Sandra Schulberg
Research Arts Adjunct

sschulberg@aol.com
www.phobosweb.com

Sandra Schulberg is one of the pioneers of international financing for independent movies.  She started by selling foreign rights to a number of American feature films made in the 1970’s, including first features by Richard Pearce (THE GARDENER’S SON), Robert Young (ALAMBRISTA), and Rob Nilsson and John Hanson (NORTHERN LIGHTS).   That track record enabled her to secure foreign pre-sale and co-production financing during the 1980’s for the directors of WILDROSE (John Hanson) and WAITING FOR THE MOON (Jill Godmilow), and to advise and enable numerous other filmmakers.  In 1989, she joined the staff of the PBS drama series “American Playhouse” to create its first international financing arm.  Over the course of her seven years at Playhouse, during which she was promoted to Senior Vice President, she was instrumental in securing over $24 million of production funding for its slate of movies and television dramas.  She was also responsible for engaging and monitoring the work of the company’s international sales agents, and played a key role in the development of the international marketing strategy for each film.  When the American Playhouse series was wound down in 1994, she formed her own production company, Schulberg Productions, and secured international financing for Ann Hu’s first feature, SHADOW MAGIC (acquired by Sony Classics at its Sundance premiere), and for Barbara Kopple’s feature-length documentary MY GENERATION.  From 1998 to 2001, she served as executive producer and investment manager for a private German media fund, HOLLYWOOD PARTNERS, and structured its financing in a slate of films that included the Oscar-nominated QUILLS, starring Geoffrey Rush and Kate Winslet, a co-production with 20th Century Fox Searchlight; the Miramax release UNDISPUTED, starring Wesley Snipes and Ving Rhames; Bill Bennett’s IN A SAVAGE LAND; as well as SIMON MAGUS, THE LAST YELLOW, I’LL TAKE YOU THERE, and several others.  All of these films involved multiple international production partners.  In 2001, Schulberg founded Phobos Entertainment Holdings, Inc, and its subsidiary, Phobos Books.  The company currently has two feature films in development.  

In addition to her production financing activities, Schulberg served as founding director and the driving force behind the creation of the Independent Feature Project (IFP) and the IFP Market, a venue for filmmakers to secure international sales and financing.  She was also a co-founder of First Run Features, the indie film distribution company.