Mentors: Distribution: Narrative
Meet with industry professionals who can give advice and answer questions about distribution, distribution options, and more for narrative films.
Sign Up Here: http://mentor.sxsw.com.
Mentor session signup is open to all Film, Gold and Platinum badge holders at a first-come, first-served basis. Registrants who signed up online must check-in 30 minutes before your mentor time slot to guarantee your spot. Limited on-site signup is also available for a small number of mentor sessions spots and will begin 30 minutes before the first time slot of each session.
Presenters
Austin Francalancia
Acquisitions Coord
Open Road Films
Austin Francalancia is a proud employee of Open Road Films which is an American film distribution company launched in 2011 by the two largest U.S. theatrical exhibitors, AMC Theatres and Regal Entertainment Group. Films released by Open Road Films include THE GREY, END OF WATCH, THE NUT JOB, A HAUNTED HOUSE, SIDE EFFECTS and KILLER ELITE.
David Reilly
Film Programmer
BAMcinematek
David Reilly has been a programmer at BAMcinématek since 2011, curating series such as "Booed at Cannes," "Of Freaks and Men: The Films of Aleksei Balabanov," and "Kino Polska: New Polish Cinema." He also co-curates and oversees the annual BAMcinématek festivals New Voices in Black Cinema and Puppets on Film. He was previously the Project Coordinator for BAM’s President’s Office, and prior to that worked for Gartenberg Media Enterprises. He is a graduate of NYU's Cinema Studies Department.
Gabriel Cowan
Head Honcho
New Artists Alliance
Gabriel Cowan is an American filmmaker and philanthropist who launched NEW ARTISTS ALLIANCE in 2008.
He founded NAA to support emerging filmmakers while sharing profits with cast and crew members.
In the last 2 years, Cowan has written, directed, and or produced 12 feature films. 3 of them premiered at SXSW including the audience award winner CHEAP THRILLS.
In 2013, Cowan founded a screenwriting program for Juveniles facing effective life sentences. Later this year, he will produce the 20 page screenplay written by the inmates.
Cowan is involved with such causes as The Children’s Defense Fund, Inside OutWriters, The Rape Treatment Center, and Human Rights Watch.
In 2013, Cowan produced A CONSPIRACY ON JEKYLL ISLAND (AnnaSophia Robb, Minnie Driver, John Leguizamo), JUST BEFORE I GO, Courteney Cox’s directorial debut (Seann William Scott, Olivia Thirlby) WHY NOW (Marisa Tomei, Sam Rockwell) Dir. Adam Wrap SAN DIEGO TWINS (David Arquette, Paz De La Huerta) THE ORDINARY WORLD a documentary on Juvenile Justice, and he Directed 3 NIGHTS IN THE DESERT (Wes Bently, Amber Tamblyn) in 2012 he produced MAKING THE RULES (Jaime Pressly, Robin Thicke) THE SCRIBBLER (Katie Cassidy, Eliza Dushku, Gina Gershon) CHEAP THRILLS (David Koechner, Sara Paxton, Ethan Embry) BAD MILO! (Ken Marino, Gillian Jacobs, Patrick Warburton) and he co-wrote and produced STATIC (Milo Ventimiglia, Sarah Shahi) and the SXSW hit EXTRACTED (Sasha Roiz, Dominic Bogart) @naafilms
Matt Cowal
SVP Mktg & Pub
Stage Fright
Matt Cowal is SVP of Marketing and Publicity for Magnolia Pictures and Magnet Releasing.
Nicholas Ogiony
Agent
CAA
Grew up in Chicago. Moved to LA with stars in my eyes. Worked at WMA / WME for Cassian Elwes and transitioned over to CAA Film Finance in 2010. Smiths Forever
Peter Goldwyn
SVP
Samuel Goldwyn Films
PETER GOLDWYN
Peter Goldwyn is the Senior Vice President for Samuel Goldwyn Films. He began his career writing and directing socio-political documentaries and regional commercials for Motion Inc. and Banyan Film, respectively. Prior to joining Samuel Goldwyn Films in 2001, Goldwyn worked for Satellite Films on national commercials and as an Assistant Director at ESPN, where he covered live sporting events.
Since joining Samuel Goldwyn Films, he has acquired a number of high profile titles for the company – which, in total, have grossed more than $165 million and have garnered three Academy Award® nominations, four Golden Globe nominations and 15 Independent Spirit Award nominations. These include: SUPER SIZE ME, THE SQUID AND THE WHALE, WALK ON WATER and EL CRIMEN DEL PADRE AMARO. He is also responsible for the critically-acclaimed RAISING VICTOR VARGAS, the controversial WHAT THE BLEEP DO WE KNOW!?, 2 DAYS IN PARIS, Claude Lelouch’s ROMAN DE GARE, PRICELESS starring Audrey Tautou, HARRY BROWN with Michael Caine, MAO’S LAST DANCER, THE WHISTLEBLOWER, ROBOT & FRANK starring Academy Award® nominee Frank Langella and Academy Award® winner Susan Sarandon, DIANA VREELAND: THE EYE HAS TO TRAVEL about the late fashion icon, WAITING FOR LIGHTNING about the legendary skateboarder Danny Way, Gilles Bourdos’ biopic RENOIR the lush film about the famous painter’s later years and France’s official submission for the 2014 Academy Awards®, Academy Award® nominee James Cromwell starrer, STILL MINE, and the Jason Wise much buzzed about film SOMM. Upcoming releases include Academy Award®-winner Freida Mock’s critically acclaimed documentary ANITA featuring intimate and in-depth interviews with Anita Hill, filmmaker Lucia Puenzo’s haunting film and Argentina’s official submission to the 2014 Academy Awards® THE GERMAN DOCTOR, Denis Henry Hennelly’s apocalypse drama GOODBYE WORLD, and David Posamentier and Geoff Moore’s irreverent comedy BETTER LIVING THROUGH CHEMISTRY.
Goldwyn has served on panels at every major film festival across the country.
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