On November 17, the Eastern Directors Council’s
Focus on Women Committee hosted
Roads to Distribution, a discussion on film festivals and different forms of distribution. Hosted in the Guild’s New York boardroom, the evening provided information on how directors can successfully navigate the film festival circuit to secure traditional distribution, and explored new DIY avenues for distributing a film.
The panel featured Directors Bette Gordon (Border Crossing), Leslye Headland (Sleeping With Other People), Kimberly Levin (Runoff), Jenna Ricker (The American Side) and IFC Films Senior Vice President of Acquisitions and Production Arianna Bocco, and was moderated by Focus on Women Committee Co-Chair/DGA Fourth Vice President Rosemary Rodriguez (Silver Skies).
Following a welcome from Committee member Sarah Pirozek, the panel explored topics such as: their experiences bringing a film to a festival, the ability of an on-demand distribution model to help a film find its audience, the role that reviews and film critics play in garnering an audience for a film, and the importance of social media in creating buzz around your film. After the discussion, the floor was opened to questions from the audience.
About the Committee:
The Eastern Directors Council’s Focus on Women Committee is chaired by Directors Laura Belsey and Rosemary Rodriguez. The members are Directors Tricia Brock, Jan Eliasberg, Rachel Grady, Maggie Greenwald, Nicole Kassell, Linda Laundra, Martha Mitchell, Mira Nair, Sarah Pirozek, Lara Shapiro, and Rose Troche.
The Committee would like to remind members that while their events are designed with a special focus on women directors, all DGA members are welcome to attend.