Recorded live at Sundance, this episode features a wide-ranging roundtable on the current state of independent film exhibition. Host GG Hawkins speaks with festival programmers, exhibitors, and platform founders about what’s broken in the exhibition ecosystem, what’s actually working better than people realize, and how community-driven models—from art houses to new distribution tools—are reshaping how films are discovered, shown, and sustained beyond the festival circuit.

In this episode, No Film School's GG Hawkins and guests discuss…

Why art house cinemas and film festivals remain vital community hubs

The realities of audience-building beyond “market festivals” and multiplexes

How filmmakers can rethink distribution, touring, and self-exhibition

New tools and platforms helping filmmakers navigate submissions and discovery

The rise of alternative distribution models, including physical media reimagined

Why shorts, community producers, and collaboration matter more than ever

How filmmakers and exhibitors can work together more effectively

What a sustainable film community could look like in 2026

Memorable Quotes:

“Art house cinemas and independent exhibitors and film festivals are thriving because they build community.”

“Making movies is like having a baby… then you’ve got to raise it.”

“There is such an opportunity on both sides for filmmakers and exhibitors to learn how to work together.”

“Independent film is rooted in community and curation.”

Guests:

Ash Cook – Programmer, Sundance Film Festival; Festival Director, San Francisco Jewish Film Festival; Founder & CEO, Video.Storage

Tony Gapastone – Founder & Executive Director, Bravemaker

Lela Meadow-Conner – Interim Executive Director, Art House Convergence; Co-founder, The Popcorn List

Tyler Knohl – Co-founder, Hiike; Assistant Director, Boston Sci-Fi Film Festival

Brynne Norquist – Co-founder & CEO, Hiike

Aidan Dick – COO, Video.Storage; Programmer, Frameline Film Festival

Resources:

Bravemaker – https://bravemaker.org

Art House Convergence – https://arthouseconvergence.org

The Popcorn List – https://thepopcornlist.com

Hiike – https://hiike.com/

Video.Storage – https://www.videostoreage.com

Frameline Film Festival – https://www.frameline.org

Find No Film School everywhere:

On the Web: No Film School

Facebook: No Film School on Facebook

Twitter: No Film School on Twitter

YouTube: No Film School on YouTube

Instagram: No Film School on Instagram

📩 Send us an email with questions or feedback: [email protected]

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices