WIP February 2023 Soiree

January 2023 was the return of in-person screenings and gatherings at the Sundance Film Festival. Many of our members attended, some with film, or their company. 

This discussion invites WIP members who attended the fest this year to share their experience, thoughts, and impressions with our community. If time, we can also discuss the festival landscape moving forward, looking to Venice, Berlin, SXSW, Cannes and more.

About the Discussion Leaders:

Caitlin Gold is a New York based producer whose films have screened at Sundance, Berlin, Tribeca and more. She began producing in 2012 with her first feature film, Naomi McDougall Jones’ debut, IMAGINE I’M BEAUTIFUL, released by Screen Media. With a fondness for working with emerging filmmakers, she went on to produce Julia Kots’ debut INEZ & DOUG & KIRA (starring Severance’s Michael Chernus and Yellowjackets’ Tawny Cypress), and Catherine Eaton’s debut THE SOUNDING (starring Teddy Sears and Harris Yulin). In 2018, she founded Tanbark Pictures, a development and production company creating artistically ambitious character-driven films while working alongside some of the industry's most exciting new and underrepresented voices. On behalf of Tanbark, she next serves as Executive Producer on Tina Satter’s upcoming feature debut REALITY, starring Sydney Sweeney and world premiering at Berlin ‘23. Caitlin is also founder of The 51 Fund, an equity fund investing in narrative and documentary feature films directed by women. On behalf of The 51 Fund, she serves as an Executive Producer on Parker Hill and Isabel Bethencourt’s documentary feature CUSP, which premiered in competition at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival and was acquired by Showtime. Most recently, she executive produced Noora Niasari's feature directorial debut, SHAYDA which premiered in World Cinema Dramatic Competition at Sundance ’23 and won the Audience Award in its category. Next up, she is executive producing Lisa D'Apolito's Shari Lewis documentary, SHARI & LAMB CHOP, as well as Jade Sacker’s A HOUSE DIVIDED alongside Get Lifted.

Sana Soni is a sales and distribution executive specializing in independent film, currently heading up sales for Giant Pictures. She has an extensive background in film and TV sales from multiple studios and independents in Los Angeles, London, and New York, including Signature Entertainment, Discovery, Warner Bros, NBC Universal, 1091 Pictures, and Screen Media Ventures. A UCLA and New York Film Academy graduate, she brings market expertise to features in development and those looking for distribution. Sana has spoken at and judged multiple film festivals and is on the boards of many film organizations around the world such as Film Hub Wales and the DC Independent Film Festival. She is also a BAFTA professional member.

Amanda Naseem Amanda Naseem is a New York City based film producer, film programmer, and former theatrical distributor. She is currently producing the feature documentary Gentle By Birth in which filmmaker Doree Simon confronts her brother’s fatal opioid overdose. She recently produced Full Bleed, a premium documentary TV series with Anonymous Content about modern design directed by Patrick Daughters, the documentary Borrando La Frontera (Erasing the Border) about an artist who imagines a world without walls by making the Mexico/US border wall disappear directed by Laura Herrero Garvin (Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival), feature documentary BEBA directed by Rebeca Huntt (NEON) as well as narrative short Tea Time on Hip Hop Nation directed by Kelly Fulton (Showtime).

She produced the critically-acclaimed web series, The Outs, named Paper Magazine’s “Best Web Series Ever” and The Atlantic’s “Best Television Episodes of 2013.” She went on to produce a new series with the same creative team called Whatever this is. The pilot episode was named a Vimeo Staff Pick, and the series was named Indiewire’s “Best Drama Web Series of 2013.” Previously, Amanda spent half a decade as a Supervising Producer at VICE Media where she produced premium documentary series, branded content campaigns, commercials and music videos filmed all over the world. She also served as Director of Exhibitor Relations at Adopt Films, theatrically distributing internationally award-winning films from Cannes, TIFF, NYFF, and the Berlinale.

Amanda is a programmer for the Academy-qualifying Woodstock Film Festival, a US Features screening committee member for the Tribeca Film Festival, and was recently named a Producer to Watch by IMDB. Amanda has guest lectured at USC School of Cinematic Arts and Johns Hopkins Graduate Program in Film and Media.