Hey, Creative Army!

We couldn’t be more thrilled to announce that for the 2nd year in a row, Stage 32 is an official partner of the UK’s international trade event, FOCUS.

FOCUS is the only UK trade event where attendees can meet with content makers and facilitators from over 100 countries, attracting thousands of production professionals from across the creative screen industries – including film, TV, advertising, animation, and gaming.

FOCUS offers filming solutions for all types of projects and levels of budget, from pre through post-production.

The event and partnership run from December 5th- 6th, 2023, in London, England. You can register to attend the event HERE! Best of all, it's FREE to attend!

Last year, we hosted a jam-packed standing-room-only panel. This year, two of our Stage 32 educators - Elizabeth Kormanova and Stacey Carr - will be featured on a new panel, along with our Director of Education, Sam Sokolow!

FROM REVOLUTION TO EVOLUTION: What The Streamers Are Looking For Today

Over the last few years, we've seen a massive global shift in film & television with the rise of the streamers. Now, after the historic rush for content and industry strikes, we are currently seeing an evolution. This Stage 32 professional panel will demystify where the streamers are at today, what they are looking for, and how you can work with them moving forward.

Date & Time: Tuesday, 5 December 2023, 3:45 pm (GMT)

Location: Business Design Center, 52 Upper Street, London, UK

Venue: Show Floor Theatre

Moderator:

Stacey Carr, Entertainment Consultant at Stacey Carr Consulting

Stacey Carr is a London-based independent consultant for producers, production companies, talent, and brands through the creative process of preparing their projects for the partnership and pitch phase, as well as with overall industry insider direction. Additionally, she works as a project-based Exec-for-Hire for companies like TBN and The Independent Film Trust. Prior to going independent and moving from Los Angeles to London, she served as the Senior Director of Unscripted Development at Nickelodeon where she developed and oversaw a variety of projects, including series and specials like UNLEASHED, TOP ELF, and the Emmy-Nominated KID OF THE YEAR. She also served as Director of Original Unscripted Development at Endemol Shine North America, and prior to that, four years in Programming and Development for OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network. She played an integral role in the development of several of the network’s original series including READY TO LOVE, MIND YOUR BUSINESS WITH MAHISHA, RELEASED, FAMILY OR FIANCÉ? and CHECKED INN.

Panelists:

Sam Sokolow, Executive Producer & Director of Education at Stage 32

Sam Sokolow is a highly-respected television executive and 2-time Emmy nominated Executive Producer with deep experience in developing and producing television series. Sam is currently Executive Producer of GENIUS, a scripted series for National Geographic Network, which he developed from book to series. The first season of GENIUS depicted the life of Albert Einstein with Geoffrey Rush starring as Einstein and Ron Howard directing the pilot. GENIUS: EINSTEIN garnered ten Emmy nominations including a Best Limited Series nomination for Sam. The second season of GENIUS - GENIUS: PICASSO - depicted the life of Pablo Picasso with Antonio Banderas starring as Picasso and garnered seven 2018 Emmy nominations including a Best Limited Series nomination for Sam. The third season of GENIUS – GENIUS: ARETHA - depicts the life of “The Queen Of Soul” Aretha Franklin, with Cynthia Erivo portraying Aretha and Suzan-Lori Parks showrunning, and will premiere in 2021. Season 4 of GENIUS – GENIUS: MARTIN LUTHER KING – has been ordered and will premiere in 2024 on Disney+.
Prior, Sam served as a founder of Nice Media Studios, an independent studio based in Los Angeles and Toronto, and the President of EUE/Sokolow, an independent television studio based in Los Angeles and New York, and before that, Sam was a founding partner of SokoLobl Entertainment, an independent television production company based in Los Angeles. While leading these companies, Sam executive produced 18 original TV series and set up dozens of television and film projects at every major studio and distributor in Hollywood. Sam served as Co-President of Homemade Entertainment, a venture capital-backed television and media content website. Sam co-wrote, produced, and directed the award-winning independent feature film The Definite Maybe, starring Josh Lucas, Roy Scheider, and Bob Balaban. Sam became the first filmmaker to self-distribute his own feature film via the Internet, a groundbreaking digital distribution initiative that landed him on Good Morning America and in Time Magazine. Previously, Sam created and produced world-class advertising and marketing campaigns for agencies such as Wells Rich Green, Moss/Dragoti, and Partners & Shevack. Sam also spent a year as a Metro & crime reporter for the New York Daily News.

Elizabeth Kormanova, Head of Business & Legal Affairs at Rocket Science Industries

Elizabeth Kormanova is an entertainment lawyer and a producer. Elizabeth graduated in law from Paris 1 La Sorbonne and specialized in film production at La Femis. Her experience as a producer started with the short LIFELONG which premiered at San Sebastian Film Festival 2013. Elizabeth served as director of business affairs for 6 years at the London-based Hanway Films founded by Oscar-winning producer Jeremy Thomas. At Hanway Films, she handled the financial closing of films such as THE KILLING OF A SACRED DEER by Yorgos Lanthimos (Best Screenplay at Cannes Film Festival 2017, Best Film at Sitges International Film Festival), PINOCCHIO by Matteo Garrone (2 Oscar nominations, 2 Golden Globes nominations), THE CARD COUNTER by Paul Schrader and THE BURNT ORANGE HERESY by Giuseppe Capotondi (Special prize for Mick Jagger at Venice Film Festival 2019). Currently, Elizabeth is heading the business affairs team of London-based film & tv studio Rocket Science, financing and producing feature films, including LIVING by Oliver Hermanus (2 Oscar nominations, 9 BIFA nominations) CRIMES OF THE FUTURE by David Cronenberg (Cannes Film Festival Official Selection 2022, Outstanding Directorial Achievement 2022 bt DGA), MAY DECEMBER by Todd Haynes (Cannes Film Festival Official Selection 2023) and BETTER MAN biopic with Robbie Williams (in post-production). Elizabeth is also actively involved in independent production and supporting emerging talent. She is currently in post-production of the TV series LOST & FOUND ABROAD by 4-time Emmy winner Kalin Ivanov and the short film LEVANTE by Vanina Kondova.

Tom Sherry, Managing Director at Headline Pictures

Headline Pictures is an award-winning production company that produces high-end drama and comedy-drama that says something meaningful about the world we live in. Our productions have won International EMMYs and IFTAs, and have received craft and performance nominations at BAFTA, the Oscars, and the Golden Globes. Our work includes THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE for Amazon, KIN for AMC and RTE, TEN PERCENT for Amazon and Sundance Now / AMC+, and the International EMMY award-winning PETER & WENDY for ITV. We work with both established talent and up-and-coming new writers. Headline Pictures was founded in 2005 by BAFTA nominee and International EMMY-winning producer Stewart Mackinnon, former BBC Head of Drama Mark Shivas, screenwriter Kevin Hood, former lawyer Adrian Gifford, and former producer and project manager Derek Stubbs, who remains as Company Secretary.

Stage 32 Certification

In our ongoing commitment to worldwide Stage 32 Certification training for productions, Sam will be meeting with our partner film commissions at FOCUS, as well as bringing in more support from other commissions in 2024 bringing our community more opportunities to get to work.

Over a dozen film commissions and guilds are in support of Stage 32 Certification, which was just launched last month and featured in FORBES and INC.

Any Stage 32 members in London be sure to swing through and meet Sam Sokolow from our team in person!

Click here for the exact location and directions.

And don’t forget to check out the full schedule here.

Let's hear your thoughts in the comments below!

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