IFTA Re-Ups CEO Jean Prewitt and Exec VP Jonathan Wolf

The Independent Film & Television Alliance, the group behind the annual American Film Market, has renewed the contracts of CEO and president Jean Prewitt and executive vp and AFM managing director Jonathan Wolf through 2015.

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“Their leadership and insight have put IFTA and Independents at the forefront of conversations affecting the industry,” said IFTA Chairman Paul Hertzberg.

The next American Film Market takes place from Oct. 31 to Nov. 7 in Santa Monica. First started in 1981, the annual market attracts about 8,000 participants from more than 70 countries including distributors, film financiers, producers, acquisition and development executives and others. IFTA estimates that its membe4r companies produce more than 400 independent movies and many hours of TV shows each year. They also say that during the market more than $800 million in deals are sealed, primarily for the licensing of movies and TV shows around the globe which generate more than $4 billion in distribution revenues.

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The AFM since 2011 has also included a five-day conference with topics that range from financing and distribution to getting a movie from treatment stage to the screen. This years AFM Conference Series will take place form Nov. 2 to Nov. 6 and will be comprised of  a finance Conference, a pitch conference, a marketing conference, a video-on-demand conference and a micro-budget Conference.

Prewitt is also credited with an agreement with Comcast/NBC Universal to promote independent programming on American networks which includes an opportunity for producers to pitch projects to network executives.

Beyond the AFM, IFTA also represents the interests of independent movie and TV distributors with the government and other organizations, dealing in topics from piracy to tax incentives.

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Prewitt became IFTA’s President in April 2000 and was promoted to Chief Executive Officer in December 2001. She had previously been a senior U.S. government official and as a lobbyist in Washington D.C. representing film and entertainment interests and the high-technology companies. Before that she was Senior vp and General Counsel of United International Pictures and she practiced law with the firm Donovan Leisure Newton & Irvine.

Wolf has been IFTA’s Executive Vice President and Managing Director of the AFM since 1998. He joined in 1993 as Senior Vice President of Business Development and established IFTA Collections, which distributes  royalties to participants each year. Previously, Wolf spent two years as President & COO of Studio Three Film Corporation. From 1980 to 1990 he held various finance positions within the industry, culminating as Chief Financial Officer of New World International.