Masterclass: film producing 101

Have you ever wondered why it’s the producer and not the director who gets the “best film” award at the Academy Awards? It’s because the producer is the person who takes the film from idea to screen. “Film producing 101” is a two-part masterclass in which participants will learn about the four key skills they will need to succeed in the industry: creative development; hands-on producing; finance and business affairs; and distribution/sales. This course is intended to give first-time and emerging producers a thorough introduction to producing, as well as share case studies to help guide their own paths to financing, making and distributing films.

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Presented in partnership with the US Embassy Port of Spain

about Stanley Nelson Jr.

Stanley Nelson Jr is today’s leading documentarian of the African-American experience. His films combine compelling narratives with rich historical detail to illuminate the under-explored American past. A MacArthur “Genius” Fellow, Nelson has received numerous honours over the course of his career, including five Primetime Emmy Awards for his films, as well as lifetime achievement awards from the Emmys, the Peabodys, and IDA. In 2013, Nelson received the National Medal in the Humanities from President Barack Obama. His latest film, Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool, premiered at Sundance in January 2019.

In 2000, Mr Nelson, along with his wife, Marcia A. Smith, founded Firelight Media, a non-profit production company dedicated to using historical film to advance contemporary social justice causes, and to mentoring, inspiring and training a new generation of diverse young filmmakers committed to telling underrepresented stories.