IRS Section 181 Expert Entertainment Attorney Presents Virtual Seminar at FilmSpecific.com

Jan. 31, 2010 - PRLog -- A "virtual seminar" scheduled for February 3, 2010 at 10 a.m. will give updates to a section of the IRS code designed to make film and television production more affordable in the United States. Presented by FilmSpecific.com, a virtual training hub for independent filmmakers, the seminar features noted entertainment attorney and Section 181 expert Hal "Corky" Kessler. Presented by telephone, the seminar is free of charge to all FilmSpecific.com members. Non-members can join FilmSpecific.com for as little as $24.99.

"For at least a decade, foreign cities like Toronto have been standing in for U.S. cities like New York, because films and television was so much cheaper to produce overseas than the U.S.," says Stacey Parks, founder of FilmSpecific.com. "To combat this 'runaway' foreign production, the U.S. Congress enacted federal tax incentives to make the United States a more competitive place for production of films and television. But many filmmakers find the tax regulations and investment guidelines confusing—and it's easy to make serious, but unintentional mistakes when financing a film."

The live, interactive seminar, "Legal & Business Questions/Concerns - Screenplay Through Distribution and Funding & Section 181 Updates," will be presented at 10:00 a.m. Pacific (1:00 p.m. Eastern) on February 3, 2010, and will cover some of the biggest issues and concerns for filmmakers from the inception of a film all the way through the distribution process. In addition to answering questions posed by participating filmmakers, Corky will follow up on Section 181 and how new developments affect both filmmakers and investors. More information is available at http://www.filmspecific.com/public/1015.cfm

"As an American, I am sorry to see productions moving overseas," says independent film production expert Stacey Parks. "Section 181 is a step in the right direction," says Parks, "but you have to know how to take advantage of the tax credit." Parks, the founder of FilmSpecific.com, continues, "Section 181 was specifically aimed at smaller-budget productions—in most cases, those with budgets of $15 million or less. And it's more likely that less-experienced filmmakers would be working in this budget range. Unfortunately, the IRS doesn't teach filmmakers the ins and outs of Section 181. But Corky Kessler will."

For more information about the "Legal & Business Questions/Concerns - Screenplay Through Distribution and Funding & Section 181 Updates" virtual seminar, visit FilmSpecific online at http://www.filmspecific.com/public/1015.cfm

About Corky Kessler
Hal "Corky" Kessler regularly speaks on the business and legal aspects of feature film development and tax incentives in connection with the entertainment industry. Corky has developed, packaged and executive produced feature films, theatre projects and television projects, and authored a reference book covering federal and state tax incentives. He is an Adjunct Professor at Northwestern Law School and John Marshall Law School, where he teaches an entertainment law. Corky is also a member of the American and Chicago Bar Associations.

About Stacey Parks
Stacey Parks is the author of 'The Insider's Guide to Independent Film Distribution" (2007, Focal Press), a comprehensive guide for filmmakers and producers focused exclusively on the ins-and-outs of independent film distribution. In over 15 years of working with filmmakers, Stacey has secured distribution for hundreds of independent features and programs worldwide. Her clients’ films have premiered at Cannes, Sundance, Toronto, Berlin, SXSW, San Sebastian, and other major film festivals.

Stacey was a foreign sales agent and independent sales rep for many years, and was dismayed by how little filmmakers knew about what awaited them in the distribution phase. That led her to found FilmSpecific.com, a website dedicated to educating filmmakers about independent film financing, distribution, and marketing. Since its launch, FilmSpecific.com has been named "one of the 50 best websites for moviemakers" and "one of the top 25 websites that filmmakers need to know about” by Moviemaker Magazine.

For more information about FilmSpecific.com, visit http://www.filmspecific.com