INDUSTRY RELATIONS - FESTIVALS & DISTRIBUTION OFFICE
The USC School of Cinematic Arts is one of the only film schools in the world to offer its students and alumni an entire department to assist them with developing strategies for film festivals, short film distribution, independent content distribution, rights and copyright advisement, career and networking approaches, as well as collaboration strategies on a host of projects and platforms.
Sandrine Faucher Cassidy
Senior Director of Festivals, Distribution and Talent Development
cassidy@cinema.usc.edu
O'Shea” Myles
Festival Coordinator
omyles@cinema.usc.edu
Derek Horne
Distribution Coordinator
dhorne@cinema.usc.edu
Festival Services
The office is up to date on the current festival circuit landscape and is in constant close touch with programmers. Therefore, recommending specific films for world premiere or special programming to them. Festival programmers count on our professional guidance as a way for them to track recently finished films and to gain awareness of USC’s emerging talent.
As such the office is often invited to participate on industry Panels, round table discussions and invited to sit on Festival Juries. When given the opportunity, the office curates out of competition USC programs at renowned festivals and markets all over the world.
Students and Alumni are encouraged to contact the office and request guidance of any kind regarding their current or future projects.
- General Festivals Info Session – This covers information about the submission process and overview of the office’s services. (Monthly)
- Review of student and alumni film projects (Shorts, Features, Documentaries, Animation, etc) and tailored one-on-one festival strategy meetings.
Distribution Services
USC has the ability to distribute its more than 2000 student produced short film titles each year.
As USC holds the copyright of the student produced short films and projects, the School is able to serve as a distributor, licensing films for additional exposure to a host of networks, content platforms and distributors globally.
- Licensing and Distribution of USC student films worldwide on online platforms, educational platforms, SVOD, AVOD, broadcast networks, DVD subscriptions.
- Curating shorts channels on ALTER, Amazon, DUST, Kanopy, Omeleto and Viddsee.
- Royalty sharing with students.
- Building relationships and networks with film buyers and distributors and staying in touch with their current programming needs.
- Tailored one-on-one distribution strategy meetings for student and alumni films.
- Film and distribution legal advice
- Travelling to film markets to promote the SCA catalogue to buyers and to network with worldwide industry.
- Advise on new trends and facilitate meetings with newcomers
Watch our student and alumni channels: ALTER, Amazon, DUST, Kanopy, Omeleto and Viddsee
First Look Student Film Showcase
Firstlook Website: https://cinema.usc.edu/Festivals/FirstLook/
First Look is USC School of Cinematic Arts’ yearly showcase for advanced projects.
- Industry Jury reviews and awards are given to films in the following categories: Animation, Comedy, Documentary, Drama, Social Change, Thriller/Sci-fi/Horror.
- Faculty Jury selects Awards for Outstanding achievement in: Cinematography, Directing, Editing, Producing, Production Design, Screenwriting, Sound.
- Films are hosted on a private website and shared with worldwide industry network of agents, managers, festival programmers, producers, among other industry executives.
- Screening of Industry Award Winning films at the United Talent Agency followed by a networking reception.
NextFilm Feature Filmmakers group
NextFilm Feature Filmmakers group is USC SCA student and alumni group that was started in 2014 to help filmmakers network, stay in touch and collaborate. It offers:
- Eligible to writers, directors and/or producers credited as such in at least 1 feature film that has premiered at a festival or on a network.
- Feature film review and one-on-one strategy meetings – depending on the needs of the team.
- Notes given on unfinished film cuts when requested.
- Recommendations to festivals, distributors, sales representatives, agents and managers.
- Networking events with industry.
- Private Facebook group enables members to freely exchange information and advice
Talent Development Services
The IR staff is available to engage with students in the following areas for support, advice and planning:
- Building relationships with Students and Alumni
- Database of Student and Alumni Shorts and Feature Film
- Career advice – script or upcoming projects feedback
- Help finding managers and agents
- Mentoring
- Help finding Producers, funding, crew members
- Script reading and notes
Curated Screenings and Events
- CAA Moebius screening of 3 Advanced projects from top LA film schools
- First Look Award Winners held at UTA
- Diversity screening held at CAA
- Women Behind the Lens screening, held at Paramount
- Not Film Festival USC Student Block
- Amarcort, Italy Film Festival USC Student Block
- Tel Aviv International Student Film Festival USC Student Block
- Presentation with Guest Speaker Rebekah Louisa Smith, The Festival Doctor
- Special Festival Panel Pandemic Edition with Guest Speaker programmers from the Sundance Film Festival, Palm Springs International Film Festival, distribution representatives, online platform programmers, publicists among others.
Social Media
For current SCA news on Festivals, Distribution, Film industry worldwide follow us on Industry Relations Newsstand: https://www.facebook.com/SCAIndustryRelations
Facebook groups for students and alumni:
Documentary filmmakers - https://www.facebook.com/groups/uscDOCgroup
Latin America - https://www.facebook.com/groups/uscscalatinamerica
Europe/Middle East/Africa - https://www.facebook.com/groups/uscscaeurope
Asia - https://www.facebook.com/groups/USCSCAASIA