Making Your First Feature

ABOUT THE EVENT:

Every filmmaker remembers the leap from shorts to a debut feature, and every producer knows what it takes to get that first vision across the finish line. In this candid conversation, director–producer pairs pull back the curtain on the practical and emotional journey of making a first feature: finding the right collaborators, navigating financing hurdles, balancing creative ambition with real-world constraints, and steering through unexpected setbacks. They’ll share the lessons learned, the strategies that worked, and the creative resilience it takes to bring a first-time feature to life.

ABOUT THE MODERATOR:

Carolina Groppa

Independent Producer

Carolina is an Emmy nominated producer. She was previously the Executive in Charge of Production at Issa Rae’s HOORAE Media and ColorCreative. She was born in São Paulo, Brazil and moved with her family to the US when she was a child. Her immigrant upbringing inspired her to work hard to build the career of her dreams. On the documentary side, Carolina produced the 2017 Emmy nominated film AUTISM IN LOVE, HYSTERICAL (2020) for FX and THE HONORABLE: SHYNE (2024) for Hulu. Passionate about supporting female filmmakers, she was a co-producer on Netflix’s MISS VIRGINIA, starring Uzo Aduba and IFC’s THE FEMALE BRAIN, Whitney Cummings’ directing debut feature film. She was a physical producer on Amazon’s SYLVIE’S LOVE starring Tessa Thompson and Nnamdi Asomugha. She was also the UPM/EP on Adamma Ebo’s 2022 Sundance hit HONK FOR JESUS. SAVE YOUR SOUL, starring Regina Hall and Sterling K. Brown. She is also the creator, host and producer of ANGLE ON PRODUCERS, a podcast spotlighting producers across entertainment to understand the realities of their journey. A love letter to our community, with 120+ episodes and has helped many navigate themselves in this challenging industry. Past guests include Alex Coco (ANORA), Lauren LeFranc (THE PENGUIN) and Cynthia Erivo (DRIFT) to name a few.

PANELISTS INCLUDE:

Timothy Petryni

Producer, Trashtown Pictures

Timothy has over 10 years of experience working in production on countless major motion pictures, network television shows, music videos, digital video and virtual reality content, in New York City and Los Angeles. As executive producer and producer of Annapurna Sriram’s debut feature Fucktoys, he oversaw the development, financing, production and distribution of the film. He is currently based in Los Angeles.

Lizzie Goodman

Executive Producer

Lizzie Goodman is a British-born Executive Producer and filmmaker based in Los Angeles, with over fifteen years of experience producing commercials, films, music videos and branded content across the globe. She began her career in indie film marketing in London before transitioning into production, where she quickly developed a reputation for resourceful creativity and sharp storytelling instincts. Over the years, Lizzie has line produced, agency produced and executive produced projects for brands including Google, Starbucks, SK-II, DoorDash, Uber Eats and P&G. As Head of Production at D’Addario, she oversaw video, animation and event production for five global music brands, while earlier in her career, she ran Kode Media’s New York office, managing a roster of international directors and shepherding projects from creative pitch through final delivery. Her feature work includes James Rouse’s DOWNHILL, as well as FUCKTOYS, a visually bold 16mm film that reimagines the Fool’s Journey of the Tarot and numerous short-form narratives and documentaries. Lizzie’s background spans continents, producing shoots across the U.S., Mexico, Canada, Europe and Asia, and genres, from commercial storytelling to experimental film.

Alex Burunova

Director, Perfect Circle Films

Alex Burunova grew up painting before finding her voice in filmmaking. A Los Angeles-based USC Film School alum with a background in directing theater, she’s also directed award-winning shorts, episodics and a Netflix special. Her debut feature, “Satisfaction” -shot across Greece and London-was nearly a decade in the making and premiered at SXSW. Alex’s work blends bold visuals with emotionally intimate storytelling, often exploring themes of gender, identity and female empowerment.

Alex Russell

Writer and Director, LURKER

Alex Russell is the writer and director of LURKER, which premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival and went on to screen at Berlinale, Deauville, San Sebastián, and the BFI London Film Festival. The film was released in theaters by MUBI in August and is now available on streaming, with an international release from Focus Features later this year. He most recently served as a Co-Executive Producer on Netflix and A24’s BEEF, for which he won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series. Russell was also a Supervising Producer on FX’s THE BEAR, where his episode “Forks” (Episode 207) was hailed as one of the best-reviewed television episodes of the year and earned a WGA Award nomination.

Alex Orlovsky

Producer

Alex Orlovsky p.g.a. (Produced by) is an independent film producer and member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. Recent films include Derek Cianfrance’s ROOFMAN, starring Channing Tatum and Kirsten Dunst, LURKER, directed by Alex Russell, starring Archie Madekwe and Theodore Pellerin, THE LAST SHOWGIRL, directed by Gia Coppola, starring Pamela Anderson, Jamie Lee Curtis and Dave Bautista,SORRY BABY, directed by and starring Eva Victor alongside Naomi Ackie and Lucas Hedges, THE SUMMER BOOK, directed by Charlie McDowell, starring Glenn Close and Anders Danielsen Lie, and HIS THREE DAUGHTERS, directed by Azazel Jacobs and starring Natasha Lyonne, Carrie Coon and Elizabeth Olsen. Past projects include MEMORY, WINDFALL, NEVER RARELY SOMETIMES ALWAYS, JOHN AND THE HOLE, THE DISCOVERY, THE WOLFPACK, I ORIGINS, TERRI, THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES, BLUE VALENTINE, MOMMA’S MAN and HALF NELSON. Mr. Orlovsky’s films have been nominated for Academy Awards, Golden Globes, Independent Spirit Awards and Gotham Awards, and have played in major film festivals including Berlin, Cannes, Sundance, Toronto and Venice. On the TV side, Alex has projects with Amazon, Legendary, AMC+, Kaling International and Hulu. He has also produced commercials and content for brands such as Squarespace, Rag+Bone, Ketel One, Samsung, Nike, 7UP, Anheuser Busch, MoMA and MLB. His commercial work has been recognized at the highest level, including the Emmys, Cannes Lions, AICP awards, DGA awards and Clios. In 2022, Mr. Orlovsky launched Case Study Films with Lily Collins and Charlie McDowell, a production banner that has film financing capabilities through a strategic partnership with High Frequency Entertainment.

Helena Sardinha

Partner and Producer, Driven Equation

Helena Sardinha is a creative producer and co-founder of Driven Equation, whose work has been recognized at Sundance, Tribeca, Locarno, SXSW and DOC NYC.  A Sundance Producing Lab and Film Independent Fellow, her projects have gained the support of renowned organizations as SFFILM and the Sundance Institute. She is in pre-production on JILL TAKES A BREAK, directed by Liz Cardenas, developed at the Austin Film Society Artist Intensive, with Cobie Smulders attached to star. Helena premiered her feature SATISFACTION at SXSW, and THE ETERNITY MAN, premiered at the Warsaw Film Festival. She also served as associate producer on BLUE HERON, directed by Sophy Romvari, which premiered at Locarno, where it won the Swatch First Feature Award. Helena has joined Simbelle productions as Head of Development.