Summary
Learn from an award-winning director whose short films have led to feature deals and commercial distribution!
Receive a comprehensive checklist and clear strategies to turn your short film into a long-term career asset
PLEASE NOTE: This exclusive Stage 32 webinar is now available to watch on-demand and no longer live.
The Festival Run Isn’t the End — It’s Just the Beginning. Finishing a short film and getting it onto the festival circuit is a major accomplishment — and it’s only the start of what your project can do for you. Your short film has the potential to open doors, spark new collaborations, and build lasting momentum for your career. In this exclusive Stage 32 webinar, you’ll learn how to extend the life of your short, reach new audiences, and turn it into a powerful tool for future opportunities. Whether you’re planning your next steps or looking to maximize your film’s impact, this interactive webinar gives you the roadmap to do it with confidence.
The biggest mistake filmmakers make is thinking the festival circuit is the finish line. In reality, it’s just one part of a much longer journey. Without a clear post-festival strategy, great shorts can end up gathering digital dust instead of working for you. This interactive webinar addresses that head-on, offering tools to help you monetize your short, build your audience, and connect with the right decision-makers for your next project. You’ll get guidance on digital distribution, marketing, legal rights, and using your short as a proof of concept for future work.
Your Stage 32 educator James Kicklighter is a multi-award-winning director and producer whose work has been recognized by The Hollywood Reporter, Film Courage, and FilmInk Australia. He’s built a career directing acclaimed shorts and features like The Sound of Identity, Every 9 Hours, and The American Question, working with Emmy-winning and high-profile producers and talent. James has firsthand experience with how to use short films as creative and career leverage — and he’s here to help you do the same.
You’ll leave this webinar with a clear understanding of what to do after your festival run, how to prepare your short for digital platforms, and how to use it as a springboard to pitch your next big idea. You’ll also get insight into how to build a personal brand through your work, create lasting industry relationships, and turn your film into a tool for real growth!
PLUS! You will receive the following handout to help you:
- Short Film Distribution Checklist
PRAISE FROM JAMES'S TEACHINGS:
“His experience and expertise as a writer and producer of film were greatly enhanced by his enthusiasm and energy as a speaker. He presented a series of workshops in the production of film, and also was the keynote speaker at our Young Writer's Conference. In both cases, he was able to inspire and connect to many different age groups including several professors in attendance.” - Gareth Jones, Brewton-Parker College
“I think James is a rare breed of artist that combines his business and marketing skills with a cohesive artistic vision. ” - Jason Winn, Film Director
“James is sharp as a razor, quick to grasp an idea, and like mercury when it comes to social media.” - Lilly Lee, Co-Founder, UNICEF Chinese Children’s Initiative
“James exceeds your expectations and helps turn your ideas into reality.” - Susan Woolf, Director of Operations, National Student Leadership Conference
“James is an extraordinary individual. He represents to me, the best of what this business holds in the next few decades.” – Gemma Puglisi, Assistant Professor, American University
What You'll Learn
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Understanding The Post-Festival Landscape
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Why the End of Festivals is Just the Beginning
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The Evolving Digital Distribution Ecosystem for Short Films
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Kicklighter Case Study: How "Angel of Anywhere" Found Commercial Distribution
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Setting Realistic Post-Festival Goals for Career Growth
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Digital Distribution Strategies
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Evaluation of Major Short Film Platforms (Pros and Cons)
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Monetization Opportunities vs. Exposure Benefits
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How to Prepare Your Film for Digital Distribution
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Managing Rights and Understanding Platform Terms
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Leveraging Your Short Film For Funding Future Projects
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Using Your Short as Proof of Concept
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Creating an Effective Pitch Package with Your Short Film
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Kicklighter's Method for Presenting Short-to-Feature Transitions
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Converting Festival Success into Investor Interest
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Case Study: How "The Car Wash" Led to New Production Opportunities
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Building And Maintaining Industry Relationships
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Strategic Networking Beyond Festivals
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How to build your Network Through Short Films
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The Art of the Follow-Up: A provenCommunication Strategy
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Creating a Memorable Personal Brand Through Your Short Films
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International Markets And Sales
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Understanding International Rights and Distribution for Short Films
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Translation, Subtitling and International Preparation
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How to approach Distribution for Short Form Content
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Q&A With James Kicklighter
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Personalized Advice
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Next Steps and Additional Resources
PLEASE NOTE: This exclusive Stage 32 webinar is now available to watch on-demand and no longer live.
Who Should Attend
-You’ve completed a short film and want to turn it into career momentum
-You’re navigating festivals now and want to plan for what’s next
-You’re in development and want to know how to set your short film up for long-term success
-You’re interested in distribution, proof of concept strategy, industry relationships—or all of it
Executive
James Kicklighter is a multi-award winning writer/director whose work has been recognized by the world’s press, including The Hollywood Reporter, The Times of India, Film Courage and FilmInk Australia.
James Kicklighter was born in 1988, where he spent the first eighteen years of his life in Bellville, Georgia, population 123. He has gone on to become an award-winning director and producer of narrative films, documentaries and advertising. He is an active member of the Director’s Branch of the Television Academy, and is a p.g.a. producer. His work has been recognized by the world’s press, including The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline Hollywood, Politico, The Los Angeles Times, and The
Times of India. Kicklighter has served as a panelist at the Oscar®-qualifying Hollyshorts Film Festival,
taught filmmaking courses on Stage32.com, and his interview series with the popular YouTube channel
Film Courage has over 250,000 views. He resides in Los Angeles, California and still can't
believe he gets to work across the country and around the globe.
Director James Kicklighter’s latest film is his multi-year documentary, The American Question
Released in 2024, The American Question was the #1 new release on Apple TV and earned a perfect 100% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. Delving into the heart of a divided America, exploring the historical and contemporary factors that have eroded our trust in our neighbors, communities, institutions, and government. With input from numerous experts, including Colin Woodard, Amy Chua, Yuval Levin, Tania Israel, and narrated by political analyst, Guy Tal Seemann, The American Question seeks to answer the pressing question: can America rediscover its unifying values and restore trust among its people?
James Kicklighter, p.g.a. also produces The American Question, with a creative team including Guy Seemann, p.g.a., with executive producer S. Asher Gelman (Sabbath Queen, Afterglow). The director of photography is Jonathan Pope (Emmy® Award Nominee, The Social Dilemma), edited by Mohamed El Manasterly (Emmy® Award Winner, "Welcome to Wrexham," The Square), James Kicklighter, J.D. Sievertson, ACE ("The Chi," "Cosmos") and Carlos Puga (Emmy® Award Winner, “True Life"), featuring an original score by Nicolas Repetto (The Sound of Identity, A Run for More) and original animation by Filmograph (Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Joker: Folie à Deux, John Wick).
In 2021, Kicklighter released The Sound of Identity, premiering on STARZ, streaming on Prime Video, and available on demand — rated 91% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. In the spotlight of global media coverage, Lucia Lucas, the first transgender woman to perform as Don Giovanni in a professional opera, makes her historic debut in one of the reddest states in America.
From director James Kicklighter, The Sound of Identity is produced by Emmy Award-winning producers Russ Kirkpatrick & Andy Kinslow and is executive produced by Golden Globe®- winner and Academy Award®-nominated Josh Bachove (Minari, The Little Hours), with Jonathan Pope (Emmy® Award Nominee, The Social Dilemma) as Director of Photography.
Kicklighter produced, edited and co-wrote the directorial debut of youth advocate and novelist Jim St. Germain (“A Stone of Hope”), Every 9 Hours (2019), a modern-day exploration of skin color and identity in society. Starring Philip Smithey ("Switched at Birth"), Elizabeth Ferrera ("Lethal Weapon"), Kahyun Kim ("American Gods") and Danny Trejo (Predator, Machete) the film debuted at numerous film festivals across the country, now streaming on Prime Video.
Returning to the director’s chair, Angel of Anywhere (2018) is the story of an empathetic stripper who plays therapist to his many damaged clientele and co-workers. Angel of Anywhere stars Briana Evigan (Step Up Movie 2: The Streets), Ser’Darius Blain (Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, “Charmed”), and introduces Axel Roldos as Angel. Streaming on multiple platforms, Angel screened at over a dozen global festivals, including the Oscar® qualifying Hollyshorts and Sidewalk Film Festivals, winning Best Narrative Short at the 2018 Macon Film Festival. The film was distributed domestically by Hewes Pictures on ShortsTV.
His first feature film, Desires of the Heart, was released theatrically across India in November 2015. Kris Sharma (Val Lauren, Medal of Honor, Sal) leaves a budding romance with an artist (Alicia Minshew, “All My Children”) in Savannah for a marriage arranged by his parents in India. There, he discovers centuries old secrets that may determine the fate of his destiny. Shot in Savannah and Rajasthan, India, Desires was an official selection of numerous festivals across the United States and around the world, including the Cannes Marché du Film and was the winner of Best Foreign Film at the Los Angeles Femme Film Festival.
He was the for Film Director for Hillary Clinton's 2016 Presidential Campaign in Virginia, directing content featuring Sen. Tim Kaine, Sean Astin, Lena Dunham (“Girls”), Kate Walsh, ("Grey’s Anatomy") Bellamy Young ("Scandal”), Constance Wu (“Fresh off the Boat”), Miley Cyrus, Olympic figure skater Michelle Kwan, former secretary of state Madeleine Albright, amongst other public, private and political figures.
Director James Kicklighter is on the Advisory Board for AMBITION, a Los Angeles-based entrepreneurial program for disadvantaged youth. He volunteers with Kids in the Spotlight, a Los Angeles-based organization that helps foster youth heal and grow from trauma through the power of storytelling and filmmaking — directing the 2024 film Whatever it Takes, and producing the 2023 National Script Competition Winner, Speak.
He also serves on the Advisory Board for the Department of Communication Arts at Georgia Southern University, his alma mater. He was chosen out of over 30,000 living graduates to be listed on the inaugural Georgia Southern 40 Under 40 Alumni, selected for “impact in business, leadership, community, educational and/or philanthropic endeavors.”
Testimonials
PRAISE FROM JAMES'S TEACHINGS:
“His experience and expertise as a writer and producer of film were greatly enhanced by his enthusiasm and energy as a speaker. He presented a series of workshops in the production of film, and also was the keynote speaker at our Young Writer's Conference. In both cases, he was able to inspire and connect to many different age groups including several professors in attendance.” - Gareth Jones, Brewton-Parker College
“I think James is a rare breed of artist that combines his business and marketing skills with a cohesive artistic vision. ” - Jason Winn, Film Director
“James is sharp as a razor, quick to grasp an idea, and like mercury when it comes to social media.” - Lilly Lee, Co-Founder, UNICEF Chinese Children’s Initiative
“James exceeds your expectations and helps turn your ideas into reality.” - Susan Woolf, Director of Operations, National Student Leadership Conference
“James is an extraordinary individual. He represents to me, the best of what this business holds in the next few decades.” – Gemma Puglisi, Assistant Professor, American University