LAUNCHING A FILM DURING A PANDEMIC

Webinar Replay

What does releasing a film look like in the middle of a pandemic when most theaters are closed and film festivals have gone virtual? Dear Producer brought together the producers of the filmmaker-driven company The Population, who have collectively produced some of the most talked about films of 2020, to find out. Watch the replay now!

Mynette Louie, Mollye Asher, and Derek Nguyen discussed all the ways in which they have had to adapt strategies and adjust expectations in order to bring their films to audiences. From SWALLOW igniting the drive-in movie resurgence, to NOMADLAND’s awards-circuit run, to I CARRY YOU WITH ME holding out until it can be released in theaters, and reading tea leaves for forthcoming CATCH THE FAIR ONE's festival and sales strategy. These producers have seen it all and the struggles they have faced have only fueled them to keep disrupting the status quo of whose stories are told. 

The Population, founded in 2019 by award-winning producers Mynette Louie, Mollye Asher, and Derek Nguyen, is a filmmaker-driven company focused on producing work featuring underrepresented voices. Feature films include Carlo Mirabella-Davis' Gotham Award-nominated SWALLOW (Tribeca 2019, IFC Films), Heidi Ewing's I CARRY YOU WITH ME (Sony Pictures Classics), winner of both the Sundance 2020 NEXT Innovator and Audience Awards, and Joseph Kubota Wladyka's forthcoming action-thriller CATCH THE FAIR ONE. The company recently announced a first-look deal with Topic Studios. Collectively, Mynette, Mollye, and Derek have worked with over 75 directors and produced over 30 feature films, which have won Spirit and Gotham Awards, received Emmy and Golden Globe nominations, premiered at top festivals like Sundance and Cannes, and landed on many "best films of the year" lists. These include NOMADLAND, THE TALE, THE RIDER, THE INVITATION, THE HOUSEMADE, BUSTER’S MAL HEART, LOVESONG, and LAND HO!.

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