ABOUT
THE POPCORN LIST
the opportunity
The Popcorn List (TPL) provides an opportunity for both industry & audiences to Discover Fresh, Hot Films:
The Popcorn List: Each year, we survey film festival programmers from across the country to spotlight films that are not yet in wide distribution, but deserve a much bigger audience. We collate the recommended films in a free, open online database so that everyone can access the List without paywalls or restrictions.
Pop Up Series: In 2025, we took this a step further, and hosted a Pop Up Series featuring 8 recommended films from 2025’s List, in theaters in 10 cities across the country, and virtually on Eventive nationwide. Consider this your early warning: Pop Up Series Round 2: “Fresh, Hot Summer” is coming.
THE HISTORY
What began in 2024 as a discovery and visibility experiment has quickly grown into something much bigger, thanks to deep support from across the independent film ecosystem.
- Hundreds of films premiere at festivals every year, yet struggle to find meaningful theatrical or digital distribution AND many filmmakers lack the knowledge and funding to mount their own wide releases
- Independent distributors face increased costs and and challenges, theatrical releases require an elevated and targeted marketing spend, AND theatrical releases drive eight times the social buzz than streaming-only releases
- Movie theaters lack original content that would have traditionally come from these distribution deals AND audiences are hungry for story-driven content outside the algorithm
- 74% of Gen Z and Millennials prefer seeing originals, diversity and representation on-screen AND positive word-of-mouth remains the biggest audience driver
Independent film lives at the intersection of creativity and commerce…
Lela Meadow-Conner
co-founder
Lela Meadow-Conner is the Founder and CEO of mamafilm, which nurtures bold, socially conscious stories about women and identity —through a maternal gaze. Her work centers intentional curation, creative producing, and projects that cultivate engagement for film makers and goers. She currently serves as the Interim Executive Director of Art House Convergence, a coalition of independent exhibitors connecting, amplifying, and advocates for mission-driven cinemas From 2023-2025, she served as Board President of Art House Convergence, and from 2017-2022 she served as Executive Director of Film Festival Alliance. She’s the co-founder of The Popcorn List and its Pop Up Series; and the co-founder of rePROFilm, which connects storytellers and advocates who celebrate bodily autonomy. As a Producer her films have screened at over 50 festivals around the world, including BFI London and Palm Springs and recent credits include CHASING CHASING AMY (Tribeca, 2023) and the short, and feature versions of RUN AMOK (Sundance, 2026). In 2025 Lela was included in Celluloid Junkie’s Top 50 Women in Global Cinema.
Kathy Susca
co-founder, The Pop Up Series
Kathy Susca is the Director of Content and Operations for The Film Collaborative, coordinating operations for their festival and non-theatrical distribution program, spearheading TFC’s 2020 transition to virtual festivals, and served as the editor of How Not to Sign a Film Contract: Know What You’re Saying Yes To. She recently joined the Board of Directors of the Film Festival Alliance. She was the founding Director of Operations for the diversity initiative the Jane Bolin Project and consulted on the joint USC/Shoah Foundation film-based project Teaching Genocide Through Media. Kathy has been working with TFC since 2013, and regularly speaks on panels and in classroom settings as to independent film distribution strategies, and in particular festival strategy. She earned her Bachelor’s in Critical Studies of Film and Italian from the University of Southern California, and her Master’s in Cinema Studies from New York University. Kathy splits her time between Los Angeles and Florence.
Barbara Twist
co-founder
Barbara Twist is a nonprofit film executive, producer, and writer. Most recently, she was the Executive Director of the Film Festival Alliance, a nonprofit for festivals and the people who run them. She has extensive experience in distribution and exhibition, and her previous work includes Vidiots, Art House Convergence, Europa International, and others. Barbara is one of the organizers of IND/EX, the largest gathering of independent Exhibitors and Distributors in North America, and has been a key force behind exciting discussion series and new initiatives to address the distribution crisis – including most recently The Popcorn List. A frequent contributor to Dear Producer, she has written for various industry outlets on exhibition and distribution issues. She co-leads a monthly convening focused on surfacing challenges within indie distribution through the Filmmaker Distribution Collective, and she is a co-founder and board member of the field-wide advocacy nonprofit, Future Film Coalition.
Kylie Brown
digital director
KylieB is a queer, Korean Kansan who cultivates creative communities. Pulling on her experience in live event production, digital management and tech support — aka “moral support” — she supports artists of all mediums to execute their programming. She works with Mid-America Arts Alliance’s Artist INC programs and with Harvester Arts for Artist INC Live in Wichita. She provides assets and websites for mamafilm, Educa Consulting, Green Tide Rising, and The Popcorn List. As a performer, #CleotheCello, makes special appearances with Josué Estrada. @kblivnfree || swey-cleo.com
