Reaching Your Audience
Who is your film for—and how will they find it? This session explores why identifying your audience should start before you go into production. From shaping your story with distribution in mind to understanding the roles of festivals, sales agents, and platforms, our expert panel will guide you through building a strategy from the ground up. Followed by breakout sessions for focused advice, this is essential for filmmakers who want to plan smarter and reach further.
Chair:
Date: Wed 15 Oct, 12pm @Stadium Plaza
Tejinder Jouhal (She/Her)
Director of Marketing and Distribution at HanWay Films
Tejinder has over 20 years’ experience across independent exhibition, distribution, and international sales. She is Director of Marketing & Distribution at HanWay Films, representing a live slate of 20+ features annually, with recent titles including Hot Milk, Rapture, Good Boy, Couture, Bucking Fastard, Tornado, and Bad Apples. She works closely with producers and directors from project launch to world premiere and international rollout. Previously, she held roles at Altitude, Protagonist Pictures, the London Indian Film Festival, and the ICA Cinema, managing cinema and distribution operations.
Katie Bignell (She/Her)
Film Festival Strategist & Founder – Festival Formula
Katie, a Bournemouth Media School and Royal Court Writer Groups graduate, founded Festival Formula in 2014 to support filmmakers with festival strategy and submissions. With over 20 years’ experience, the company provides guidance to filmmakers worldwide. Katie is a respected spokesperson on festival issues, featuring in The Hollywood Reporter and Screen Daily, and appearing at Sundance, SXSW, and HollyShorts. She has served on juries for festivals including Raindance and Palm Springs Shortsfest.
Tom Abell (He/Him)
Founder and Managing Director of Peccadillo Pictures
Tom Abell is the founder and Managing Director of the award-winning Peccadillo Pictures, a leading distributor of arthouse, LGBTQ+, and world cinema since 2000. Renowned for its diverse and thought-provoking catalogue, Peccadillo champions emerging voices alongside acclaimed filmmakers such as Andrew Haigh and Hong Khaou. In 2019, Tom’s outstanding contribution to queer cinema was honoured with the inaugural Iris Prize Fellowship Award. He was appointed Chair of the Iris Prize in 2021, continuing his commitment to celebrating and supporting bold, original storytelling.
Russell Webber (He/Him)
Founder and Managing Director – Rapt Films International
Russell Webber is Founder and Managing Director of Rapt Films International, a socially responsible indie sales and distribution company championing emerging talent with bold, convention-challenging stories. Rapt prioritises partnership over profits, reinvesting in future projects to foster ongoing collaboration with filmmakers. Rapt’s new title Departuresscreens at this year’s Iris Prize, following last year’s festival screening of Gabriel Carruba’s Sunflower.
Adam Silver (He/Him)
Acquisitions and Operating Manager -TLA Entertainment Group
Adam Silver is a seasoned and innovative film industry executive with over fifteen years of experience across digital, home entertainment, and theatrical distribution. He leads International Acquisitions at TLA Releasing, the world’s largest LGBT film distributor, playing a key role in bringing groundbreaking queer stories to audiences worldwide. Adam is also a writer, having authored the award-winning short film Park Life and co-written the acclaimed gay rugby film In From The Side. This year, he returns to Iris Prize, having previously served on the festival jury.
