A to Z Doc Distribution: Emphasis on E for Education
Are all film distributors equal? (Of course not!) What do the most successful distributors have in common? How can a filmmaker find out? In A to Z of Distribution (with an emphasis on 'E'), come learn what distinguishes four of the leading documentary distributors in the marketplace: Kino Lorber, Women Make Movies, Cinema Guild and New Day. Moderated by Elizabeth Sheldon, VP of Kino Lorber, each distributor will discuss how they select films, their different paths to market, what makes each company unique, and what they all have in common (hint, hint: starts with the letter ‘E’). Whether it is a theatrical department, digital distribution, specialty collections, or a strength in reaching the college/university/library market, each of the featured distributors has survived and thrived over the decades. Come learn why, how you and your film can benefit, and what they are looking for at SXSW.
Presenters
Elizabeth Sheldon is vice president of Kino Lorber, Inc. She oversees acquisitions for Alive Mind Cinema, business affairs and established Kino Lorber Edu, the company’s educational division. She is developing an e-toolbox for digital marketing and direct to consumer VOD offerings from Alive Mind Cinema, a socially integrated web community that delivers films direct to consumers online. She is a competitive rower, a Fulbright Scholar, and earned her master’s degree from Princeton University.
Ryan Krivoshey is the Director of Distribution at The Cinema Guild, a distributor of independent, foreign and documentary film. Mr. Krivoshey has been with the company since 2002 and currently oversees its theatrical, home video, digital, television and non-theatrical operations. During this time, The Cinema Guild has released such acclaimed films as THE INTERRUPTERS, MARWENCOL, SWEETGRASS, THE BEACHES OF AGNES, 35 SHOTS OF RUM and BEESWAX.
Jeff Tamblyn began his professional career in live theatre before learning, on his own, the craft of filmmaking as writer, producer and director. In 2008, he joined New Day Films distribution cooperative with his feature documentary, Kansas vs. Darwin. He’s promoted and distributed this award-winning title to over 450 educational institutions as well as to science-education activists all over the world. He currently serves New Day on the steering committee and supervises their groundbreaking streaming service, New Day Digital, which hosts over 160 films to a worldwide audience.
In 2008, with partner Robert Hurst, Tamblyn co-founded Heavy Weather Films, a film-production company that has now begun the transition to content developer. Tamblyn and Hurst specialize in the creation of stories which can be told in multiple platforms, starting with their inaugural story-enterprise, JOAN DARK, which will be a graphic novel, a game, and a motion picture.
Debra Zimmerman has been the Executive Director of Women Make Movies, a non-profit NY based film organization that supports women filmmakers, since 1983. During her tenure it has grown into the largest distributor of films by and about women in the world and our internationally recognized Production Assistance Program has helped hundreds of women get their films made. Films from WMM programs have won prizes at the last five Sundance Film Festivals and been nominated or won Academy Awards in five of the last six years.
Monday, March 12
