Build a Film & From Script to Cannes in 7 Months - Workshop
About this Event
Build a Film Workshop and From Script to Cannes in 7 Months
September 29, 2026 – 6:30 PM
WHAT: How do you take an independent feature from screenplay to production—and then actually get it out into the world? Filmmakers Tony Armer and Ryan Watson break down two real-world case studies, Key of Bones: Curse of the Ghost Pirate and Paper Made, and the very different journeys of getting independent feature films made and into festivals, sales, and distribution.
WHERE:
Charlene A. Gordon Theater
Ferman Center for the Arts, University of Tampa
📍 214 N Blvd, Tampa, FL 33606
PARKING:
Rick Thomas Parking Garage
📍 810 Frederic H. Spaulding Dr, Tampa, FL 33606
DETAILS: The Sunscreen Film Festival, in partnership with The University of Tampa Film, Animation and New Media program, presents a free filmmaking workshop featuring filmmaker and Sunscreen Film Festival Co-Founder and President Tony Armer and filmmaker and University of Tampa Professor Ryan Watson.
Getting a feature film made is only part of the battle. How do you take a screenplay from an idea on the page through financing and production, finish the movie, and then navigate festivals, film markets, sales, distribution, and ultimately finding an audience?
Tony and Ryan will use two independent features made in 2026 as real-world case studies, offering an inside look at what it actually takes to get a movie made—and what happens after you finish it.
Key of Bones: Curse of the Ghost Pirate
Tony will break down the accelerated journey of Key of Bones: Curse of the Ghost Pirate, from screenplay and financing through production, post-production, Cannes, sales, distribution, and release.
Filmed on location in Key West in January 2026, Key of Bones went from production to the international marketplace in just four months, with a market screening at the Cannes Marché du Film as part of the Fantastic Pavilion in May 2026.
Tony will also draw from his experience producing Bernie the Dolphin and Bernie the Dolphin 2, which followed similarly accelerated paths from development and production into the international marketplace and were ultimately distributed by Lionsgate.
WATCH THE KEY OF BONES TRAILER:
Paper Made
Filmmaker and University of Tampa Professor Ryan Watson will discuss the making of his new independent feature, Paper Made, and what it took to move the project from script to production.
Shot in March 2026, Paper Made is now entering the next critical stage of its journey. Ryan will discuss the realities of getting an independent feature made, the decisions and challenges encountered during production and post-production, and what he's doing now as the film begins its festival strategy and moves toward sales and distribution.
With Paper Made just months removed from production, attendees will get a current, firsthand look at the process of taking a newly completed independent film and figuring out where it goes next.
WATCH THE PAPER MADE TRAILER:
Using these films as case studies, the workshop will explore the practical realities of:
• Developing a screenplay into a producible feature
• Packaging, budgeting, and financing an independent film
• Getting from development into actual production
• Managing production and post-production
• Creating a festival and marketplace strategy
• Understanding the difference between film festivals and film markets
• Working with sales agents, distributors, and international buyers
• Figuring out what to do once the movie is finished
• Taking a completed film into the global marketplace
• Building a realistic strategy for sales, distribution, and release
This isn't theory. It's a practical conversation with two filmmakers about movies they actually made this year—what worked, what didn't, what they learned, and the decisions they're making right now to get those films in front of audiences.
FREE and open to the public. Advance registration is requested.
Presented by the Sunscreen Film Festival in partnership with The University of Tampa Film, Animation and New Media program and Film Tampa Bay.
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
USD 0.00
