Knowledge is power. For many of us, alternative forms of distribution beyond working with a distributor, broadcaster, or platform seem like merely a backup plan. But for some—and perhaps, many—projects, pathways like airlines, crowdfunded DIY distribution, and church circuits may lead to more impacted audiences and impactful screenings, even if they are developed out of necessity. For well-connected filmmakers, we hear rumors of these supposedly ancillary deals and how they work through the whisper network. It's time to bring these conversations out of the corners of happy hours and into the open. In What's the Deal, an experimental panel format crossed with a game show, filmmaker-host Chase Whiteside will dive into these questions with experienced producers who are willing to share their secrets and successes—but only after their fellow panelists and the audience first take their best guesses at what the real deals were.
This event will be livestreamed, but not recorded and will not be available for replay after the event.
Moderator: Chase Whiteside (América)
Panelists: Keith Wilson (I Didn't See You There), Gary Kam (The Red Herring), Daresha Kyi (Mama Bears), and Vinay Shukla (While We Watched)
Biographies (submitted by the speakers):
Chase Whiteside is a filmmaker and designer based in Brooklyn, NY.
Keith Wilson is a producer, director and artist based in Athens, Georgia whose films have screened at Sundance, the Berlinale, Hot Docs, the U.S. National Gallery of Art, documenta14, and the Museum of Modern Art. He is the producer of I Didn’t See You There (2022) by Reid Davenport, which won the Directing Award for U.S. Documentary at Sundance, the Grand Jury Prize at Full Frame, and a Film Independent Spirit Award. Keith is an Assistant Professor at the University of Georgia, has an MFA in film production from the Radio-TV-Film Department at UT-Austin, and grew up on a cul-de-sac in suburban Atlanta.
Gary Kam, a documentary filmmaker based in Seoul, Korea, is dedicated to crafting captivating narratives and championing independent documentary makers. His portfolio includes notable works such as "PLANET OF SNAIL" (2011, directed by Seung-jun YI), which marked the first Asian documentary to win Best Feature-Length Documentary at the IDFA. Additionally, he contributed to the OSCAR®-nominated "IN THE ABSENCE" (2018), "SHADOW FLOWERS" (2019), "CROSSING BEYOND," the official film for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, and "THE RED HERRING" (2022). Gary is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Daresha Kyi writes, produces, and directs both narrative and documentary films and television in Spanish and English. A graduate of NYU Film School, she recently completed Mama Bears,her second feature documentary about how conservative, Christian mothers are transformed when they decide to accept their LGBTQ children, which premiered at SXSW 2022 and has won numerous awards. In 2018 she was commissioned by the ACLU to direct Trans In America: Texas Strong, which garnered over 4.5 million views online, screened at SXSW, and won two Webby Awards and an Emmy. In 2017 she co-directed and produced Chavela, a multiple award-winning documentary about iconic singer Chavela Vargas that was distributed by Music Box Pictures and screened in over 40 countries.
Knowledge is power. For many of us, alternative forms of distribution beyond working with a distributor, broadcaster, or platform seem like merely a backup plan. But for some—and perhaps, many—projects, pathways like airlines, crowdfunded DIY distribution, and church circuits may lead to more impacted audiences and impactful screenings, even if they are developed out of necessity. For well-connected filmmakers, we hear rumors of these supposedly ancillary deals and how they work through the whisper network. It's time to bring these conversations out of the corners of happy hours and into the open. In What's the Deal, an experimental panel format crossed with a game show, filmmaker-host Chase Whiteside will dive into these questions with experienced producers who are willing to share their secrets and successes—but only after their fellow panelists and the audience first take their best guesses at what the real deals were.
This event will be livestreamed, but not recorded and will not be available for replay after the event.
Moderator: Chase Whiteside (América)
Panelists: Keith Wilson (I Didn't See You There), Gary Kam (The Red Herring), Daresha Kyi (Mama Bears), and Vinay Shukla (While We Watched)
Biographies (submitted by the speakers):
Chase Whiteside is a filmmaker and designer based in Brooklyn, NY.
Keith Wilson is a producer, director and artist based in Athens, Georgia whose films have screened at Sundance, the Berlinale, Hot Docs, the U.S. National Gallery of Art, documenta14, and the Museum of Modern Art. He is the producer of I Didn’t See You There (2022) by Reid Davenport, which won the Directing Award for U.S. Documentary at Sundance, the Grand Jury Prize at Full Frame, and a Film Independent Spirit Award. Keith is an Assistant Professor at the University of Georgia, has an MFA in film production from the Radio-TV-Film Department at UT-Austin, and grew up on a cul-de-sac in suburban Atlanta.
Gary Kam, a documentary filmmaker based in Seoul, Korea, is dedicated to crafting captivating narratives and championing independent documentary makers. His portfolio includes notable works such as "PLANET OF SNAIL" (2011, directed by Seung-jun YI), which marked the first Asian documentary to win Best Feature-Length Documentary at the IDFA. Additionally, he contributed to the OSCAR®-nominated "IN THE ABSENCE" (2018), "SHADOW FLOWERS" (2019), "CROSSING BEYOND," the official film for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, and "THE RED HERRING" (2022). Gary is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Daresha Kyi writes, produces, and directs both narrative and documentary films and television in Spanish and English. A graduate of NYU Film School, she recently completed Mama Bears,her second feature documentary about how conservative, Christian mothers are transformed when they decide to accept their LGBTQ children, which premiered at SXSW 2022 and has won numerous awards. In 2018 she was commissioned by the ACLU to direct Trans In America: Texas Strong, which garnered over 4.5 million views online, screened at SXSW, and won two Webby Awards and an Emmy. In 2017 she co-directed and produced Chavela, a multiple award-winning documentary about iconic singer Chavela Vargas that was distributed by Music Box Pictures and screened in over 40 countries.