What can publicity do for your project? What’s unique about promoting film & television? Master the strategies with Nicola Pender.
Learn how to grab headlines and build audiences for film and television projects. Join PR professionals, producers, and filmmakers for a full day with veteran entertainment publicist Nicola Pender — from foundational principles to one-on-one project feedback.
- Part One | Breaking into the Biz: Film & TV Publicity for Public Relations Professionals. A fundamentals workshop geared to PR professionals who want to broaden their practice to include film & television publicity. We want Saskatchewan’s incredible publicity and promotions pros to learn the tips, tricks and techniques they need to begin effectively promoting film & television properties.
- Part Two | Amplify Your Story: Publicity & Marketing for Producers & Filmmakers. An intensive session teaching publicity strategies for producers & filmmakers, tailored to creative teams who want to promote their own projects. This is essential for anyone who has a film or television project they are developing, producing or distributing.
- Feedback Clinic | Individual Project Publicity Plan Review. A limited number of producers and filmmakers will have an opportunity to submit their project and its publicity plan for review, feedback and suggestions from Nicola. Information about applying for the Feedback Clinic will be provided once you have registered for the Master Class.
What session should I register for?
Each module is ticketed separately so you can mix and match based on your role and needs. Or, sign up for the whole day and save.
- Public Relations Professionals – We recommend you register for both Part One and Part Two.
- Filmmakers & Producers – We recommend you register for Part Two.
- Unit Publicists – We recommend you register for both Part One and Part Two.
Networking Opportunities
We will be hosting an informal reception following the Master Class, to give public relations professionals, unit publicists, producers and filmmakers a chance to meet. We want to inspire the film & television industry and the public relations industry to connect and thrive together.
About Nicola Pender
Nicola Pender is the principal at Pender PR, and a public relations strategist, writer, and communications specialist with 20 years (and counting) of experience in entertainment marketing, publicity, and communications.
Prior to launching her boutique agency, she spent over a decade as Director of Communications at Thunderbird Entertainment, where she led corporate communications, talent relations, press campaigns, international junkets, and red carpet strategy across film and television projects. Among the projects she helped launch were Kim’s Convenience, Blade Runner 2049, High Rise, Beat Bugs, Never Steady, Never Still, Slow West, The Riot Club, and Some Assembly Required.
At Pender PR, Nicola combines her deep studio, production, and press experience with a hands-on boutique approach. The agency prides itself on strong media relationships, custom strategies, and a client base of films, TV series, festivals, production companies, and talent.
Some recent and notable Pender PR credits include: Academy Award nominated Sugarcane, TIFF Platform Prize winner Riceboy Sleeps, Akashi, Foreigner, Seagrass, In Flames, Bones of Crows and the upcoming Tombs. Pender PR also works with acclaimed production company Oddfellows Pictures in Vancouver; the company behind Longlegs, The Monkey, Keeper and the upcoming A24 feature Backrooms.
Nicola has contributed to industry education: she created a course called “The ABC’s of Publicity” for Raindance, has spoken on panels at festivals including the Victoria and Chilliwack Film Festivals, and has done talks with GEMS and the NSI as well as a two day educational program for the FILMBA program at CapU. Nicola has sponsored awards at festivals including The Matriarch of the Year Award at the Vancouver Queer Film Festival (where she also runs their PR) and has participated in mentorship, on boards and in organizational work with Women in Film & TV, Gender Equity in Media Society (GEMS), Women in the Director’s Chair, Women in Animation, Women in View and more.
With this background, Nicola brings a blend of large-scale production insight and boutique agility to her workshops — exactly the kind of perspective that can help Saskatchewan’s screen professionals level up.
