Home / Schedule / Sat, Mar 14, 2026

Lessons Learned: How We Made Our First Feature

Event ID: PP1162342

Sat, Mar 14, 2026 | 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM

Venue: Mansfield AB (Omni Downtown)

View on Official SXSW

Summary

So you've written or gotten your hands on a great screenplay...now what? Emily Robinson (UGLY CRY), Graham Parkes (WISHFUL THINKING), and Hannah Pearl Utt (BEFORE YOU KNOW IT, CORA BORA) are here to tell you how they did it. Making your first narrative feature is a daunting process. Come take a fascinating peak behind the lens to hear how these three extraordinary filmmakers did it. We'll look at how they collaborated with their producers and dozens of other craftspeople and artisans to create masterpieces with small budgets but great vision.

Contributors

Raw Event JSON

Large nested arrays are compacted for page readability. Full payload remains in dataset files.

Open JSON payload 
{
  "id": "PP1162342",
  "track": "Film & TV",
  "focus_area": null,
  "category": "Panel",
  "event_id": "PP1162342",
  "event_type": "panel",
  "format": "Panel",
  "genre": null,
  "subgenre": null,
  "name": "Lessons Learned: How We Made Our First Feature",
  "presented_by": null,
  "publish_at": "2025-11-03T16:30:00.000-06:00",
  "reservable": true,
  "reservable_id": "PP1162342",
  "reserved": false,
  "date": "2026-03-14",
  "end_time": "2026-03-14T12:30:00.000-05:00",
  "start_time": "2026-03-14T11:30:00.000-05:00",
  "message": null,
  "image": null,
  "credentials": [
    {
      "name": "Platinum Badge",
      "type": "platinum"
    },
    {
      "name": "Film & TV Badge",
      "type": "filmtv"
    }
  ],
  "contributors": [
    {
      "id": 110406,
      "company": null,
      "credential_types": [
        "filmtv"
      ],
      "entity_id": 2286531,
      "name": "Graham Parkes",
      "speaker_types": [
        "Speaker",
        "Cast",
        "Director"
      ],
      "title": "Writer/Director",
      "image": {
        "alt_text": "Graham Parkes",
        "credit": "",
        "url": "https://images.sxsw.com/nJoouXK5sMH7VnMPnWkKIytJ5z8=/135x15:1179x1059/600x600/images.sxsw.com/48/23e87c71-5cf0-458d-b727-3e910cd8d590/pcid-794224"
      },
      "speaker_type": "Cast/Director/Speaker",
      "details": "Graham Parkes is a writer and director from Los Angeles, working in both film and independent games. He currently works at GoodbyeWorld Games, an indie video game studio he co-founded with childhood friends. They released their first title in 2021, Before Your Eyes, a cinematic narrative game Graham both wrote and directed.",
      "links": {
        "instagram": "https://www.instagram.com/grhmparkes"
      },
      "type": "person"
    },
    {
      "id": 91018,
      "company": null,
      "credential_types": [
        "filmtv"
      ],
      "entity_id": 2253655,
      "name": "Emily Robinson",
      "speaker_types": [
        "Speaker"
      ],
      "title": "Writer/Director",
      "image": {
        "alt_text": "Emily Robinson",
        "credit": null,
        "url": "https://images.sxsw.com/tYr4pE7SBfUWZbg2nRkQgqIy4MU=/600x600/images.sxsw.com/48/82f2a996-1f55-6809-117a-8cb28e309b8b/pcid-1043980"
      },
      "speaker_type": "Speaker",
      "details": "EMILY ROBINSON is a writer, director, and SAG Award-nominated, Special Drama Desk Award-winning actor known for her work in EIGHTH GRADE, THE YEAR BETWEEN, PRIVATE LIFE, THE EDGE OF EVERYTHING, and TRANSPARENT.\n\nShe is thrilled that her directorial debut feature film, UGLY CRY, is making its premiere here at SXSW. Her short films have screened at numerous festivals, such as LA Film Festival, Outfest, and Frameline.  \n\nHer debut novel, CONSUMED, was published in 2023. \n\nRobinson holds a B.A. in Creative Writing from Columbia University.",
      "links": {},
      "type": "person"
    },
    {
      "id": 78690,
      "company": null,
      "credential_types": [
        "filmtv"
      ],
      "entity_id": 2239657,
      "name": "Hannah Pearl Utt",
      "speaker_types": [
        "Speaker"
      ],
      "title": "Film Director",
      "image": {
        "alt_text": "Hannah Pearl Utt",
        "credit": null,
        "url": "https://images.sxsw.com/cbMu4fvgpKiw-PvDijmbDSmm0e8=/600x600/images.sxsw.com/48/d59cdf41-471a-f581-2653-f33c1525b3c6/pcid-1207760"
      },
      "speaker_type": "Speaker",
      "details": "Her latest feature film, Cora Bora, starring Meg Stalter premiered at the 2023 SXSW Film Festival, was theatrically released by Brainstorm Media and is now streaming on Netflix. Her first feature film, Before You Know It, which she also co-wrote and starred in, premiered in competition at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival where she was listed as one of IndieWire’s 25 Female Filmmakers to Watch. In addition to her feature work, Hannah directed, co-wrote and starred in the Superdeluxe digital series, Disengaged, alongside Jen Tullock following the success of their Sundance short film, Partners. Hannah has been selected to participate in numerous programs through the Sundance Institute, including their inaugural Catalyst Women’s Initiative, Screenwriter and Directors Lab, and Film Two.",
      "links": {},
      "type": "person"
    },
    {
      "id": 48055,
      "company": "RossCasts",
      "credential_types": [
        "filmtv"
      ],
      "entity_id": 2203596,
      "name": "Ross Shenker",
      "speaker_types": [
        "Speaker"
      ],
      "title": "Associate Casting Director / Producer",
      "image": {
        "alt_text": "Ross Shenker",
        "credit": null,
        "url": "https://images.sxsw.com/9I_CyJ3UTH7jD5P2opMn-6YDV9U=/600x600/images.sxsw.com/48/6e4b7aa3-5be8-2377-15f6-0b5a64e4bffc/pcid-1217982"
      },
      "speaker_type": "Speaker",
      "details": "Casting Director / Creative Producer based in NYC.",
      "links": {},
      "type": "person"
    }
  ],
  "venue": {
    "accessible": false,
    "age_policy": null,
    "floor": null,
    "id": "V2399",
    "indoor_outdoor": null,
    "mixhalo_url": "https://translate.mixhalo.rocks/433?venue_id=433&partner=true",
    "name": "Mansfield AB",
    "parent_id": "V0466",
    "parent_venue_name": "Omni Downtown",
    "venue_entry_info": null,
    "formats": null,
    "location": {
      "address": "700 San Jacinto Blvd.",
      "lat_lon": [
        30.2689471,
        -97.7403971
      ],
      "city": "Austin",
      "postal_code": "78701",
      "state": "TX",
      "name": "Omni Downtown"
    },
    "root": {
      "id": "V0466",
      "name": "Omni Downtown",
      "mixhalo_url": null
    },
    "events": "[omitted 5 venue events]"
  },
  "description": "So you've written or gotten your hands on a great screenplay...now what? Emily Robinson (UGLY CRY), Graham Parkes (WISHFUL THINKING), and Hannah Pearl Utt (BEFORE YOU KNOW IT, CORA BORA) are here to tell you how they did it. Making your first narrative feature is a daunting process. Come take a fascinating peak behind the lens to hear how these three extraordinary filmmakers did it. We'll look at how they collaborated with their producers and dozens of other craftspeople and artisans to create masterpieces with small budgets but great vision.",
  "experience_level": "Advanced",
  "audio_url": null,
  "accessibility": [
    "Closed captioned"
  ],
  "accessible_venue": false,
  "add_bcl_url": false,
  "add_slido": false,
  "after_midnight": null,
  "age_policy": null,
  "american_sign_language": false,
  "apple_url": null,
  "audio_description": false,
  "caption_url": null,
  "captioned_qa": false,
  "closed_captioned": true,
  "cpe_credit": false,
  "event_status": "none",
  "has_subtitles": false,
  "hash_tags": [],
  "high_sensory_experience": false,
  "live": false,
  "long_description": "So you've written or gotten your hands on a great screenplay...now what? Emily Robinson (UGLY CRY), Graham Parkes (WISHFUL THINKING), and Hannah Pearl Utt (BEFORE YOU KNOW IT, CORA BORA) are here to tell you how they did it. Making your first narrative feature is a daunting process. Come take a fascinating peak behind the lens to hear how these three extraordinary filmmakers did it. We'll look at how they collaborated with their producers and dozens of other craftspeople and artisans to create masterpieces with small budgets but great vision.",
  "meeting_url": null,
  "meeting_url_live": false,
  "mentorly_url": null,
  "mobile_audio_url": null,
  "open_captioned": false,
  "playlist_tag": null,
  "rebroadcast": false,
  "recommended_ids": [],
  "search_conversions": null,
  "short_program": false,
  "slido_url": null,
  "sort": "LESSONS LEARNED: HOW WE MADE OUR FIRST FEATURE",
  "source": "Official",
  "squad_up_url": null,
  "stream_embed": null,
  "stream_id": null,
  "stream_url": null,
  "strobe_warning": false,
  "subdiscipline": null,
  "summit": null,
  "summit_display_name": null,
  "tags": [
    {
      "id": 950,
      "name": "Storytelling",
      "created_at": "2016-11-04T11:43:51.305-05:00",
      "updated_at": "2024-02-05T16:58:21.488-06:00",
      "sort": "STORYTELLING",
      "alpha": "S"
    }
  ],
  "talent_attending": null,
  "title_only": false,
  "track_display_name": "Film & TV track sponsored by Crunchyroll",
  "trailer_id": null,
  "trailer_url": null,
  "video_on_demand": null,
  "vimeo_id": null,
  "vod": false,
  "xr_project_type": null,
  "youtube_id": null,
  "related_events": [
    {
      "id": "FS19487",
      "event_id": "FS19487",
      "type": "event",
      "name": "Wishful Thinking",
      "publish_at": "2026-02-04T14:00:00-06:00",
      "date": "2026-03-12",
      "start_time": "2026-03-12T21:30:00-05:00",
      "end_time": "2026-03-12T23:15:00-05:00",
      "category": "Narrative Feature",
      "event_type": "screening",
      "genre": "Comedy\rSci-fi",
      "venue": {
        "id": "V0559",
        "name": "Zach Theater"
      },
      "image_url": "https://images.sxsw.com/JMDp4xNeawuyQ0KQErBQI7XeNyE=/124x73:1495x987/950x633/images.sxsw.com/183/294b43d0-ec17-d06c-8670-97b6902b4c3c/wishful-thinking-362945",
      "thumbnail_url": "https://images.sxsw.com/ilKGGWgKQD9jbEAIUeDWi3MIVmM=/950x950/images.sxsw.com/197/0c74cf59-4c93-1ea3-34c4-5aba90914033/wishful-thinking-362945",
      "credentials": [
        {
          "name": "Platinum Badge",
          "type": "platinum"
        },
        {
          "name": "Film & TV Badge",
          "type": "filmtv"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "FS19502",
      "event_id": "FS19502",
      "type": "event",
      "name": "Wishful Thinking",
      "publish_at": "2026-02-04T14:00:00-06:00",
      "date": "2026-03-16",
      "start_time": "2026-03-16T11:30:00-05:00",
      "end_time": "2026-03-16T13:15:00-05:00",
      "category": "Narrative Feature",
      "event_type": "screening",
      "genre": "Comedy\rSci-fi",
      "venue": {
        "id": "V1355",
        "name": "Alamo Lamar 5"
      },
      "image_url": "https://images.sxsw.com/JMDp4xNeawuyQ0KQErBQI7XeNyE=/124x73:1495x987/950x633/images.sxsw.com/183/294b43d0-ec17-d06c-8670-97b6902b4c3c/wishful-thinking-362945",
      "thumbnail_url": "https://images.sxsw.com/ilKGGWgKQD9jbEAIUeDWi3MIVmM=/950x950/images.sxsw.com/197/0c74cf59-4c93-1ea3-34c4-5aba90914033/wishful-thinking-362945",
      "credentials": [
        {
          "name": "Platinum Badge",
          "type": "platinum"
        },
        {
          "name": "Film & TV Badge",
          "type": "filmtv"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "FS19511",
      "event_id": "FS19511",
      "type": "event",
      "name": "Wishful Thinking",
      "publish_at": "2026-02-04T14:00:00-06:00",
      "date": "2026-03-18",
      "start_time": "2026-03-18T14:30:00-05:00",
      "end_time": "2026-03-18T16:15:00-05:00",
      "category": "Narrative Feature",
      "event_type": "screening",
      "genre": "Comedy\rSci-fi",
      "venue": {
        "id": "V1355",
        "name": "Alamo Lamar 5"
      },
      "image_url": "https://images.sxsw.com/JMDp4xNeawuyQ0KQErBQI7XeNyE=/124x73:1495x987/950x633/images.sxsw.com/183/294b43d0-ec17-d06c-8670-97b6902b4c3c/wishful-thinking-362945",
      "thumbnail_url": "https://images.sxsw.com/ilKGGWgKQD9jbEAIUeDWi3MIVmM=/950x950/images.sxsw.com/197/0c74cf59-4c93-1ea3-34c4-5aba90914033/wishful-thinking-362945",
      "credentials": [
        {
          "name": "Platinum Badge",
          "type": "platinum"
        },
        {
          "name": "Film & TV Badge",
          "type": "filmtv"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "related_sales_client": null
}