Doc Distro Lit Review: Distribution

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  • 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.
A compilation of five images, from the films: “Four Daughters,” “Bobi Wine: The People’s President,” “To Kill a Tiger,” “The Eternal Memory,” and “20 Days in Mariupol.”

Doc World Is Reeling from Oscar Nominations and What They Might Mean for the Struggling Sector: “There Is This Resentment Towards Certain Kinds of Success”

  • February 3, 2024
The 2024 Oscar documentary nominations, dominated by international filmmakers and with little major streamer-backed films, have sparked discourse on potential resentment in the documentary branch, a preference for social-issue documentaries, and considerations for altering the voting system.
Distribution Advocates Presents logo with the message, Episode 1: Sales Agents

The Truth about Sales Agents

  • January 31, 2024
Hosted by producer, filmmaker, and Distribution Advocates co-founder Avril Speaks, this episode of the Distribution Advocates Presents podcast features conversations with industry leaders Pat Murphy, Orly Ravid, Alece Oxendine, Set Hernandez, Abby Sun, Efuru Flowers, and Kaila Sarah Hier, on the role of sales agents in rights deals.
Image of person wearing a Superman costume and flying in the sky

Sundance Offers a Glimmer of Hope for the Struggling Documentary Market: “We’re No Longer in a DOA Situation”

  • January 26, 2024
Writer Addie Morfoot details reports of strong interest in independently-made documentaries at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, which offered hope to sales agents about the trajectory of distribution for these projects.
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.
Image of an audience looking toward a bright empty screen

What’s at Risk in the Streaming Media Age

  • January 18, 2024
Walter Shorenstein fellow Keri Putnam explores the risks and challenges associated with the streaming media age, discussing implications for content creators, platforms, and consumers in an evolving digital landscape.
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.
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 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.
Image of three people with the headline "Beyond Resilience: The Documentary System Is Broken. Now What? Now Streaming"

The Documentary System Is Broken. Now What? | Beyond Resilience

  • December 7, 2023
Firelight Media's Marcia Smith spoke with documentary veterans Brian Newman and Geralyn Dreyfous about the state of the documentary industry, discussing market shifts, positive developments, and the need for audience advocacy.
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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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