There is no shortage of "success stories" here on Stage 32. And today, we've got a great one for our fearless leader and Stage 32 CEO, Richard "RB" Botto, who has been nominated for Shaker of the Year 2022, as part of the Movers & Shaker Awards at FOCUS in London, UK. RB is nominated for his contribution to the long-lasting impact on the global entertainment industry.

RB joins fellow forward-thinking nominees Leo Anna Thomas (6ft from the Spotlight); Co. Production Team, Factor 42, EE, Superglue, and Canagan; Deborah Doherty (Windmill Lane); Jeanette Volturno (Crewvie); Meriel Beale (Freelance Producer and Campaigner); Natalie Edwards-Yesufu (Transition Stage Company); and Mariana Pineda (Women in Film Paraguay).

This community has seen RB's innovating for over a decade since launching Stage 32 in 2011. The platform has since grown to one million creatives and professionals and is the world's largest online educational library, with over 2,000 hours of webinars and classes taught by over 1,000 industry executives. RB also spearheaded the partnership between Stage 32 and Netflix for the "Creating Content for the Global Marketplace" program, which aims to support the development of content creators worldwide, and produced a series of workshops that guides creatives to turn their ideas into compelling and structured series. And he wrote a best-selling book, Crowdsourcing for Filmmakers: Indie Film and The Power of the Crowd, published under the "AFM Presents" banner, which is now used as a course of study at major US Universities.

RB has shown an undeniable vision and an ability to innovate beyond current industry trends. From the concept to democratize the entertainment industry by founding Stage 32 in 2011 to predicting the "Great Content Gold Rush," where creators from all over the world have opportunities to get their projects considered thanks to increased distribution platforms. RB also launched Stage 32 screenings in the wake of Covid so that filmmakers from festivals worldwide could screen projects and access distribution deals. Festivals included SXSW, Sundance, ECU, The European Independent Film Festival, and more.

In addition to all that he gives to the entertainment community, RB is also a producer with films that have played at dozens of festivals. He is, beyond a doubt, driven by his passion to create great entertainment and helping others do the same in all his endeavors.

If you are attending FOCUS or the Movers & Shakers Awards, you can see RB and the other nominees at the awards ceremony here:

SHAKER OF THE YEAR AWARDS

Date & Time: Wednesday, December 7, 2022, at 7:30 pm GMT

Location: BAFTA Piccadilly, London

And you can catch RB, Amanda Tony (Managing Director), Sam Sokolow (Head of Education), and Sara Elizabeth Timmons (Education Producer) at the UK trade event here:

LOCAL STORIES INTO A GLOBAL STORY: WHAT THE STREAMERS ARE LOOKING FOR

Date & Time: December 6, 2022, 1:30 pm (GMT)

Location: Business Design Centre, Islington, London

Venue: Room D

This panel will demystify the streamers and what they want in content. Stage 32, the global platform connecting and educating over 1 million industry creatives and professionals, works with executives at most major streamers, including Netflix, Paramount+, HBO Max, and AppleTV+. This professional panel will discuss how projects stand out to streamers and what helps hook them to consider a project.

If you wish to discuss specific questions, Stage 32 is also offering one-to-one training sessions during FOCUS. When you register as a delegate, you will be able to request an individual meeting via the online meeting scheduler. Places are offered subject to demand and availability.

We hope you’ll register and join us on December 6th and 7th in London at FOCUS!

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