Mark Shady is a renowned and accomplished producer with an extensive background in independent filmmaking, boasting over two decades of experience in the industry.
As he navigated the festival circuit, Mark produced several feature films, including the critically acclaimed Baseball drama, High & Outside; A Baseball Noir, which starred Ernie Hudson and Geoffrey Lewis. This notable achievement marked a significant milestone in his career.
Subsequently, Mark decided to venture into film distribution, where he worked as an exhibitor or market coordinator at every major film market globally, including the prestigious Cannes, Berlin, AFM, Sundance, Toronto, SXSW, and both Mipcom & MipTV.
In 2016, Mark co-founded First Focus International, a producer & film rep company, alongside his partner, Leif Holt, a seasoned filmmaker. Under their guidance, First Focus International successfully released All Between Us, starring Tiffany Haddish, distributed by Vision Films in 2018. Most recently, they signed The Bellmen, featuring Thomas Lennon, Richard Kind, and Willie Garson, for international distribution.
Throughout his tenure at First Focus International, Mark participated in various film panels across the nation, including the 2018 New Mexico Film Commission's New Film And Media Conference and the 2021 Show Low, Arizona Film Festival, where he delivered a seminar on finding distribution for feature films.
In 2023, Mark parted ways with First Focus International to establish his own sales rep company, First Focus Independent, a sister company of First Focus International.
Prior to his work at First Focus International, Mark developed his skills at Senator Entertainment (formerly Mandate Pictures) and also worked as a video game producer for TimePlay Entertainment, where he spearheaded TimePlay Sports; an interactive sports trivia game that launched nationwide at Dave & Busters.
