Doc Distro Lit Review: Box Office

Compilation of photographs featuring a person speaking into a megaphone and a person looking to the side wearing sunglasses

This Oscar Season Just Got Its Dumbest Controversy Yet

  • February 8, 2024
Slate Senior Editor and Writer Sam Adams discusses the controversy surrounding the 2024 Oscar nominations for Best Documentary, citing disgruntlement from some industry insiders over the lack of American nominees.
Photograph of people dancing in the street in front of the Egyptian Theatre at the Sundance Film Festival

At Sundance, Indie Film Struggles to Find a Working Business Model

  • January 24, 2024
Founder, CEO, and Editor in Chief of TheWrap, Sharon Waxman reports on perceptions of the faltering independent film business model at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. *Please note: This article is behind a paywall.
Photograph of a person looking to the side with their arms raised midway

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.
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 people standing outside a cinema entrance

Toronto’s Indie Cinema Scene Is Booming: “It’s a Different Experience than, like, the Cineplex”

  • November 25, 2023
Writer Corey Atad describes the increased interest in repertory programming at independent theaters in Toronto.
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How David Zaslav Blew Up Hollywood

  • November 15, 2023
Writers Jonathan Mahler, James B. Stewart, and Benjamin Mullin detail David Zaslav's impact as CEO of Warner Brothers Discovery, including his strategies to cut costs following the merger and controversial decisions in programming and focusing funds.
Photograph of a video camera with microphone

Time to Break Up Hollywood

  • May 14, 2023
Writer Matt Stoller argues that streaming giants and industry consolidation are steering Hollywood toward limited content and unfair working conditions, leading to tense negotiations and solidarity over union strikes.
Photograph of two people looking into the camera amidst many computer screens in an office

Producer Data: The Numbers Don’t Lie (The Truth about Independent Film Revenue)

  • March 16, 2023
Independent film veterans Naomi McDougall Jones and Liz Manashil analyzed the revenue information from 104 independent films, revealing profitability trends in films released since 2018, and finding that low-budget films with extremely famous, or unknown actors, opting for self-distribution have a higher chance of financial success.
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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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