Event
Faith, Film and Finance
CFA Members – Click here for the full recording of this event.
CFA members came together for this exclusive online interview with award-winning film producer Terry Botwick, as he explored the following questions:
- What are the basic mechanics of film finance? Who makes money and how?
- What are the alternative approaches commonly used by faith filmmakers? Are they effective investment vehicles?
- How might faith films be good for society while also serving as better investments?
- What innovations has modern technology allowed for in terms of financing faith films? How has The Chosen been such a successful project in both production quality and financial success?
Terry Botwick
CEO and Founder
Papatime Film
Terry Botwick is CEO and Founder of Papatime, a film and television production company. Terry is a multiple award-winning producer, senior studio and network executive who has overseen more than 2,000 hours of television series, special events, movies, and theatrical films with experience in structuring large film funds. Terry recently produced CAPTIVE starring David Oyelowo and Kate Mara, distributed by Paramount Pictures, and COOL IT, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, and was released by Roadside Attractions and Lionsgate.
Prior to forming Papatime, Mr. Botwick founded Lightbridge Entertainment with Bart Gavigan. He served as President of Vanguard Films & Animation, and earlier as President of Big Idea Productions where he brought the iconic VeggieTales brand onto the big screen with a major theatrical release for JONAH, A VEGGIETALES MOVIE, for which he served as Executive Producer. Mr. Botwick also grew revenue at Big Idea by more than 30%.
Mr. Botwick was Senior Vice President of Series Programming and Specials for CBS Entertainment, overseeing creative and business aspects of the network’s entire slate of comedy and drama series, as well as large special events such as the GRAMMY AWARDS and TONY AWARDS.
Mr. Botwick served as President of Distribution and National Programming for the entertainment division of the Hearst Corporation. Prior to that, Mr. Botwick served as the Vice President of Original Programming for the Family Channel and Executive Vice President of Family Productions, Inc., the Network’s in-house production company. He played an important role in repositioning the CBN Cable Network as the Family Channel. After raising more than $300 million for the production of original programming consistent with the Family Channel brand, Mr. Botwick participated in the company’s successful IPO.
Currently, in Papatime, Mr. Botwick has numerous film and television projects in development including SAVIOR written by Todd Komarnicki (SULLY), JSA written by Academy-Award winner David Franzoni (GLADIATOR, AMISTAD), YOU’RE NOT REAL written and to be directed by Jay Russell (MY DOG SKIP, LADDER 49) and BEING NIXON written by Academy-Award winner Ron Bass (RAIN MAN, MY BEST FRIEND’S WEDDING), among others.
