LET'S MAKE A DEAL
- Nov. 2, 2021

Join Film Fatales, Film North and Distribution Advocates on Friday, November 19th at 2pm PT for a teach-in about Negotiating Distribution with producers Amy Hobby (What Happened, Miss Simone?) and Avril Z. Speaks (Jinn).

Terms. Territories and Media Types. In this session, a producer and a distributor will break down these specific components of a distribution deal. Hearing from both sides of the negotiation table, this session will help documentary filmmakers understand how to protect the interests of their film and avoid some of the common mistakes made by creators. Whether navigating educational or other distribution platforms, panelists will share how filmmakers can get the most out of their deal by knowing the basics

This event will be accessible with live captioning and ASL interpretation.


RSVP HERE


Avril Speaks has been carving out her path as a bold, innovative content creator for several years, not only as a producer and director but also during her days as a former professor at Howard University. She produced the award-winning film Jinn, which premiered in Narrative Competition at SXSW and won Special Jury Recognition for Writing. Jinn gained distribution through MGM/Orion Classics and continues to be seen throughout the world. Avril has also produced several films including Hosea, the South African film African America, (both of which will release in fall 2020), and the comedy Dotty & Soul, starring Leslie Uggams, Gary Owen and Margot Bingham. Avril was also an Associate Producer on the TNT docu-series "American Race" and has helped produce both scripted and non-scripted content for BET, Coca Cola, Essence, and others. She is a contributing writer for DearProducer.com and has also directed feature films, including The Round Table and the award-winning Sophisticated Romance.



Amy Hobby has been producing award-winning theatrical films for nearly 20 years. Her films have been released by top distributors, including Sony, Lionsgate, HBO, Miramax, Sony Pictures Classics, IFC, and Magnolia.

Hobby has had seven features and documentaries premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, including the Jury Prize winner Secretary (Lionsgate). Other feature producing credits include: Severed Ways: The Norse Discovery of America (Magnolia), Hamlet (Miramax), Sunday (Cine 360), recipient of Sundance Grand Jury Award and Un Certain Regard at Cannes, and Nadja (October Films), Executive Produced by David Lynch. Hobby recently had four of her films acquired for the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York and won a Sloan Foundation Grant for development of a new film project called Zeroes and Ones. In 2012, Hobby completed production on three films. Love, Marilyn, a documentary directed by Academy Award nominated filmmaker Liz Garbus, which screened at the Telluride, Toronto, and London film festivals and will premiere on HBO in June 2013. Hobby's low budget feature Gayby played at over 20 festivals, winning numerous audience awards. Shepard & Dark premiered at the Toronto Film Festival, won jury awards at several festivals and will be released theatrically in fall 2013 by Music Box Films. Hobby recently formed Tangerine Entertainment, an audacious new company that seeks to produce and provide marketing and outreach for critically acclaimed films with a rigorous focus on female directors and exceptional roles for women.