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8December

Getting Your Film Into the World

Fri November 11th 9am PT / 12pm ET
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11November

Demystifying Distribution

Getting Your Film Into the World

Fri November 11th 9am PT / 12pm ET

Thanks for joining Film Fatales for a discussion about Demystifying Distribution with Avril Z. Speaks (Distribution Advocates), Dina Amer (You Resemble Me), and Sophia Fields (Gravitas Ventures). It was moderated by Alece Oxendine (Columbia University).

Our panel of industry experts demystified film distribution and gave you an inside look at how producers, sales agents, and distributors work to get your films into the world. We heard about various paths toward distribution, creative ways to sell your work, and what the industry’s changing landscape means for independent filmmakers. With support from event partners Black Film Space, NYWIFT, Women Make Movies, and WrapWomen.

Details

Date:
November 11, 2022
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Details

Date:
November 11, 2022
Event Categories:
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Panelists

Avril Z. Speaks has been carving out her path as a bold, innovative content creator for years, not only as a Producer and Director but also during her days as a professor at Howard University and as a film educator through Film Independent, the Sundance Institute, and Distribution Advocates. Avril produced the award-winning film Jinn, which premiered 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 African American, which was nominated for an NAACP Image Award and is available on Netflix. She also produced the Black America Is… project, which premiered at the Afrikana Film Festival. Currently, Avril is an Executive Producer for Now This/Vox Media Studios, where she has directed and showrun docu-series such as Uprooted: The Untold Keith Warren Story and Keep This Between Us, available on Discovery+ and Freeform. Avril has been selected for producing labs with Film Independent, Sundance, The Gotham, Rotterdam, and Cannes, was a 2020 Sundance Momentum Fellow, and is currently a 2022 recipient of the Dear Producer Award. She is also on the Executive Committee for the newly formed Producer’s Union.

Dina Amer is an award-winning Egyptian American filmmaker. You Resemble Me is her directorial debut. She helped produce Oscar- nominated and Emmy award- winning film The Square, where the Egyptian Revolution was chronicled from the frontlines. Her work focuses on nuanced, wildly imaginative storytelling.

Sophia Fields is the Vice President of operations for Gravitas Ventures, a worldwide film distributor that connects filmmakers and producers with a global audience of over a billion people. She has over 20 years of distribution and content delivery experience with media companies in Los Angeles. During tenures at Rhino Records, Warner Music Group, RLJ Entertainment, and Showtime, Sophia helped streamline operations and oversaw deliveries for theatrical, broadcast, home entertainment, and VOD. A native of Cleveland, Sophia graduated from Kent State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications.

Alece Oxendine has dedicated her career to helping emerging independent filmmakers through her work in marketing, social media, partnerships, and strategy at Film at Lincoln Center, BAMcinématek, Rooftop Films, Athena Film Festival, Fandor, GoDigital, Inc., and Good Deed Entertainment. Her focus is educating filmmakers about digital distribution practices and navigating a difficult, yet rewarding film industry. She currently works in this capacity as the Director of Industry and Festival Outreach at Columbia University’s Film Program, where she is an esteemed alumna and serves on the Board of Directors for the Columbia Alumni Association. She is also a proud HBCU graduate of Winston-Salem State University and is committed to serving the Black community through her position on the Black Film Space Board. Alece is originally from Durham, NC and has lived in Los Angeles and San Francisco, and is glad to call New York City home again.

Community

Black Film Space is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the careers of black filmmakers. Their mission is to provide skill-enhancing opportunities, community building experiences and knowledge on navigating the film industry for people of African descent. They host events that include film screenings, panels, networking mixers, professional development workshops, skill sharing, and open forums.

Women Make Movies is a non-profit organization that supports women producers and directors from the beginning, planting the seeds for a diverse and inclusive filmmaking landscape. As the world’s leading distributor of independent films by and about women, we amplify historically ignored voices and challenge the mainstream media.

WrapWomen is a power base of women, gamechangers and changemakers in entertainment, media, and technology committed to empowering women to achieve leadership positions, promote gender equity and combat sexual harassment in the workplace. Through media and live events, we provide a platform to accelerate the vision of women who are building towards a more equitable world.

New York Women in Film & Television (NYWIFT) connects, educates, and advocates for women to accelerate diversity in media. As the preeminent entertainment industry association for women in New York, NYWIFT energizes women by illuminating their achievements, presenting training and professional development programs, awarding scholarships and grants, and providing access to a supportive community of peers.