Trending Lounge Discussions

Research the companies that specialize in documentaries, then contact them.

So use Film freeway to find the doco fests, and pay for an imdbpro account, to find out which distributors carried doco's similar to yours and get their contact details.

Mark Deuce, nice to meet you too!

Hi Jack Hilkewich! I’m Ashley Renee Smith, Head of Community here at Stage 32. It’s great to meet you, and I’m so glad you jumped in to share.

First of all, huge congrats on being so close to completing your documentary! That’s a major accomplishment. We have a lot of filmmakers in the Stage 32 community with experience navigating the festival circuit and distribution avenues for docs, so you’re absolutely in the right place to ask.

I’d recommend starting a thread in the Stage 32 Filmmaking Lounge: https://www.stage32.com/lounge/directing and also in the Distribution Lounge: https://www.stage32.com/lounge/distribution. There’s a ton of collective knowledge there, and you’ll likely hear from people who’ve had docs premiere at top-tier fests or who’ve gone through direct distribution deals.

And if you’d like more personalized guidance, feel free to reach out to our Success Team at Success@Stage32.com. Let them know more about your project and goals, and they’ll help point you toward execs or services that can help!

Looking forward to hearing more about your doc when it’s ready!

.Ashley Renee Smith Thanks so much for the thorough post, I really appreciate that. I will make some posts once I have a trailer cut.

Steven Craig - welcome to the Stage 32 community, we are thrilled to have you here. What is your book about? You're in the right place and you'll find all the support you need from our incredible community here. We actually have a really great webinar that breaks down the step by step to adapt a book into a film or TV series that I think you'll find helpful: https://www.stage32.com/education/products/how-to-adapt-a-book-into-a-fi...

Welcome to the community, Steven Craig. Great to meet you. Here's a blog that'll help you navigate Stage 32 and connect with creatives and industry professionals: www.stage32.com/blog/how-to-successfully-navigate-the-stage-32-platform-...

You can get a good screenwriter to pop this out quickly if it's visual.

Thank you so much for this powerful post, Jack. Your words about forging our own path and respecting the fundamentals truly resonated with me. As an emerging screenwriter from outside the US, I'm currently developing a culturally rich, emotionally layered drama series titled Echoes of the Broken Heart. It's stories like yours that give us the confidence to keep going, learning, and creating. Grateful to be part of this incredible Stage32 community!

Hi Jack Binder, thanks so much for this post and for highlighting what makes this community so powerful. I really appreciate the reminder that it’s a maverick’s industry, equal parts structure and bold innovation. And I couldn’t agree more about the Writer’s Room. For screenwriters especially, the access to executives, education, feedback, and a supportive network is genuinely career-changing. For anyone curious, here’s the link for a free month to explore it: https://www.stage32.com/writers-room/plans-vip

Grateful to have you here sharing your expertise and insights, Jack!

Hi, Jack Binder. Great advice! Speaking of mavericks, I didn't realize it at first, but my tag on Twitter/X is ScreenwriterMaV.

Light and Magic Season 1 trailer:

https://youtu.be/DM_XwzOK_98

Florin Şumălan thanks for sharing. I'm always amazed at just how much work goes into creating films.

Hi, Erik Bianco. I like the poster. It's interesting and gritty. Hope you make connections, get script requests, and have a great time at Cannes!

Hi Erik Bianco, and welcome to Stage 32! I’m Ashley Renee Smith, Head of Community here, and I’m so glad you introduced yourself. Seven meets Spotlight is such a striking comparison, and the logline already hints at some intense themes and high-stakes conflict. I love that you’re taking it to Cannes, too! It’s the perfect place to generate buzz, build relationships, and put your script in front of the right people.

Did you know Stage 32 is hosting a private, hands-on lab with international producer and distributor Alexia Melocchi to help you perfect your Cannes pitch. You can find the lab here: https://www.stage32.com/education/products/perfecting-your-5-minute-pitc...

And you should check out our Cannes Roll-Call blog that just published earlier this week: https://www.stage32.com/blog/cannes-roll-call-2025-whos-going-who-has-fi...

Wishing you a powerful and productive Cannes experience. I hope you’ll keep us updated on how it goes!

Love the logline and the poster!

Thank you Maurice, Ashley and Jane, for your nice comments. I realize how much Stage 32 is a precious part of the process to selling a script.

And also, a very nice community of people living from the passion of the cinema.

You're welcome, Erik Bianco. Let us know how Cannes goes.

Maurice Vaughan Hey Mr. Vaughan, thanks for letting me know about the navigation stuff! I really appreciate all this newly found support from everyone in the comments! I had no idea people would even see my post or comment on it! I've told my parents about my account already, and they approve of my public posting and whatnot. I will make sure to reach out to you if I have questions or need some advice! Thanks!

Karen "Kay" Ross Nice to meet you as well! I am currently not taking any film classes, but I am taking tutoring every weekend for my film aspirations and future productions! I took video editing in 8th grade but other then that, I really have no experience in film making, but my tutor has taught me so much since we started sessions (around September). I will make sure to keep updating my posts and broadcasting my new films for all to see! Thanks for the positivity, I'm hoping to make it big in this industry!

Ashley Renee Smith Hey Ms. Smith! I appreciate all the kudos and respect you have given me from this! I read over all your advice and I will 100% make sure to keep pumping out high quality films and trying out new techniques, genres, and film making strategies! Thanks for the appreciation and I will definitely keep you in mind for my next film!

Hi Brandon Leung It's great to meet you! Thank you for sharing your story with us!

You're welcome, Brandon Leung. Yeah, reach out if you ever have questions or need advice. I'm looking forward to seeing more of your work!

Hi Karen,

Lovely to speak with you, and thanks for your message.

Yes, I work with Nat Geo a lot — in fact, I’ve just finished co-editing Ocean with David Attenborough, which is getting a theatrical release early next month. Red carpet’s on the 6th! But the BBC has been my bread and butter for the past 30 years.

If I get a chance, I’ll definitely check out the Post Lounge thingy.

As for my first screenplay — yes, it’s the one attached to my profile: Elixir. I didn’t write it thinking it would get made (it’d probably be too expensive), but more as a test for myself — to see if I could actually write something decent and maybe get a bit of external validation along the way!

Welcome to the community, David Warner. Congratulations on finishing your first feature script! Here's a blog that'll help you navigate Stage 32 and connect with creatives and industry pros all over the world: www.stage32.com/blog/how-to-successfully-navigate-the-stage-32-platform-...

Hi David Warner! I’m Ashley Renee Smith, Head of Community here at Stage 32 — welcome!

First off, huge congrats on completing your first feature screenplay! Doing that while balancing a full-time editing career is no small feat, and it’s inspiring to see your dedication pay off. I also love hearing about writers coming into screenwriting from other corners of the industry.

If you’re looking to connect with other screenwriters or swap feedback as you dive into your second script, I highly recommend joining the conversations in the Screenwriting Lounge: https://www.stage32.com/lounge/screenwriting

And if you haven’t already, we’d love to invite you to check out the Writer’s Room. It’s a fantastic space full of support, education, and opportunities. You can try your first month free here: https://www.stage32.com/writers-room/plans-vip

Looking forward to seeing more from you and your journey!

Thanks Ashley for the warm welcome. I'll be sure to take a look at the lounge in due course.

Hey David, welcome. You're from my old neck of the woods. What's the screenplay about?

Hey Tim

Tim Morell

I'm not having any issues with the download speed, Tim Morell. And I like the map background.

Thanks for letting me know, Maurice. Maybe I need to upgrade my computer.

Thanks for sharing the video Yusuf Toropov — I’m familiar with Anna Runkle’s work, and I agree that her focus on nervous system regulation is helpful for many people navigating CPTSD. Her Daily Practice (writing to offload stress, then meditating) can definitely support emotional regulation.

That said, I still think we have to be careful about generalising when it comes to therapy. You mentioned frustration with the "talk it through" model — totally valid, and I’ve seen that too. But I’d argue that good therapy doesn’t just mean endless rehashing; it’s about safely processing and updating internal beliefs, ideally with resourcing in place to avoid retraumatisation. That’s why I lean towards integrative approaches like EMDR and Gestalt, which are as much about somatic and emotional work as they are about narrative. There's value in 'bottom-up' and 'top-down' approaches. In fact i have a blog article coming out on this soon.

I also really like what you said about writers using note-taking and self-inquiry to notice triggers — that overlaps with what I’m exploring with actors around setting boundaries between themselves and their characters. Maybe there’s a creative crossover there worth unpacking more?

"You don't have to believe everything you think" is a liferaft I hang on to :-) How each person gets to that place of healthy questioning is a lifelong project, I think.

Thanks, Alexandra Stevens. I'm rooting for you to get those roles!

So glad to meet you Alexandra Stevens and to have your help moderating the Acting Lounge. I am in a similar space as you. At 47, after being fired from yet another conventional job as the result of a traumatic experience from the year prior, I figured there was no time like the present to go full bore on pursuing acting. I had been going to therapy for PTSD and she helped me see my recent PTSD was because I have PTSD from my childhood. I have done a lot of work in the past three years, I am still seeing my therapist on a weekly basis. I have done EDMR and a couple other techinques. CBT as well. I would say what has helped me most is what Yusuf Toropov has done. Learning how to self soothe (not thought when raised by parents with NPD) and regulation of emotions. Overcoming the negative thoughts, which has been the bigggest struggle for me -amazing who indoctrinated we get as children- and I would say why I never believed in myself as an actor, that I could make a living at it. I have been crippled by fear for so long. Tolle, Dooley, and Dyer are my senseis. The Stage 32 Community has helped me a lot, for a time it was the only positive force in my life. I am excited to see how your therapuetic work will inform you as an actor. I can say that I am mentally in a great place. To Yusuf, I say I don't get retraumatized when I'm acting. I think my childhood trauma informs my acting, probably what drives me to it. I can be emotionally free and connected to people on a deep level that I never experienced before. Anyway, I hope that others will be encouraged by our stories and find Stage 32 to be a safe space. Feel free to DM if you want to keep the conversation going.

Thanks so much for sharing that, Suzanne! Creativity= healing

Morgan, congratulations...and here's to more and more success!

it's a great feeling

Congratulations on finishing the first draft, Morgan Drasan! I like when I pick up things from research and writing that I can use in life! Happy rewriting!

Hi Jameel Anne Johnson this could be a great film, and I really enjoy films with women protagonists. If it's a paid collar, feel free to reach out to chat about potentially working together. Thank you!

Looks amazing Jameel Anne Johnson and wish you the best of luck here. You need to check out The Writers Room here on Stage 32 where producers are looking for a story like yours.

Hi, Jameel Anne Johnson. Welcome to the community. Your Historical Fiction series sounds interesting. Here's a blog that'll help you navigate Stage 32 and connect with creatives and industry professionals all over the world: www.stage32.com/blog/how-to-successfully-navigate-the-stage-32-platform-...

Welcome to Stage32 Jameel Anne Johnson! This is a great community (as mentioned above) that has a ton of resources and fellowship.

Hi, nice to meet you, your project sounds exciting, welcome to the community!