Film Outreach and Engagement

This panel will help filmmakers to develop effective outreach and communication plans. Using case studies and models of success, outreach and engagement experts will discuss effective strategies and best practices to ensure that audiences will attend, engage and be excited to see your films.

Moderator
Ellis Watamanuk is Picture Motion’s Vice President of Impact Strategy and oversees digital, partnerships, and campaign strategy. At Picture Motion, he has headed up campaigns for Won’t You Be My Neighbor? and We The Animals, and prior to that ran the theatrical division at FilmRise (Miseducation of Cameron Post, My Friend Dahmer) and worked in publicity (Blackfish, The Hunt). He is an advocate for LGBTQIA+ rights, police accountability in the US, animal welfare, and environmental conservation.

Panelists
Eliza Licht is an industry leader in developing and implementing community engagement strategies to maximize the impact and visibility of documentary films, recent and current projects include Roll Red Roll, Disclosure, and Abortion Helpline: This is Lisa. She served as a member of POV’s senior management team, working closely with POV’s executive producers and other senior staff to set priorities and direction for the series and spearheaded broadcast campaigns for over 200 films.

Cynthia Lowen is an Emmy-nominated filmmaker and writer whose work uses the power of story to catalyze measurable change. She’s the director and producer of Netizens, a feature documentary about women and online harassment, premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival. “Bristling with rightful fury,” says Teen Vogue of the film, Netizens follows three women, including Carrie Goldberg and Anita Sarkeesian, as they confront digital abuse and strive for justice online.

Erika Howard is the Impact Producer at FRONTLINE where she leads the strategic direction for impact and sustainability programs. Previously Howard was the Senior Director of Station Marketing and Audience Engagement at POV, and created partnerships and multi-platform strategies for such titles as Dark Money, Bill Nye: Science Guy, Whose Streets, and Minding the Gap.  Howard was also the Marketing Manager at Women Make Movies and has presented on panels at Cannes, SXSW, NYU and PBS conferences.

 

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