TheWrap Private Brunch at Sundance 2025: Solutions for Independent Film

TheWrap hosted a conversation on Sunday at the Sundance Film Festival among independent film veterans – financiers, producers, directors and distributors – focused on seeking bold solutions to the economic challenges facing independent film.

Panelists Keri Putnam, former CEO of the Sundance Institute; Josh Sapan, founder of Sapan Studios and former CEO of AMC Networks; and filmmaker Bao Nguyen (“The Stringer,” “Greatest Night in Pop”) joined moderator and Wrap editor-in-chief Sharon Waxman to discuss new economic models for distribution.

Co-hosted by Calvin Yee of Egon Zehnder, producer Shruti Ganguly and Christie Marchese, founder and CEO of Kinema, the event was sponsored by Egon Zehnder, a global organizational consulting and leadership advisory firm to many of the world’s leading businesses.

Attendees included former Disney CFO Kareem Daniel, former Participant CEO David Linde; former Starz chief Kathryn Busby, producer and Tisch professor Joe Pichirallo; Egon Zehnder entertainment lead Clint Fairweather; Gerry Byrne, Vice Chairman, Penske Media; Washington State film commissioner Amy Lillard; consultant Kathleen McInnis; Fifth Season producer Ariel Richter; producer Maria Zuckerman; investor Vinay Singh; Jeff Sharp, Executive Director of The Gotham Film & Media Institute; Gersh agent Julian Levesque; investor Mike d’Alto; entrepreneur Curtis Chambers.

The event was off-the-record.