Unrest / Jennifer Brea / UK, USA, 2017, 98’
Guest: Rebecca Ashdown. Campaign Director, Together
| Film screening | March 23, 1:50 pm | Zhovten, Gegemon |
| Film screening | March 26, 7 pm | IZONE, 1st floor (free entrance, no tickets required) |
| Unrest: Case Study on Creative Impact Distribution | March 27, 10:00-11:30 | IZONE, 1st floor |
Unrest is a vulnerable and eloquent personal documentary that is sure to hit closer to home than many could imagine. Jennifer Brea is a Harvard PhD student about to marry the love of her life when suddenly her body starts failing her. Hoping to shed light on her strange symptoms, Brea grabs a camera and films the darkest moments as she is derailed by M.E. (commonly known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome), a mysterious illness some still believe is “all in your head.” Brea’s wonderfully honest portrayal asks us to rethink the stigma around a disease that affects millions of people. Unrest is a vulnerable and eloquent personal documentary that is sure to hit closer to home than many could imagine.
The case study will focus on the unique hybrid distribution model used to bring award-winning feature documentary Unrest and accompanying virtual reality installation Unrest VR to a wider audience. Rebecca Ashdown will discuss the creative ways in which Together Films worked with in close collaboration with Shella Films and Little-By-Little Films, to release this campaign. She will discuss how to maximise custom non-theatrical screening campaigns, and reach your target audience, using the right platform.
Jennifer Brea is an independent documentary filmmaker based in Los Angeles. She has an AB from Princeton University and was a PhD student at Harvard until sudden illness left her bedridden. In the aftermath, she rediscovered her first love, film. Her feature documentary, Unrest, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, where it won a Special Jury Prize. She is also co-creator of Unrest VR, winner of the Sheffield Doc/Fest Alternate Realities Award. An activist for invisible disabilities and chronic illness, she co-founded a global advocacy network, #MEAction and is a TED Talker.
Rebecca Ashdown is Campaign Director for Together Films. She is responsible for managing international impact distribution, marketing and outreach campaigns. She specialises in developing strategic partnerships, to ensure that content reaches the widest possible audience. She manages Theatrical and Non-Theatrical bookings for Together Films titles and lead acquisitions.
Together Films is a marketing, distribution & data agency based in London, serving clients worldwide. We offer strategic consultancy & campaign delivery in addition to developing bespoke technical solutions for the film industry. We explore hybrid distribution models and maximise custom non-theatrical screening campaigns to ensure that a film reaches the right audience, at the right time, on the right platform. We support films from development through to distribution, providing strategic consultation along the way.