The question Seed&Spark founder Emily Best often gets from indie filmmakers is this: “What the fuck is happening in distribution, and what are we supposed to do about it?”
“They weren’t even asking at this point, ‘How do I get distribution?’ said Best, who launched the indie film crowdfunding platform in 2012. “They were like, ‘Just tell me what to do and I’ll do it. If only I knew what are the tools and what are the things that I need.’”
Best described the situation as a “black box” for creators who felt stuck and powerless as to how they should navigate distribution, with a few companies acting as gatekeepers. She said more people kept entering that box: As distribution became more challenging for everyone, even established filmmakers were now asking questions.
So after years of calls, seminars, and panels at film festivals, Best assembled everything you need to...
“They weren’t even asking at this point, ‘How do I get distribution?’ said Best, who launched the indie film crowdfunding platform in 2012. “They were like, ‘Just tell me what to do and I’ll do it. If only I knew what are the tools and what are the things that I need.’”
Best described the situation as a “black box” for creators who felt stuck and powerless as to how they should navigate distribution, with a few companies acting as gatekeepers. She said more people kept entering that box: As distribution became more challenging for everyone, even established filmmakers were now asking questions.
So after years of calls, seminars, and panels at film festivals, Best assembled everything you need to...
- 6/7/2024
- by Brian Welk
- Indiewire
Everyone’s talking about where the Sundance Film Festival will live in the future, but a more compelling question may be this: How do independent filmmakers plan to distribute their films and create real careers when even Sundance — wherever it may be based — is not enough?
That’s not a knock on Sundance, or on any festival; it’s recognizance that the world has changed. Many films don’t sell, even at Sundance. The decline in theatergoing, the change in streamers’ strategies, the rise of arthouse events: No one knows what the new normal is, but today putting faith in selling a movie at its premiere and living happily ever is not even a fairy tale; it’s a toxic myth.
That’s why (with Brian Newman’s kind permission) we’re reprinting his May 23 column from Newman’s weekly Sub-Genre Media Newsletter. He called it Film 101: New Rules for Distribution,...
That’s not a knock on Sundance, or on any festival; it’s recognizance that the world has changed. Many films don’t sell, even at Sundance. The decline in theatergoing, the change in streamers’ strategies, the rise of arthouse events: No one knows what the new normal is, but today putting faith in selling a movie at its premiere and living happily ever is not even a fairy tale; it’s a toxic myth.
That’s why (with Brian Newman’s kind permission) we’re reprinting his May 23 column from Newman’s weekly Sub-Genre Media Newsletter. He called it Film 101: New Rules for Distribution,...
- 5/24/2024
- by Brian Newman
- Indiewire
Documentary filmmaking has never been a profession one enters into to get rich — though for a brief period it seemed possible.
Cable expanded documentary’s reach to wider audiences in the 1980’s and 1990’s, and films like “Fahrenheit 9/11,” “March of the Penguins,” and “An Inconvenient Truth” became legitimate box-office breakthroughs, but nonfiction features on the whole remained something of a stepchild within the larger Hollywood ecosystem until 2017, when Netflix acquired Brian Fogel’s “Icarus” for $5 million.
At the time, the deal was one of the biggest ever for a non-fiction film. And it was followed by even bigger deals: In 2019 Netflix shelled out $10 million for Rachel Lears’ “Knock Down the House.” The following year Apple TV+ and A24 partnered to buy Jesse Moss’ “Boys State” for $10 million, and in 2021 Searchlight and Hulu bought Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s “Summer of Soul” for $12 million.
On the surface it seemed like people,...
Cable expanded documentary’s reach to wider audiences in the 1980’s and 1990’s, and films like “Fahrenheit 9/11,” “March of the Penguins,” and “An Inconvenient Truth” became legitimate box-office breakthroughs, but nonfiction features on the whole remained something of a stepchild within the larger Hollywood ecosystem until 2017, when Netflix acquired Brian Fogel’s “Icarus” for $5 million.
At the time, the deal was one of the biggest ever for a non-fiction film. And it was followed by even bigger deals: In 2019 Netflix shelled out $10 million for Rachel Lears’ “Knock Down the House.” The following year Apple TV+ and A24 partnered to buy Jesse Moss’ “Boys State” for $10 million, and in 2021 Searchlight and Hulu bought Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s “Summer of Soul” for $12 million.
On the surface it seemed like people,...
- 4/6/2024
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
Doug Jones, an independent film programmer with almost three decades of experience in film exhibition, contributed to the development of film culture across the U.S., and a former contributor to IndieWire, died November 2.
The news was announced on Instagram by Vidiots, the Los Angeles non-profit video store and cinema where Jones had worked as a buyer and programmer since May. On November 3, the video store announced that its screenings would be canceled through November 5, due to losing “a dear member” of its team. On November 4, it paid tribute directly to Jones.
“It breaks our heart to share that we have lost the great and wonderful Doug Jones, a beloved and indispensable member of the Vidiots family and a cornerstone of the global film programming community,” reads that statement posted on Vidiots’ Instagram account. “Doug is forever loved by his beautiful son and family, and an enormous network of devoted friends and colleagues.
The news was announced on Instagram by Vidiots, the Los Angeles non-profit video store and cinema where Jones had worked as a buyer and programmer since May. On November 3, the video store announced that its screenings would be canceled through November 5, due to losing “a dear member” of its team. On November 4, it paid tribute directly to Jones.
“It breaks our heart to share that we have lost the great and wonderful Doug Jones, a beloved and indispensable member of the Vidiots family and a cornerstone of the global film programming community,” reads that statement posted on Vidiots’ Instagram account. “Doug is forever loved by his beautiful son and family, and an enormous network of devoted friends and colleagues.
- 11/5/2023
- by Dana Harris-Bridson and Wilson Chapman
- Indiewire
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Thousands of horse racing fans will be descending upon Miami this weekend for the 2023 Pegasus World Cup, an annual event that combines thoroughbred racing with music and entertainment.
Buy Pegasus World Cup Tickets 108+
One of the premiere sports and lifestyle events in Florida, this year’s race is highlighted by a 3 million purse and live performances from Kygo and OneRepublic (the day-long affair has brought out the likes of Jennifer Lopez,...
Thousands of horse racing fans will be descending upon Miami this weekend for the 2023 Pegasus World Cup, an annual event that combines thoroughbred racing with music and entertainment.
Buy Pegasus World Cup Tickets 108+
One of the premiere sports and lifestyle events in Florida, this year’s race is highlighted by a 3 million purse and live performances from Kygo and OneRepublic (the day-long affair has brought out the likes of Jennifer Lopez,...
- 1/27/2023
- by Tim Chan
- Rollingstone.com
Executives from UK and US note an increase in money available for impact films.
Filmmakers should diversify their funding sources to finance impact films, according to a panel of UK and US impact executives at Sarajevo Film Festival’s CineLink Industry Days.
“The side of the industry that focuses on social impact is extremely entrepreneurial in how we approach things,” said Sarah Mosses, CEO at UK impact producer Together Films. “When we work with filmmakers, they say ‘I can’t find any budget for my film and my campaign.’ Who have you pitched? They say ‘The BFI, or Arte’ – it...
Filmmakers should diversify their funding sources to finance impact films, according to a panel of UK and US impact executives at Sarajevo Film Festival’s CineLink Industry Days.
“The side of the industry that focuses on social impact is extremely entrepreneurial in how we approach things,” said Sarah Mosses, CEO at UK impact producer Together Films. “When we work with filmmakers, they say ‘I can’t find any budget for my film and my campaign.’ Who have you pitched? They say ‘The BFI, or Arte’ – it...
- 8/17/2022
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
As we head into awards season, it’s worth considering where all these contenders are coming from and how did they get here? For most of these high-profile movies, the first time they hit the public consciousness is when they played at one of the handful of specific film festivals in the late summer and early fall. Especially this year, when Cannes was pushed two months from its normal May date, almost every Oscar contender “premiered” in the window between July and September in some combination of Cannes, Venice, Telluride, Toronto and the New York Film Festival.
All of which is great for those films, the filmmakers and their distributors. But this compressed schedule has also skewed the landscape of independent filmmaking, particularly in the eyes of the press and industry. With the class of awards-contending films taking so much oxygen out of the air, it’s left it hard...
All of which is great for those films, the filmmakers and their distributors. But this compressed schedule has also skewed the landscape of independent filmmaking, particularly in the eyes of the press and industry. With the class of awards-contending films taking so much oxygen out of the air, it’s left it hard...
- 1/11/2022
- by Dan Mirvish
- Variety Film + TV
Beloved New York City actors, singers, choreographers, musicians, television, and late-night hosts have come together to produce a video rendition of Billy Joel's “New York State of Mind” to encourage the city’s recovery from the pandemic.
The effort was conceived of and produced by NYCNext, a passionate group of New Yorkers from all disciplines and industries who have joined together to help inspire New Yorkers, with a particular focus on the arts community.
The full video can be found by visiting www.NYCNext.org.
The “New York State of Mind” video features an array of artists from multiple disciplines and industries – including Zeshan B., Sara Bareilles, Mario Cantone, Victoria Clark, Cautious Clay, Andy Cohen, Stephen Colbert, Jerry Dixon, Chloe Flower, Billy Joel’s daughter and singer-songwriter Alexa Ray Joel, Joseph Joubert, Tom Kitt, The Klezmatics, Lachanze, Idina Menzel, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Brian Newman, Kelli O’Hara, Joan Osborne, Peppermint,...
The effort was conceived of and produced by NYCNext, a passionate group of New Yorkers from all disciplines and industries who have joined together to help inspire New Yorkers, with a particular focus on the arts community.
The full video can be found by visiting www.NYCNext.org.
The “New York State of Mind” video features an array of artists from multiple disciplines and industries – including Zeshan B., Sara Bareilles, Mario Cantone, Victoria Clark, Cautious Clay, Andy Cohen, Stephen Colbert, Jerry Dixon, Chloe Flower, Billy Joel’s daughter and singer-songwriter Alexa Ray Joel, Joseph Joubert, Tom Kitt, The Klezmatics, Lachanze, Idina Menzel, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Brian Newman, Kelli O’Hara, Joan Osborne, Peppermint,...
- 8/18/2021
- Look to the Stars
Exclusive: Samuel Goldwyn Film announced today that it has acquired North American rights to Casimir Nozkowski’s first feature film, The Outside Story. The film, starring Brian Tyree Henry, Sonequa Martin-Green, Sunita Mani and Olivia Edward, will premiere on-demand and digital on Apr. 30, 2021.
The deal was negotiated by Miles Fineburg on behalf of Samuel Goldwyn Films and Brian Newman of Sub-Genre Media on behalf of the filmmakers.
In The Outside Story, Henry stars as Charles Young, a broken-hearted video editor. Perceiving a betrayal of trust as a sign his girlfriend Isha (Martin-Green) is leaving him, Charles preemptively blows up his relationship and sequesters himself at home. The fates do not comply and Charles locks himself out of his apartment. Stumbling into a transformational, timely odyssey exploring his community, Charles meets a dynamic ensemble of previously avoided neighbors, who show him everyone’s got issues...
The deal was negotiated by Miles Fineburg on behalf of Samuel Goldwyn Films and Brian Newman of Sub-Genre Media on behalf of the filmmakers.
In The Outside Story, Henry stars as Charles Young, a broken-hearted video editor. Perceiving a betrayal of trust as a sign his girlfriend Isha (Martin-Green) is leaving him, Charles preemptively blows up his relationship and sequesters himself at home. The fates do not comply and Charles locks himself out of his apartment. Stumbling into a transformational, timely odyssey exploring his community, Charles meets a dynamic ensemble of previously avoided neighbors, who show him everyone’s got issues...
- 2/16/2021
- by Alexandra Del Rosario
- Deadline Film + TV
During the 8th annual seminar presented during the Göteborg Film Festival, Johanna Koljonen focused on Transforming Storytelling Together. And sea shanties. The annual Nostradamus Report – presented during the Göteborg Film Festival's Nordic Film Market – once again looked into the future of the screen industries through research and interviews with industry experts, including Alex Stolz (Future of Film), Ari Tolppanen (Aristo-Invest), Brian Newman (Sub-Genre), Elisa Alvares (Jacaranda Consultants), Filippa Wallestam (Nent Group), Mariana Acuña Acosta (Glassbox Technologies), Marike Muselaers (Lumiere Group), Executive Director at Eurimages Roberto Olla and Walter Iuzzolino of Eagle Eye Drama. “Our interviewees were mentally thinking about the next crisis, because it will happen and the industry needs to be more resilient,” observed Johanna Koljonen, the author of the report. “We work with dreams, we talk about art and even 'industry' is an abstract term. But we are not just reflecting the world, we act in...
Results of a new survey released Thursday quantify the tensions and opportunities present in a pandemic-changed independent film ecosystem. Among the findings: Filmmakers want more revenue-sharing, networking opportunities, and data from online festivals, while rifts between festivals, distributors, and filmmakers adjusting to this new normal present opportunities for all parties to rethink how their relationships work.
The survey polled over 100 filmmakers, some 50 festival representatives, and over 25 distributors with varying questions. The effort was undertaken by indie film and Slamdance co-founder Jon Fitzgerald, film consultant Brian Newman, and Film Festival Alliance co-director Lela Meadow-Conner. Read the full report here.
Fitzgerald told IndieWire he hopes filmmakers, festivals, and distributors look at the survey results as a starting point to help them navigate the industry’s current volatility. He expects he and his colleagues to conduct follow-up polls as the landscape continues to evolve during a pandemic that’s expected to continue well...
The survey polled over 100 filmmakers, some 50 festival representatives, and over 25 distributors with varying questions. The effort was undertaken by indie film and Slamdance co-founder Jon Fitzgerald, film consultant Brian Newman, and Film Festival Alliance co-director Lela Meadow-Conner. Read the full report here.
Fitzgerald told IndieWire he hopes filmmakers, festivals, and distributors look at the survey results as a starting point to help them navigate the industry’s current volatility. He expects he and his colleagues to conduct follow-up polls as the landscape continues to evolve during a pandemic that’s expected to continue well...
- 12/3/2020
- by Chris Lindahl
- Indiewire
Singer-songwriter Tennessee Jet recruits an impressive group of like-minded performers for a trumpet-accented cover of Townes Van Zandt’s “Pancho and Lefty,” famously recorded by Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard. The new rendition, featuring Cody Jinks, Paul Cauthen, and Elizabeth Cook, appears on Tennessee Jet’s upcoming album The Country, due out September 4th.
Assisted by mellotron strings, “Pancho and Lefty” has an epic, cinematic quality, with guests jumping in to sing a verse like a group of friends sharing in the retelling of a favorite old story. Nelson’s...
Assisted by mellotron strings, “Pancho and Lefty” has an epic, cinematic quality, with guests jumping in to sing a verse like a group of friends sharing in the retelling of a favorite old story. Nelson’s...
- 8/25/2020
- by Jon Freeman
- Rollingstone.com
From Brian Newman, whose Sub-Genre newsletter I highly recommend subscribing to, comes this set of three surveys about the independent film and festival worlds in the age of Covid-19. The three organizing parties — Sub-Genre, Film Festival Alliance and iGEMStv, a movie and TV curation/recommendation platform — promise to aggregate the results with an eye towards helping the industry figure out a way forward amidst the current pandemic. From the organizers: One way to solve the problems… is by collecting data and using it to build better systems. To that end: With Covid having such a major impact on the […]...
- 8/1/2020
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
From Brian Newman, whose Sub-Genre newsletter I highly recommend subscribing to, comes this set of three surveys about the independent film and festival worlds in the age of Covid-19. The three organizing parties — Sub-Genre, Film Festival Alliance and iGEMStv, a movie and TV curation/recommendation platform — promise to aggregate the results with an eye towards helping the industry figure out a way forward amidst the current pandemic. From the organizers: One way to solve the problems… is by collecting data and using it to build better systems. To that end: With Covid having such a major impact on the […]...
- 8/1/2020
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
Brian Newman is the producer of “The Outside Story”, and founder of Sub-Genre, a consultancy helping brands make and distribute films.
As the coronavirus crisis continues, most film festivals are being forced to postpone, and many have opted to launch online versions of their events. But as these new versions of film festivals keep popping up, I am getting asked by filmmakers: “Should we participate in this?” Or, more often: “Am I missing something? Why would we do this?”
My answer is always the same: If you are launching a brand-new film that is still seeking distribution, no. If you have a short, or an older film, or one where you have locked in distribution (and if your distributor agrees), or one where you are doing a Diy release — sure, consider it. But if you are trying to premiere a feature film, and you don’t yet have distribution, then...
As the coronavirus crisis continues, most film festivals are being forced to postpone, and many have opted to launch online versions of their events. But as these new versions of film festivals keep popping up, I am getting asked by filmmakers: “Should we participate in this?” Or, more often: “Am I missing something? Why would we do this?”
My answer is always the same: If you are launching a brand-new film that is still seeking distribution, no. If you have a short, or an older film, or one where you have locked in distribution (and if your distributor agrees), or one where you are doing a Diy release — sure, consider it. But if you are trying to premiere a feature film, and you don’t yet have distribution, then...
- 5/6/2020
- by Brian Newman
- Indiewire
A Way of Life in Peril
Film Festival Distribution in the Age of Covid-19An Ongoing Series by Jeffrey Winter, Co-Executive Director of The Film Collaborative (Tfc)Part Six: Our Virtual Vicissitudes: A Pivotal Journey AheadReprinted with the permission of The Film Collaborative. This is an ongoing series, initiated on March 20, 2020, on the fate of film festivals and non-theatrical exhibition in the age of Covid-19. Scroll down for the entire series and a running list of canceled/postponed festivals.Please email comments and questions to festivals@thefilmcollaborative.org.
Tech Note: There are three pop-up videos in this installment. If you are seeing large white spaces in between paragraphs, may we suggest that you clear the cache on your browser? Instructions for: Safari • Firefox • Google Chrome • Microsoft Internet Explorer • Microsoft Edge.
Six feet of social distance, 25% of venue capacity, navigating conversations through glitchy FaceTime and muffled Face Masks… it’s clear...
Film Festival Distribution in the Age of Covid-19An Ongoing Series by Jeffrey Winter, Co-Executive Director of The Film Collaborative (Tfc)Part Six: Our Virtual Vicissitudes: A Pivotal Journey AheadReprinted with the permission of The Film Collaborative. This is an ongoing series, initiated on March 20, 2020, on the fate of film festivals and non-theatrical exhibition in the age of Covid-19. Scroll down for the entire series and a running list of canceled/postponed festivals.Please email comments and questions to festivals@thefilmcollaborative.org.
Tech Note: There are three pop-up videos in this installment. If you are seeing large white spaces in between paragraphs, may we suggest that you clear the cache on your browser? Instructions for: Safari • Firefox • Google Chrome • Microsoft Internet Explorer • Microsoft Edge.
Six feet of social distance, 25% of venue capacity, navigating conversations through glitchy FaceTime and muffled Face Masks… it’s clear...
- 5/5/2020
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
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