10 Links Every Indie Filmmaker Should See
Top Articles, Newsletters and Podcasts from the 1st half of 2024
As we just crossed the halfway point of 2024, it’s safe to say that it’s been tough year. To put in mildly. The theatrical business is still down. Production hasn’t recovered from covid, or the strikes. And a number of film festivals are closing up shop. Articles and newsletters continue to flood my inbox, sharing doom and gloom. Sorry, but it always best to lead with the bad news.
The truth is, there are many silver linings to consider; and with the right combination of creativity, perseverance and teamwork, independent filmmakers can find a pathway to success. Regardless of your position, craft or goals, the following links are worth checking out.
From audience surveys about the growing interest in arthouse fare, to a new Distribution Handbook, understanding the evolving festival circuit to the keys of alternative distribution, there is lot to learn from these industry leaders. Below you will find 10 links (click on titles to get to the full article), with a snippet from each respective piece.
Audiences Want More Independent Cinemas, According to Art House Convergence Study
A majority of moviegoers want non-mainstream films onscreen.
Samantha Bergeson (IndieWire)
“Among the closure of local theaters like Hugh Grant recently lamented, the National Audience Survey, conducted by Art House Convergence, found that independent exhibitors are still in high demand. More than 32,000 people, ranging in age from 15 to 98 years old, from all 50 states and the District of Columbia, confirmed that there is a need for indie theaters.”
Solutions Based: Who Should Save Independent Film?
Anthony Kaufman (Filmmaker Magazine)
“I think we’re facing a crisis in the independent film ecosystem,” echoes Jamie Patricof, producer of this year’s critics’ favorite Exhibiting Forgiveness. “Distributors are not willing to take risks. They are unsure of how to release the films and find audiences, so there is a lot of uncertainty in the marketplace.” For Patricof and others, there is a glimmer of hope, however. “The audience today is bigger than it ever has been—the advent of streaming has led to hundreds of millions of potential customers that didn’t exist 10 years ago. [Distributors] just need to figure out how to reach them.”
How To Stand Out As a Filmmaker In The Most Saturated Market Of All Time
Noam Kroll
“Most filmmakers ignore the realities of how saturated the market has become. They put everything into a single film, submit it to a festival, and convince themselves it will break through.That may have been a plausible strategy 20 years ago. But it certainly is not today. It’s never been more important to stand out.”
Do We Make Film Festivals Work Better For Everyone, Or Do We Let Them Die Off When They Don't?
Easy Answer, Right? Nine Operational Improvements For Existing Fests To Move Into The Next Era.
Ted Hope
“For instance, I dig film festivals. All sorts. All over. And a lot. Film festivals truly work wonders for me. Give me five films a day and I am a happy clam. But festivals haven’t changed much in the thirty years I have been attending. That lack of evolution brings with it a decline in utility and satisfaction. Sure fests serve a purpose, but they haven’t been changing with the times.
All things have to get better or they will be replaced. Audiences move on. Sponsors move on. Funders move on. Filmmakers and distributors move on. Things can never really be “good enough” unless they have evolutionary practices built into them. Our industry can’t afford to have more companies like Participant close, or festivals like Human Rights Watch Film Festival shutter.”
In case you missed it, Chris and Nick had me as a guest on their MAKE IT podcast. Click here if you are interested in hearing it.
In this episode, Chris and Nick talk with filmmaker and festival director Jon Fitzgerald. They discuss Jon's career path from filmmaker to festival director, his advocacy work helping other filmmakers, and his efforts to leverage film for social change. Jon shares insights from his experiences running festivals, making documentaries, and advising other creatives.
DC/DOX and the 3 C's for Film Fest Success
Brian Newman (Sub Genre)
“I visited two film festivals this past week, and spoke on panels at both of them. One took place in NYC and – to be fair – was a complete success for the film we premiered there. The other was DC/DOX in Washington, DC and while I was only there briefly, it reminded me of how the most successful festivals do three things right – I’ll call them the 3 C’s of film festival success – Curation, Cuisine and Community - and how that last one, community, is particularly important.”
Seize Control Of Your Distribution
Peter Broderick
I premiered this presentation at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) last fall. It received a remarkable response and the festival has now put it on YouTube for a worldwide audience.My goal was to explain what documentary filmmakers need to know now to survive and hopefully thrive.
The presentation covers:
what's new and what's old in documentary distribution
a tale of 2 Sundances (2019 and 2023)
10 ways to maximize your distribution
golden opportunities in the New World of Distribution
3 breakthrough success stories
how to succeed as a New World filmmaker
20 New and Undistributed Festival Films That Deserve a Home, According to Programmers
Akin to the iconic Black List for unproduced screenplays, The Popcorn List features select festival-favorite undistributed indies.
Samantha Bergeson (IndieWire)
“Founded by Lela Meadow-Conner and Barbara Twist, the inaugural annual survey spotlights 20 features that debuted at major or regional film festivals this past year and come highly recommended by festival programmers. Nineteen out of the 20 movies have reviews on Letterboxd, despite not yet having theatrical or digital distribution in the U.S. All 20 have won awards — including Audience Awards and Jury Awards — at festivals like Sundance and SXSW. Billed as being The Black List for undistributed films, the 2024 Popcorn List highlights independent films that are currently still without domestic U.S. distribution, like the documentary “Chasing Chasing Amy” about the making of Kevin Smith’s comedy. See the first list here.”
Distribution Advocates Presents: The Truth About Exhibition (Episode 5)
Avril Speaks (Distribution Advocates)
“Host Avril Speaks has a variety of conversations that explore new frameworks for exhibition by bringing the focus back to the basics: reaching audiences. By examining the direct connection with audiences, filmmakers are recentering exhibition as the primary focus of filmmaking. This episode features conversations with Alece Oxendine, Barbara Twist, Matt Stoller, Kaila Sarah Hier, Abby Sun, Efuru Flowers, Carlos Gutiérrez, and Jemma Desai (Yearning).”
The Distribution Playbook
Emily Best of Seed&Spark and Christie Marchese of Kinema
This is a free resource created collaboratively and designed for filmmakers, video creators, funders, and co-collaborators to take the lead in their distribution. This is intended to be an entry point into the world of distribution and a launching pad for building a custom strategy that works for your film.
What A Century (Plus a Pandemic) Does to Moviegoing and Why It Matters
Mathew Ball
Over the last six months, there has been a lot of talk about the future of theatrical exhibition (“going to the movies”), with The Discourse treating every film as some lesson on what does or doesn’t work, what’s dead or “so back,” Hollywood’s hubris or the audience’s oversight, and so on. There is no practical way to assess the current state of the North American box office without considering the last century of moviegoing – during which there are perhaps four different acts. The third, which began shortly after the millennia and ran until the COVID-19 pandemic, is the best place to start.
Yes, this is a lot to digest. Take your time, and do share. These pieces are key to the future of independent cinema. And we have to find ways of joining forces to build a better bridge to tomorrow.