The film industry is facing unprecedented change in these uncertain times. A lively combination of industry and artist guests dive into the complexities of the current independent filmmaking landscape, reimagining what the future of film can and should look like, and examining everything from rapidly evolving viewing patterns to paths forward in improving equitable practices industry-wide. Jeff Deutchman (EVP of acquisitions and production, NEON) and Julia Oh (senior commissioning executive, Film4) are joined by Mathieu Ajan (BFI NETWORK executive and founder of Bounce Cinema), Andrea Riseborough, and Lena Waithe. Moderated by Tabitha Jackson, Director, Sundance Film Festival.
This panel was part of the Celebration of Sundance Film Festival: London.
Moderator
Tabitha Jackson assumed the role of Sundance Film Festival Director in February of 2020. Serving as the Director of the Documentary Film Program at Sundance Institute from 2013 - 2022, she and her team encouraged the diverse exchange of ideas by artists with a mission to champion the power of artful cinema in the culture and to support a more expansive set of makers and forms. more...
Panelist
Andrea Riseborough is an English actress and producer. She made her film debut with a small part in Venus (2006), and has since appeared in more prominent roles in Happy-Go-Lucky (2008), Never Let Me Go, Brighton Rock, Made in Dagenham (all 2010), W.E. (2011), Shadow Dancer, Disconnect (both 2012), Welcome to the Punch, Oblivion (both 2013), Birdman (2014), Nocturnal Animals (2016), Battle of the Sexes, The Death of Stalin (both 2017), Mandy, Nancy (both 2018), The Grudge and Possessor (both 2020). Riseborough was nominated for Best Actress at the 2023 Academy Awards for To Leslie. more...
Panelist
Los Angeles, CA, USA
Emmy® Award-winning writer, creator, producer, actor, and founder of Hillman Grad, Lena Waithe continues to lead the cultural revolution in Hollywood. Waithe expertly taps into emerging societal trends by speaking to myriad experiences from her unique perspective while challenging audiences to think outside of conventional norms. Through her production company, Hillman Grad, Waithe and her team fight against the status quo by giving marginalized storytellers the opportunity to access the industry and tell their stories. Acclaimed credits include projects like Netflix’s MASTER OF NONE and BEAUTY, Showtime’s THE CHI, BET’s TWENTIES, Universal’s QUEEN & SLIM, Sundance award-winner THE FORTY YEAR-OLD VERSION and more. Upcoming producorial projects include Focus Features and AV Rockwell's A THOUSAND AND ONE which received the Grand Jury Prize in the U.S. Dramatic Competition at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival Awards, and is set for a March 31, 2023 theatrical release date; KOKOMO CITY, which received the NEXT Audience Award and NEXT Innovator Award at Sundance 2023, and has since been acquired by Magnolia Pictures; Disney+’s CHANG CAN DUNK which will premiere March 10th; and BEING MARY TYLER MOORE, which is set for a world premiere at this year’s SXSW in March. Waithe will serve as the Ambassador at this year’s American Black Film Festival in June. more...
Panelist
Jeff Deutman is president of acquisitions and production at Neon. Deutchman previously served as Neon’s executive VP of acquisitions and production. Under his leadership, the studio has grown its recent production slate with director Tilman Singer’s “Cuckoo,” starring Hunter Schafer; Joshua Oppenheimer’s “The End,” a golden-age musical with Tilda Swinton; Brandon Cronenberg’s “Infinity Pool” featuring Alexander Skarsgård. more...
Panelist
Julia Oh is a Senior Commissioning Executive at Film4 in London. Along with the Film4 team, she oversees development and production on a distinctive slate of films from the best of the UK, including films such as Electrical Life of Louis Wain, Encounter, Rocks, Titane, Earwig, Mothering Sunday, Occupied City, Wild Rose, Fighting With My Family, The Day Shall Come, and Limbo (Cannes Film Festival 2020 Official Selection). She served on the jury for the Torino Film Lab in 2019, and heads up Channel4's Playwright Scheme bursary prize for Film4. more...
Panelist
Mathieu Ajan is an artist & creative producer working across film & the creative industries. He is the Founder & Artistic Director of Bounce Cinema, a youth-led pop up cinema. He is a BFI NETWORK Executive, Commissioning Short Films & Early Development Features, has curated & programmed for Netflix, Nike, The Tate Modern, Institute Of Contemporary Arts and spoken at Google, Cannes, Microsoft, Sundance Film Festival, Sheffield Doc Fest, and London Film School. more...