NYWIFT Blog

By Guneet K. Singh

We’re thrilled to welcome our new NYWIFT member, Val Dowd!

Val is a film sales manager with a passion for highlighting underrepresented voices. Some of her career highlights thus far include doing outreach for Matthew Heineman’s documentary The First Wave and working with her team on Hulu’s The Jewel Thief. She’s very motivated by community and finding films that can open doors for people and offer fresh perspectives.

Read our interview with Val to learn more about the role of a film sales manager, how she approaches selling and distributing projects, and her love for film.

NYWIFT Member Val Dowd (Photo Courtesy of Val Dowd)

Give us some insight into your career journey and what drives you.

From a young age I always knew I wanted to pursue a career in film. Growing up during the

Blockbuster era I would spend countless hours rewatching movies until it was time to return them. There was something captivating about being transported into a story when watching a movie that left me curious and hungry for answers to what I had just experienced. From there I knew I had to be a part of the magical realm of cinema.

I graduated from Depauw University in Greencastle Indiana, where I majored in film studies and participated in the Media Fellows program. At the time I was not quite sure what path I wanted to take in film, so I struggled with finding my place in college as many of the film classes were heavily theory based.

At Depauw we have a winter term that lasts for four weeks and often offers opportunities for extended study. At the last minute a course called “how to make a short film” became available and I was fortunate enough to enroll in it. The course was led by Alex Thompson, the director of Ghost Light (recently acquired by IFC) He introduced me to the distribution side of the industry sharing insights from his then recent film, Saint Frances which was picked up by Oscilloscope Laboratories. I was incredibly eager to learn more about distribution. A side of the industry I did not know existed.

After that I was fortunate to get an internship with Oscilloscope and absolutely loved my time there. I learned about grassroots marketing and how to connect films with audiences, as well as the acquisition process involved in making a film accessible to viewers. Following my time at Oscilloscope, I interned with Screen Media and subsequently assisted with educational outreach for Roco Films on Matthew Heineman’s documentary, The First Wave.

In 2021, I made a spontaneous decision to move to New York after graduation, even though I had no job lined up. I used my savings to rent a small room in a Bay Ridge apartment that had no window and no air conditioning. I was mass applying for jobs, facing mostly rejections and when I was not job hunting I worked overnight at a dog boarding facility on 57th street while interning at Rooftop Films.

In October of 2021 I remember logging on to my laptop and seeing an email from Submarine saying they received my application and would like to discuss further.  I panicked because quite frankly I think this was just an application I randomly applied to as things were looking bleak and I was getting desperate. Nonetheless I got hired as a film sales assistant and three years later I am now the film sales manager.

I am motivated by community. Film drives me to build more of an inclusive community for underrepresented filmmakers. To me, films are more than mere entertainment. While I do love a good cheesy film for a mindless escape, I believe that films offer new perspectives and challenges. They bring people together enabling them to learn not only from their experiences but through each other. That is what drives me in what I do today, to find films that open doors for people who may have thought they were closed.

(Photo Courtesy of Val Dowd)

What brought you to NYWIFT?

Since moving to New York, I have been on the lookout for an organization or group focused on amplifying underrepresented voices and fostering inclusivity in the film industry. I am a strong supporter of Free the Work and New Hollywood Associates, so when I discovered New York Women in Film & Television, I was thrilled to see that their mission aligns closely with my own. Their commitment to advocating for, educating, and connecting women in media resonated deeply with me.

What does a Film Sales Manager do?

As a film sales manager, my role involves assisting my team in preparing for upcoming film festivals featuring our titles. This includes managing our current slate, reaching out to potential buyers, and tracking films we may have the opportunity to represent. I also oversee many of the screenings hosted by Submarine, ensuring that the right buyers are in attendance. When attending film festivals, I meet with buyers to understand their needs and discuss how any of our films might fit into their lineups.

This year at HOT DOCS, I aimed to engage not only with familiar buyers and filmmakers but also to explore projects and films that offer unique perspectives that might not align with typical buyer expectations. While we do sell a number of commercial documentaries, our team does not adhere to a rigid mandate regarding film acquisitions. Instead, we seek out films that present fresh ideas and new viewpoints to audiences and that challenge the market. It is essential for our team to promote films that provide educational insights and contribute to changing the industry, as it’s only by reshaping the films we sell that we can drive meaningful change.

(Photo Courtesy of Val Dowd)

You work primarily on the non-fiction side, focusing on documentary film and television. What are your biggest priorities when selling, distributing and developing these projects?

When it comes to sales, our primary focus is on the filmmakers. Our goal is to understand their needs and help realize their visions. While we may have external ideas that could potentially enhance a sale, ultimately, it’s about aligning with what our clients want and require.

Moreover, I believe that another critical aspect of sales is finding the right distribution partner. This consideration extends beyond just the financial aspects of the film. We aim to identify buyers who will treat the film with care and ensure it receives the necessary publicity and reaches the appropriate audience. We often ask ourselves questions such as how these buyers plan to release the film, what specific audiences they intend to target, and who beyond the primary audience they might also consider reaching.

What is the most challenging aspect of working in film sales?

The most difficult aspect of working in film sales is navigating the market. In recent years, it has been particularly tough, and it can be disheartening to witness so many outstanding films go unsold. However, I believe that these challenges have prompted our company to become more innovative in seeking solutions and exploring non-traditional buyers for many of our titles.

This year, we have collaborated more with several distribution companies with whom we haven’t previously partnered as much, and they have proven to be valuable in enhancing our sales and offering fresh insights into audience preferences.

Val Dowd at Sundance (Photo Courtesy of Val Dowd)

You collaborated with your team on the production of Hulu’s The Jewel Thief. What was it like working on the documentary?

That was such a fun documentary to work on! Our subject, Gerald Blanchard (The Jewel Thief) is one of the most creative, calculating and accomplished criminal masterminds of his time. So working with him was a thrilling process to hear his side of the story but also hearing the sides of other characters such as his mother, the FBI agents and acquaintances.

Working on The Jewel Thief, it was crucial to establish and create this atmosphere of trust and respect to each subject participating even before shooting. We want them to be comfortable enough to open up to us, but we also want to make sure we are crafting the appropriate questions that are not exploitative for our documentary benefits or for the viewers. It’s a delicate dance we have to learn so for preparation we would spend months researching and months doing lots of zooms with our subjects.

On set our team did a great job of making sure we were employing techniques that encourage the interviewees to open up to share their thoughts and emotions. I will admit on set it can be a bit jarring and intimidating while interviewing subjects. We don’t ever want to overstep boundaries but we also want to push them to open up and be authentic.

(Photo Courtesy of Val Dowd)

What has been the most fulfilling project of your career so far?

The most fulfilling project in my career so far was when I did outreach for Matthew Heinemans documentary The First Wave. I was tasked with contacting libraries across the country to set up educational screenings. Given that it was during the early days of the pandemic there was still a lot of uncertainty surrounding COVID-19 and the travesty that it brought.

Initially the outreach to get libraries to screen the film was slow, many in fact rejected having a screening, but our mission was to not just make audiences aware but also involved. How can our viewers do more than just watch the film? That was a big question when beginning the outreach. Yes, we want them to be moved emotionally but how do we get them from a passive viewer to an active participant?

Val Dowd on set (Photo Courtesy of Val Dowd)

What’s the best piece of industry advice you’ve ever received?

The best piece of industry advice I have received was (and still is) would be to get involved. If you are eager to learn, contribute, or be a part of something within the industry just dive in. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Always keep an open mind to learning about various aspects of the industry as you never know what might ignite an unexpected interest.

I understand that the industry can be daunting at first, making it seem that for many people and projects are out of reach. However, don’t let ego or your ego hinder your desire of wanting to participate. At the end of the day, filmmakers, buyers, agents, etc. are all in this together – most of us simply want to create and share our stories.

For more information on Val, connect with her on Instagram at @valndowd, on LinkedIn and on Facebook.