September 19, 2022
2022 Gotham Week Conference: Distribution Case Study — Neptune Frost
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DEDZA Founder Kate Gondwe discusses the specialized distribution strategy behind Neptune Frost

Overview

Premiering at the Cannes Film Festival before going on to play Sundance, Neptune Frost, directed by Saul Williams and Anisia Uzeyman, is a nearly indescribable Afro-futurist science fiction musical in which exuberant joy comingles with revolutionary politics and a bracing techno-colonialist critique. Kino Lorber partnered on the release with the new distribution imprint DEDZA Films. In a conversation with Filmmaker Editor Scott Macaulay, DEDZA founder Kate Gondwe, one of Filmmaker’s 25 New Faces of 2022, discusses the specifics of this innovative release and speaks to the challenges facing radical work in today’s theatrical and home marketplace.

ABOUT THE GOTHAM WEEK CONFERENCE
The Gotham Week Conference explores the art and business of film and media today. Seasoned mentors and industry leaders make the Conference the premier forum for creators to break through and take their careers to the next level. Through panels, workshops, and networking opportunities, creators access the tools they need to connect with audiences, expand their story’s reach, and build sustainable careers.

ABOUT GOTHAM WEEK
Back IRL for the first time in three years, Gotham Week 2022 will take place at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, September 17-23, and also includes virtual programming and events. Each year, Gotham Week connects groundbreaking talent in film, TV, and audio to the ecosystem of industry decision-makers, experts, and organizations that support their success. Through Project Market discoveries and acquisitions, innovative Conference programming, and the inaugural partner Expo, Gotham Week gives independent creators critical industry access, resources, and opportunities to grow their network. It provides a unique platform from which groundbreaking careers and projects have launched, celebrating the creativity, boldness, and determination The Gotham is all about.

Panelists

Kate Gwonde
DEDZA - Founder
Kate Gondwe is a recent graduate of Emerson College, a Sundance Catalyst Fellow, and the founder and president of DEDZA Films, a boutique film distributor & hybrid consulting agency dedicated to bringing nuanced films by underrepresented filmmakers to new audiences. The company's first release WHO WILL START ANOTHER FIRE, an anthology film featuring nine works by emerging filmmakers of color released in partnership with Kino Lorber, is now available on Criterion Channel. Other recent releases include the award-winning and Oscar Shortlisted film FAYA DAYI and the Saul Williams and Anisia Uzeyman’s visionary film NEPTUNE FROST which premiered at Cannes Directors’ Fortnight and screened at TIFF, NYFF, Berline and Sundance Film Festivals. Additionally, Kate is also a campaign manager at NEON working on films released through the boutique distribution label SUPER. Kate dedicates her career to amplifying and creatively supporting exciting, diverse storytellers with a focus on the global south from early development to distribution in independent cinema. Kate was named one of 25 New Faces of Independent Film by Filmmaker Magazine.

Moderators

Scott Macaulay
Filmmaker Magazine - Editor
Scott Macaulay is the co-founder and Editor-in Chief of Filmmaker, the print magazine and website devoted to independent film published by the Gotham Institution for Film & Media. He is also an active New York-based producer. With Forensic Films, the company he co-founded with Robin O’Hara, he has produced and co-produced many independent features and international co-productions. Among his producing credits are Kitty Green’s The Assistant and Casting JonBenet; Peter Sollett’s Raising Victor Vargas; Elisabeth Subrin’s A Woman, A Part; Alice Wu’s Saving Face; Harmony Korine’s Gummo and julien donkey-boy; and Tom Noonan’s Sundance Grand Jury Prize-winning What Happened Was…. In 1998 he and O’Hara received a Spirit Award for Independent producing and in 2018 he was awarded the Cinereach Producing Fellowship.

Presented With

Founded in 1992, Filmmaker Magazine is a quarterly print magazine and daily-updated website covering the art, craft, and business of independent film.

Date & Time

Monday, September 19, 2022
10:30 AM - 11:30 AM EDT

RSVP DEADLINE: September 19, 2022 @ 10:15 AM

Location

Brooklyn Navy Yard - Building 303
399 Sands St
Brooklyn New York 11201

ACCESSIBILITY

If you require accessibility needs to attend the event, please reach out to [email protected].

RSVP Instructions

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

  • This event will occur in-person at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. You will receive location information and directions upon registration confirmation via email.

  • If you are attending with a guest, they must RSVP independently.

  • Attendance at this event is first-come, first-served. RSVP does not guarantee entry.

  • Attendees to Gotham Week Expo or Conference events must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 prior to attending Gotham Week. Attendees will be required to show proof of vaccination upon check-in. Masks are strongly encouraged. To learn more about our COVID-19 event safety, please visit our Event Safety page.

Contact

Contact us at [email protected] with any questions.