Catalyst Festival Wraps Up with a Busy Day of Events

DULUTH, Minn.- The 2021 Catalyst Content Festival kicked off this past Wednesday and is wrapping up with a jam-packed Saturday full of table reads and educational panels.

Story pitch workshops, media panels, and film screenings were among the many scheduled events spread across the Northland for the in-person festival.

“Coming back to Duluth has helped us to reconnect with some of our peers, to have very important conversations about the future of filmmaking, and to figure out how to make independent series have legs and continue forward,” said Palikari Pictures Producer Sarah Donnelly.

This year’s four-day event even featured the announcement of a new partnership between Catalyst Story Institute and the National Academy of Television Arts, and Sciences, the organization behind the Emmy’s.

They are collaborating on a new mentorship program that will pair catalyst students with content leaders in different regions, to help guide the young creators.

“Look at that the important factor of growing talent is mentors,” said Media Consultant Timothy Egan. “People that can give you advice, that can give you feedback. Because we have regional chapters, because catalyst has people come from all over the country, we’re able to match up people geographically.”

The Kitchi Gammi Club on Superior Street and Zeitgeist Zinema and Arts Cafe downtown hosted several of the events for the annual content festival.

This year’s Catalyst festival brought more than 600 people to Duluth from all over the world, for a few days of networking, sharing projects, and creating new relationships.