Webinars and Workshops

Current Webinar Series

FILMS IN FOCUS: The Road to Premiering at Sundance or SXSW

This May, join Women Make Movies, for a comprehensive webinar series co-sponsored by Film Fatales, of case studies on stand-out films that premiered at Sundance or SXSW. These four case studies span the most important issues facing filmmakers working today: international co-production, navigating relationships and ethical concerns with vulnerable participants, building teams of producers and executive producers, pitching at international forums and finding creative solutions to distribution using new platforms.

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1. 1. Case Study: HOW TO BUILD A LIBRARY with Maia Lekow
      May 8, 2025 | 12 PM EST | Register

      Join Women Make Movies in the exciting case study on Maia Lekow’s journey co-directing HOW TO BUILD A LIBRARY. This webinar will have a special focus on its international co-production with Executive Prouder Roger Ross Williams and the importance of this model now more than ever when grants and funding are being endangered in the US.

      Nairobi-born-and-based filmmaker Maia Lekow first burst onto the international scene with her 2019 award-winning documentary, THE LETTER, which was Kenya’s official selection to the 93rd Academy Awards and co-directed by her filmmaking and real-life partner Christopher King. Fast forward to January 2025, and their latest feature-length documentary, HOW TO BUILD A LIBRARY had its World Premiere in the World Competition section at Sundance and has already gone on to SXSW, True/False, CPH:DOX, San Francisco International Film Festival and recently won the award for Best Documentary at the Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival.

      HOW TO BUILD A LIBRARY, made with the support of the Production Assistance Program, follows two intrepid Nairobi women who decide to transform what used to be a whites-only library until 1958 into a vibrant cultural hub. Along the way, they must navigate local politics, raise millions for the rebuild, and confront the lingering ghosts of Kenya’s colonial past. Register

   2. Case Study: THE TALLEST DWARF with Julie Wyman
      May 15, 2025 | 12 PM EST | Register

      In this timely case study, Julie Wyman shares her experience on her most recent film THE TALLEST DWARF. We’ll discuss its inception, to putting together an extraordinary team of Producers and Executive Producers, to pitching at CPH:DOX and other international forums, to the challenges that artists face in funding and distributing social issue, creative, and personal documentaries.  

      Wyman has been working as an award-winning filmmaker over the last 25 years. She has powerfully explored themes on body image and identity – STRONG!, which won the 2012 Independent Lens Audience Award, FAT MOB, BUOYANT, and A BOY NAMED SUE are just a few.  

      THE TALLEST DWARF follows Wyman’s quest to find her place within the little people (LP) community at a moment when dwarf identity is poised to radically change. As Wyman unpacks the rumors of “partial dwarfism” in her family she finds that hers is the last of a body type she has inherited. Joining forces with a group of dwarf artists to confront the legacy of being fetishized and put on display. Together they create films that reclaim a complicated history and speak back to the echoes of eugenics in the newly emerging pharmaceutical interventions that make little people taller. Register

   3. Case Study: UVALDE MOM with Anayansi Prado
      May 22, 2025 | 12 PM EST | Register

      In this extraordinary case study, Anayansi Prado takes us behind the scenes of UVALDE MOM – from gaining access to Angeli Rose Gomez’ story, to navigating the ethical and practical challenges of telling such an urgent and sensitive narrative with care.  

      Prado will also examine the mounting obstacles facing social-issue filmmakers today, from funding to distribution, and offers insights into how we can ensure these vital stories are seen—and their impact felt—across the nation and the world. 

      UVALDE MOM, made with the support of the Production Assistance Program, is a feature-length documentary that tells the harrowing story of Angeli Rose Gomez, a farm worker and single mother who ran into Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, to rescue her two sons during a mass shooting—while nearly 400 armed officers waited 77 minutes to intervene. When a video of Angeli carrying her children to safety goes viral, she becomes a symbol of courage—and a target. Facing harassment from authorities and vulnerability due to her turbulent past, Angeli’s struggle for justice becomes intertwined with the broader demands for accountability within the grieving Uvalde community. Register

   4. Case Study: UNION with Brett Story
      May 29, 2025 | 12 PM EST | Register

      In conversation with the award-winning filmmaker, Brett Story, we’ll discuss solutions one filmmaker found to the challenge of releasing controversial political documentaries.  

      We will also explore the team’s collaboration with the visionary company Field of Vision, how they broke through the gates to Impact Partners and Anonymous Content, and their decision to release UNION through innovative platforms such as GATHR. 

      One of the most urgent, powerful, and timely documentaries of the past two years, UNION follows a group of current and former Amazon workers on Staten Island as they take on one of the world’s largest corporations in a fierce unionization battle. We’ve been working with Brett Story since her film, THE PRISON OF TWELVE LANDSCAPES, and throughout her career – we’re so excited to have Brett join us for the first time to share her journey — documenting the struggle from day one, shooting cinema verité style, and embedding us within the story to offer a gripping human narrative about the fight for power and dignity in globalized economic landscape. Register

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Past Webinars Available On-Demand

Strategies in a Changing Media Landscape

Through presentations by and conversations with filmmakers, experts, and industry veterans, we’ll discuss the importance of fellowships and labs, perfecting your pitch deck, legally safeguarding your project, and building your unique festival strategy. Each session will explore the tools you can apply to your film with an emphasis on the current, fluctuating environment for independent filmmakers.

1. The Importance of Fellowships and Labs with Gabriella Garcia Pardo

   WMM welcomes filmmaker/cinematographer Gabriella Garcia Pardo – whose work includes Barbara Kopple’s GUMBO COALITION, Penny Lane’s CONFESSIONS OF A GOOD SAMARITAN, Julie Wyman’s THE TALLEST DWARF premiering at SXSW, and many more – joins us for the first time to discuss the importance of fellowships and labs. She’ll share how these immersive opportunities can have an invaluable impact on the development of your project – giving you visibility and credibility and providing you with a unique opportunity to build a strong network of collaborators, supporters, and funders.

   Whether you’re eyeing a seasonal or year-round program, this webinar will give you the tools and confidence to land that career-changing opportunity.

2. Perfecting Your Pitch Deck with Olivia Klaus

   Award-winning filmmaker and graphic design maven Olivia Klaus is back by popular demand! It’s been five years since she last joined us for 2 sold-out webinars, and we couldn’t be more excited to welcome her back to present updated materials and tools to take your deck online with style. Olivia is an expert in crafting pitch decks that not only tell your story but also open doors. Learn how to transform your project from a concept to a compelling, fundable vision with expert guidance from someone who’s been there and done that—successfully.

3. Legally Safeguarding Your Project with Nicole Page

   Entertainment attorney, Nicole Page, WMM Board President and partner at Reavis, Page, Jump LLP, will address this and more including how to craft legally sound agreements, obtain releases and access agreements, book options and life rights, and fair use. Without these essentials, securing broadcasters, distributors, funding, and E&O insurance may be nearly impossible. 

4. Film Festivals: How to Build Your Unique Strategy with Debra Zimmerman

   WMM’s Executive Director, Debra Zimmerman, guides us through the ins and outs of film festivals and shares expert strategies for crafting the best plan for your film. Discover how to optimize festival screenings with insights on premiere strategies, choosing the right international and domestic festival premiere, generating buzz, and navigating the scene once you’ve arrived! This webinar is a must-attend for filmmakers looking to make the most of out of this important part of your feature or short film’s roll-out strategy, led by one of the industry’s leading experts on independent film distribution. 

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 A Conversation with Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay Nominee Joslyn Barnes of NICKEL BOYS

Watch an enriching conversation with the Academy Award® nominated co-producer and co-writer of NICKEL BOYS, Joslyn Barnes. NICKEL BOYS, based on Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, is about a brutal reform school in the Jim Crow South notorious for its abusive treatment of students. This film marks the second collaboration between Joslyn Barnes and RaMell Ross. Their first, HALE COUNTY THIS MORNING, THIS EVENING, earned an Academy Award® nomination for Best Documentary in 2019. Now, NICKEL BOYS is making waves as a standout adaptation nominated for both Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay. 

Joslyn Barnes’ impressive career spans over two decades. As President of Louverture Films, a New York based independent production company she co-founded with actor Danny Glover, she has produced many award-winning films. This includes Göran Hugo Olsson’s BLACK POWER MIXTAPE 1967-1975, Tia Lessin and Carl Deal’s Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner and Emmy® and Oscar® nominated TROUBLE THE WATER, and the Oscar® nominated and Emmy® winning STRONG ISLAND by Yance Ford, which was made with the support of the Production Assistance Program.  

We’ll discuss the challenge of making a creative film in the current landscape and how an independently crafted, boldly original film earned a place at the Oscars—at a time when real creativity isn’t always rewarded. 

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Making It Work:  Success and Sustainability
Conversations with Award Winning Filmmaker

This winter we celebrated WMM filmmakers who were nominated for documentary Academy Awards in one of our most successful webinar series ever.    This spring, we continue the conversation with a series of immersive masterclass webinars delving into the professional journeys of four award-winning, critically acclaimed directors and producers, all of whom are members of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences: Nancy Schwartzman, Susan Margolin, Christine Turner, and Lisa Cortés. 

We are thrilled to have them join us to discuss their own paths to sustainability and mastery in our ever-changing industry. We’ll discuss transitioning from directing to producing, shorts to features, one-off documentaries to series, and working with public television, cable broadcasters and streamers.  Wherever you are at in your calling as a producer and/or director, this webinar offers a rare opportunity to glean insights from these women’s celebrated careers.  Join us as we explore their compelling journeys that have inspired, provoked, and ignited change. 

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1. 1. Nancy Schwartzman – From Independent One-Offs to Series
      Join us in conversation with the multi-award-winning director/producer Nancy Schwartzman as she shares her journey from an independent documentary to making a mark in the world of streamers and series.
      
   2.  Susan Margolin – That Producer-Director Synergy
      In a field that we know is extremely difficult to begin with, not to mention succeed in, building that special synergy and working together as a viable force makes for a clearer path to making the best film possible and finding its way into the world at large. How you choose a producer and build a relationship with your directors is everything, and in this webinar, Susan speaks to exactly that.
      
   3. Christine Turner – Short or Longform – It’s the Story that Counts
      Join us for this dynamic webinar where Christine shares her insights and experiences in successfully directing and producing for public media, Hulu, Netflix, CNN, and Paramount +, whether it be feature-length, short-form, or as a series. 
      
   4. Lisa Cortés – Producing & Directing
      For Lisa Cortés sustainability in her career means producing and directing her own work but continuing to produce other filmmakers – and why not? She is so, so good at it! Join us in this one-of-a-kind conversation to glean Lisa’s insights into a sustainable and fulfilling career.

Buy the series and get four sessions for the price of three! If you are a WMM filmmaker or a member of one of our partner organizations, the discount is even greater (be sure to insert the discount code before checkout)!

**If you are a WMM filmmaker or member of one of our partner organizations and do not have the promo code, email [email protected].

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The Skills That Pay the Bills:
Fundraising, Pitching, Financial Management and Proposal Writing

Join us for a four-part comprehensive series for filmmakers at every stage. Focusing on the hard skills that lead to success, including fundraising, pitching, financial management, and proposal writing, we’ll combine expert insights, practical tips, and live consultations with filmmakers – all designed to empower and boost your creative process. In each session we will tackle the challenges documentary filmmakers encounter including where and how to raise funds, how to calm one’s nerves during the big moments like pitching, best practices for financial management, and how to craft winning proposals when the film is still evolving. Whether you’re emerging, mid-career or a seasoned filmmaker, there is always more to learn. Join us as we focus on the hard skills necessary to excel and succeed in the constantly evolving dynamic realm of documentary filmmaking.

1. 1. Fundraising: Attracting and Securing Funding
      
   2. The Winning Pitch: What Funders Really Look For
      
   3. How to Manage Finances: Strategies That Work
      
   4. Proposal Writing: Commanding the Page
   5. BONUS: Budgeting Best Practices & Strategies for Success

Sign up for the series and get four sessions for the price of three! If you are a WMM filmmaker or a member of one of our partner organizations, the discount is even greater (be sure to insert the discount code before checkout)!

**If you are a WMM filmmaker or member of one of our partner organizations and do not have the promo code reach out to [email protected].

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Celebrating WMM Filmmakers at the Oscars: 2 Best Feature Doc Nominations

In February and March, we took a behind-the-scenes look at the Oscar campaigns of two of the five films nominated for Best Feature Documentary at the 2024 Academy Awards®: TO KILL A TIGER, a WMM Production Assistance Program film directed by Nisha Pahuja; and THE ETERNAL MEMORY, directed by WMM program alum Maite Alberdi.

On February 23rd, we talked with the women behind TO KILL A TIGER, led by director Nisha Pahuja. Her small but mighty team started with the kernel of an idea and marched it all the way to a nomination – and they shared with us how they did it! Then, on March 5th, we sat down with director Maite Alberdi and her Executive Producer Julie Goldman from THE ETERNAL MEMORY to discuss their collaboration and what it takes to be a contender. Women Make Movies is proud to celebrate all our filmmakers, including the 19 who qualified for the award, 5 who made it to the shortlist, and the 3 who were nominated for 2024 Academy Awards. Rising to the occasion can propel and expand your career in some very surprising and unforeseen ways. Don’t miss these powerful conversations!

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The Long and Short(er) Road to Funding: A Four-Part Webinar Series

A series exploring the funding journey of critically acclaimed films now celebrating broadcast or theatrical release. In each session, we took a deep dive into the filmmakers’ fundraising strategies for both production and impact campaigns. This series asked the tough questions to filmmakers who conquered grants and foundations, courageously raised funds through volunteers and social media, and pivoted and made adjustments as the moment called for it. The speakers in this series are first-time filmmakers who have been extremely successful or experienced filmmakers who have greatly increased their funding. We explored milestones that kept them going, smart budgeting that propelled them forward, and story development that directly impacted funding – in other words, the long (and at times shorter) roads to funding.

This series has ended, but the series and each individual workshop are now for sale On Demand.

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Leveraging the Power of Story to Finance Your Film

A four-part webinar series on getting your independent film financed!

A strong, compelling story about why your film matters and a well-thought-out fundraising plan are your two greatest assets when it comes to raising money for your film! In this four-part webinar series, seasoned professionals and experts in the independent film industry walked us through financing strategies and developing the story you tell about your film, including perfecting the proposal and pitch materials to get buy-in from funders and raise money! This is an excellent series for those working on their first feature, as well as experienced filmmakers looking for fresh ideas and perspectives on how the fundraising landscape has changed in independent film. 

This series has ended, but the series and each individual workshop are now for sale On Demand.

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Making Your Film Stand Out in a Crowded Market

Producing for Documentary Film

A four part webinar series on creative producing, impact and engagement, executive producing, and archival producing!

Whether you are looking for a producer, want to be a producer, or are confused by what kind of producer does what and/or what you need for your project and your team, this series is for you! 

In our constantly changing industry, the title ‘producer’ gets muddled with many descriptions. What does the work entail? How specifically do we break this down into what a producer is, does, and is credited? It’s not a catch-all by any means. And if you want to be a producer, how does one make it a sustainable career?

These four skill-building workshops on creative producing, producing for impact and engagement, executive producing, and archival producing. With experts in each field, we will break down, examine, and define what each producing bucket entails and how to make it work successfully.

This series has ended, but the series and each individual workshop are now for sale On Demand.

Buy Now 

Fundraising for Success

These events are targeted at all levels of filmmakers. They provide networking opportunities as well as valuable and practical information about the business of filmmaking. 

PRICING AND DISCOUNTS

WMM Production Assistance Program and Distribution Filmmakers can receive a special discount for being part of our programs. Please email [email protected] if you are in need of the promo code. Members of WMM partner organizations can receive $15 off admission of the full webinar series or $5 off individual sessions. Please contact your organization for more info.

Discount Partner Groups include:

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