Meet Lindsey Smith-Sands

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Lindsey Smith-Sands. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Lindsey below.

Hi Lindsey, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?

I have very ethical parents who instilled in me a strong work ethic. From my earliest memories, the expectation was always that I would do my absolute best effort at things I tried. Then as a teenager, I attended a private school with the motto “Do well whatever you do.” It became a blueprint for how I approached tasks in most aspects of my life.

I’ve always embraced the notion that I may not be able to control the work itself, but I always have a choice about how I apply myself to tasks. As I’ve moved through my life and career, I’ve learned to give myself more grace in the process.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I’ve never considered myself someone that was career focused. Because I have wide interests and talents, finding “the path” has been a long process for me. I obtained my Masters in Counseling Psychology, but while in graduate school found that I enjoyed working as a singing waitress on a dinner cruise more than my studies. I ended up moving back to LA where I had done my undergraduate work so I could help develop a restaurant chain while pursuing acting work. The restaurant job ended up sending me across the globe to open new locations in places like Ireland and Australia, and the acting work ended up being mostly in independent films.

I started volunteering as a film screener for Dances With Films Independent Film Festival in 2018 and have been a passionate advocate for the indie festival and its filmmakers ever since. The festival has been running for 28 years strong and now has events in Los Angeles (June) and New York City (December) annually. Recently, I was named Festival Director – the first in its history as its founders Michael Trent and Leslee Scallon look to serve in advisory roles after many years in the operational trenches. The community of filmmakers our festival represents embodies the true spirit of indie films – no big names, no big money, just big dreams and talent. I love the ethical way we run our festival, with heart and passion. I can’t begin to describe the incredible people I have been honored to work with, meet, and develop friendships with through DWF. I’m thrilled to serve in this new role for our next festival DWF:NY 2025 December 4-7. We are currently open for submissions at https://filmfreeway.com/danceswithfilms

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Being open to opportunities that present themselves unexpectedly has been the most important lesson of my journey. As a Type A person, I’ve learned that planning and scheduling and “grinding” are all characteristics that may help in specific situations, they can get in the way of seizing opportunities. I’ve had the most success in my life when I leave room for trying new ways of doing things, leaving room for new people and new types of work to enter my life. Second, I always focus on the “people” aspect of any work I’m doing. Who and I working with and for? Who does this work benefit or elevate? Having authentic connections and surrounding myself with mostly people that I care about is key to getting me through the mundane and boring aspects of work, no matter what position I have been. And lastly, I’ve learned to be a constant cheerleader for those around me. It can sometimes be hard to “toot your own horn,” but its easy to gush about the people I admire around me. I frequently introduce people at networking events by framing the introduction as a compliment to both parties, then walking away so its clear I’m not there to reap a reward for being kind. Kindness is itself the reward, and people appreciate being remembered and recognized and it will come back to you karma-wise. You are setting up others to talk positively about themselves without them having to seem egotistical in the process. Wins all around!

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

Dances With Films is always looking to build our network, add sponsors, and create more entertainment industry opportunities for the filmmakers we champion. We are bicoastal, so any partnerships we can develop both in Los Angeles and New York that create more visibility for indie films and filmmakers are welcome. Our festival brings industry guests in for panels, and we are always interested in bringing in guests that have valuable insights to share. Distributors, press outlets, hospitality providers are all folks that add value to a filmmaker’s festival experience. If you have something of value to offer indie filmmakers, we are open to chatting.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://danceswithfilms.com
• Instagram: lindseypix
• Other: I listed my personal instagram, but the festival instagram is @danceswithfilms. That is our handle across all social media platforms we are represented on.

Image Credits

Robert Tapaltsyan, Dustin McWethy