CINEMA FEMME IN FOCUS series is a bi-weekly webinar series to educate emerging filmmakers on industry-related topics. Admission is $25 for non-members, and free to members.
BECOME A MEMBER (Sign in to your account, and get free admission to the virtual event. All 2025 members will need to renew their membership in order to get the free spot upcoming events here.)
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UPCOMING EVENTS
Cinema Femme in Focus:
What You Need to Know Before You Start Submitting
What You Need To Know Before You Start Submitting: From what festivals to research, to what materials you’ll be asked for, Katie will help you get prepped so you don’t waste time, money and heartache.
📅 Wednesday, April 22
⏰ 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM (Central Time)
💰 $25 (non-members)
This virtual event is the first installment in our CINEMA FEMME IN FOCUS series. This is a bi-weekly webinar series to educate emerging filmmakers on industry-related topics. Admission is $25 for non-members, and free to members.
Learn more about events here. 
About the Speaker
Katie Bignell founded Festival Formula in 2014 and brings over 20 years of industry experience. She provides strategic support to filmmakers worldwide and is an active member of the Short Film Conference and the Film Festival Alliance. Katie is also a leading voice on festival-related issues, with coverage in The Hollywood Reporter and Screen Daily addressing fraudulent film festivals.
She co-created the Filmmaker Lounge in partnership with Film Festival Alliance—an online space for filmmakers and programmers to connect. Her speaking engagements include HollyShorts, Heartland Film Festival, BFI Flare, Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival, Sundance, and SXSW. She has also served on juries for numerous major festivals.
Katie was co-recipient of the Pioneering Spirit Award from Heartland Film (2024), and Festival Formula has received multiple honors including Outstanding Contribution to Film (London Breeze Film Festival, 2024) and the Impact Award (Poppy Jasper International Film Festival, 2025).
In 2026, she serves as the Festival Expert for the inaugural online education programme launched by the University of Exeter in conjunction with David Putnam’s Atticus Education and Screen International.
About Festival Formula
Festival Formula was created to bridge the knowledge gap filmmakers face when navigating the festival circuit. With over two decades of experience, they provide trusted, strategic guidance and are recognized as a leading voice in the industry.
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2025 Virtual Events
Past Events
Join us for an exciting online event where composers and directors come together to discuss their creative partnership. Get an insider’s look into the world of music composition for film, TV, and more. Learn how these two vital roles work together to bring stories to life through music. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to gain insights from industry professionals and discover the magic behind their collaboration. Reserve your spot now! In attendance Maesa Pullman and Jaclyn Bethany “Highway One,” Tamar-kali and Josephine Decker “Shirley,” and Ariel Marx and Laura Moss “birth/rebirth.”
Talk about crowdfunding a pilot and the episodic distribution space From crowdfunding to Sundance, director Erin Brown Thomas and producer Olivia Haller talk about the making of their episodic “Chasers.” Cinema Femme Executive Director Rebecca Fagerholm moderates the discussion. Learn more about becoming a member, see link: https://cinemafemme.com/membership/ “Chasers” explores the toxic hustle culture of Hollywood for those chasing their dreams while tackling the universal struggles of ambition, exploitation, and mental health challenges. The series expands to follow the diverse stories of characters in the ensemble cast.
Read our interview: https://cinemafemme.com/2025/02/22/slamdance-2025-erin-brown-thomas-and-olivia-haller-on-chasers-a-highlight-of-sundance-2025/
Join us on the evening of Thursday, March 6 as we talk to some members of the “Queens of the Dead” about the making of their independent film. On the panel we have the director Tina Romero, writer Erin Judge, Vanishing Angle VP of Production Natalie Metzger, and film editor Aden Hakimi (also star of “Desire Lines”).
Join us on Wednesday, February 19th in a discussion with Claudia Lee (“Bodily Renaissance”) and Sophie Compton (“Another Body”) about the filmmaker community and what their films represent in our culture. Free for Cinema Femme Members, Non-Members $20.
Join us on Tuesday, February 18th for a panel discussion about distribution in the film indie space with the experts. Joining us on the panel are Elizabeth Woodward (WILLA), Sav Rodgers (Seed&Spark), Christie Marchese (Kinema), and Lela Meadow-Conner (Mama.Film). The panel will be moderated by Rebecca Martin Fagerholm, Cinema Femme Executive Director. This is a ticketed member event (free). Non-Members are welcome ($20) RSVP: cinemafemme.com/member-events