Distribution
Filmmaking - Distribution
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Producer Miranda Bailey Debunks Swiss Army Man Controversy and Challenges Conventions about Women in Film
You may not know Miranda Bailey’s name, but you probably know her work. As an actress, writer, director and producer, Miranda Bailey has a hand in just about every aspect of the independent film business. Early in her career, she executive produced Noah Baumbach’s The Squid and the Whale, and since then her producing credits have included Oren Moverman’s Time Out of Mind and the award-winning documentary Spinning Plates. Bailey’s production company Cold Iron Pictures was behind the award-winning 2015 Sundance sensation Diary of a Teenage Girl, in which she played a supporting role opposite Kristen Wiig. This summer two other films that […]
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Upstream and Downstream: 5 Observations about Independent Film Distribution at the 2016 Midpoint
The following article appears in our Spring, 2016 print edition and is appearing from behind our paywall today for the first time. Will 2016 be remembered as the year that Amazon and Netflix gobbled up the indie film market? Probably. While the two online behemoths could always change their strategies in the next several months, the ramifications of their first quarter dominance stretched far and wide, sending shockwaves through the business. But there were other changes afoot, as well. Here are five industry trends that continue to linger long after Park City. 1. The Enduring Impact of Amazon and Netflix Okay, Amazon […]
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How to Build Your Documentary’s Distribution Strategy
Gone are the days when if you were lucky enough to sell your documentary to a single distributor, they would take care of the rest. Though a select group of established documentary filmmakers still operate along those traditional lines, the majority of independent filmmakers working in documentaries today rely on a hybrid distribution plan in which theatrical, festivals, broadcast, educational, non-theatrical, and VOD rights are split. The upsides of a hybrid plan are that it potentially enables filmmakers to earn more revenue and also to develop a long-term audience. The downside? It means more work for filmmakers. A workshop at the recent Oregon […]
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POV’s 2016 Calls for Entries is Now Open
POV, television’s longest-running showcase for independent non-fiction films, has opened the doors for entries for the 2017 PBS broadcast season and beyond. The deadline for submission is Wednesday, June 15, 2016. Each year POV premieres 14-16 of the most memorable nonfiction stories to public television audiences around the country. Since 1988, POV has presented over 400 films, including some of our all-time favorite documentaries such as Roger & Me (Michael Moore) Street Fight (Marshall Curry), American Revolutionary (Grace Lee) and The Act of Killing (Joshua Oppenheimer), among many others. For submission details and requirements, check out POV’s Call For Entries Guidelines and to get a […]
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Amazon Launches New Self-Service Video Platform
In addition to YouTube and Vimeo, filmmakers can now upload and sell their original video content on Amazon. On Tuesday, Amazon announced Amazon Video Direct (AVD), a new self-service program for creators and storytellers to make their video content available to Amazon customers. Through the new program, filmmakers and video providers can distribute their content directly to tens of millions of Prime members and earn royalties based on minutes stream. Amazon will pay partners 50% of the retail price for digital purchases, rentals and subscription fees. If they choose Prime Video distribution, creators will earn royalties of 15 cents per hour streamed in the […]
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Sickhouse Becomes First Feature Film Designed for Mobile Viewing
Sickhouse, a horror thriller produced by Indigenous Media, is billing itself as the first-ever scripted film, shot in real time, that’s designed for mobile viewing. Written and directed by award-winning filmmaker Hannah Macpherson, Sickhouse was shot over the course of five days, April 29-May 3, in Los Angeles and experienced live on Snapchat and other social platforms. The story was designed to be told through a series of snaps, but also as a linear film. The snaps are now being edited into a Director’s Cut with additional footage. The final feature-length film will be available exclusively on Vimeo beginning Wednesday, June 1. The film tells […]
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Hulu Dives into Documentaries with Beatles Doc from Ron Howard
Looking to compete with Netflix in the documentary arena, Hulu announced this morning at its upfront presentation for advertisers in New York that it has launched Hulu Documentary Films, a destination for original and exclusive documentary film titles. Hulu Documentary Films’ first acquisition is The Beatles: Eight Days a Week (working title), a feature documentary directed by Ron Howard. Hulu has acquired U.S. streaming rights to the documentary, which will premiere in theaters in the fall before heading to Hulu. The documentary, which will explore the early years of The Beatles’ career, is produced with the full cooperation of Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Yoko […]
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Vimeo Acquires VHX With Plans to Boost Video Subscription Business
Vimeo, the ad-free video platform, today announced it is acquiring VHX, the OTT (over-the-top) video distribution platform which allows creators to sell videos in forms ranging from individual downloads to subscription channels. In fact, VHX’s subscription technology, which includes the ability to build apps for the web, mobile and set-top boxes, is what drew Vimeo to the startup. Kerry Trainor, Vimeo CEO, told Filmmaker, “With the addition of VHX, Vimeo now offers a complete streaming ecosystem for individual creators, niche programmers and major media partners to offer subscription video on demand (SVOD) channels. Only Vimeo offers partners the ability to build […]
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Watch: Weiner, Set to Kick Off Rooftop Films Summer 2016 Series
New York’s Rooftop Films will kick off its 20th annual summer series on May 18 with a screening of Weiner, the winner of the Sundance Film Festival’s 2016 US documentary grand jury prize. Directed by Josh Kriegman and Elyse Steinberg, Weiner will open in theaters May 20 and hit VOD on May 26 via Sundance Selects. As the trailer (above) shows, the documentary follows the now infamous former New York congressman on the 2013 mayoral campaign trail following a sexting scandal. In addition to Weiner, Rooftop Films will present the documentaries Don Juan and Life, Animated, as well as narrative titles Hunt for the Wilderpeople and White Girl. […]
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TCM and Criterion Partner on FilmStruck, Streaming Service for Cinephiles
If Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, and Fandor aren’t satisfying your cinematic cravings, you’re in luck. Turner Classic Movies has partnered with Criterion Collection on FilmStruck, a new subscription-based streaming service which will feature hundreds of contemporary and classic arthouse, indie, foreign and cult films from both independent and Hollywood studios. It will also be the exclusive streaming home for Criterion Collection, which, until now, has been exclusively available at Hulu and Fandor. FilmStruck’s library will feature a deep roster of films from such independent distributors as Janus Films, Flicker Alley, Icarus, Kino, Milestone and Zeitgeist, along with movies from Hollywood’s major movie studios including […]
