Shellie Schmals is an award-winning Buffalo-based creative producer and publicist, founder of VonSchmals Productions, current Board Member of Squeaky Wheel Film & Media Art Center, and former Graduate Assistant in the University at Buffalo Office of Student Life.
1) You are involved in many creative endeavors. Tell us about VonSchmals, your freelance publicity work and Squeaky Wheel.
VonSchmals Productions is the umbrella for the creative producing, programming and community-building work I’ve developed throughout my career. The simplest way I describe it is: Producing Culture. Building Community.
My work sits at the intersection of film, live events, publicity, audience development and creative workforce development. I love creating opportunities that connect artists with audiences, collaborators and resources.
That includes supporting Buffalo’s independent film community. I’ve been involved with Gilded Splinter, a locally produced independent feature, through community engagement, events and audience-building. Helping strengthen projects being made here is an important part of what I want VonSchmals to do.
My current projects also include #QueenCityStories, an interview series highlighting Buffalo creatives; Queen City Film Pitch, an education and pitch initiative for emerging filmmakers; and Film Strip Fest, a two-day short film and burlesque festival coming to Buffalo in March 2027.
As a freelance publicist, I work primarily in film and entertainment. I’m currently working with Assemble Collective on documentary campaigns including Your Attention Please and Deconstructing Dahlia, supporting press outreach, partnerships, screenings, events and overall campaign coordination.
I’m also on the board of Squeaky Wheel Film & Media Art Center, which has been an important part of reconnecting with Buffalo’s creative community and supporting local artists and filmmakers.
2) How did you get to where you are today, and how has networking helped?
My career has definitely not been a straight line, and I think that’s important for students to hear.
I moved to Atlanta right after graduating from UB and spent much of my career somewhere between film, entertainment, events, publicity, programming and community engagement. I started in youth programming and nonprofit leadership, but things really shifted toward the creative world when I started doing improv at Relapse Theatre. It opened up a new path where I could take the skills I already had—programming, marketing and fundraising—and apply them to producing comedy, burlesque, stand-up, visual arts and music events.
I later spent ten years with the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival, working in programming and industry relations, which taught me an enormous amount about filmmakers, festivals, audiences and bringing films into communities.
From there, I worked with Stage 32, an international community for film, television and digital creatives, and then spent two years as Director of Field Marketing for Allied Global Marketing, overseeing regional campaigns for studios including Searchlight, Lionsgate, Hulu and NEON. I managed a multi-market team and worked across publicity, grassroots marketing, screenings, partnerships and live events.
In 2025, I moved back to Buffalo after many years in Atlanta. Coming home gave me the chance to look at everything I had learned and ask, “How can I use this here?” That question has shaped VonSchmals, the Queen City programs I’m developing, my freelance publicity work and my involvement in Buffalo’s creative community.
Networking has been critical at every stage of my career. I don’t mean collecting business cards or adding hundreds of people on LinkedIn. I mean building genuine relationships, staying in touch, doing good work and helping people when you can. I can pretty clearly connect the dots of my career through the friends and colleagues I’ve met along the way.
Some of my best opportunities have come from relationships that started years earlier. The person you meet at an internship, screening, alumni event or volunteer project may become a collaborator, employer or client years later.
Your network grows with you.
3) What was your educational background, and how did it influence your career?
I earned my undergraduate degree in History from Daemen University, a Master of Education in Higher Education Administration from the University at Buffalo, and later an MBA in Leadership Development from Brenau University.
Each degree gave me something different. When I started at Daemen, I thought my history degree would lead me to law school. But getting involved in clubs and organizations helped me discover how much I enjoyed leadership, programming and bringing people together—and ultimately started pointing me in a different direction.
My M.Ed. taught me how people learn, how to build programs and how to communicate with different audiences. Working in UB’s Office of Student Life was especially important in developing skills I still use when I’m creating programs, moderating conversations, building partnerships or supporting emerging artists.
My MBA helped me think more strategically about organizations, budgets, marketing and sustainability. I also worked with a cohort of professionals from fields I might not have encountered otherwise, including accounting, economics and finance. That broader perspective has been especially valuable as I’ve moved into developing programs and producing projects independently.
I don’t think your degree has to dictate one specific career. My education gave me a set of tools that I’ve continued adapting as my career has evolved.
4) Were there organizations, clubs or internships in college that helped shape you?
I was definitely a clubs-and-orgs kid at Daemen. I was a member of Delta Phi Mu sorority, served two terms as Student Association President, volunteered for Orientation and Senior Week, and had the opportunity to serve on both the presidential search committee and Alumni Board. Those experiences directly influenced my decision to pursue Higher Education Administration at UB.
At UB, I worked as a graduate assistant helping students organize commuter and Greek activities, while also volunteering as a BBYO chapter advisor.
Some of the experiences that shaped me most happened outside the classroom. I was learning leadership, programming and community-building long before I realized those could become a career.
My advice to students is simple: get involved. Join organizations, volunteer, work on projects and show up for opportunities that interest you. It’s one of the best ways to figure out what you enjoy while building relationships along the way.
5) What are some of the biggest challenges you face in your career?
One challenge in creative industries is that careers rarely follow a predictable path. Projects end, companies change direction and entertainment evolves constantly. You may be balancing several clients or projects at once, so you have to become comfortable with a certain amount of uncertainty.
Another challenge is explaining what you do when your work crosses several disciplines. I’m a publicist, producer, programmer, strategist and community builder. For a long time, I thought I needed to fit neatly into one box. Eventually, I realized that the combination of those skills is one of my greatest strengths.
The other challenge is sustainability. Creative people are often incredibly passionate, which can make it easy to say yes to everything. Learning what deserves your energy, what you should be paid for and when you need to say no is an important professional skill.
6) What advice do you have for someone pursuing a career in arts, entertainment or film?
Start before you feel completely ready.
You probably are not going to graduate knowing exactly where you fit in the industry, and that’s okay. Try things. Work on sets. Volunteer at festivals. Take internships. Go to screenings. Help produce an event. Sit in on panels. The more you expose yourself to, the more you understand both what you enjoy and what kinds of jobs are actually out there.
Film and entertainment need so much more than actors, writers and directors. There are careers in publicity, marketing, distribution, programming, production, festivals, partnerships, events, audience engagement and many other areas.
I’d also tell students to learn how to follow up. If you meet someone at an event, send the email. Connect on LinkedIn and include a note. If an alum takes the time to talk with you, stay in touch. Relationships build over time.
And be someone people want to work with. Be prepared, curious and dependable. Meet deadlines. Treat people well. Share opportunities. Show up.
Talent matters, but being collaborative and reliable will take you a very long way.
And don’t assume you have to leave Buffalo to build a creative career. I spent many years building my career in Atlanta, and I’m incredibly grateful for that experience, but coming home has reminded me how much talent and opportunity exists here. You can build a national network and still be part of what’s happening creatively in Western New York.
7) Tell us about the Creative Sustainability Summit happening September 14.
The Western New York Creative Sustainability Summit is happening Monday, September 14, 2026, from 3:30–8:00 p.m. at Villa Maria College, and it is free to attend. Registration link: Western New York Creative Sustainability Summit · Luma
The Summit grew out of a question nearly every creative person eventually faces: How do we build creative careers and organizations that can actually sustain themselves?
We’re bringing Emily Best, founder and CEO of Seed&Spark, to Buffalo for an afternoon focused on two important areas for independent creators: crowdfunding and distribution.
The event is a collaboration between Film Neighbor Network, Get Fokus’d Productions, Squeaky Wheel Film & Media Art Center and VonSchmals Productions.
What excites me most is that it isn’t just for filmmakers. The ideas apply to artists, musicians, performers, writers and other creative entrepreneurs trying to fund their work, grow audiences and build something sustainable.
For UB students, it’s also a chance to meet working creatives from across Western New York. You never know which conversation may lead to your next project, internship, collaborator or job.
8) What is the best way for a UB student to reach you?
I’m always happy to hear from UB students interested in film, entertainment, publicity, programming or creative careers. The easiest way to reach me is through LinkedIn or by email at shellieschmals@gmail.com. If you connect on LinkedIn, send a quick note letting me know you’re a UB student and what you’re interested in.
You can also follow my work on Instagram at @vonschmals.
And don’t feel like you need to have the perfect question before reaching out—sometimes, “I’m interested in this field and would love to hear how you got started” is more than enough.
