Name: Creative Distribution Master Class
Start: 2018-06-30T09:30:00-04:00
End: 2018-06-30T17:00:00-04:00
Location: 301 Cherry St.,

12pm - 1pm

How to Build Schedule Blocks

Creative Distribution Master Class

Saturday, June 30, 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Georgia Sports Hall of Fame
301 Cherry St., Macon, GA

RSVP

The world of film distribution and marketing is constantly changing. Whether you’re a first-time filmmaker or a veteran, we’re all on the same level when it comes to audience building. Join Sundance Institute’s Creative Distribution Initiative as we break down the latest in distribution and marketing trends into digestible pieces of advice for independent storytellers of all stripes.

Schedule

9:30 a.m.

Registration & Breakfast

10:00 a.m.

Program Begins

10:15 a.m.

Audience Building Panel
Kickstarter, social media, and email marketing—this panel covers how to build an audience with free instruments at your fingertips and the proper messaging it takes to be successful.
Panelists: Elise McCave, Angela Tucker, Ben Wiessner & Summer Shelton
Moderator: Liz Manashil

11:15 a.m.

Break/Handshakes

11:30 a.m.

Creative Distribution Fellowship Year One: What We Learned
A deep dive into the creative distribution case studies on Columbus and Unrest explores the details and data from the films’ release plans.
Jess Fuselier & Liz Manashil

12:15 p.m.

Open Ended Q&A: Marketing & Distribution
Panelists: Summer Shelton, Elise McCave, Angela Tucker and Ben Wiessner
Moderator: Jess Fuselier

12:30 p.m.

Lunch

1:30 p.m.

Conversation: Growing Southern Roots
A moderated conversation aimed to inspire—we'll talk about local roots, leveraging projects to build a career, and career life lessons aimed to empower filmmakers to make and market their projects.
Summer Shelton, Angela Tucker, Ben Wiessner
Moderator: Liz Manashil

2:30 p.m.

Breakout Sessions & Pitch Practice
Your choice of more intimate meetings with a rotating slate of panelists or an informal workshop on crafting the perfect pitch.

3:30 p.m.

Takeaways/Thank-Yous
Reception

Panelists

Elise McCave

Elise McCave joined Kickstarter in 2016 after eight years with Doc Society and is based in New York. She works with filmmakers worldwide to bring projects to life, providing tailored support and mentorship as they raise funds and build audiences for their films.

Summer Shelton

Born and raised in North Carolina, Summer Shelton won the 2018 Independent Spirit Piaget Producers Award. She produced Maine (2018 Tribeca Film Festival), Keep the Change (2017 Tribeca Film Festival Best Narrative Feature), and Little Accidents (2014 Sundance Film Festival) and executive-produced People Places Things (2015 Sundance Film Festival).

Angela Tucker

Angela Tucker is an Emmy-nominated producer, writer, and director. Her directorial work includes Paper Chase, a teen comedy in pre-production; All Styles, a dance movie in post; Black Folk Don’t, a documentary web series; and (A)Sexual, a feature-length documentary. She is the series producer of Afropop and a producer on Belly of the Beast.

Benjamin Wiessner

Benjamin Wiessner is a North Carolina–based producer named to Filmmaker magazine’s 25 New Faces of Indie Film in 2012 as part of the collective ornana films. He has produced over a dozen short films in both hand-drawn animation and live action, with awards at festivals like SXSW and Sundance, and has worked on 10 features, including producing Thunder Road (2018 SXSW Grand Jury Award).

Sundance Institute Staff

Jess Fuselier

Jess Fuselier is the manager of research and education for Sundance Institute’s Creative Distribution Initiative, where she focuses on creating resources for the sustainability of the independent film community. Originally from Texas and currently based in Los Angeles, Jess’s previous experience includes community outreach, ballet dancing, coding, and co-founding a girls’ STEM education program.

Liz Manashil

Liz Manashil earned her BA in film and media studies at Washington University in St. Louis and her MFA from USC's School of Cinematic Arts. Before serving as the manager of Sundance Institute’s Creative Distribution Initiative, Liz was a film critic for the PBS/Hulu series Just Seen It and worked with distribution guru Peter Broderick. She directed the feature Bread and Butter and is currently in post-production on her second film, Speed of Life. Liz lives in Los Angeles with her dog, Laura Palmer, and her partner, Sean Wright.

Eva Rinaldi

Eva Rinaldi is the director of operations for Sundance Institute's artist programs, including residency labs and workshops for filmmakers, theatre makers, and new media storytellers. Eva has a master’s in community leadership from Westminster College in Utah, and she serves on three local boards in addition to being a member of the Utah Women’s Forum.

Holden Payne

Holden Payne is the director of technical exhibition and production at Sundance Institute. A lover of dachshunds, eclectic rock music, and fine dining, he is ready to speak nerdy with anyone on topics ranging from theatrical lighting and sound to Sonic Youth to his extensive graphic T-shirt collection.

Please also join us on Friday, June 29, for a free screening of feature film Thunder Road, followed by a Q&A with producer Benjamin Wiessner. Learn more.

This program is presented by Sundance Institute in collaboration with the Macon Film Festival and is made possible by generous support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

Sundance Institute is a nonprofit organization that discovers and supports independent film and theatre artists from the U.S. and around the world, and introduces audiences to their new work.