SCHEDULE
Publicity, Reviews, and the Oscars: Important or Not?
Oscar Shorts publicist Mariana Méndez and AP movie critic Lindsey Bahr dig into the business of promoting films, the merits of critical recognition, and much more.
Mariana Méndez
Producer and Publicist
Mariana is a film producer and awards publicist based in New York City. Since 2017, as part of JJPR, she has supported the execution of Academy Award® campaigns for entertainment companies such as Amazon, Apple, Focus Features, GKIDS, Searchlight, and Warner Bros., as well as campaigns for the Oscar® winning shorts Skin (2019) and The Neighbor’s Window (2020), along with five other nominated shorts.
Through her production company, Mindsoup, she has produced several acclaimed short films including Oscar® nominated shorts in both the live action and animation spaces. Her latest animated short film, Humo, was shortlisted for the 96th Academy Awards®, nominated for an Annie Award, and the recipient of an Ariel Award, Mexico’s highest film honor.
She holds an MBA from New York University’s Stern School of Business, is a member of the Producers Guild of America (PGA) and sits on the board of the Jalisco Film Commission.
Lindsey Bahr
Film Critic
Lindsey Bahr is a Pittsburgh native who has been a film writer and critic for The Associated Press since 2014. She previously worked at Entertainment Weekly in Los Angeles.