The Art of Film Funding

Our special guest today is Julie Rubio. Julie is an award-winning film producer, writer, director, and actor. As President of Women in Film San Francisco Bay Area and founder of East Meets West Productions, she produced the acclaimed “East Side Sushi,” which has enjoyed both domestic and international distribution via the Samuel Goldwyn Company, Sony Home Pictures, HBO North America, and Netflix. Rubio is the writer, director, and producer of the comedy “Too Perfect,” which found its audience domestically on Amazon Prime and through Osiris Entertainment. She was also the writer, director, and producer for "Six Sex Scenes and a Murder," available on Netflix and Apple TV. Other cinematic ventures Rubio has helmed include "Soledad is Gone Forever" for Haiku Films, "Oakland B Mine," the comedic "Del Cielo," "Everything is Temporary," and "Impression." Her films have graced numerous domestic and international festivals. Rubio’s latest work, "The True Story of Tamara de Lempicka & The Art of Survival," marks her debut as a feature documentary writer, director, and producer. For years, the enigmatic allure of Tamara de Lempicka's paintings and life story have captivated Rubio and we are thrilled to discuss the film with her today.

Irina Chernikina is a filmmaker with over two decades of experience in producing, directing, writing, and editing. She has led multiple projects from development through post-production, focusing on narrative filmmaking.

Her recent work includes directing and producing the comedy series Being Bossy (2021) and an ongoing anthology series Bedtime Stories (2020-), where she also served as writer and editor. In 2024 Irina produced two feature films - a thriller Smile Maker and a horror Legado. She is currently developing a comedy feature Bum Next Door, which has a pre-sale offer from Glass House Distribution, along with Knockout, a female-driven action film, and Circulus Initium, a sci-fi action series.

In addition to narrative projects, Irina has worked on commercials, music videos, and educational content. Her experience across multiple aspects of production allows her to efficiently manage and execute projects while maintaining a clear creative vision. She currently manages the Film Funding Group with her partners Matt Chassin and Randy Fabert.