & Organizer
What We're Covering
The Questions the Industry
Doesn't Want You to Ask
If any of these hit close to home — good. That means you're exactly who this summit is for.
You Cannot Cross the Filmmaker's Chasm
The chicken-and-egg cycle that keeps independent filmmakers stuck — and the proven framework for breaking out of it.
You Don't Need All the Money to Make Your Movie
How creative financing structures get films made before full funding is in place — and why waiting kills most projects.
What Investors Actually Want
Navigating family offices, private equity, and institutional money as an indie filmmaker — from someone who's advised the world's largest.
Self-Distribution & Marketing
How to get your film seen and maximize profitability without a major distribution deal — including what actually moves the needle on streaming.
Bankrolling Your Film Without Studio Backing
The private financing strategies that have raised millions for indie films — and how to structure deals investors actually say yes to.
How Screenwriters Land Representation — and What Comes After
The real path to literary representation: what agents and managers look for, how to get in the room, and how to build a career once you're there.
Does Your Film Have a Festival Strategy — or Just a Festival Hope?
How to build a deliberate festival plan that serves your film's goals — from co-founder of Slamdance with 30+ years inside the ecosystem.
Five Ways Filmmakers Screw Up Their Distro Deal
The deal-killing mistakes that surface in distribution agreements — and how to protect yourself before you sign anything.
TV & Streaming: Pitch, Break In, and Land the Deal
How the unscripted and scripted TV landscape actually works for independent creators — from someone who's executive produced for TLC, HBO, Netflix, and Food Network.
Rights, Revenue & Long-Term Success
How to structure your film business so it works for you beyond the first release — and why most indie filmmakers leave money on the table.
AI & the Business of Filmmaking
Practical AI tools built for independent filmmakers — presented live by the companies that built them.
Featured Speakers
Business Insiders.
Real-World Strategies.
Every speaker knows the business side of film and TV from the inside - producers, distributors, financiers, dealmakers. No theory. No fluff. The strategies working professionals actually use. More speakers announced soon.
AI Presenters
Practical AI tools built for the business of filmmaking — presented by the companies building them.
Chen-Ping Yu
AtMee.AIAI avatars to augment the reach of your films
Founder of AtMee.AI — building AI-powered avatar technology that helps filmmakers extend the reach and impact of their stories across platforms and audiences.
www.atmee.ai →
Ben Weiner
TribuSharePresenter · TribuShare
French-English C-level executive and creative director with 20+ products developed across film, TV, animation, and interactive media. From concept to completion — theater, opera, cinema, and beyond.
tribushare.com →
AJ Rome
One Grand Film SkoolPresenter · One Grand Film Skool
OGF AI is the operating system for independent filmmakers — a single platform that takes a film from first idea through development, financing, pre-production, production, post, and distribution. AJ brings 2 decades of direct film industry experience and an ever-growing network of professionals, with credits across Netflix, Disney, Warner Brothers, HBO, and Universal.
onegrandfilm.com →Event Schedule
5 Days of Business Education
+ 1 AI Bonus Day
The business knowledge your film career actually needs · 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM ET · Live on Zoom
Sunday · Aug 30, 2026
VIP OnlyVIP Exclusive Kickoff — Private Session with Ron Newcomb
An unfiltered business briefing with Ron Newcomb — the frameworks behind the summit, delivered exclusively to VIP ticket holders.
Session Time
12:00 PM – 2:00 PM ET
VIP Only · Live on Zoom
Session 1 · Ron Newcomb — The Indie Coach
An exclusive private session for VIP ticket holders only. Ron opens the summit with behind-the-scenes insights and direct access you won't find in the main sessions. Details announced soon.
Your Next Step
Choose Your Path Forward
The business knowledge you walk away with could be the difference between a film that disappears and a career that lasts.
General Admission
The business education your film career has been missing
VIP Experience
⏰ VIP access closes midnight Aug 29
Everything in Free Registration, plus VIP-exclusive benefits:
✓ 30-day money-back guarantee
Secure checkout via Stripe
Our Partners
Sponsors
Platinum
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Got Questions?
Real Questions.
Straight Answers.
No catch. All 5 main sessions (Aug 31–Sep 4) are completely free. The VIP upgrade ($179) adds recordings, the exclusive Bonus Pre-Day session with Ron Newcomb, a private networking room, and downloadable frameworks and worksheets.
Every session focuses on the business side of filmmaking — the stuff that actually moves careers forward. Not inspiration. Not theory. Specific, actionable knowledge: how deals get structured, how films get financed, how distribution works, how to negotiate rights. You leave with real business tools, not a notebook full of vague advice.
Register below. You'll receive a confirmation email with your personal Zoom link and calendar invites for each session. Show up live, ask questions, and engage with speakers directly.
Each day runs 12:00 PM–2:00 PM Eastern Time (ET). Two sessions back-to-back: 40 min presentation + 10 min live Q&A, then a 10-minute break, then the second session. That's 9:00 AM Pacific · 11:00 AM Central · 5:00 PM UK. Designed to fit a working professional's schedule.
Absolutely. Understanding how funding, distribution, rights, and TV deals work is relevant at every stage. The earlier you learn it, the better. The summit is built for filmmakers at all levels — whether you're making your first short or your fifth feature.
Session recordings are a VIP-only benefit. Free attendees attend live. Showing up live is how you get the most out of the experience — including the live Q&A after each session. VIP members also get replay access to the exclusive Bonus Pre-Day session with Ron Newcomb.
The Bonus Day (September 5) is open to all registered attendees — free and VIP alike. It's dedicated entirely to AI and the business of filmmaking: how to use AI tools to work smarter, save time, and give yourself a competitive edge in today's industry. Two sessions, same format as the main event.
Speakers are being confirmed now and will be revealed progressively. Register free today so you're notified the moment each speaker is announced.
Still have questions?
Contact Us