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11November

Understanding the Basics of Distribution

Fri November 19th 2pm PT / 5pm ET
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19November

Let’s Make A Deal

Understanding the Basics of Distribution

Fri November 19th 2pm PT / 5pm ET

Thank you for joining Film Fatales, FilmNorth, and Distribution Advocates for a free distribution workshop and teach-in about Negotiating Distribution Deals with producer Amy Hobby (What Happened, Miss Simone?) and distributor Andrew Neel (Radiant Films International). Moderated by Film Fatales member Avril Z. Speaks (Jinn).

In this session, a producer and a distributor broke down the specific components of a distribution deal. Hearing from both sides of the negotiation table, this session helped 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 shared how filmmakers can get the most out of their deal by knowing the basics.

Thank you for attending!

Details

Date:
November 19, 2021
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Details

Date:
November 19, 2021
Event Categories:
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Panelists

Amy Hobby is an Academy Award and Independent Spirit Award-Nominated, Emmy and Peabody Award-Winning producer. Her documentary features include the current 2021 IDA short-listed Convergence: Courage in a Crisis, What Happened, Miss Simone? (Netflix, directed by Liz Garbus), And Everything is Going Fine (Criterion Collection, directed by Steven Soderbergh), Love, Marilyn (HBO, directed by Liz Garbus), Shepard & Dark (Cannes Film Festival, and The Last Laugh (featuring Mel Brooks, Rob Reiner, Sarah Silverman) for ITVS. Her scripted features include Secretary (Maggie Gyllenhaal, James Spader), Hamlet (Ethan Hawke, Bill Murray), Lucky Them (Toni Collette, Johnny Depp), Paint It Black (Janet McTeerAlia Shawcat), and Nadja (Executive Producer David Lynch), among many others. Her films have played and/or won awards at Sundance, Tribeca, Cannes, Berlin, and Toronto Film Festivals.
Hobby was the Executive Director of the Tribeca Film Institute from 2016-2020, where she led a team identifying, engaging and supporting hundreds of filmmakers each year in collaboration with filmmaker organizations around the world. Hobby’s first job as a producer’s assistant was on Tim Burton’s Ed Wood, on which she also oversaw archival research in part because she was obsessed with finding the best possible print of Glen or Glenda.

Andrew Neel joined Radiant Films International in 2019 after two years at Dean Devlin’s Electric Entertainment, where he worked in Development, Acquisitions, Domestic Sales, and International Distribution. Neel worked directly with Steve Saltman, Head of Domestic Sales, on the pitch that landed the upcoming series Almost Paradise at WGN America. Neel has a M.A. in Theology & Film from Fuller Theological Seminary, and he is the former Director of Programming for Level Ground, an LA-based arts non-profit that hosts LGBTQ+ narrative and documentary films screenings to foster empathy in audiences. Neel is also a literary manager for a growing list of visionary writers, directors, and producers. Most days you can find him hanging out with his son around Echo Park.

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.

Community

FilmNorth’s mission is to empower artists to tell their stories, launch and sustain successful careers, and advance The North as a leader in the national network of independent filmmakers. We achieve our mission by nurturing a vibrant, diverse community of film and media artists; providing education and resources at every stage of their careers; and celebrating their achievements.

Distribution Advocates works to collectively reclaim power for independent storytellers in the current systems of distribution and exhibition. We are a coalition-in-formation striving to advocate for filmmakers and maintain plurality and originality in a culture that needs it more than ever. We fight for radical transparency, rebalancing entrenched inequities and blazing a new, more interesting, accessible and inclusive way forward.