In 2022 I held two “Ask Me Anything” Zoom sessions on Dear Producer and I had meant to do more, but dropped the ball. However, they were very successful so I am resurrecting the idea and bringing in some of the best producers working right now to participate.
“Ask Me Anything” is a group consulting forum created to answer specific questions filmmakers have about their projects and career. 10 filmmakers will participate in a Zoom session with either producer Liz Cardenas, Sarah Winshall, or Daniel Tantalean. Each participant will be allotted 10 minutes to ask their specific question and receive advice. Participants will join for the entire session, listening in on all the questions asked by participants, allowing for an opportunity to learn about a wide range of topics and build community. The session will be moderated by Rebecca Green and will not be recorded in order to provide a safe space for open dialogue.
Each session is $50 per person. 100% of the proceeds goes to pay the producer leading the session for their time and expertise.
Three sessions are being offered. Please sign up via the below links for the producer you feel best suits your needs based on their body of work (bios below). Participants will present their question at the session. Do not send materials to review in advance. Block out 2 hours for the session.
If you have any questions about the events, email hello@dearproducer.com.
LIZ CARDENAS
Tuesday, September 24 @ 2pm PT / 5pm ET
Liz Cardenas is an award-winning producer and writer/director. Nominated for Producer Award at the 2023 Independent Spirit Awards, she won Best First Feature in 2022 for 7 DAYS and was nominated for the John Cassavetes Award in 2019 for NEVER GOIN’ BACK (A24). A former journalist, she’s a Gotham Cannes Producers Network, Rotterdam Lab and Film Independent Fellow, and she was included in the 2019 LATINXT, a curated list of emerging Latinx creators from an initiative by Zoe Saldana, Robert Rodriguez and Lin-Manuel Miranda. She has seven features under her Ten to the Six Pictures, including one she’s set to direct. She’s based in LA and Dallas, where she was raised by her father who immigrated to the US from Mexico and her mother from the East Coast. Other notable credits include David Lowery’s A GHOST STORY, Alex Lehmann’s ACIDIMAN, Tribeca Award-winning MATERNA and Outfest Best US Narrative Feature JULES OF LIGHT & DARK.
SARAH WINSHALL
Tuesday, October 15 @ 4pm PT / 7pm ET
Sarah Winshall is a creative producer and the founder of the independent production company, Smudge Films. She launched the Los Angeles Festival of Movies in 2024. In 2023, she received the Dear Producer Award, and she was a 2022 Gotham/Cannes Producers Network Fellow. Recent films include: I SAW THE TV GLOW (dir. Jane Schoenbrun, A24), GOOD ONE (dir. India Donaldson, Metrograph Pictures), DREAM TEAM (dirs. Lev Kalman & Whitney Horn, Yellow Veil), and GIVE ME PITY! (dir. Amanda Kramer, Utopia). Previous work has played at Cannes, Sundance, Berlinale, SXSW, New Directors/New Films, CPH:DOX, Outfest, Rotterdam, at MoMA, and on the Criterion Channel.
DANIEL TANTALEAN
Tuesday, November 19 @ 9am PT / 12pm PT
Daniel Tantalean is a 2023 Film Independent Producing Lab Fellow and producer of IN THE SUMMERS, winner of the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance 2024. He is also a 2020 and 2022 NALIP Latino Media Market Fellow, and was chosen for the 2024 Tribeca Creator’s Market for his feature documentary REBEL WITHOUT A PAUSE.
His exceptional work has been featured at top film festivals including Sundance, Tribeca, SFFilm, Hot Docs, and Big Sky Documentary Film Festival. Daniel was shortlisted for the 2021 AT&T Untold Stories Competition and produced the award-winning short doc ALE LIBRE distributed by The New Yorker.