Unlocking the Reel Deal: Mastering Festival Tactics and Marketing Must-Haves

Join this in-depth conversation on the essentials of festival strategies and marketing materials with Jasmin McSweeney, of Umbrella Entertainment, Nadia Maxwell, of Overactive Imagination, and Mark Prebble of Show Me Shorts, moderated by Vanessa Wells.

- Talking about festival strategy, submitting to festivals and the pros/cons
- Discussing their experience with being at festivals - both industry markets and showing films.
-   Critical criteria for your marketing materials – what’s essential
-       How does the programming of films at Cannes (and other A-list festivals) reflect global film trends?
-              What’s news from Clermont-Ferrand?

Jasmin McSweeney joined Melbourne distribution company Umbrella Entertainment as the Head of Sales and Acquisitions for New Zealand in February this year. She also produces for Sanctuary Pictures, the production arm of Umbrella. Prior to this role, Jasmin was the Head of Marketing at the New Zealand Film Commission for the past decade, responsible for the promotion and marketing of New Zealand films in New Zealand and internationally.

Nadia Maxwell is an Ōtautahi film and television producer and founder of Overactive Imagination. Over the last 20 years she has produced A-list festival feature films, award-winning shorts, and documentary projects. Previous credits include the feature films HUMAN TRACES which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2017 and REUNION starring Julia Ormond released in NZ and the US in 2020. Most recently she produced the docuseries SHEPHERDESS for Sky Originals.

Mark Prebble is the Festival Manager of Show Me Shorts, New Zealand's leading short film festival, and has been part of the SMS team for the last ten years. He comes from a filmmaking and theatre background and has been involved in the New Zealand film industry for more than two decades. In February this year he represented Show Me Shorts and their short film catalogue at Clermont-Ferrand Film Festival and Market in France.

Date: 29 May 2024

Time: 6:00PM – 9:00PM

Location: Toi Auaha Rolleston House, 5 Worcester Boulevard, Christchurch Central City

WIFT NZ members FREE, non-members $20, students $10, includes wine and nibbles.