Vertical’s Tony Piantedosi Pulls Back the Curtain on Indie Acquisitions

Let me start by saying this wasn’t some buttoned-up industry panel. Tony Piantedosi — SVP of Acquisitions at Vertical Entertainment and a longtime friend of mine — and I cracked open drinks, hit record, and went [almost] straight into the raw questions filmmakers ask me every damn day. You want to know what gets your pitch deleted before it’s even read? Or why some films land a Pay 1 deal while others sink without a trace? Tony lays it out, unfiltered.

And if you’ve ever thought “award-winning” on your LinkedIn headline made you look impressive — think again. Tony told me flat-out he’ll delete those cold emails on sight. Brutal? Maybe. Honest? Absolutely. But buried in that honesty is the roadmap every indie filmmaker and producer needs to hear: how acquisitions executives really think, what moves the needle in negotiations, and why most films never should’ve been made in the first place.

With no further delay, let's dive into what's working for Vertical, how to [and not to] pitch them, and more -- and you can also see below for the full video interview with Tony as well (runtime: 72 minutes)...

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