This interactive session explores how to develop and release entertaining, audience-driven films that also create real-world impact, using a simple three-part framework: Story, Production, and Distribution. We’ll discuss how to shape a film’s purpose and point of view, how to design a production strategy that balances resources with creative ambition, and how to navigate release pathways that integrate festivals, streaming, marketing, and community screenings into a cohesive impact plan.
The conversation also highlights how audience activation and measurable outcomes are becoming essential in today’s documentary and narrative landscape. Through case studies and audience participation, filmmakers will gain a practical, repeatable roadmap for turning meaningful stories into “entertainment for change,” clarifying their cause, identifying their audience, building the right team, planning for the full lifecycle of the film, and crafting calls to action that move viewers from connection to impact.
Speakers:
- Nicole Starr, Co-founder + Principal, Fourth Act
- Jon Fitzgerald, Producer, Author, Co-Founder of Slamdance