GARSON STUDIOS Stage C
1600 St. Michaels Drive, Santa Fe NM 87505
Saturday February 22nd, 10:00 AM
Panelists/guests: Matthew Engelbert, Alexandra Lexton
Moderator: Mark Shapiro
The panel will answer questions about what’s best for your particular film and how to navigate the complicated world of self-promotion and the distributor marketplace. And if you’re lucky enough to secure a distributor, what to expect, from completing the expansive distributor deliverables to budgeting to bring your film to the finish line.
Matthew Engelbert, owner of Soup J Productions, is a writer, director, producer and… lawyer. He wrote and directed What Tomorrow Brings which will have its world premiere this afternoon at The Screen. This is his first feature film. Matthew created and directed two nationally syndicated children’s television shows – Ariel, Zoey & Eli, Too (receiving Michigan film credits the first three seasons) and the Daytime Emmy nominated Steal the Show. He developed a broadcast strategy leading to both shows being seen in over 90% of US markets from 2010-2017. In tandem with the broadcast run, he established the strategy to develop Ariel, Zoey and Eli’s social media presence which grew to over 3.5 million fans and 150 million views worldwide. Following their syndicated broadcast run, both shows entered contracts covering US streaming rights. Matt recently moved to Lakewood Ranch, Florida.
Alexandra Lexton’s company Lex Productions was founded in 1998. The company develops and produces arthouse style films. Alex’s roles in the film industry have included Producer, Writer, Production Executive, Director of Development, Actress, cinematographer and film marketer. She holds a BA in English literature and dramatic arts from Whitman College, and an MFA in writing from Goddard College. Alex has produced four feature length films. Her first film as co-Producer was Digger, starring Olympia Dukakis and Leslie Nielsen. Her award-winning directorial debut is entitled The Lure of this Land which had its world premiere at the Mill Valley Film Festival in October 2019. The Lure of this Land is currently distributed by Bayview Entertainment. Her latest film Fools’ Paradise (lost?) had its world premiere at the Mill Valley Film Festival in 2024. Alex conducts public speaking and teaching engagements, as well as workshops on writing and film production. She judges for various film festivals, and is also an apple farmer, yoga/meditation teacher and retreat leader at 1900 Apple Farm.
