OFF Executive Director Marc Longbrake participates in a panel with other industry professionals at the 2024 TallGrass Film Festival.
YouTube Link HERE
With over 30,000 film festivals in the world, new and emerging filmmakers often struggle to create a strategy or even know what their strategy should be. In this candid conversation, our team of festival programmers and strategists will bust through the myths, misinformation, cons, and scams abounding in today’s festival circuit to deliver timely information that will help you navigate the system and manage your expectations. Come with questions, because with our combined experience of over a hundred years, we’ve got answers.
Panelists include:
Ian Bignell is a Film Festival Strategist at Festival Formula. He watches films that come into the company, providing impartial feedback on how they best fit into the worldwide film festival circuit. Drawing on his wisdom as the companies previous Submissions Coordinator, he has expert insight into the circuit and uses it to create bespoke festival strategies. Behind the scenes, he is the companies go-to nerd for technical help on anything from codecs to subtitles. Away from the desk, you will often find him at film festivals worldwide as an industry guest, sharing his expertise and giving honest advice. Previous speaking engagements include: HollyShorts, Heartland Film Festival, Encounters Film Festival, Flickers Rhode Island Film Festival, Bolton International Film Festival, Norwich Film Festival, Manchester International Film Festival and many more. Selected prior jury service includes: DC shorts, Indy Shorts, Tallgrass Film Festival.
Katie Bignell graduated from Bournemouth Media School in Scriptwriting for Film & TV and is also a graduate of the London Royal Court Writer Groups. She founded Festival Formula in 2014 after spotting a gap in the festival knowledge of filmmakers around film festivals. With 20 plus years experience behind it they are providing strategy and submissions support to filmmakers world-wide. They’re active members of the Short Film Conference and the Film Festival Alliance. Katie is also a key spokesperson on festival issues with coverage in The Hollywood Reporter and Screen Daily regarding suspect and fraudulent film festivals. She co-created the Filmmaker Lounge in partnership with Film Festival Alliance – an online space for programmers and filmmakers to discuss their roles. Previous speaking engagements include: HollyShorts, Heartland Film Festival, BFI Flare, Flickers Rhode Island Film Festival, Sundance, and many more. Selected prior jury service include: Cleveland International, Heartland International, St. Louis International, Palm Springs Shortsfest, Young Directors Awards, Raindance.
Kimberley Browning is a filmmaker and film festival professional based in Los Angeles. She is the Program Advisor of Tribeca Festival’s AT&T Untold Stories feature film grant program, and also serves as an Associate Short Film Programmer. She is also the Film Chair of YoungArts, which facilitates the evaluations for the US Presidential Scholars in the Arts. Kimberley is a producer of Uprooted: The Journey of Jazz Dance (HBO/MAX) which screened at the 2021 Tallgrass Film Festival and is a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.
Marc Longbrake is a professional photographer and filmmaker based in Omaha, NE. With over two decades of experience, Marc has made significant contributions both behind the scenes and in front of the camera on numerous independent productions. His extensive knowledge and relentless work ethic have made him a trusted advisor and supporter among independent filmmakers. Since the inception of the Omaha Film Festival in 2005, Marc has played a pivotal role, initially as Program Director and now as Executive Director since 2020. His visionary leadership has also driven the development of the OFF Academy over the past decade, providing invaluable educational opportunities to local students in various filmmaking disciplines.
Moderator Crickett Rumley received her MFA in Film at Columbia University and is the founder and senior director of the Film Festival Department at the New York Film Academy (NYFA) in Los Angeles. With diversity, equity, and inclusion centered in her work, she develops educational programs and festival strategy for a diverse student body. She has guided filmmakers to official selections at festivals ranging from Sundance to Bronzelens and to wins and nominations at the BAFTA Student Film Awards, the Student Academy Awards, the Directors Guild of America Student Awards, and the College Television Awards. She is on the board of the Film Festival Alliance, serves as the Panels Director for the Tallgrass Film Festival, and has taught workshops and served on juries for festivals around the U.S.
