Our Speakers Have Worked With
Hear from the Decision-Makers Behind Film Distribution
Our Distribution Summit brings together some of the most influential voices in film sales, acquisitions, and distribution — Presidents, VPs, and senior executives from leading global companies. These are professionals whose calendars are typically booked with top industry players — yet, for this event, they’re making themselves available to share genuine insights with independent filmmakers ready to take their next step.
And this year, the timing matters. With the American Film Market just ahead, this is an opportunity to hear directly from distribution executives about what they’re seeing in the marketplace, what they’re looking for right now, and the conversations shaping the industry as they prepare for one of the year’s biggest film markets.
This isn’t a passive panel discussion. It’s a rare opportunity to listen in on candid conversations with senior distribution executives — and gain insight that can help you better understand the market before AFM 2026 begins — plus an exclusive chance to connect with them one-on-one.
In the world of film distribution, it’s rare to hear directly from the people shaping which films reach audiences. Most filmmakers only see their influence through press releases or trade headlines — not through authentic, behind-the-scenes conversations.
During this focused virtual event, Sara Elizabeth Timmins will sit down with each of our speakers and ask the questions independent filmmakers most want answered. You’ll hear firsthand about the current state of film distribution, how films are evaluated, and what distributors actually look for — directly from the people who do it every day.
Our speakers bring proven expertise across a wide range of genres and budgets — from microbudget films under $500K, to low-budget features, all the way up to commercial projects. Whether you’re working on an action, thriller, horror, TV movie, family, holiday, arthouse, or commercial feature, this summit is for you.
They’ll share current insights and strategies to help you understand where the market is headed, strengthen how you position your film, and approach future distribution conversations — including those happening around AFM — with greater knowledge and confidence.
Our speakers have spent years shaping the deals and distribution strategies behind today’s most successful films and they'll be offering insight few ever get to access at our summit.
A limited number of private 1:1 consultations are available with each senior executive (ONLY 6 per Executive). This is a rare opportunity to gain direct guidance on your project from the people who truly understand what sells.
A few speakers are also offering script reads (up to 115 pages) before your consultation for personalized, project-specific feedback.
Availability is extremely limited and expected to fill quickly (last year SOLD OUT)—reserve your spot early to secure your session.Â
This is your chance to gain personalized feedback, build meaningful connections, and access passionate executives who are committed to helping indie filmmakers succeed.
Can't make it? No worries! Replays are available for all who RSVP.
All 1:1s are scheduled individually based on speaker and filmmaker’s avail.
What to Expect
Our Summit will be held on September 29th, 2026, from 4 PM to 7:30 PM ET (1 PM to 4:30 PM PT). Each of our distinguished speakers will sit down for a focused 20-minute conversation with producer Sara Elizabeth Timmins, who will guide each discussion with questions that matter most to independent filmmakers.
Each session offers a front-row seat to how the industry really works. You’ll hear stories, strategies, and lessons learned directly from those leading distribution today, giving you a clear sense of what it takes to get your film sold and seen.
By the end of the day, you’ll not only understand the distribution landscape — you’ll know exactly how to navigate it, who to talk to, and how to make your film stand out in a crowded market.
Can't make it? No worries! Replays are available for all who RSVP.
Our full summit schedule is below!
- 4:00pm ET/1:00pm PT - Welcome with Producer Sara Elizabeth Timmins & Scott Bedno
- 4:10pm ET/1:10pm PT - Conversation with Scott Bedno, Managing Director of Sales & Acquisitions at TPC
- 4:30pm ET/1:30pm PT - Conversation with Kristin Harris, Head of Acquisitions at Concourse Media
- 4:50pm ET/1:50pm PT - Conversation with Matthias Ziegler, VP of Acquisitions & Sales at Epsilon Film
- 5:10pm ET/2:10pm PT - Conversation with Mike Chapman, Managing Director at Blue Finch Film Releasing
- 5:30pm ET/2:30pm PT - 10 MINUTE BREAK
- 5:40pm ET/2:40pm PT - Conversation with Josh Thomashow, Head of Acquisitions at Kaleidoscope Home Entertainment
- 6:00pm ET/3:00pm PT - Conversation with Danielle Gasher, Founder & CEO at Vaneast Pictures
- 6:20pm ET/3:20pm PT - Conversation with Paul W. Hazen, VP of Operations at Highland Film Group / The Avenue
- 6:40pm ET/3:40pm PT - Conversation with Gene George, President/CEO of Tesera Entertainment
- 7:00pm ET/4:00pm PT - Conversation with Steve Break, Acquisitions Consultant at Saban Films
- 7:20pm ET/4:20pm PT - Closing Remarks with Sara Elizabeth Timmins
Summit Payment Options
The entry ticket is $87 BUT if you purchase a 1:1 consultation with one of our speakers, SAVE $10 making your entry ticket only $77!
Reel Circle members save even more!
Members can find their additional discount in the membership portal.
*Only summit participants can book a 1:1 consult with a speaker.
THE SUMMIT
$299 $87
Access to the Event & Bonus Only
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Live access to the full summit featuring industry leaders and experts in film distribution
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Access to the summit recordings so you can watch or revisit any session at your convenience
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EXCLUSIVE BONUS: Our on-demand course Finding the Right Sales Agent with Sara Elizabeth Timmins, plus the accompanying workbook — worth $67!
This is an entry ticket only and does not include a 1:1 consultation. Replays will be sent out to all who sign up.
Reel Circle Members can find their additional discount within their membership portal!
The Platinum Package
$499 $244
($77 discount Summit Ticket + $167 Consult + Bonus)
- One-hour private consultation with a selected speaker — a rare opportunity for personalized guidance tailored to your project
- Live access to the full summit featuring industry leaders and experts in film distribution
-
Access to the summit recordings so you can watch or revisit any session at your convenience
-
EXCLUSIVE BONUS: Our on-demand course Finding the Right Sales Agent with Sara Elizabeth Timmins, plus the accompanying workbook — worth $67!
At checkout you can choose your 1:1Â (upon avail) and add on a script read before your consultation (when available).
Reel Circle Members can find their additional discount within their membership portal!
If you'd like to purchase more than one consultation, send us an email at [email protected].
Want to Dive Deeper into Distribution?
Our Virtual Filmmaker Distribution Summit gives you access to industry decision-makers and firsthand intel. But if you want to take a deeper dive into how the distribution process actually works, how to budget for it, negotiate contracts, prepare for delivery, find the right sales agent, and more, join our Understanding Marketing & Distribution Live Course starting September 23rd.
Meet Our Speakers
Professionals from across the distribution landscape—ready to share their experiences, lessons, and advice to help you move your film forward. Check out their company websites for more info on the films they rep.
Gene George
President, Tesera Entertainment
Summit Topic: Holiday & TV Films
Focus: Holiday, Christmas Romance, Royal Holiday Films, Romance, TV Movies, Scripted TV series.
Tesera Entertainment: One of the most prolific producers in the modern made-for-TV holiday movie space, Gene facilitates the licensing of content on a worldwide basis across a variety of platforms and is an active acquirer of scripted series and made-for-television content for the global marketplace.
Gene George is currently President/CEO of TESERA ENTERTAINMENT, a prolific worldwide distributor of TV Movies. Since Tesera began, George has Executive Produced over 60 TV Movies in just 7 years, all of which aired on leading broadcasters such as Hallmark, Lifetime, ION, UPtv, GAM and OWN. Tesera is also a leading aggregator of libraries to US streaming platforms with direct partnerships with Peacock, Tubi, Pluto, Roku, Amazon, Samsung, Vizio, LG, Xumo and many others. Prior to establishing Tesera, George served as Executive Vice President, Worldwide Distribution, for LIONSGATE, overseeing international sales and distribution for the company. Prior to his almost 2.5 years at Lionsgate, he oversaw and managed all worldwide television distribution for STARZ for over 9 years. George has been responsible for licensing many premium series including “Black Sails,” “Spartacus,” “Power,” and “Ash vs Evil Dead” in over 160 countries around the world.
LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE
Book a 1:1 Consultation
Kristin Harris
Head of Acquisitions, Concourse Media
Summit Topic: Releasing Indie Films Theatrically
Focus:Â Drama, Crime, Political/True Story Films, Thriller, Action, Comedy, Dark Comedy
Concourse Media: Global film sales, distribution, financing, and production company; commercially successful indie films with star-driven prestige and genre projects.
*Offering Script Reads Before Consult (+ $127)
KRISTIN HARRIS has spent over two decades working across development, finance, production, acquisitions and distribution. She currently serves as the Head of Acquisitions at Concourse Media, where her current slate includes THE SMACK, VISION BOARD, BEST DIVORCE EVER and PARISH. During her career, she has held key acquisition, development, and production roles at Vertical, Good Deed Entertainment, Starz Media, Overture Films, and Cineverse. In the last few years alone Kristin has Executive Produced more than 10 feature films. Notable releases include THE WEIGHT, ASTRONAUT, LOVING VINCENT, SHORT TERM 12, SAM & KATE, SHARP CORNER, ABANDONED, SUNSHINE CLEANING, THE VISITOR, and MASTERS OF HORROR..
SOLD OUT!
Book a 1:1 Consultation
Steve Break
Acquisitions Consultant at Saban Films
Summit Topic:Â Elevating Indie Film to Maximize Distribution
Focus: Action, Action Thriller, Crime, Thriller, Horror, Western, Drama, Comedy
Saban Films: Partnered with LIONSGATE, a boutique North American acquisition and distribution company focusing on commercial, talent-driven films. Looks at projects in all stages of production for strategic release across multiple platforms.
*Offering Script Reads Before Consult (+ $127)
Steve is an Acquisitions Consultant at Saban Films and Entrepreneurial Senior Executive with 20+ years of film distribution experience. Acquired, produced, marketed, and sold hundreds of feature-length films. A dedicated and ambitious marketer with an imaginative and innovative mindset proven beneficial in identifying and negotiating profitable creative projects. Strong liaison between both artistic and business personalities with practiced and perfected interpersonal and diplomatic skills to settle effective win-win-win contracts.
ONLY 3 SPOTS LEFT!
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Paul W. Hazen
VP of Operations at Highland Film Group / The Avenue
Summit Topic: Action & Sci-Fi
Focus: Action, Action Thriller, Horror, Sci-Fi
Highland Film Group: An award-winning global studio with end-to-end capabilities, driving films from development to release; Operates as a producer, financier, distributor and sales agent, with an in-house team that oversees global productions and acquisitions.
Overseeing the Operations and Post Production team at Highland Film Group is Paul W. Hazen, a 25+ year industry veteran who has been involved with the acquisition, production and post-production delivery process for over 1100 independent feature films and series to every major studio and platform including Amazon, Hulu, Apple, Netflix, Paramount, Sony, and more. Highland Film Group’s produced slate includes feature films starring A-List talent including Margot Robbie, Jason Momoa, Russell Crowe, Nicolas Cage, Samuel L. Jackson, Jessica Alba, Anthony Mackie, Mel Gibson, Bruce Willis, John Travolta, and dozens of others.
LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE
Book a 1:1 Consultation
Matthias Ziegler
VP of Acquisitions & Sales at Epsilon Film
Summit Topic: Animation & Family Films
Focus:Â Animation, Family, Coming of Age, Brand based content
Epsilon Film: In partnership with BETA FILM GROUP- A global distributor of high-quality and commercially appealing feature films with a focus on family and co-viewing content.
Matthias read German and Scandinavian Literature at the Ludwig-Maximilians-University before studying Production and Media Business at the University of Television and Film (HFF) in Munich. Before and during these studies, he worked as a unit and location manager on various German film sets, in the line producing departments of BAVARIA FICTION for such feature films as LUDWIG II, HOTEL LUX, DEATH OF A SUPERHERO and MR. MORGAN’S LAST LOVE and of ALL-IN-PRODUCTION for TV series like NELE NEUHAS – MURDER MYSTERIES and CAPE TOWN as well as at LEONINE’s operations department. Most recently, he served as Manager, Acquisitions, Co-Productions & Sales at TELEPOOL/GLOBAL SCREEN, and had previously worked as an independent producer.
ONLY 1 SPOT LEFT!
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Josh Thomashow
Head of Acquisitions at Kaleidoscope Home Entertainment
Summit Topic:Â Releasing Indie Documentaries
Focus: Mid & Low-Budget films; Documentaries, Animation, Drama/Festival Films, Commercial Genre Films, Horror, Supernatural, Comedy/Dark Comedy, Family/Animation.
Kaleidoscope Entertainment: International Sales and Distribution company specializes in commercial feature films and branded/theatrical documentaries, spanning both mainstream genre films and festival titles.
*Offering Script Reads Before Consult (+ $127)
Began career working for producer Gary Goodman. Helped develop Project Greenlight winner, FEAST. While at Starz/Anchor Bay acquired Home Ent rights to THE WALKING DEAD, acquired Rob Zombie's LORDS OF SALEM. While at Cinedigm negotiated deals for Fast Channels including: THE ELVIS PRESLEY CHANNEL, BOB ROSS, BLOODY DISGUSTING, REAL MADRID TV. At Kaleidoscope acquired MR. BURTON (BAFTA short list), THE PROMISED LAND (Mads Mikkelsen, Danish best picture entry) and the upcoming WOLF CREEK 3 and MASERATI (Al Pacino, Anthony Hopkins, Jessica Alba, Andy Garcia).
ONLY 2 SPOTSÂ LEFT!
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Danielle Gasher
Founder & CEO, Vaneast Pictures
Summit Topic: Filmmaker Forward Distribution
Focus: Elevated Horror, Thriller, Action/Action Comedy, Comedy, Romance, Drama
Vaneast:Â From development through release, they work with filmmakers on strategy, financing, production and distribution to align creative vision with audience reach.
*Offering Script Reads Before Consult (+ $127)
A Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree and veteran of Voltage Pictures and Gravitas Ventures, Danielle leads Vaneast Pictures with a focus on global sales, financing, and distribution. She founded the company to create a modern, filmmaker-forward approach to connecting independent films with audiences worldwide. The company's name carries personal significance. Gasher named Vaneast in honor of her late father, a journalist and lifelong cinephile, who used "Vaneast" as his password — a nod to meeting her mother on Vancouver's east side in the 1980s.
ONLY 1 SPOT LEFT!
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Mike Chapman
Managing Director at Blue Finch Film Releasing
Summit Topic: Horror & Thriller Films
Focus: Horror, Thriller, Action Sci-Fi, Genre documentary, Genre animation.
Blue Finch Film Releasing: Â A dynamic company specializing in the release of feature films and documentaries, both in the UK/Ireland market and internationally. Blue Finch provides the optimal release for commercial and critically acclaimed films. The team cover a full service, from bespoke targeted releases for digital and home entertainment, to full-scale nationwide theatrical releases.
Mike co-founded Blue Finch in 2018, with a focus on selling and distributing bold, festival driven genre films. Blue Finch have handled a range of titles including SXSW Award Winners ODDITY and RAGING GRACE; Berlinale Teddy Award Winner LESBIAN SPACE PRINCESS; Tribeca selected RECLUSE and YOU’LL NEVER FIND ME; and TIFF Midnight Madness selected KICK ON. Before this, Mike worked across Sales and Acquisitions for London based Sales Agent and Distributor, Kaleidoscope.
ONLY 3 SPOTS LEFT!
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Scott Bedno
Managing Director, Sales & Acquisitions at TPC (Three Point Capital)
Summit Topic:Â The Market in 2026
Focus: Presales, Low/High-Budget, All Genres
TPC: Â A global entertainment finance and production services company helping filmmakers and producers finance and move projects forward through tax credit lending, pre-sales, production services, and content sales.
*Offering Script Reads Before Consult (+ $127)
Having spent his entire career in domestic and international film and television sales and acquisitions, Scott Bedno now leads Three Point Capital’s efforts in bringing world-class content to audiences everywhere. Prior to joining TPC, he held senior sales positions with Myriad Pictures and Voltage Pictures, and also worked on the acquisitions side, securing feature films for a leading Australian theatrical distributor. Scott serves on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of the Independent Film & Television Alliance (IFTA), the premier trade organization representing independent film worldwide.
