COMPANY OVERVIEW

Working in the film festival arena for many years, RAS principals have developed an understanding for the unique role festivals play in the independent film arena.  Just over a decade ago there were less than 500 recognized film festival events . Today there are more than 2,500…and counting.

RAS associates know what it takes to develop the right foundation or Festival Blueprint to give the event an opportunity to succeed. They also know how to evaluate existing events, recognize the growth prospects and help festivals reach new heights.

From Strategic Planning to Sponsorship & Marketing, Programming to Industry Relations, RAS Film Festival Consulting has a complete menu of services and will create a custom service package to suit a festival’s needs.

THE TEAM

Jon Fitzgerald - President

Jon Fitzgerald has over fourteen years of experience in the studio, independent and film festival communities.  Most recently, Fitzgerald was a partner at Festival Consulting Group (FCG), where he worked with over a dozen film festivals in various consulting capacities.  Prior to his work with FCG, Fitzgerald launched Right Angle Studios, a unique enterprise with filmmaker and film festival consulting divisions. 

In May of 2002, Fitzgerald became the Executive Director of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, and was responsible for overseeing the programming, sponsorship, marketing, and artistic direction.  Subsequently, the 2003 Festival was the most successful to date, as Fitzgerald added several new dimensions to the event, including an elaborate Hospitality Suite and new sidebars (Journey to Italy, Surf Sessions, Showcase Planet Earth).  Fitzgerald also introduced the Rosebud Project, a new master class program designed to appeal to the large film student population in the area.  The audience was up more than twenty-five percent with over 45,000 people in attendance.  Perhaps most importantly, sponsorship had climbed more than forty percent and the Festival turned a small profit.

From 1997-1999 Fitzgerald held the position of Director of Festivals at the American Film Institute.  He was brought on to breathe new life into the decade-long running Los Angeles International Film Festival (formerly Filmex).  During his first year, he successfully increased the Festival's attendance by over thirty percent, introduced competitive sections, established a corporate marketing and community outreach program and focused the slate by lowering the number and increasing the quality of films shown.  This led to AFI's most successful Festival ever. In his first year, the Grand Jury Prize winner, CHARACTER, went on to win the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.  Fitzgerald also brought the Festival back into the black for the first time in years. 

Prior to his position at AFI, Fitzgerald was a co-founder and Executive Director, of Slamdance International Film Festival, the first-born alternative to Sundance designed to generate an avenue of exposure for new talent. This cutting-edge Festival was created after Fitzgerald's directorial debut, SELF PORTRAIT, was not accepted at Sundance.

Fitzgerald holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Film Studies from the University of California at Santa Barbara.

Cindy Green - Vice President of Marketing 

Cindy Green has provided consulting services through her firm CG Consulting in the sponsorship and event marketing arena for the past seven years. With a focus on film festivals and cause-related events, her client roster includes the Variety, The American Film Institute, Conde-Nast, IFP/ West and the Santa Barbara International Film Festival to name a few.

Through her work with these and other clients, Cindy has advised in the areas of  fundraising, marketing collateral, outreach strategy, contracts, event execution and follow-up. With her assistance these organizations have increased their budgets and community exposure and have created or greatly improved on their marketing and fundraising programs.

A phi-beta-kappa, cum-laude graduate of UCSB, Cindy obtained her Masters Degree from Johns Hopkins SAIS in International Relations in 1991. She has a background in public relations and event planning in both the private and public sectors, and speaks fluent Italian and German as well as proficient French.

TESTIMONIALS
I have never seen anyone handle a wider variety of demands with more grace and skill than Jon Fitzgerald. He has earned the respect and support of everyone involved with the Festival community.
Steven Soderbergh - Filmmaker

Right Angle provides valuable services to filmmakers and film festivals, and this team has the experience, relationships and dedication to reach their goals.
Charles Koones - Variety

He co-founded Slamdance, breathed new life into the AFI Fest and excelled at the Santa Barbara Int'l Film Fest.  Fitzgerald has a proven track record in producing film festivals and providing filmmakers with that much needed avenue of exposure. 
Jonathan Dana - Producer|Producer's Rep