How do you create your own content as an actor? Moderated and curated by actor/writer Lori Hammel and SAGindie NY Consultant and filmmaker Michael Sládek, this 3-part series breaks down the stages of creating a short film and empowers you, as an actor, to create unique stories that highlight your creative strengths. Join award-winning actors, directors, writers, producers, and festival organizers as they dive into the nuts and bolts of story and character development, casting, budgeting, creating your production team, shooting schedules, post-production, the festival circuit and more.

Part 3 of the series, POST-PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION, focuses on what happens after your film is wrapped, including editing, effects, music, distribution and navigating the festival circuit. Featuring writer and director Janicza Bravo, VP of filmmaker relations and shorts programming at Tribeca Film Festival Sharon Badal, actor and director Jayce Bartok and producer and post-production supervisor Mark Steele.

***Bring all your questions to the program - member participation is encouraged!***

PANELISTS

Janicza Bravo is a writer and director based in Los Angeles. She received her training in theatre at NYU. She's mounted plays in the states and abroad. Her film work has screened at AFI, BAM, Carnegie Hall, SXSW, Sundance, and Tribeca. Her short film GREGORY GO BOOM won the Jury Prize for US Fiction at Sundance in 2014. Her feature film debut LEMON premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and was released by Magnolia Pictures. She directed the pilot for KINDRED, which has been picked up to series at FX. Her second feature, ZOLA, premiered in competition at Sundance and was distributed by A24 and Sony internationally. ZOLA leads the 2022 Independent Spirit Awards nominations with 7 nominations including Best Feature. Variety named Janicza as one of "10 Directors to Watch" in 2020.

Sharon Badal is vice president of filmmaker relations and shorts programming for the Tribeca Film Festival and has been with the festival since its inception. She is on the faculty at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, recognized as a Distinguished Teacher. She created and teaches the “Producing in London” summer study abroad program. She is the author of “Swimming Upstream – A Lifesaving Guide to Short Film Distribution,” published by Focal Press. Sharon received her B.F.A. in film and television production and her M.A. in cinema studies and business, both from NYU.

Jayce Bartok began his journey as a filmmaker acting in numerous films and television shows, most notably Richard Linklater’s SUBURBIA, Sam Rami’s SPIDERMAN, Tom McCarthy’s THE STATION AGENT, and Ava Duvernay’s award-winning WHEN THEY SEE US. Jayce’s first screenplay, THE CAKE EATERS (Screen Media), became a critically acclaimed film directed by Mary Stuart Masterson, which he starred in alongside Kristen Stewart and Bruce Dern. Following that, Jayce wrote, directed, and produced FALL TO RISE (Panorama Entertainment) starring Daphne Rubin-Vega and legendary dancers Desmond Richardson & Katherine Crockett as well as members of The Martha Graham Dance Company. Robert Redford said of the film “Bartok beautifully captured the emotional difficulty of dancers coming to terms with age and identity.” Jayce stepped into the role of producer on the award-winning documentary, LARGER THAN LIFE: THE KEVYN AUCOIN STORY (HULU). The LA Times called the film “a rich deeply dimensional documentary.” Other credits include co-director and producer of the award-winning documentary ALTERED BY ELVIS, and the short films: CAMPBELL RITCHIE – NO COMPROMISE, THE PRISONER, BITTERSWEET - BROOKLYN, SUDDENLY…, SUNBURN, COCKED AND LOCKED, JACK & PAUL, and STRICKEN, starring Hayley Mills as well as the SXSW winning, LITTLE PUMPKIN. He is working on two feature films, THE PRINCE OF SOHO and THE FLORIST, as well as producing a documentary on Dita Von Teese.  In addition, Jayce has been a juror for the Chelsea Film Festival & the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival, a frequent moderator & panelist for SAG-AFTRA, a contributor to the book, Now Write!, a columnist for MovieMaker Magazine, and an instructor at the legendary Neighborhood Playhouse. He is the voice of NATURE’s SPY IN THE WILD. 

Mark Steele is a producer and industry catalyst with an outstanding track record in production, post-production and business affairs. Mark has steered many projects from production to editorial and through the long tail of sales and distribution, including IT'S A HARD TRUTH AIN'T IT (HBO), O.G. (HBO), CUTIE AND THE BOXER (Radius/TWC) and SEMBENE! (Sundance, Cannes, Telluride). Most recently, Mark is a co-founder of Post Hub, the industry leading post-production management company. Mark was a 2013 Trans-Atlantic Partners Producing Fellow and is a member of the Producers Guild of America.

Co-moderator Lori Hammel is a NYC-based actress and writer who hails from North Dakota. Film work includes Ethan and Joel Coen’s BURN AFTER READING; SHE'S LOST CONTROL;  PUZZLE and the horror/thriller BLOOD CONSCIOUS along with numerous shorts including  the lead in CONEY ISLAND QUEEN (Cannes Shorts Corner).  On TV Lori has appeared on BLUE BLOODS; FBI: MOST WANTED; JESSICA JONES; HIGH MAINTENANCE; 30 ROCK and MASTER OF NONE.  Her stage work includes Broadway, Off Broadway and National Tours.  As a commercial actor, Lori has been delighted to work opposite Keegan-Michael Key and to be directed in national spots by Johathan Krisel, David Steinberg, Phil Morrison and Oscar winning documentarian Errol Morris. Lori played recurring political pundit Leslie Hillerman on the Onion News Network series, IN THE KNOW and is the creator and star of the series MARGO ROSE REPORTS. She received an Excellence in Acting Award at the NY International Fringe Festival and is the recipient of a Jeff Award, two Jeff nominations, two After Dark Award and the SAG-AFTRA Joseph C. Riley Service Award. Lori co-authored the critically acclaimed guidebook MINDING THE EDGE – STRATEGIES FOR A FULFILLING, SUCCESSFUL CAREER AS AN ACTOR and is a contributing writer for ACTING FOR THE STAGE (Focal Press).  www.lorihammel.com

Founder of Brooklyn-based Plug Ugly Films, filmmaker and co-moderator Michael Sládek’s feature-length credits include CON ARTIST (New Yorker Films, The Orchard, Tribeca Film Festival Jury Mention), BAM150 (Cinema Guild), and DEVILS ARE DREAMING (Dances With Films Jury Award). He's also directed multiple shorts, including ALL AGAINST THE SEA (Woodstock Film Festival) and WE LIVE ON OUR STREET (Slamdance Anarchy & Jury Awards), as well as music videos, web series’, industrials, and live theater pieces. Sládek currently serves as the NY Consultant for SAGindie and teaches as an adjunct in the film department at Wagner College. A member of SAG-AFTRA, he started his creative career as a stage and screen actor and has worked for Columbia University Film Dept, Tribeca Film Festival, MTV News, and for writer Jamaica Kincaid.