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Stream began November 17, 2020 6:00 PM UTC
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Resources might be closer to home than you think. Tony Armer (St. Petersburg/Clearwater Film Commission), Katie Patton Pryor (Baton Rouge Film Commission), and Carroll Morton (Film New Orleans) discuss the importance of film commissions to local communities and highlight opportunities that many filmmakers miss out on. Moderated by Zandashé Brown (New Orleans FIlm Society).


Zandashé Brown (moderator)

Happily based in New Orleans, Zandashé Brown is a writer/director born-and-bred in and inspired by southern Louisiana. Her work raises a Black femme lens to the tradition of southern gothic horror. Brown’s directorial debut, BLOOD RUNS DOWN, was one of five projects selected for the New Orleans Tricentennial Incubator Grant in 2018 and has gone on to screen at dozens of festivals in the US and abroad. Her short film in development, BENEDICTION, was one of five projects selected for the 2020 Through Her Lens: Tribeca Chanel Women's Filmmaker Program. Brown's past narrative and documentary work has been supported by Kickstarter, Create Louisiana, the New Orleans Video Access Center, and the New Orleans Film Society where she now serves as Artist Development Coordinator and Programming Manager.


Tony Armer

Tony Armer is the Film Commissioner for St. Petersburg Clearwater, Florida. He is an Award Winning Filmmaker and the Founder of the internationally acclaimed Sunscreen Film Festival. He works with hundreds of productions each year. Tony led the Film Commission to its best year and best 5 year period ever in the 28 year history of the organization.


Katie Patton Pryor

Katie Patton Pryor was appointed executive director of the Baton Rouge Film Commission in April 2017 and is responsible for promoting Baton Rouge worldwide as a location for film and television. She works to attract, retain, and grow the creative economy and industry support. She is a Louisiana film advocate, an active member of The Association of Film Commissioners International, and an adjunct professor at the LSU film program. Her university course focuses on the economic drivers behind entertainment, with a special focus on the power of representation in film. Katie’s background is in marketing, political consulting, and film.


Carroll Morton

Carroll Morton is the Director of Film New Orleans since 2018. Since 2009 she has served in the Film Office as Deputy Director and Director of Film and Music Economic Development. During Carroll’s tenure in the Film Office she created the film industry workforce training program to expand the city’s growing film industry workforce, advised the city on film legislation, established policies and protocols for location filming, enhanced film data tracking, and partnered with economic development organizations to attract film business investment to the city. As a result of COVID-19 Carroll worked with the industry to develop the city’s COVID-19 Health and Safety Guidelines in order to ensure that the industry could return to the city and resume filming following safe practices.