Film Mode Entertainment is a leading worldwide sales agent, production entity and distribution company, focusing on commercially driven feature films of all genres and budget sizes. Film Mode represents projects at all stages of the filmmaking process, often as Executive Producer, with the aim of helping producers and distributors achieve maximum exposure for their films. Film Mode’s recent titles include Mayim Bialik’s feature directorial debut, AS THEY MADE US, starring two-time Oscar-winner Dustin Hoffman, Academy Award-nominee and Emmy Award-winner Candice Bergen, Simon Helberg and Dianna Agron, MONSTROUS starring Christina Ricci, CRYPTO starring Kurt Russell, Luke Hemsworth and Alexis Bledel, STAGE MOTHER starring Academy Award nominee Jacki Weaver, Lucy Liu and Adrian Grenier. Previous releases include SUGAR MOUNTAIN starring Jason Momoa, and THE GOOD NEIGHBOR starring Academy Award-nominee James Caan. Film Mode accelerated their growth and expanded their capabilities by entering into a partnership with SCREEN MEDIA, representing their catalogue of more than 600 titles, including WHAT’S EATING GILBERT GRAPE starring Leonardo DiCaprio, who was nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for his performance, and MONSTER, starring Charlize Theron who won an Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Actress for the film. The company also has its own distribution arm, as well as a documentary label, DocMode. Film Mode is based in Beverly Hills, CA.  

Our Team

Clay Epstein is the President and Owner of Film Mode Entertainment, a worldwide sales and distribution entity with a producer friendly initiative. In addition to representing worldwide rights, Clay executive produces many of the company’s titles. In 2021, Film Mode launched a consulting division offering producers expertise and guidance on financial models, marketing, and distribution strategies.

 Film Mode has had recent successes with films such as CRYPTO starring Kurt Russel, LITTLE PINK HOUSE starring Catherine Keener and Mayim Bialik’s directorial debut AS SICK AS THEY MADE US starring Dustin Hoffman, Candice Bergan, Dianna Agron and Simon Helberg.

 Prior to Film Mode, Clay was SVP Sales & Acquisitions at Arclight Films. He was instrumental in acquiring and representing high profile films such as Paul Schrader ’s DOG EAT DOG starring Nicolas Cage, and the Spirig  brother’s PREDESTINATION starring Ethan Hawke. Earlier in his career, Clay represented prestigious titles such as TSOTSI (2006, Academy Award Winner for Best Foreign Language,) and THE LAST STATION (2010, Academy Award Nominee for Best Performance by an Actress.) Clay earned a BA in Fine Arts, from California State University, Northridge majoring in Film Production and minoring in Italian Language.

 In addition to his professional accomplishments, he holds the elected position of Chairman of Independent Film and Television Alliance. Clay is an instructor at UCLA Extension, and a frequent lecturer at film festivals worldwide., a member of PGA, FIND, BAFTA LA, and the Australian Academy Cinema Television Arts. 

After graduating with a Bachelors Degree in Business and Marketing from the Ecole Superieure de Commerce in Bordeaux, France, Mathilde moved to Los Angeles, CA.  Soon after, she was hired by Hannibal Pictures as a Sales and Marketing Executive in 2003.  In 2004, she was promoted to Director of International Sales & Marketing, where she oversaw the sales of theatrical pictures to all major territories.

In 2006, Mathilde joined Lightning Entertainment, as Director of International Sales. She was responsible for the international sales of of all new titles in addition to a 200+ title library.  In 2008, she was promoted to Vice President of International Sales, where she took on more managerial duties, including the supervision of Business Affairs and Marketing in addition to her sales responsibilities   In April 2016, she was promoted to Head of Sales, and her responsibilities expanded to overseeing the entire sales department. 

In early 2017, Mathilde joined Film Mode Entertainment as COO where she runs day to day operations, business affairs and business development in addition to international sales.

Mathilde was listed in the Screen Daily 50 Future Leaders in Sales and Acquisition and was a Board Member of the Independent Film and Television Alliance.

Lydia Ianni is the VP of Acquisitions and Development at Film Mode Entertainment, where she works to find and license projects with global appeal for the FME slate as well as oversees the development of many of the company’s titles. She has over 10 years’ experience in the industry and prior to joining Film Mode, was the Head of Acquisitions and Operations at Cinema Management Group, an international sales agency that has licensed over 100 titles, and the Manager of Acquisitions at Cohen Media Group, a U.S. distribution company with multiple Academy Award nominations. She holds a B.A. from Emory University and a M.A. from the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts. She is a proud member of BAFTA L.A. and has volunteered with their BAFTA Outreach program that works with aspiring filmmakers.

In addition, she has been an invited guest to the MIFF 37° South Market at the Melbourne International Film Festival, member of the Jury at the Naples International Film Festival, a panelist at the Telefilm Canada Now event, and advised filmmakers at the Sloan Film Summit, Film Independent’s Indielink Forum, and the National Association of Latino Independent Producers.

Charlotte Mott is the Director of Worldwide Sales at Film Mode Entertainment. In addition to handling international sales and business affairs, she also participates in the company’s acquisitions and marketing efforts.

Prior to joining Film Mode Entertainment, Charlotte worked in Global Distribution at NBCUniversal as Assistant Manager of Sales Planning & Administration. During her time at the studio, she worked on a wide range of Global SVOD licensing deals, including feature output, first and second run current series and library packages. Before transitioning to distribution, Charlotte was on the sales team at the data division of Variety, where she licensed entertainment data and sold Variety’s suite of research products. She started her career at a product placement agency, carrying out production resourcing for independent feature films and TV series.

Charlotte has a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Southern California.

Michaela Johnson-Carroll is the Director of International Sales at Film Mode Entertainment, she handles global sales and business affairs, in addition to supporting company’s efforts in acquisitions and marketing.

Before joining Film Mode Entertainment, Michaela was in charge of global sales at Gunpowder & Sky and was instrumental in marketing and representing scripted and non-scripted films such as SURVIVE starring Sophie Turner, SHERYL with Sheryl Crow, and IT TAKES THREE starring Jared Gilman and Aurora Perrineau. Prior to Gunpowder & Sky, she worked on the sales team at Voltage Pictures, where she sold across various territories and worked on high profile titles such as AVA starring Jessica Chastain, THE MARKSMAN with Liam Neeson, and the AFTER series starring Hero Fiennes Tiffin and Josephine Langford. She started her career at Blue Fox Entertainment, working as a coordinator for the marketing and sales departments. Michaela earned a bachelor’s degree in Marketing with a minor in Media Management from California State University Northridge.

After graduating from The University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) with a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics/International Studies, Boris Geiger, a French native, started his career in accounting in the Entertainment Industry. Boris worked for independent movie producer James Egan and the company Wild At Heart Films which produced documentaries such as Angels In The Dust with Participant Films, Wild About Harry and The Defector. After that, Boris joined the team of Alain Siritzky Productions as their Staff Accountant. Over his 14 years working for Alain Siritzky, the famed producer of the Emmanuelle Erotic Franchise, Boris developed his knowledge of all the aspects of accounting and finance specific to the Independent Film Industry. Boris also successfully passed his CPA exam. In 2015, Boris joined Lightning Entertainment as a Revenue Accountant. In late 2016, Boris became part of the Film Mode Entertainment team as Finance Director. Boris is in charge of all aspects of the finance of the company from producers’ participation reports to day-to-day accounting operations and yearly financial reporting.   

Lon Haber is the Founder and CEO of Lon Haber & Co., a full-service international film public relations, marketing and branding firm founded in 2000 that bridges the gap between filmmakers, sales companies, production companies, and film festivals, distribution outlets and the international press, public and marketplace.

Haber and his team specialize in the promotion, production, sales and distribution of films, VIPs and special events at all stages of the filmmaking, sales, festival and distribution processes. They pride themselves on their ability to bridge the gap between the filmmaker, sales company, distribution outlet and worldwide audiences via innovative, direct, powerful, and pertinent key-messaging that speak directly to the client’s bottom-line goals, with consistent results in the press and media across all platforms, all over the globe.

Lon and his highly adept team are a hands-on organization with over 20 years of experience that combines the highest in professional work ethic with a compassionate and positive outlook and myriad connections worldwide with offices in Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Seattle, Toronto, London and Sydney. Some of the films Haber’s team has represented or is working on include Academy-Award winners THE SHAPE OF WATER and THE DARKEST HOUR; FIRST REFORMED (starring Ethan Hawke and Amanda Seyfried); WILDLIFE (starring Jake Gyllenhall and Carey Mulligan and is Paul Dano’s directorial debut), BREATH (starring Simon Baker) and Spike Lee’s BLACKKKLANSMAN, winner of the 2018 Cannes Film Festival Grand Jury Prize, and hundreds more.

Lon Haber additionally teaches Filmmaking, Film Sales and Marketing, The Business of Being an Artist as well as On-Camera acting classes at various schools and universities worldwide. Haber is a graduate of Phillips Academy Andover, holds a BFA in Theatre Arts and a BA in International Affairs from Florida State University (FSU) and an MFA in Cinema and Media Studies and MA in Diplomacy from The University of Southern California (USC).