As film production around the world expands and streaming services enable world-wide home audiences, the requirements for filmmakers become more complex. Attorney Carol T. Contes will help you sort through the “must do” list for development and production that will help filmmakers be prepared for the requirements of international distribution. The challenges of Intellectual Property protection will also be discussed.

Carol T. Contes is a transactional entertainment lawyer who represents clients in her own practice (www.conteslawcorp.com) and heads the entertainment department of the Guzman Law Group in Manhattan Beach where she represents celebrity estates in the continuing exploitation of highly-valued intellectual property in film and the Broadway stage, including the estate of RENT and TICK, TICK… BOOM! by playwright Jonathan Larson (www.guzmanlg.com). Carol works with the studios producing animated motion pictures and an independent distributor of family entertainment as well as the independent producers of live-action motion pictures. She recently worked with Odyssey Entertainment which produced A SPARTAN’S DREAM in Greece, directed by Greek-American Mike Nickles; and is legal counsel for two independent features to be filmed in the coming months in Italy. Carol recently was a Co-Producer of THE BOY OF SILENCE, an independent feature film produced in Europe (UK/Italy/Belgium) by Caroline Goodall, assisting with the business affairs and legal work of financing and distribution.

Carol started her career “in-house,” working in business affairs at International Creative Management (ICM) and later worked in the corporate world for companies including the ABC Television Network, Paramount Television and a Silicon Valley game publisher. Carol has been an adjunct professor at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco’s film school; has guest lectured at USC’s Film School and is now an adjunct professor at Southwestern University’s Law School where she advises students with respect to their work for the entertainment law clinic.

Carol graduated from the University of Arizona (Bachelor of Arts and Juris Doctorate) and is licensed both in California and Arizona.