“Distribution” can feel like a scary, unattainable concept, especially in the context of independently produced episodic programming. There are free and open distribution options like Youtube and Vimeo, but streamers and studios continue to have an interest in independent episodic series, as well. More opportunities bring more choices and more questions for creators. In this panel, in partnership with the Writers Guild of America, East, hear from WGAE members and AFF alumni about their learnings from creating independent content and getting it out into the world.
PANELISTS
GREG ASH
Greg is an award-winning British filmmaker, writer, and comedy creator. His films, web series and independent TV pilots have screened at over 100 international film and TV festivals, winning 30+ jury prizes and audience awards at international festivals including Austin Film Festival, Newport Beach Film Festival, Palm Springs Shortfest, Aspen, Seattle, Seriesfest, and France’s acclaimed Prix du Polar. Over the past ten years Greg has written, produced and starred in a number of digital comedy series, receiving industry acclaim, festival recognition, and two TV development deals for his work. Most recently, his 7 part digital comedy series about a washed up English football The Gary Gold Story won awards at New York TV Festival, Seriesfest and Austin Film Festival.
In the future, Greg would like to be at least partly responsible for world peace. It’s also his dream to, one day, have someone else write his biography for him.
PATRICK WIMP
Patrick Wimp is writer-director from Chicago, Illinois. His work has been lauded in prestigious film festivals around the world every year since 2009, with screenings at the Chicago International, Austin Film Festival, Cannes International, New York Television Festival, and many more. Patrick’s work has aired on Netflix, PBS, Amazon Prime, and a number of international cable and TV networks.
Patrick’s 2019 digital series Brothers from the Suburbs received both the Jury and Audience awards at the 2019 Austin Film Festival, Best Web Original at Urbanworld ’19, and Best Directing at SeriesFest Season 5. The show was recently optioned by Warner Bros TV and with a pilot script ordered by HBOMax. Patrick also DP’d the 2019 Chance the Rapper short music film “We Go High”, was listed as #7 on NewCity’s Chicago Film 50 this past fall, and named to Austin Film Festival’s 25 Screenwriters to Watch in 2020.
As a proud African-American storyteller, Pat’s work focuses on creating emotionally impactful, accessible, human stories, built around authentic and diverse characters.
MIA LIDOFSKY
Mia Lidofsky is a director, writer, showrunner, and creator of the comedy series STRANGERS on Facebook Watch, which Vice called “the best queer comedy on TV right now” and Vulture hailed as “a big hearted drama.” In addition to the show’s critical acclaim, Out Magazine named Mia as one of its OUT100 in 2018.
Mia got her start assisting directors such as Jesse Peretz, Richard Shepard, and Will Graham, and worked with Lena Dunham and Jenni Konner to help produce the initial phase of HBO’s SUITED. In 2014 she joined the ranks of Beachside Films as a producer and development executive, and was the Associate Producer on the documentary TIG and the narrative feature PEOPLE, PLACES, THINGS, both of which premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival.
That same year, Mia was selected for AFI’s Directing Workshop for Women, and through the program she directed the pilot episode of STRANGERS. Refinery29 quickly came on board to green-light Season One, and the series went on to premiere at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival and was the U.S. Centerpiece at Outfest 2017. Facebook Watch acquired the series ahead of their platform’s launch and simultaneously green-lit a successful second season, expanding the seven-episode digital series into a proper ten-episode half hour order. In Season Two, Mia stepped into the role of showrunner, co-ran the writer’s room, and directed four episodes.
In the fall of 2016, Mia and her partner, Celia Rowlson-Hall, co-directed the viral video #PantsuitPower, dedicated to Hillary Clinton, which garnered over 5 million views in less than two weeks. In 2018 they followed up with a #BeMyVoice video for the midterm elections, which was shared on Good Morning America, CNN, NowThis, among other news and political sites.
Lidofsky is currently represented as a commercial director by m ssng p eces, and has directed spots for brands such as Spotify and Facebook, as well as music videos for Emmy the Great, MOTHXR, and Genevieve. She is currently developing her next show, as well as her first feature film, and is represented by UTA.
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