Doc Distro Lit Review: Article

Compilation of six film stills featuring people or objects in various positions

Will This Year’s Sundance Save Documentary Distribution?

  • January 11, 2024
Exploring the potential impact of the Sundance Film Festival on the documentary genre, journalist Anthony Kaufman delves into the festival's lineup, industry trends, and the challenges and opportunities faced by documentary filmmakers in the evolving landscape.
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Inside DOC NYC: Power, Profit, and Community at America’s “Largest” Doc Fest

  • December 29, 2023
Considered the largest US documentary film festival, DOC NYC offers filmmakers opportunities for exposure and networking, though industry insiders offer mixed sentiments, conveying concerns over the festival's breadth and money-making initiatives.
Photograph of a person wearing a white hat and sunglasses waving one arm forward

Hollywood’s Elusive Goal This Year: Streaming Profits

  • December 29, 2023
A Hollywood Reporter editor assesses streamers' profitability from the recent earnings season, highlighting the positions of Netflix, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Disney.
Image with the message "2023 A Look Back" and the logos of Disney+, HBO Max, Peacock, Paramount+, Netflix, Hulu, AppleTV+, and Prime Video

After the “Great Netflix Correction,” Streaming Looks to Find New Pragmatic Footing

  • December 22, 2023
In 2023, streaming platforms prioritized profitability, introduced advertising, and formed unique partnerships, facing challenges in content buzz, user interface, and pricing adjustments.
Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount Global logos

Warner Bros. Discovery in Talks to Merge with Paramount

  • December 20, 2023
Reports of discussions centered on a possible merger between Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount Global reveal considerations of potential strategy behind such a move.
Photograph of items placed on a wall

XTR Is Trying to Solve the Crisis in Documentary Film, but Some Filmmakers Feel Betrayed

  • December 20, 2023
Writer Anthony Kaufman reports on filmmakers alleging that nonfiction entertainment studio XTR has not followed through on significant grant offers, including one to South African filmmaker Milisuthando Bongela, casting doubt on its reliability and integrity within the industry.
Black and white photograph of a person with long dark hair sitting on steps

Filmmakers Take Legal Action against Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment as It Faces “Cash Flow Issues”

  • December 20, 2023
Writer Addie Morfoot reports on Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment and film distributor 1091 Pictures facing legal disputes centered on missing revenue-sharing payments to filmmakers, who are also trying to reclaim their distribution rights should 1091 Pictures' parent company go bankrupt.
Photograph of two people smiling into the camera and wearing sunglasses

This Was the Year That the Golden Age of Documentary Felt like a Distant Memory

  • December 19, 2023
Evaluating the landscape of the documentary field in 2023, Anthony Kaufman reports on the types of stories that are gaining prominence and filmmakers' attitudes toward a seemingly contracting industry.
Photograph of a person leaning on bicycle handlebars

Hits & Misses: How Six Sundance 2023 Titles Performed in Distribution

  • December 15, 2023
Journalist Anthony Kaufman provides case studies and insights into various films from the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, shedding light on the festival's notable occurrences and trends in the industry.
Image of a person's hands

Split Together: Weathering the Storm at the Camden International Film Festival

  • December 7, 2023
An account from the 2023 Camden International Film Festival (CIFF), featuring discussions of documentaries "Beyond Utopia," "A Golden Life," and "The Last Year of Darkness," alongside a discussion of the film industry's contradictions.
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The Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy is a Harvard Kennedy School research center dedicated to exploring and illuminating the intersection of press, politics and public policy in theory and practice. The Center strives to bridge the gap between journalists and scholars, and between them and the public.

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