Speaking

Brian Newman has been a speaker and/or prominent panelist at every major film festival in the world, including: Berlin, Cannes,Hot Docs, IDFA, Karlovy Vary, Locarno, Sundance, SXSW, Talinn, Toronto, and Tribeca, among many others. He also speaks regularly at business conferences, and for numerous major corporations. He is also an instructor at the New School in NYC, teaching independent film production, and for the ETSU/BrandStorytelling Certificate Program.

Brian has spoken on a host of topics including:

  • Brands and Cinema;
  • The future of film production & distribution;
  • Marketing, Outreach and Audience Development through new technologies;
  • The future of media, and of arts & culture;
  • VOD and New Business Models.


Featured Talks


The Redford Center Sundance Film Festival Session — An Antidote to Despair: How Independent Film is Driving Climate Action, January 2024

Beyond Resilience series: The Documentary System is Broken. Now What? Dec 7, 2023

Screenovators Webinar Series: Reimagining Film Festivals, October 17, 2023

On The Hook — Episode 10 — The Art of Brand Storytelling Through Independent Film 

From Sarajevo CineLink Talks On ScreenDaily, on New Models for the Funding of Films at the Sarajevo Film Festival in August, 2022

Locarno Film Festival, Keynote Brands and Film; Moderator, Panel on UK Co-Productions, August, 2023


Click here to contact Brian about bookings.


Upcoming Talks:

International Documentary Association Conference: Getting Reel, April 2024 


Past Talks & Events:

FilmShop Luminary, Feb 2023

Waterbear Impact Storyhouse at Sundance Film Fest, Jan 2023

How Independent Film Is Driving Climate Action: A Sundance Film Fest. event presented by The Redford Center, Jan 2023

Camden International Film Festival; Distribution Panel TBD, Sept, 2023

FilmNorth Forum, Distribution Panel, Sept, 2023

Sundance Catalyst Gathering, September, 2023

SXSydney XR Jury, October, 2023

Beyond Resilience series: The Documentary System is Broken. Now What? Dec 7, 2023

Screenovators Webinar Series: Reimagining Film Festivals, October 17, 2023

Locarno Film Festival, Keynote Brands and Film; Moderator, Panel on UK Co-Productions, August, 2023

Show & Tell Organization, Private Keynote, July, 2023

BrandStorytelling, Elevate Conference, Distribution Panel, July, 2023

Camden International Film Festival (Maine) and Points North Institute, Board and Donor Dinner Keynote, July, 2023

The D-Word, Online Conversation, July 7, 2023

MountainFilm Telluride: DocSociety Town Hall KeynoteSoapBox For the Future of Film, May, 2023

Sundance Collab Advisor Studio: Staying Relevant in an Evolving Film Industry, with Ted Hope. May, 2023

SeriesFest: Innovation in Brand Storytelling, May 2023

CPH:DOX Keynote: Embrace the New, April 2023

SXSW: Metaverse and Film, March 2023

Bay Area Women's Doc Club Keynote, Feb, 2023

DOCNYC PRO: Funding Yourself: New Models of Revenue Generation. November 10, 2022

Advertising Week, October 2022 - Brian will present a new talk on the State of Brand Funded Films, and how to make them Oscar worthy

Brand Film Certification- an educational program from BrandStorytelling and ETSU- Instructor, throughout 2022.

NYFA: Film Distribution Today, the Basics, Recent Changes, and What's Next, September, 2022

Who Will Pay For Social Impact Films, Sarajevo Film Festival, Cinelink Industry Days, August, 2022

Taiwan Pitch, The Current State of the Doc Market, July, 2022

DC Independent Film Festival, Distribution Panel, March 2022

Film Finance Forum, Oct. 2021

Brands and Film,IQ (Int. Quorum of Producers) Conference, Oct. 8, 2021

Distributing Your Film, Nashville Film Festival, Oct 1, 2021. 

The Collapse of WindowsNew Directors, New FIlms Festival, Portugal, July 22, 2021

Brands & Film, UFVA 75th Annual Conference, July 27, 2021

Post-Pandemic Film Distribution, UFVA Annual Conference, July 29, 2021

The New Normal in Distribution, Marché du Film - Festival de Cannes, July, 2021

Brand Film Awards Jury, March-May, 2021

RuderFinn/Osmosis Brand Film Virtual Summit, March, 2021

Slamdance Summit - February, 2021

FilmLaunch, Entertainment Insider Panel Series, January, 2021

Brooklyn Filmmakers Collective Panel, December, 2020

Chicken & Egg Fund Funding Panel, December, 2020

Filmocracy Film Fest - Summit November, 2020

Future of Film Summit - Brand Funding (Chair) Nov 18-20

Camden Film Festival Pitch, October, 2020

Chicago Film Fest, Industry Days, Don't Panic- Fundraising in the Pandemic, Oct 17th

Ghetto Film School, Roster, Festival Panel, Sept, 2020

Rotterdam Film Festival, Roundtable, Aug, 2020

Encounters, South African Film Festival, Aug, 2020

Elevate Conference, Moderation of multiple panels, Summer, 2020, including: Schwab and Breakwater Studios;Brands & Documentary; and Purpose & Action During and After a Pandemic;

SeriesFest, Denver, Jury, June, 2020

Full Frame Speakeasy, June 2020

Brand Film Awards, Jury, Spring 2020

Bogota Web Fest, April, 2020 (rescheduled)

Rendezvous with French Cinema, FilmLinc, UniFrance Event, March, 2020

Brand Foundation Alliance Convening, Jan, 2020

PAST EVENTS - 2017-2019

Boston, Campfire Brand Gathering, Oct, 2019; Camden Film Festival, Sept, 2019; NYFA – Brands and Film – July, 2019; BAM – Bogota AudioVisual Market – July, 2019; Mass Expo: Branded Content & Storytelling, Nov 2018; Camden Film Festival, Sept, 2018; UnionDocs: Branded Docs Workshop, May 2018; Big Sky Documentary Film Fest, Feb 2018; DocNYC: Morning Manifesto, Dec, 2017; IDFA, Amsterdam – IDFA Academy, IDFA Forum, Nov 2017; Europa International Conference, Bucharest, Nov 2017; Camden International Film Festival, Sept, 2017; Keynote, Toronto International Film Festival Filmmaker BootCamp, Sept 2017; Future of Arts & Culture Foundations in the US & Europe; Foundation Center and Consulate of Denmark, Aug, 2017.

OTHER PAST EVENTS

Martha’s Vineyard Film Festival; ReelWorld – Impact; Europa International Conference, Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival; Camden: Branded Docs; Locarno Film Festival – Distribution; Transparency in Film Numbers; Danish Consulate NYC: The Future of the Cultural Industries; Sheffield Doc Fest: DocCampus VOD; MountainFilm Telluride: Coffee Chat; Hot Docs – Audience Engagement; and Brands & Docs; European Documentary Network (EDN) Moving Pictures Conference, Athens, Greece; Emory University: Careers in Film; Full Frame: The New Theatrical; Martha’s Vineyard Film Festival: Pitch; Europa Cinemas, New Models, Prague, CZ; Sundance 2015: Brands and Cinema; the Transparency Project; Arthouse Convergence: The Transparency Project; Big Sky Film Festival: Distribution; VOD and Maximizing Revenue; Hot Docs: Forum Moderator; IDFA: Branded Documentaries ; Montreal International Documentary Festival (RIDM), Montreal, Canada ; Cork Film Festival: Audience Building Strategies & VOD Models; Viaggio Per L’Italia: New business models in a sharing economy; Europa Films, Athens, Greece; School of Visual Arts (SVA); PushPush Theater, Atlanta, GA; Camden International Film Festival; IFP Film Week.