Webinars and Workshops

Current Webinar Series

Strategies in a Changing Media Landscape

This March, join WMM for an immersive skill-building series focusing on strategies filmmakers can implement in today’s changing media landscape. Through presentations by and conversations with filmmakers, experts, and industry veterans, we’ll discuss the importance of fellowships and labs, perfecting your pitch deck, legally safeguarding your project, and building your unique festival strategy. Each session will explore the tools you can apply to your film with an emphasis on the current, fluctuating environment for independent filmmakers.

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1. The Importance of Fellowships and Labs with Gabriella Garcia Pardo
   Thursday, March 13 | 12 PM ET | Webinar
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   Fellowships and labs are offered across film and media organizations in the U.S, and internationally on producing, editing, screenwriting, you name it. But how do you find the right one for you and your project and then use it to develop your project, meet potential collaborators, and as an effective fundraising strategy? WMM welcomes filmmaker/cinematographer Gabriella Garcia Pardo – whose work includes Barbara Kopple’s GUMBO COALITION, Penny Lane’s CONFESSIONS OF A GOOD SAMARITAN, Julie Wyman’s THE TALLEST DWARF premiering at SXSW, and many more – joins us for the first time to discuss the importance of fellowships and labs. She’ll share how these immersive opportunities can have an invaluable impact on the development of your project – giving you visibility and credibility and providing you with a unique opportunity to build a strong network of collaborators, supporters, and funders.

   Whether you’re eyeing a seasonal or year-round program, this webinar will give you the tools and confidence to land that career-changing opportunity. Don’t miss this chance to take your filmmaking journey to the next level. Register.

2. Perfecting Your Pitch Deck with Olivia Klaus
   Thursday, March 20 | 12 PM ET | Webinar
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   From pitch deck to proposal, website, and social media—creating a cohesive, captivating look for your project is the secret sauce to securing funding and building a passionate audience.

   Award-winning filmmaker and graphic design maven Olivia Klaus is back by popular demand! It’s been five years since she last joined us for 2 sold-out webinars, and we couldn’t be more excited to welcome her back to present updated materials and tools to take your deck online with style. Olivia is an expert in crafting pitch decks that not only tell your story but also open doors. Learn how to transform your project from a concept to a compelling, fundable vision with expert guidance from someone who’s been there and done that—successfully.

   Ready to Turn Your Film Project into the next Must-Fund? Join us for this unmissable webinar and take the first step toward bringing your project to life! Register.

3. Legally Safeguarding Your Project with Nicole Page
   Thursday, March 27| 12 PM ET| Webinar
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   Establishing an LLC, securing robust legal documentation, and understanding and protecting yourself from defamation and similar claims is the key to bringing your film to fruition in today’s uncertain political climate. Entertainment attorney, Nicole Page, WMM Board President and partner at Reavis, Page, Jump LLP, will address this and more including how to craft legally sound agreements, obtain releases and access agreements, book options and life rights, and fair use. Without these essentials, securing broadcasters, distributors, funding, and E&O insurance may be nearly impossible. 

   Join us as Nicole shares critical insights on how to legally safeguard your project, expand your audience reach, and build a sustainable career in the ever-evolving media landscape. Register.

4. Film Festivals: How to Build Your Unique Strategy with Debra Zimmerman
   Thursday, April 3 | 12 PM ET | Webinar
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   Film festivals are central to ensuring your film’s release, especially in our current critical distribution market. They offer a valuable opportunity to debut your film, gain interest from industry, sales agents, distributors, and grow your audience. In today’s saturated market, there is now more competition than ever, which depends on you crafting a unique strategy that makes your film stand out.  

   Join WMM’s Executive Director, Debra Zimmerman, as she guides you through the ins and outs of film festivals and shares expert strategies for crafting the best plan for your film. Discover how to optimize festival screenings with insights on premiere strategies, choosing the right international and domestic festival premiere, generating buzz, and navigating the scene once you’ve arrived! This webinar is a must-attend for filmmakers looking to make the most of out of this important part of your feature or short film’s roll-out strategy, led by one of the industry’s leading experts on independent film distribution. Register.

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Past Webinars Available On-Demand

 A Conversation with Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay Nominee Joslyn Barnes of NICKEL BOYS

Watch an enriching conversation with the Academy Award® nominated co-producer and co-writer of NICKEL BOYS, Joslyn Barnes. NICKEL BOYS, based on Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, is about a brutal reform school in the Jim Crow South notorious for its abusive treatment of students. This film marks the second collaboration between Joslyn Barnes and RaMell Ross. Their first, HALE COUNTY THIS MORNING, THIS EVENING, earned an Academy Award® nomination for Best Documentary in 2019. Now, NICKEL BOYS is making waves as a standout adaptation nominated for both Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay. 

Joslyn Barnes’ impressive career spans over two decades. As President of Louverture Films, a New York based independent production company she co-founded with actor Danny Glover, she has produced many award-winning films. This includes Göran Hugo Olsson’s BLACK POWER MIXTAPE 1967-1975, Tia Lessin and Carl Deal’s Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner and Emmy® and Oscar® nominated TROUBLE THE WATER, and the Oscar® nominated and Emmy® winning STRONG ISLAND by Yance Ford, which was made with the support of the Production Assistance Program.  

We’ll discuss the challenge of making a creative film in the current landscape and how an independently crafted, boldly original film earned a place at the Oscars—at a time when real creativity isn’t always rewarded. 

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Making It Work:  Success and Sustainability
Conversations with Award Winning Filmmaker

This winter we celebrated WMM filmmakers who were nominated for documentary Academy Awards in one of our most successful webinar series ever.    This spring, we continue the conversation with a series of immersive masterclass webinars delving into the professional journeys of four award-winning, critically acclaimed directors and producers, all of whom are members of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences: Nancy Schwartzman, Susan Margolin, Christine Turner, and Lisa Cortés. 

We are thrilled to have them join us to discuss their own paths to sustainability and mastery in our ever-changing industry. We’ll discuss transitioning from directing to producing, shorts to features, one-off documentaries to series, and working with public television, cable broadcasters and streamers.  Wherever you are at in your calling as a producer and/or director, this webinar offers a rare opportunity to glean insights from these women’s celebrated careers.  Join us as we explore their compelling journeys that have inspired, provoked, and ignited change. 

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1. 1. Nancy Schwartzman – From Independent One-Offs to Series
      Join us in conversation with the multi-award-winning director/producer Nancy Schwartzman as she shares her journey from an independent documentary to making a mark in the world of streamers and series.
      
   2.  Susan Margolin – That Producer-Director Synergy
      In a field that we know is extremely difficult to begin with, not to mention succeed in, building that special synergy and working together as a viable force makes for a clearer path to making the best film possible and finding its way into the world at large. How you choose a producer and build a relationship with your directors is everything, and in this webinar, Susan speaks to exactly that.
      
   3. Christine Turner – Short or Longform – It’s the Story that Counts
      Join us for this dynamic webinar where Christine shares her insights and experiences in successfully directing and producing for public media, Hulu, Netflix, CNN, and Paramount +, whether it be feature-length, short-form, or as a series. 
      
   4. Lisa Cortés – Producing & Directing
      For Lisa Cortés sustainability in her career means producing and directing her own work but continuing to produce other filmmakers – and why not? She is so, so good at it! Join us in this one-of-a-kind conversation to glean Lisa’s insights into a sustainable and fulfilling career.

Buy the series and get four sessions for the price of three! If you are a WMM filmmaker or a member of one of our partner organizations, the discount is even greater (be sure to insert the discount code before checkout)!

**If you are a WMM filmmaker or member of one of our partner organizations and do not have the promo code, email [email protected].

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The Skills That Pay the Bills:
Fundraising, Pitching, Financial Management and Proposal Writing

Join us for a four-part comprehensive series for filmmakers at every stage. Focusing on the hard skills that lead to success, including fundraising, pitching, financial management, and proposal writing, we’ll combine expert insights, practical tips, and live consultations with filmmakers – all designed to empower and boost your creative process. In each session we will tackle the challenges documentary filmmakers encounter including where and how to raise funds, how to calm one’s nerves during the big moments like pitching, best practices for financial management, and how to craft winning proposals when the film is still evolving. Whether you’re emerging, mid-career or a seasoned filmmaker, there is always more to learn. Join us as we focus on the hard skills necessary to excel and succeed in the constantly evolving dynamic realm of documentary filmmaking.

1. 1. Fundraising: Attracting and Securing Funding
      
   2. The Winning Pitch: What Funders Really Look For
      
   3. How to Manage Finances: Strategies That Work
      
   4. Proposal Writing: Commanding the Page
   5. BONUS: Budgeting Best Practices & Strategies for Success

Sign up for the series and get four sessions for the price of three! If you are a WMM filmmaker or a member of one of our partner organizations, the discount is even greater (be sure to insert the discount code before checkout)!

**If you are a WMM filmmaker or member of one of our partner organizations and do not have the promo code reach out to [email protected].

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Celebrating WMM Filmmakers at the Oscars: 2 Best Feature Doc Nominations

In February and March, we took a behind-the-scenes look at the Oscar campaigns of two of the five films nominated for Best Feature Documentary at the 2024 Academy Awards®: TO KILL A TIGER, a WMM Production Assistance Program film directed by Nisha Pahuja; and THE ETERNAL MEMORY, directed by WMM program alum Maite Alberdi.

On February 23rd, we talked with the women behind TO KILL A TIGER, led by director Nisha Pahuja. Her small but mighty team started with the kernel of an idea and marched it all the way to a nomination – and they shared with us how they did it! Then, on March 5th, we sat down with director Maite Alberdi and her Executive Producer Julie Goldman from THE ETERNAL MEMORY to discuss their collaboration and what it takes to be a contender. Women Make Movies is proud to celebrate all our filmmakers, including the 19 who qualified for the award, 5 who made it to the shortlist, and the 3 who were nominated for 2024 Academy Awards. Rising to the occasion can propel and expand your career in some very surprising and unforeseen ways. Don’t miss these powerful conversations!

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The Long and Short(er) Road to Funding: A Four-Part Webinar Series

A series exploring the funding journey of critically acclaimed films now celebrating broadcast or theatrical release. In each session, we took a deep dive into the filmmakers’ fundraising strategies for both production and impact campaigns. This series asked the tough questions to filmmakers who conquered grants and foundations, courageously raised funds through volunteers and social media, and pivoted and made adjustments as the moment called for it. The speakers in this series are first-time filmmakers who have been extremely successful or experienced filmmakers who have greatly increased their funding. We explored milestones that kept them going, smart budgeting that propelled them forward, and story development that directly impacted funding – in other words, the long (and at times shorter) roads to funding.

This series has ended, but the series and each individual workshop are now for sale On Demand.

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Leveraging the Power of Story to Finance Your Film

A four-part webinar series on getting your independent film financed!

A strong, compelling story about why your film matters and a well-thought-out fundraising plan are your two greatest assets when it comes to raising money for your film! In this four-part webinar series, seasoned professionals and experts in the independent film industry walked us through financing strategies and developing the story you tell about your film, including perfecting the proposal and pitch materials to get buy-in from funders and raise money! This is an excellent series for those working on their first feature, as well as experienced filmmakers looking for fresh ideas and perspectives on how the fundraising landscape has changed in independent film. 

This series has ended, but the series and each individual workshop are now for sale On Demand.

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Making Your Film Stand Out in a Crowded Market

Producing for Documentary Film

A four part webinar series on creative producing, impact and engagement, executive producing, and archival producing!

Whether you are looking for a producer, want to be a producer, or are confused by what kind of producer does what and/or what you need for your project and your team, this series is for you! 

In our constantly changing industry, the title ‘producer’ gets muddled with many descriptions. What does the work entail? How specifically do we break this down into what a producer is, does, and is credited? It’s not a catch-all by any means. And if you want to be a producer, how does one make it a sustainable career?

These four skill-building workshops on creative producing, producing for impact and engagement, executive producing, and archival producing. With experts in each field, we will break down, examine, and define what each producing bucket entails and how to make it work successfully.

This series has ended, but the series and each individual workshop are now for sale On Demand.

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Fundraising for Success

These events are targeted at all levels of filmmakers. They provide networking opportunities as well as valuable and practical information about the business of filmmaking. 

PRICING AND DISCOUNTS

WMM Production Assistance Program and Distribution Filmmakers can receive a special discount for being part of our programs. Please email [email protected] if you are in need of the promo code. Members of WMM partner organizations can receive $15 off admission of the full webinar series or $5 off individual sessions. Please contact your organization for more info.

Discount Partner Groups include:

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