Audience First: Rethinking Film Marketing Before Distribution

For many independent filmmakers, audience-building is something that happens once a film is finished and a distributor comes on board. Yet in today’s crowded marketplace, that approach is becoming increasingly difficult to sustain. Should producers be thinking about audiences while projects are still being financed and made? Can marketing strategy strengthen a film’s positioning, partnerships, and long-term visibility? And how can filmmakers balance creative priorities with the growing need to build awareness and engagement long before release?Bringing together Oscar-winning producer Mollye Asher (Nomadland, The Rider, On Swift Horses) and film marketing strategist Mathias Noschis (Alphapanda), this conversation explores the evolving relationship between producing and audience development. Drawing on experiences from the U.S. and European independent sectors, the session examines how audience considerations intersect with financing, packaging, partnerships, publicity, and distribution—and why building momentum around a film can no longer be treated as an afterthought.As traditional distribution models continue to evolve, the conversation asks a fundamental question: is audience strategy still a marketing concern—or has it become an essential part of filmmaking itself?
In partnership with Creative Europe Desk CZ MEDIA, Global Media Makers, United States Department of State, United States Embassy Prague, United States Embassy Bratislava .