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The Independent Film & Television Alliance said Paul Bales, partner and chief operating officer at The Asylum, will be its chair for the 2025-2027 term with a newly seated board following annual elections. Bales, who has served several terms on the IFTA Board since 2015, succeeds outgoing Chair Clay Epstein (Film Mode Entertainment) who served two consecutive two-year terms. The handover was announced as IFTA’s flagship event, the American Film Market is set to unspool in LA after a one-year detour to Las Vegas in 2024. It runs November 11-16 at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Century City. Bales joins IFTA’s 15-member Board of Directors along with seven IFTA member executives: Scott Bedno, Managing Director, Sales & Acquisitions, TPC, Shaked Berenson, CEO, Entertainment Squad, Scott Jones, President/CEO, Artist View Entertainment, Chloé Marquet, Head of International Sales, STUDIOCANAL, Delphine Perrier, COO, Highland Film Group, Lise Romanoff, Managing Director/CEO, Vision Films, and Michael Ryan, Director, Gleneagles Films. This marks the first term on the IFTA Board for Jones and Perrier. Directors currently serving the second year of their two-year Board term are Brian Beckmann, CFO, Arclight Films, Caroline Couret-Delegue, Managing Director, Film Seekers Limited, Michael Dwyer, EVP, Worldwide Sales & Distribution, Resurgence Media Group, Michael Favelle, CEO, Odin’s Eye Entertainment, Diane Ferrandez, SVP, Worldwide Sales & Distribution, AGC Studios, George Hamilton, Chief Commercial Officer, Protagonist Pictures, and Alice Laffille, VP, International Sales, FilmNation Entertainment. IFTA said the group underscores its ongoing commitment to leadership that advances the growth, strength, and global influence of the independent film and television industry. Bales has been at The Asylum since 2006. He previously served as National Director of SAGIndie, the Screen Actors Guild outreach program for independent producers. He played a key role as an elected member of the IFTA Board throughout his career, most recently during the 2023–2025 term. He is also a long-time member of the Producers Guild of America and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. “I’m proud to serve as Chairperson and to continue IFTA’s vital work on behalf of the Independents,” said Bales. “These are challenging times for the industry, and I’m especially pleased to serve alongside such an experienced and thoughtful group of Directors, each possessing great instincts, knowledge, and the ability to persevere. Our members are the bedrock of a creative and innovative industry and IFTA is committed to supporting their efforts to get independent films made and to reach audiences around the world.”
