Film Courage: How do you raise money for a movie?
Ramfis Myrthil, Film Producer, Film Consultant and Speaker: That’s a good question. Every project has been different in how I have put it together and figured it out. It’s been various ways. Sometimes it’s been grant money from for example SF Film does grants and they give a lot of money away to projects that warrant the money. I go to SF Film or Tribeca Film Institute, well TFI is not here anymore, but in the past I have, as well as Sundance at various labs. There’s other festivals as well that have some type of lab or dynamic to be able to do that. But outside of that I go to places where I can find money. One of the ways I raise money on a project, at least in Long Island [NY], there’s country clubs everywhere and in the summer their golf tournaments and in New Jersey and upstate, Westchester [County, NY], so I go to events where there are people that have that type of money. I’ve gone to a golf tournament. I was at the table getting my salsa, water with lemon and lime as usual and this guy came up to me and he’s like Oh what do you do, what’s your story? He’s a very interesting guy, not in film. He’s kind of like a startup guy and he’s been in some really great ventures and made good money and I told him what I do and why I was there. He’s like Well, I know someone that you should talk to. That was it. I followed up with him, he put me in touch with this guy and I set up a meeting with this guy and I still to this day don’t know if he’s a CPA or if he’s a tax attorney, I still don’t know. I pretty much went in and I met with him and I told him what I do and I’m assuming that he has clientele or clients that have access to money that can invest because that was always the thing, I would look for CPAs or lawyers that have a lot of clientele on that level that have that kind of income because they maybe need to lose money or they need to have write-offs or maybe they’ll be open to that venture…(Watch the video interview on Youtube here).
BIO:
Ramfis Myrthil is a New York-based filmmaker who loves applying a city-grown work ethic to the world of film and media. He has made his name producing films made by people of color, women, and the LGBTQ community, and seeks to promote themes of passion and integrity in all of his work. A founding partner and President of Beast of the East Productions (BOTEP), Ramfis has built a successful and proven body of work as a producer. His most recent achievement, a feature film entitled Cicada (2020), won awards at several film festivals around the world and was purchased by Strand Releasing for North American distribution. Cicada was also sold to several distributors in the UK, Germany, Switzerland,France, Ireland, and several other regions for theatrical release in Fall 2021.
Ramfis got his start in the film industry when he premiered his short film Love and the Small Print (2012) at the 65th Annual Cannes Film Festival, where it was picked up by Shorts International for worldwide distribution. He then went on to produce a music video entitled “Any Other Way” for the legendary rock group The Zombies. After that, Ramfis got behind the feature film entitled A Boy, A Girl, and A Dream (2018), which premiered at Sundance and was acquired by Samuel Goldwyn Films for theatrical release. More recently, Ramfis found great success in the Tribeca Film Festival Creators Market with his project entitled 5150 (2021), which explores mental illness in the black community. The film was executive produced alongside David Oyelowo.
Ramfis has joined as an advisor for Sundance Film Institute’s Sundance Collab producing program. There he works with a diverse group of worldwide filmmakers, develops and shares works in progress, and helps elevate the voices of independent storytellers. Ramfis’ continued success in the film industry has earned him several accolades around the world. He was named to Stars’ 2018 40 Under 40 list in 2018 and served as a recognized panelist across a variety of film festivals. Ramfis is a regular speaker at the Cannes Film Festival, the UK’s Raindance, and is an established speaker and mentor at South by Southwest. Ramfis’ passion for film is matched only by his drive for sharing his knowledge with the next generation of students, artists, and creators. In this pursuit, Ramfis has served as a judge for the 2018 BAFTA Student Film Awards, a member of PAC (Program Advisory Committee) at Five Towns College, and as an acclaimed speaker at NYU, Columbia University, Hofstra University, and HBCUs across the country. Ramfis’ dedication to giving back is reflected by his international masterclasses taught around production, financing, development, diversity, and social justice. Ramfis also volunteers with Mythic Bridge, The Parity Project, The “I Can Still Do That” Foundation, Teach for America, Schools That Can, Hofstra University’s Youth Film Day, and Blacks on Wall Street. Ramfis continues to share his experience by mentoring students on both coasts as well as working with NPower, a nonprofit organization focused on helping young graduates enter the professional world. Ramfis is an active member of BAFTA NY, The Friars Club, Toastmasters International – SEC Roughriders, a board member at The Long Island Film and TV Foundation, and is a board member at the Hollywood Radio & Television Society (HRTS).
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