Doc Distro Lit Review: Newsletter

Black and white sign with 101 printed on it

Film 101: New Rules for Distribution (Mid-2024 Edition)

  • May 23, 2024
Strategic brand consultant and independent film producer Brian Newman conveys his current rules for distribution, including details about the decreasing role of streamers in acquiring documentaries and in output deals with distributors, declining transactional revenue and theatrical engagement with documentaries (aside from event screenings), and more ideas for reaching a targeted audience.
Chart depicting Public Media: Per Capita Spend, with Germany at the top with $142.42, then Norway with $110.73, Finland with $101.29, Denmark with $93.16, the UK with $81.30, France with $75.89, Spain with $58.70, Japan with $53.15, Australia with $35.78, Lithuania with $32.71, New Zealand with $26.86, Canada with $26.51, Botswana with $18.38, Cabo Verde with $15.22, South Korea with $14.93, then the US with $3.16

Public Announcement: How Media Failed America

  • April 23, 2024
Evan Shapiro reports on the weakened state of public service media in the US and its implications for democracy.
Getting Real 2024 logo

Things Are Getting Real

  • April 18, 2024
Strategic brand consultant and independent film producer Brian Newman provides his thoughts on the atmosphere surrounding the International Documentary Association's 2024 Getting Real conference in Los Angeles, and proposes the need for large-scale systemic change in the independent film industry as whole, not only for documentaries.
Photograph showing the backs of two people walking in the cold wearing jackets

A Distinct Chill in the Air

  • February 15, 2024
Strategic brand consultant and independent film producer Brian Newman assesses the state of censorship in independent filmmaking—at film festivals, as well as with funding, streaming distribution, online promotional opportunities, and more.
Photograph of two people standing on top of a crane in a city, a scene from "Skywalkers: A Love Story"

Go Big

  • February 8, 2024
Strategic brand consultant and independent film producer Brian Newman critiques the prevailing trend in the film market that favors commercially viable projects over smaller, more artistic ones, suggesting that filmmakers seeking success will prioritize larger, more accessible endeavors to align with market demands despite potential compromise to artistic integrity.
Photograph of an adult and a child hugging

Are Indie Docs Hot Again? At Least for Netflix

  • February 4, 2024
Writer Anthony Kaufman reflects on Netflix's unprecedented acquisitions of documentaries at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, raising questions about the impact on theatrical distribution, the role of celebrity endorsements, and the evolving dynamics of the documentary market.

Filmmaker Magazine Editor’s Letter – Sundance and Saving Indie Film

  • January 2024
Filmmaker Magazine's editor-in-chief, Scott Macaulay, reports on the industry climate surrounding the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, discussing an episode of Matthew Beloni's The Town podcast, where Beloni interviews Sundance Institute CEO Joana Vicente, discussing the role of the festival in "saving" independent film.
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.
Black and white photograph of a person

Filmmaker Magazine Editor’s Letter – Richard Linklater

  • September 2023
Filmmaker Magazine's Scott Macaulay reflects on Richard Linklater's statements regarding his worries about the declining significance of cinema in modern culture due to technology and advertising dominance, underscoring the need for perseverance and efforts to improve the industry's future.

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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