Synopsis
Most stories do not begin with a guaranteed audience. Some begin with people who see themselves in the story first. Whether rooted in a genre, a platform, a neighbourhood, or a culture, they help carry it farther than traditional discovery alone.
As converting attention into actual viewership becomes harder to achieve, communities are playing a growing role in what breaks through. Bringing together voices from Canadian distribution, social-first storytelling, the horror industry, online film culture, and emerging audience trends, this conversation explores how communities are identified, engaged, and mobilized across formats and platforms.
Panelists will discuss how to identify who your story is for, when audience thinking should begin, and what separates reaching an audience from building a community. In a crowded marketplace, what happens when your most invested viewers become your strongest advocates?