On October 15, the first “Conversation Piece” of this academic year took place, with Joana Vicente, a producer and director of independent films, as our speaker.

The conversation centered on the role of female producers, executives and filmmakers in the independent film industry and the challenges posed by current crises, wars and political and ideological tensions to the processes of film-making and curating films for festivals. Joana Vicente also shared some crucial advice on how to enter and navigate new spaces and different roles in the field of independent film and the cultural industry at large.

Joana Vicente is a former Philosophy student and, together with her husband, Jason Kliot, founded three production houses in New York: Open City Films, Blow Up Pictures and HDnet Films. In her career, she has produced more than 40 films, several of them award winners, and has been the executive director of the Independent Filmmaker Project, the Toronto International Film Festival and, over the last few years, the Sundance Film Festival.

“Conversation Pieces” is a series of informal moments of exchange with artists and professionals in the cultural sector, organized by The Lisbon Consortium.