PANEL

Creative Distribution for Indie Shorts and Features: Bringing Filmmakers Directly to New Audiences

Join Rooftop Films' brand new Executive Director, Adnaan Wasey, and Short of the Week co-founder Jason Sondhi in a conversation with filmmaker and journalist Traven Rice about ways to break through the gloomy distribution climate and find creative opportunities to connect filmmakers and their films with their audiences.

NARRATIVE

Narrative Showcase:

Saturday, May 11, 1:30 pm - 7:00 pm

The CENTER FOR FICTION- 15 Lafayette Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11217

DOCUMENTARY

Documentary Showcase:

Saturday, May 18, 1:30 pm - 7:00 pm

Firehouse: DCTV’s Cinema for Documentary Film - 87 Lafayette Street, NYC 10013

PANEL

The Hustle: Making Docs AND Making A Living

Join documentary filmmakers Princess Hairston (Breaking the News), Heidi Reinberg (93Queen), and David Osit (Mayor) in a conversation moderated by Filmshop's Docshop Co-Leader Emily Harrold about the balancing act of making indie docs while also staying financially afloat.

Filmmakers will share insights on how they make it work—and their hopes and thoughts about what needs to happen to make the documentary industry more sustainable.

Caitlin Boyle is a leader in film for social impact for over 15 years. She's worked with top collaborators like Sundance Institute and Magnolia Films, mentored for organizations like Film Independent, and founded Film Sprout. With a background in journalism, she now resides in rural Vermont.

Cecilia R. Mejia has worked in development for non-profit organizations. She’s worked with several grassroots organizations focusing on underrepresented communities, which led to her working in film. She has produced a number of short films focusing on critical social impact issues. She’s the lead producer of the Award-winning Sony feature film Yellow Rose, a Social Impact Producer of the award-winning doc Call Her Ganda (TIFF 2018), and a Co-Producer for Lingua Franca (Tribeca All-Access 2019). She is also an adjunct at NYU-Tisch, where she teaches Impact Producing and Producing. She was most recently named as the new Vice President of External Affairs for American Documentary.

Roxy Hunt is the Founder of BFD Productions, and is a seasoned director and producer known for telling human stories on the fringes. Her impressive portfolio includes documentary series for HBO Max, Discovery+, and CNN, among others. Roxy's commitment to supporting independent filmmakers led her to co-found The Lower East Side Film Festival, now in its 14th year.

Alece Oxendine, a seasoned speaker and strategist in the film industry, has influenced countless emerging filmmakers through her work at various institutions including Film at Lincoln Center, BAMcinema, and Athena Film Festival. With over 15 years of experience, she now guides students at Columbia University's graduate film program, advising on career pathways. Alece is a proud alumna of Columbia and Winston-Salem State University, and in her free time, she's passionate about storytelling in all its forms.

Meghan Ross, an Austin-based writer, director, producer, and comedian, has garnered recognition from prestigious programs like Sundance Episodic Lab and NewNarratives. Her work has been featured in The New Yorker and The Webby Awards. Currently, she serves as the Head of Creator Success at Seed&Spark

Sarah Wharton, Director of Development at BFD Productions in Brooklyn, has a rich history of producing content for major networks like HBO Max and CBS. With a knack for independent filmmaking, Sarah has sold projects to Netflix and Paramount+. She champions innovative storytelling and co-founded The Stay Indie Project to support emerging filmmakers.

Filmshop's Breakthrough Series is made possible in part with public funds from the National Endowment for the arts.