Episodes
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In tis episode we explore alternative ways of distirbution with Benny Haesebrouck who is Head of Distirbution at MOOOV, the Belgian non-profit founded more than ten years ago. MOOOV's goal is to show a diverse world both on the big screen and beyond the cinema walls. Their mission to connect people through stories leads them to search all over the world for films and directors that combine artistic quality with relevant content - and bring them to Belgian audiences. In a wide ranging conversation, we learn how MOOOV do a number of things differently to traditional distirbution. This includes the way they work with venues, how they develop audiences and their operation of a non-competitive model. When another Belgian film distributor is interested in a film, they aim to work together to ensure that films get as many opportunities as possible, opportunities they would otherwise not get. Since 2023, they have worked mianly with event-based releases and have started a single screening circuit: FOMOFILM - a model that means working very closely with cinemas to maximise the potential of that single event.
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What have Taylor Swift, BTS, the National Theatre and Peppa Pig all have in common? One thing, at least, is that they have all been brought to the big screen by the leading event cinema company, Trafalgar Releasing. In this episode we speak with Trafalgar's SVP Programming and Content Acquisitions, Kymberli Frueh to discuss all aspects of the event cinema business - from how content is sourced to what makes a great cinema experience and the future of the theatrical business.
From devleoping one night only and limited theatrical programs for event cinema in 2005, Kymberli's career spans two decades as a major contributor to acquiring and developing content and programming strategies for exhibition partners. She has been named one of the top 50 women in Global cinema by Celluloid Junkie three times, in 2018, 2022 and 2023.
Kymberli first began her career in event cinema with U.S Based Fathom Events where she contributed significantly to the growth of Fathom and the various verticals that remain today. During her tenure, the event cinema company grew from $2M to $75M. Before her exit, Kymberli managed the acquisitions team in focusing on several vertical offerings that remain today. Kymberli joined Trafalgar Releasing in 2018
Career highlights include bringing live boxing back to cinemas with the Golden Boy/Mayweather franchise; exhibiting the first BTS event in cinemas globally (with such success that BTS now has recurring events with TR), and most recently working with major artists including The Grateful Dead, Dolly Parton, Metallica, Machine Gun Kelly, Billie Eilish and many more.
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Mathieu Robinet is an award-winning film producer and distributor from France. In 2020 he created TANDEM, a film distribution company devoted to up-and-coming filmmakers and innovative marketing strategies. He was involved in the financing and theatrical distribution of over 100 films, working with directors such as Wim Wenders, Ruben Ostlund, Kirill Serebrennikov and Park Chan Wook.
In this episode we explore Mathieu's remarkable jounrey of setting up TANDEM during the pandemic, his commitment to theatrical distribution and strategies for bringing in younger audiences. In a wide ranging conversation, we also learn how TANDEM recently scored the most successful French horror film at the box office with VERMINES as well as why TikTok is a marketing gamechanger for the company.
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With over 1.9 billion users globally, TikTok is the entertainment juggernaut that is impossible to ignore. And in 2023, its users in the UK spent more time on average on the platform than any other video platform - including Netflix. But how can film marketing professionals effecfively leverage TikTok to engage audiences in our releases?
Nikolaj Mathies stands out as one of the few marketing professionals who have worked with a diverse array of film distributors across Europe and America to promote their films online. To date, he has contributed to well over 300 theatrical releases in more than 30 different countries. From the onset of his career, he has dedicated himself to developing innovative strategies for how theatrical films and their digital promotions can transform audiences from mere consumers to active participants and co-creators.
In 2022, Nikolaj founded Vievo, a content and creator agency that aims to bridge the gap between traditional feature film trailers and the unprecedented volume of user-generated content that the industry is currently witnessing.
He envisions a realm of opportunities for film producers—the world’s best storytellers—to extend their narratives beyond the big screen and into the rapidly evolving domain of social media platforms, with a particular emphasis on entertainment-centric ones like TikTok.
The era where the industry could simply condense a film into a trailer or a cut-down is over. In the fierce competition for consumer attention, it is essential to engage audiences with authentic and fan-centric content that doesn't necessarily originate from the feature film itself. -
"As a distributor, I've learned that you have to be agile and ready to embrace change" Elba McAllister CEO and Co-Founder Cineplex
Elba McAllister is the Co-founder of Cineplex, the Colombia-based Independent film distributor and other countries in Latin America since 1993.
In this episode, Eliba discussed her distirbution jouney, the changing face of Colombian distirbution, international sales and how she found herself exec producing content for major streaming platforms.
In her 30 years of the film distribution, Elba has succeeded in promoting over 500 titles in Colombia and Internationally in all media (theatrical, video & TV) from well-known directors such: Ang Lee, Asghar Farhadi, Wong Kar Wai, Susanne Bier, Ken Loach, Lars von trier, Katherine Bigelow, Aki Kaurismaki, Nadine Labaki among others.
Elba represents Colombian productions for international sales and has Executive Produced content for SVOD Platforms (Netflix & Amazon).
Cineplex content for Colombia is available in www.cineplex.com.co and international in www.cineplexusa.com
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In 2023, outside of the phenomenon of 'Barbenheimer', one film and release stands out as truly remarkable: SOUND OF FREEDOM. The hard hitting thriller, starring Jim Caviezel and Mira Sorvino, currrently stands at a colossal box office of $184m in the US and Canada and over $220m globallly. In this episode, we meet one of the key architects of this success, Angel Studios' EVP Global Theatrical Distribution, Brandon Purdie. In this conversation, Brandon sheds light on Angel Studios' unique model for acquistions and approach to distirbution, including how the innovative 'Pay it Forward' model - so key to the film's success - actually works. In a wide renaging conversation, Brandon also shares his career journey from tearing tickets at his local theatre and his thoughts on the future of thetrical in 2024 and beyond.
About Brandon Purdie
Since childhood, Brandon Purdie has been obsessed with bringing inspiring films to captive audiences. After moving up from tearing tickets and sweeping floors at his local theater to managing a regional theater chain, Purdie immersed himself in box office numbers, concession margins, team management, and the cinematic experience. This blossomed into a career at the indie distributor Excel Entertainment, moving from Marketing Director to overseeing the marketing and release of dozens of projects a year in theaters and on DVD. Shortly after, he founded Purdie Distribution, advising filmmakers on how to make and sell their films. In 2023, Angel Studios enlisted Purdie to launch their theatrical division, and out of the gate Purdie and his team beat the odds. The first theatrical release, HIS ONLY SON, a film that was made for only $250,000 grossed over $12M in domestic box office. This was followed by the global blockbuster SOUND OF FREEDOM (Jim Caviezel, Mira Sorvino) that grossed over $183M domestically since its July 4 release, and continues to launch in new markets internationally and boasts a worldwide gross of over $230M. Upcoming Angel theatrical titles include AFTER DEATH (Oct 27, 2023), THE SHIFT (Dec 1, 2023), and CABRINI (March 8, 2024). Purdie is also a proud member of the Executive Board of Directors for the Zions Indie Film Festival.
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In an increasingly competitive and congested distribution marketplace, better and more informed decision making upstream is increasingly essential. However, formulaic and algorithmically influenced content continues to enter the system, often leaving audiences cold.
Is there a better way? How can we support intuitive creativity with robust data analytics, audience insights and distribution intelligence? What are the tools, resources and information that can underpin more effective commissioning or investment decisions? Where are the information blindspots and how can filmmakers formulate a more robust investment opportunity? How can we create more inclusiveness in the greenlight process?
These are some of the questions explored with 3 leaders in their field across film, data and technology featuring legendary producer Ted Hope, Co Founder and Co-CEO of Film Chain, Irina Albita and Anjali Midha, Founder and CEO of Diesel Labs.
Ted Hope has been a producer on over 70 films, studio executive on over 60, CEO of a start-up streamer, co-head of 3 production companies, executive director of a film society & festival, a Professor Of Practice at 2 universities, and founder of a post-production facility, 2 websites, 2 think tanks, & an app. Ted launched Amazon’s foray into feature film production, leading them to 19 Oscar nominations and 5 wins. As a producer, his films have received 25 Oscar nominations, with 6 wins. Ted’s memoir and newsletter Hope For Film, are both must reads. Ted helped launch the feature film careers of Ang Lee, Nicole Holofcener, Hal Hartley, Michel Gondry and many others. His most recent films include the first narrative from Oscar-winning documentary director, Roger Ross Williams, Cassandro, as well as the documentary Invisible Nation on Taiwan, directed and produced by Vanessa Hope. Irina Albita is a technologist with over 12 years experience in the London/NYC tech scene, with a mathematics-economics background. Her passion is exploring how emerging tech radically transforms creative industries, and she is a prominent figure at film & tech events worldwide. She co-founded FilmChain alongside Maria Tanjala. The platform is transforming how producers, financiers, and sales agents get paid. With a digital collection account management (CAM) for indie films and a royalties management solution for content distributors, FilmChain brings transparency to payments and modernises royalties. Former EFM Startups 2018, they have won awards such as ‘Startup of the Year’ London Business Awards 2020, Startup Challenge at San Sebastian Film Festival 2020, Makers and Shakers 2020, and Unchain Fintech Festival 2022, to name a few.
Anjali Midha is an entrepreneur with a passion for driving innovation in media and marketing analytics. She is the co-founder & CEO of Diesel Labs, a content analytics company that addresses the toughest questions facing media companies today. Before starting Diesel Labs, she was the Global Director of Media Research at Twitter where she developed the ‘playbook’ for television - illuminating the synergies and opportunities across traditional and new media. She joined Twitter via their acquisition of Bluefin Labs (the pioneer of Social TV Analytics), prior to which she was the VP of Strategy & Analytics at Digitas. Anjali holds a BA in Economics from Tufts University and an MBA from MIT Sloan
This session is part of the Reimagining the Ecosystem Series presented by usheru and Screenovators: a series of talks featuring industry pioneers, trailblazers and thought leaders exploring whether it is time to reimagine the film ecosystem?
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Enrique Costa is CEO of the Spanish production and distribution company Elastica Films, which he co founded In 2021 together with María Zamora.
In a little over 2 years the company has built a reputation for dynamic markeing and savvy acquisitons, releasing the last 2 Palm D’or Winners “Triangle of Sadness” and “Anatomy of a Fall” as well as prestige titles such as “Drive my Car,” “The Worst Person in the World”, “Aftersun” and more.
In this conversation, Enrique talks about the jounrey of establishing Elastica, his principles on marketing (and poster design), acquistion strategies and techniques for attracting younger audiences to arthouse films
Enrique holds a degree in Economics from the European University of Madrid and a Master Degree in Audiovisual Production and Distribution from the Media Business School.
In June 2021 he founded the production and distribution company ELASTICA FILMS together with María Zamora. Among the films released are two last Palm D’or “Triangle of Sadness” and “Anatomy of a Fall”, “Drive my Car,” winner of the Oscar for Best Foreign Film, “The Worst Person in the World”, “Aftersun”, “Annette”, “Petite Maman” and “Alcarràs”, Golden Bear at Berlinale 2022.
During the next months, the following releases are “The Zone of Interest”, “Past Lives”, or “La Chimera”.Elastica is committed itself to auteur and independent cinema, maintaining its faithful engagement to films of great cinematographic quality and supporting new female directors. With a strong vocation for the film industry, Elastica’s philosophy is to produce and distribute films that the company itself would enjoy as an audience.
Enrique was recently awared the Distirbution Innovation award at the International Disstribution Summit 2023.
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Where do film festivals stand in a transformed and often fragmented film landscape? What is the underlying value that they can provide and how can we measure and capture that value? In a film ecosystem that often feels siloed, how can festivals become more robust and connected to other parts of the value chain, particularly with distribution? Is there an argument for festivals to work across the year to deliver that value and are there innovative business models or funding venues that can help sustain this activity?
These are some of the topics that our expert panel discussed in this discussion as part of the Screenovators Reimagining the Ecosystem series.
Screenovators is the free online community dedicated to innovation in the screen industries. Discover more and sign up today here: https://screenovators.com/
Speakers:
Marcin Pieńkowski Director New Horizons Film Festival. Festival director (since 2021) and former artistic director (2016-2021) of the New Horizons International Film Festival in Wroclaw, Poland. Head of distribution of New Horizons Association. Co-founder of New Horizons VOD platform devoted to arthouse cinema. He is a lecturer, film historian, editor and co-author of several books about films. Member of European Film Academy. Sarah Mosses Sarah is the Founder & CEO of Together Films, a marketing, distribution, and technology company serving the international film community from our offices in London & NYC. She has acted as the Head of Marketing for leading Film Festivals including Sheffield DocFest (Sheffield, UK), DOC NYC (NYC, US), Human Rights Watch Film Festival (London, UK & NYC, US), and the Athena Film Festival (NYC, US). She is passionate about serving filmmakers to increase their social impact, reach, and revenue for multi-award-winning titles like For Sama, Unrest, The Tale & Roll Red Roll. She also helps a variety of industry and brand clients to optimize their business performance through technology and operational support, such as Sony & Patagonia. Sarah recently graduated from the prestigious Inside Pictures film leadership course and was selected for the Mayor of London's International Growth Programme (including trade visits to NYC & LA). Together Films are expanding into international sales inBrian Newman
Brian Newman, founder of Sub-Genre, consults on content strategy, distribution and marketing
for some of the top brands in the world. Current and former clients include: The Climate Pledge
(Amazon), GoDaddy John Deere, Oatly, Patagonia, Publicis Sapient, Purina, REI, Stripe,
Sundance, Tazo, Unilever, and Yeti Coolers. Brian has served as CEO of the Tribeca Film
Institute, produces independent films, and writes a popular weekly newsletter on film. -
In this episode we welcome to the show Matt Rotondo, Head of Brand Division at Sugar23. Matt reveals how Sugar23 are shaking up the entertainment space through an innovative co-creation process with brands from the earliest deevelopment stages. With extensive experience in advertising and brand partnerships, Matt shares insights into how he is helping brands to strategically leverage entertainment to impact business positively - and create exciting new projects. Traversing the development of projects like scripted comedies, and the distribution process, the converstion delves into the power of brand partnerships, with Matt sharing success stories of brands like Mattel and Dove transitioning their products into cultural phenomena. The episode concludes with a discussion on how brand activations, film festivals, and theatrical releases can foster deep connections with audiences. Tune in to learn how brands can systematically engage with their consumers through theatrical and streaming releases.
About Matt Rotondo
Matthew Rotondo began his marketing career at Wieden+Kennedy, an independent,
fiercely creative advertising agency where he contributed meaningfully to some of Nike and
Microsoft’s greatest work.
Matt then worked globally for some of the top marketing networks – McCann and BBDO -
living in NY, Hong Kong and LA.
In LA he pivoted towards entertainment, in a marketing leadership position at Creative
Artists Agency (CAA), building creative campaigns for corporate brands from within the
entertainment industry. Matt helped his corporate clients find and develop opportunities to
connect with consumers unlike any other marketing agency, identifying global opportunities
for Budweiser, Burberry, Diageo, Harley-Davidson, QVC, Ralph Lauren, Unilever, Virgin
and many more.
At CAA Matt became a leading source of corporate revenue, delivering $40M+ in retainer
earnings during the 10 years of his tenure. Substantially more was earned through his ability
to parlay marketing relationships into talent and creator client opportunities.
In 2019 Matt executive produced an IMAX documentary titled Superpower Dogs, securing
$4M from Mars Petcare. This project pioneered new forms of sponsorship value from
edutainment projects. The film continues to run in the global network of museums and
science centers.
Today Matt leads the branding division of Range Media Partners, responsible for
developing the business model for this nascent group. Out of the gate Matt secured
representation for Waffle Iron Entertainment, Nike’s entertainment production division.
Further, Matt is leading talent business deals for several of Range’s largest clients, driving
business models, branding and partnerships.
He's lived in Nashville, TN since 2014. -
In this podcast episode, Sarah Mosses, the founder and CEO of Together Films, shares her unique perspective on film marketing and distribution.
Sarah discusses her Impact based approach to film distribution, using films as a tool for community mobilization, citing her strategy of rallying passionate individuals, partnering with NGOs and influential platforms to create impactful releases. Sarah also discusses the evolution and growth of Together Films and how they managed to grow during the Pandemic as well as highlighting how efficient systems enable them to operate on a large scale with a small team.
Sarah also shares highly valuable and practical advice on implementing a well-managed project management system and customer relationship management (CRM) into film base operations. Tis episode is packed full of insights and tips for
This episode is dedicated to Sarah's mentor Jess Search who very sadly passed away recently. Jess was the Founder of Doc Society, an industry leader and inspiration to many and she will be sorely missed.
Sarah Mosses is the Founder & CEO of Together Films, a marketing, distribution, and technology company serving the international film community from our offices in London & NYC. She has acted as the Head of Marketing for leading Film Festivals including Sheffield DocFest (Sheffield, UK), DOC NYC (NYC, US), Human Rights Watch Film Festival (London, UK & NYC, US), and the Athena Film Festival (NYC, US). She is passionate about serving filmmakers to increase their social impact, reach, and revenue for multi-award-winning titles like For Sama, Unrest, The Tale & Roll Red Roll. She also helps a variety of industry and brand clients to optimize their business performance through technology and operational support, such as Sony & Patagonia. Sarah recently graduated from the prestigious Inside Pictures film leadership course and was selected for the Mayor of London's International Growth Programme (including trade visits to NYC & LA). Together Films are expanding into international sales in 2023.
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"Marketing is about breaking through to audiences ... but also inspiring enthusiasm so that everyone else also finds out about your content, because marketing dollars can really only go so far." Anjali Midha co-founder and CEO of Diesel Labs.
Anjali Midha, an entrepreneur with a passion for driving innovation in media and marketing analytics. She is the co-founder & CEO of Diesel Labs, a content analytics company that addresses the toughest questions facing media companies today. Before starting Diesel Labs, she was the Global Director of Media Research at Twitter where she developed the ‘playbook’ for television - illuminating the synergies and opportunities across traditional and new media. She joined Twitter via their acquisition of Bluefin Labs (the pioneer of Social TV Analytics), prior to which she was the VP of Strategy & Analytics at Digitas. Anjali holds a BA in Economics from Tufts University and an MBA from MIT Sloan.
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"For FastX, we wanted to do something different... we created an unforgettable experience that brought people to the cinema and brought audiences to the brands. It's giving value to everyone in the whole system." Tega Williams
Tega Williams Uwagho is Marketing Manager for Silverbird Film Distribution (SFD). Based in Lagos, Nigeria, SFD holds the exclusive rights to distribute Universal and Paramount Pictures titles in West Africa. Tega has over eight years working experience in Marketing, Public relation and Event activation earned Diploma in Digital marketing from Team7Project academy Lagos. Project Management professionals (PMP) a graduate of statistics and Business administration from the Federal Polytechnic Auchi, Auchi, Edo State.
Tega Williams is passionate about Marketing, public relations and brand activation and in this episode discusses the startegies that are provinf successful for launching films in the West African market including the launch of FAST X that brought together multiple brands and experiential elements. Tega also discusses the challeneges and opportunities of releasing films in a growing market including multiple languages, the local cinema infrastructure as well as the differences between Hollywood and Nollywood.
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In this episode, Thaddeus Bouchard, president of Screendollars, discusses the evolution of movie theatre advertising and how the industry is navigating the current movie consuming landscape. Providing a compelling overview of the industry's dramatic last few years - and an insightful analysis of its current status, Thaddeus identifies the challenges and opportunities facing today's movie theaters highlights the crucial role of marketing in exhibition. Drawing from his experience working with theatres across across North America as well as a rich family history in the industry, Thadddeus also outlines how cinemas can enhance the customer experience and attract new audiences through innovative film promotion and, crucially, community engagement.
About Thaddeus Bouchard
Thaddeus Bouchard is the Founder and President of Screendollars, a leading publisher of information
and insights about movies and the movie industry. Each week, over 200,000 film industry professionals,
enjoy the Screendollars Newsletter, with comprehensive details on upcoming movie releases, a run-
down of the latest box office results and a a discussion of the key trends shaping the movie industry.
Screendollars partners with distributors to optimize the box office of their movies and with exhibitors to
tap into new revenue streams through in-theatre advertising programs.
Prior to Screendollars, Bouchard held senior technical and marketing roles at a series of technology
providers including AT&T, IBM, Lotus Development, Omtool and NetValu. He made a variety of
contributions in these roles, from managing teams of software developers, executive-level sales and
product evangelism through extensive public speaking engagements. -
Eduardo Escudero the founding partner and business manager of A Contracorriente Films, a Spanish leading independent distribution and production company, which manages also 4 cinemas in Madrid and Barcelona and its own SVOD platform Acontra+. A Contracorriente Films also has 2 x Cinema FAST channels.
Eduardo graduated from the University of Barcelona with a degree in Law and an MBA in Audiovisual Business Management from Ramon Llull University. From 1998 to 2000, he was Responsible for Business Affairs at Filmax. From 2001 to 2004, he worked at DeAPlaneta, first as Head of Business affairs and then as Head of TV Sales. He was Partner of Notro Films from 2004 to 2007, and from 2008 to 2009 he was named Deputy Director of Vértice Cine and General Manager of Notro Films. Since 2014, Eduardo has been on the board of Europa Distribution.
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Christie Marchese is the founder and CEO of Kinema, a social cinema platform building a world-wide network of screening hosts, filmmakers, and filmgoers. Under her helm, the company raised a $2M seed round led by Kindred Ventures and is actively expanding access to engaging film and effectively eliminating theater deserts.
Prior to launching Kinema, Marchese founded a consulting practice that turned into the leading impact agency Picture Motion, and served as CEO for 9 years generating over $10M in revenue and boasting a client roster that included award-winning filmmakers, major studios & streamers, brands and foundations. There she led a team of impact producers, marketing strategists and communication specialists in over 100+ list of campaigns cross a range of issue areas and mediums, including Leonardo DiCaprio’s Before the Flood, Ava DuVernay’s 13TH, Michael Moore’s Where to Invade Next, Katie Couric’s films Gender Revolution, Fed Up and Under the Gun, Shonda Rhimes and Norman Lear’s series America Divided, Dick’s Sporting Goods’ Keepers of the Game, Discovery’s Racing Extinction, The Weinstein Co’s BULLY and Fruitvale Station, and renown artist JR’s Ellis.
She was previously the Director of Social Action at Righteous Pictures, and led Digital Strategy for the Social Action team at Participant Media, managing initiatives for Waiting for “Superman”, Food Inc, and The Cove among others.
Christie is known as an expert in utilizing film and storytelling to mobilize change, and has presented her work at film festivals and conferences around the world, including Sundance, SXSW and TIFF, and for both governments and activists in Dubai, Peru and Pakistan. Before moving to a career in impact film, Marchese ran digital strategy for Norman Lear’s nonprofit, Declare Yourself, and spent time at Human Rights Watch and the International Rescue Committee. She has also served as a contributing writer for Mashable and The Huffington Post.
Previously recognized as one of Business Insider’s 30 Most Creative People in Advertising Under 30 and Fast Company’s Most Creative People in Business. She currently sits on the board of Reinvent Stockton, a foundation dedicated dedicated to supporting students in their pursuit of higher education and supporting innovative ways to address poverty and violent crime, as well as Subject Matter, which provides funds & resources to documentary films highlighting urgent social issues and to nonprofits tackling the featured topics.
Marchese holds a BA from SDSU, in both International Security and Conflict Resolution (ISCOR) and Comparative Religions, with a concentration in Arabic and the Middle East.
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In this episode, Noortje van der Sande, founder of the pioneering virtual cinema platform Picl.nl, discusses the innovative ways in which movie marketing and distribution are being transformed. Noortje shares insights into the development of Picl, which allows cinemas to offer films online simultaneously with their theatrical releases.
Noortje delves into the concept of the "hybrid consumer" and reveals research that the same people often watch movies both online and in cinemas, making virtual cinema a valuable tool for fostering loyalty among customers. We also explore how offering an online component to in-cinema can enhance the consumer experience and foster a stronger connection to the cinema.
About Noortje van der Sande:
After a 20+ year career in the film industry Noortje van de Sande is co-owner of film marketing agency Herrie Film & TV. Together with Anke van Diejen, she currently forms the management of virtual cinema platform Picl in The Netherlands and Belgium. She is momentarily conducting research into the new hybrid film consumer and the Creative Europe financed research into the future of Virtual Cinema in Europe under the title REACHM. Together with Babette Wijntjes and Anke van Diejen she is also owner of distribution company Vedette Film.
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In this episode, Algirdas Ramaška, CEO of the Vilnius Film Festival and Kino Pavasaris Distribution, discusses the festival's incredible journey, including overcoming COVID-19 shutdowns, adapting with innovative approaches, and maintaining a deep connection to their audience. Algirdas shares how the Vilnius Film Festival has survived and thrived by adapting to unique circumstances, such as hosting film screenings in hotel rooms and setting up drive-in cinemas at an airport. The conversation also covers the importance of creativity in creating a successful film festival experience, connecting film festival screenings and distribution, and the need for generational change in the film industry. Listen to this episode for an inspiring conversation on overcoming challenges, embracing innovation, and fostering a deep connection with audiences in the world of film festivals and distribution.
Algirdas Ramaska is the CEO of “KINO PAVASARIS” organization, that focus on cinematic, cultural, educational events in Lithuania. The most important is Vilnius International Film Festival ‘Kino Pavasaris’ – the largest cinema and cultural event in Lithuania. He is also the head of distribution company “KINO PAVASARIS DISTRIBUTION”.
Algirdas has over 20 years of international experience working in the film sector, with a skillset that covers business management, cultural event organization, film distribution, communication, marketing and sponsorship. -
Tilane Jones is the President of ARRAY, the multi-platform arts and social impact collective dedicated to narrative change founded by filmmaker Ava DuVernay in 2011. Jones leads ARRAY Alliance, the non-profit group, as well as programming and production hub ARRAY Creative Campus. She continues to oversee ARRAY Releasing, the company’s film distribution arm, where she is responsible for the acquisition, booking and marketing of more than 40 independent feature films. Jones was recently honored with the Slamdance Founders Award, the film festival’s highest accolade. She is the fifth recipient and first woman and person of color to receive the award which is bestowed on an individual that supports the filmmaker community of Slamdance throughout their career. Jones is also a member of the executive branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and honored to be on the advisory board of Illuminative and the 2022 Gold Open Advisory Council.
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Mandy Kean is Founder + CEO of Mustard Studio
Pioneer of cinema’s wow factor, Founder & CEO Mandy Kean, knows about personalised experiences. Previously International Director of Cinema for Soho House & Co, including the world-renowned Electric Cinema brand, Mandy is well versed in the value of elevated hospitality and cinema. Her approach and vision were echoed in her international operations from Berlin to Hong Kong ensuring complete consistency from brand to delivery.
As a creative producer of sensory and visual events, she is also the Immersive Cinema Director for Dirty Soup, trailblazers in creating content that will shape the course of sonic experiences to come.
Mandy’s fundamental understanding of cinema is unique. Her ambition to create experiential events fusing music, film and food and her attention to detail has resulted in unique and memorable experiences in the cinemascape.Kate Gerova is Founder + Creative Director of Mustard Studio and comes from an exhibition and distribution background, most recently as Group Director of Brand and Marketing for boutique cinema circuit Curzon Cinemas. Whilst there, she blended strategy, numbers and customer-centric campaigns to increase membership, spearhead the brand identity and combine the vision for cinemas and the Home Cinema platform.
Previously creative director of the Bird’s Eye View film festival, Kate launched Filmonomics, a training development programme for female filmmakers.
She has recently completed a 10-month programme in UX and UI strategy and design to enhance her understanding of customer behaviour and implement better experiences.Find our more about Mandy and kate's work here: https://www.mustardstudio.co.uk/
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