Creative Distribution 101

Leigh Stein is a writer interested in what the internet is doing to our identities, relationships, and politics - and also a marketing genius! Her critically acclaimed novel Self Care was released in June 2020. Leigh is the author of 3 other acclaimed books. Her non-fiction writing has appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, the New Yorker online, and many more publications. Leigh was also the co-founder and executive director of Out of the Binders/BinderCon, a feminist literary nonprofit organization. Her fifth book, What to Miss When, is a collection of poetry written during the Coronavirus pandemic, coming out today august 10th. It's self-described as "Poetry for people who hate poetry". The poems make mischief of reality TV and wellness influencers, juicy thoughtcrimes and love languages, and the mixed messages of contemporary feminism.

Suhad Babaa is the Executive Director of Just Vision, an organization that fills a media gap on Israel-Palestine through independent storytelling and strategic audience engagement. Suhad executive produced their 2017 acclaimed feature-length documentary, Naila and the Uprising, which portrays the women at the forefront of the First Intifada in the late 80s. Suhad was also an integral member of the impact campaigns around Just Vision's critically acclaimed film Budrus, and the Peabody award-winning documentary, My Neighbourhood.

In My Blood It Runs was made and distributed through a deeply collaborative process between the filmmaking team and the communities in the film, which this episode dives into. The acclaimed documentary was directed by Maya Newell who has previously directed the 2015 film Gayby Baby which streamed on Netflix. Rachel Edwardson, producer, is a Native from Alaska and her documentary series on the history of the Iñupiaq was the first all-native produced and directed history series in the United States.

Eliza Licht has been working in the social-issue documentary field for 20 years, and spent 17 years at the PBS documentary series POV, where she spearheaded broadcast campaigns for over 250 films. Eliza has also spearheaded engagement campaigns for over 200 films, including American Promise & Food, Inc.

Welcome to our new season, "The Power of Community"! Andraéa LaVant is a nationally and internationally sought-after disability inclusion expert. She is widely recognized for spearheading a global disability justice movement as impact producer for Netflix's Oscar-nominated film, Crip Camp, executive produced by President Barack and Mrs. Michelle Obama. Andraéa is founder and president of LaVant Consulting, Inc. (LCI), a social impact communications firm that offers cutting-edge corporate development and content marketing for brands and nonprofits. LCI's specialty is helping brands "speak disability with confidence." Her work has been featured on Good Morning America, NBC, Essence.com, the Root, and a host of other national media. As a black, disabled woman, Andraéa is committed to working toward a future where disabled people, particularly disabled people of color, are power players in every room.

This episode features Gretel Truong, VP of Impact Campaigns, and Carla Fleisher, VP of Impact Distribution at Represent Justice, which started as an impact campaign inspired by the life and legacy of Bryan Stevenson, featured in the film "Just Mercy", starring Michael B. Jordan and Oscar winners Jamie Foxx and Brie Larson. The campaign was launched alongside the Warner Bros. theatrical release of the film. Represent Justice's mission is to turn stories into action to change the justice system while building the capacity of system-impacted communities. They fight for a fair legal system, dignity for system-impacted individuals and communities, and an end to extreme sentencing and mass incarceration.

Sriyanka Ray is a Brooklyn based Indian Video Journalist, Storyteller, and Producer of social issue content. She works as a Senior Producer at BRIC TV, an Emmy Award-winning cable TV and digital network for Brooklyn, New York. She helped create and develop BRIC TV's #BHeard strand of public affairs programming. Her films have broadcast on U.S. public television and earned her eight NY Emmy® nominations among other accolades. In 2018, Sriyanka and her team won a NY Emmy Award for their town hall on school segregation in New York City.

Sonya Childress served as the Director of Partnerships and Engagement for Firelight Media for 16 years, where she led impact campaigns for veteran director Stanley Nelson's films, including Freedom Summer, Freedom Riders, Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Black Colleges and Universities and The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution. Sonya previously held staff and consulting positions at Active Voice, California Newsreel, Kartemquin Films, ITVS, and Working Films. She founded Firelight's Impact Producer Fellowship, a yearlong mentorship and training program for impact producers of color. She currently serves as a Senior Fellow with the Perspective Fund, a philanthropic resource for documentary film and impact campaigns, where she conducts field-building research.