The Film Collaborative^™

Helping filmmakers with all aspects of distribution, without taking rights.

how we work.

Click here to learn how TFC can help your film.

The Film Collaborative^™

Helping filmmakers with all aspects of distribution, without taking rights.

how we work.

Click here to learn how TFC can help your film.

sign up for our newsletter.

submit your film.

Click here to fill out our submission form.

A-Z site links.

Something you can’t find? Check out our a-z links page.

questions?

Feel free to contact us.

THE FILM COLLABORATIVE, INC.
is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

ZURAWSKI V TEXAS

TFC was a fiscal sponsor on this film, and now we are finally able to announce that we are handing it for Festival Distribution worldwide! Executive produced by Hillary Clinton, Chelsea Clinton, and Jennifer Lawrence, Maisie Crow and Abbie Perrault’s powerful new film follows a group of women, denied abortions under Texas’ ambiguous and unforgiving bans, as they band together with a fearless attorney to sue Texas.

Desire Lines

TFC is proud to be handling for Festival Distribution Jules Rosskam’s 2024 Sundance NEXT hybrid documentary, which expores the complexities of transmasculine desire.

Common Ground

TFC is honored handling Festivals for COMMON GROUND, which examines the dark web of money, power, and politics behind our broken food system.

Black Barbie

TFC is thrilled to have handled Festivals for Laguera Davis’s BLACK BARBIE, which, through intimate access to a Mattel insider, delves into how merchandise and representation have affected generations of Black women as they strive to elevate their own voices and stories.

Beyond the Agressives 25 Years Later

TFC is proud to offer for Festivals BEYOND THE AGGRESSIVES: 25 YEARS LATER, a film that revisits four of the original subjects from Daniel Peddle’s groundbreaking 2005 film The Agressives and discusses how much has evolved — including the language, culture and visibility of the transgender, nonbinary and gender-nonconforming community — in the nearly 20 years since.

Deep Rising

Premiering at Sundance, DEEP RISING exposes the destructive machinations of a secretive organization empowered to extract massive amounts of metals from the deep seafloor. Narrated by Jason Momoa, this environmental doc features some of the most breathtaking images of deep-sea eco-systems you’ll ever see on screen.

All That Breathes

TFC is handing festivals for this Sundance Grand Jury Prize and Cannes L’Oeil D’or Prize-winning documentary about two New Dehli brothers who devote their lives to protecting one casualty of the turbulent times: the bird known as the black kite.

Oscar^® Nominee for Best Doc

Queendom

From the producers behind Welcome to Chechnya comes the haunting, high-stakes tale of Gena, a uniquely provocative queer artist from a small town in Russia prior to and during the Ukrainian invasion. This TFC Festival Distribution and Fiscal Sponsorship client recently won the NEXT:WAVE Award at CPH:DOX.

The Eternal Memory (La memoria infinita)

TFC is thrilled to be handling U.S. Festivals for MTV Documentary Films’ THE ETERNAL MEMORY, by Maite Alberdi (The Mole Agent), which won the World Cinema Jury Prize: Documentary at Sundance.

What Your Wish For

Orly Ravid co-handled North American sales for Nick Tomnay’s mystery/thriller starring Nick Stahl.

Mama Bears

Exploring the lives of three diverse mothers as they ferociously support and protect and their LGBTQ+ offspring, MAMA BEARS has clawed its way into over 125 festivals around the world! Directed by Daresha Kyi (Chavela) and will be broadcast in the U.S. on PBS’ “Independent Lens” this June.

Gumbo Coalition

TFC is honored to be handling festivals for GUMBO COALITION, directed by two-time Academy Award™-winning filmmaker Barbara Kopple and follows two visionary Civil Rights leaders, Marc Morial and Janet Murguía, as they work to empower African American and Latino American communities through three turbulent years in America. Recently premiered at DOC NYC and IDFA.

Lilly

The Film Collaborative is proud to be the fiscal sponsor of LILLY, a dramatic feature film starring Patricia Clarkson based on the remarkable life of fair pay icon, Lilly Ledbetter. The film is currently in post-production.

Only in Theaters

TFC is handling the theatrical engagement for ONLY IN THEATERS, a new doc told through the lens of the beloved and historic Laemmle Theatre chain in Los Angeles as it confronts a changing landscape for theatrical exhibition.

Now Playing (only) in Theaters

Max Roach: The Drum Also Waltzes

Executive Produceed by Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson and directed by Sam Pollard and Ben Shapiro, MAX ROACH: THE DRUM ALSO WALTZES explores the life and musical career of the legendary drummer and activist, from the Jim Crow era to the Civil Rights years, from heady days of post-war jazz, clear to Hip Hop and beyond.

1946: The Mistranslation That Shaped Culture

TFC is handling Festivals for 1946, which highlights the erroneous translation of the term homosexual in the Bible that has been weaponized against the LGBTQIA+ community ever since.

recent news.

You can now watch the Video Replays of TFC Distribution Days, a two-day virtual conference that was presented in collaboration with Sundance Institute and Film Independent and sponsored by the Golden Globe Foundation.

Distribution Advocates Podcast Episodes 1 and 6 are now LIVE!!

Episode 1 features TFC Founder and Co-ED Orly Ravid, where she, and others, demystify the role of sales agents, and explore one filmmaker’s journey in finding distribution without one! Listen below or click here for more info and the full transcript. Episode 6 also features Orly Ravid, where she, and others, examine current system of distribution, and what can happen to filmmakers when a distribution company fails. Listen below or click here for more info and the full transcript.

…and the awards go to…

TFC congratulates our clients with projects that are contenders for top awards this year!

Cinema Eye Nominees

(Ceremony to take place on Jan. 9, 2025)

mtv_documentary_films

Black Box Diaries

Nonfiction Feature

Debut Feature
Shiori Ito

Unforgettables Honoree
Shiori Ito

Daughters

Nonfiction Feature

Audience Choice Prize Nominee

Union

Direction
Stephen Maing, Brett Story

Production
Mars Verrone, Samantha Curley

Queendom

Visual Design
Agniia Galdanova

Unforgettables Honoree
Jenna Marvin

mtv_documentary_films

I Am Ready, Warden

Shorts List Semifinalist

A Photographic Memory

Spotlight

Songs From the Hole

Heterodox

Time Bomb Y2K

Broadcast Editing
Marley McDonald, Maya Mumma

IDA Awards Nominees

(Ceremony to take place on Dec. 5, 2024)

mtv_documentary_films

Black Box Diaries

Feature Documentary

Direction
Shiori Ito

Editing
Ema Ryan Yamazaki

Queendom

Direction
Agniia Galdanova

Cinematography
Ruslan Fedotov

Mediha

Writing
Hasan Oswald

Songs from the Hole

Musical Documentary

Maestra

Musical Documentary

Critics Choice Documentary Awards Winner

(Ceremony took place on Nov. 10, 2024)

Daughters

WINNER!

Best New Documentary Filmmaker(s)

Also Nominated:
MTV Documentary Films’ BLACK BOX DIARIES — Best True Crime Documentary
MTV Documentary Films’ I AM READY, WARDEN — Best Short Documentary

DOC NYC’s 40 Under 40 List, Class of 2024

Samantha Curley • Producer, UNION; Producer, FRAMING AGNES
Contessa Gayles • Producer, SONGS FROM THE HOLE
Hannes Hosp • Editor, GUMBO COALITION
Natalie Rae • Director, DAUGHTERS
Scott Alexander Ruderman • Director & Producer, MTV Documentary Films’ PAY OR DIE
Mars Verrone • Producer, UNION

See our clients’ previous awards and nominations.

TFC on location.

Orly Ravid will be a guest speaker for Film Independent’s Amplifier Fellowship filmmakers on Dec. 12, 2024. The fellowship supports emerging and mid-career Black filmmakers.
Kathy Susca will be attending Watch Docs Human Rights Film Festival in Warsaw, Nov. 21-25, 2024.
Jeffrey Winter, David Averbach, and Lynnette Gryseels are at DOC NYC, Nov. 13-21, 2024. Lynnette was a panelist on the 1:45pm “Film Financing Unveiled” panel for DOC NYC PRO Funding Day on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024.
Orly Ravid and Kathy Susca participated in Film Independent’s intensive film finance market, Fast Track, on November 13, 2024.
Jeffrey Winter was on a panel entitled Distribution in Flux: Reimagining and Thriving in the New Era at the Double Exposure Film Festival, Nov. 7-10, 2024, in Washington DC.
Lynnette Gryseels was at UCLA discussing funding at the seminar Funding & Producing Your Feature Film with Producer J. Todd Harris on Nov. 2, 2024.
Orly Ravid and David Averbach participated in Screen Nova Scotia’s Content Market Virtual Day on Oct. 15, 2024.

See where else we’ve been.

Fest and Furious:
Maximize your Film Festival Strategy

Film Fatales presented an online workshop led by TFC’s very own Jeffrey Winter and Kathy Susca and moderated by TFC client Lagueria Davis (Director/Producer, Black Barbie: A Documentary).

Watch

Reimagining Distribution

Don’t sign that crappy deal! There are other effective ways to make money with your film. TFC’s Orly Ravid, David Averbach and Kathy Susca joined Keith Ochwat of Show&Tell and Jon Reiss of 8 Above to address pitching to partners as a priority, utilizing government agencies for educational sales, selling virtual events and educational toolkits, and other new strategies that are working for filmmakers.

Watch

SXSW 2022

Orly Ravid moderated a panel entitled, “Go Beyond the Big Global Streamers—Funders/Buyers Outside the U.S.” Panelists included Wendy Bernfeld (Rights Stuff), Jaume Ripoll (FilmIN), and Filippa Wallestam (Viaplay).

Watch

Women’s Weekend Film Challenge (WWFC)

TFC Founder Orly Ravid and Director of Fiscal Sponsorship Lynnette Gryseels joined Women’s Weekend Film Challenge (WWFC) for a Q&A as part of WWFC’s virtual workshop series.

Watch

PBS Webinar

This special webinar by Keith Ochwat of Show&Tell provides an introduction to the PBS system and an actionable outline of how you can reach a large national audience and raise significant funding for your film.

Watch

AFM 2021

TFC Creative Director David Averbach moderated a marketing panel with Heidi Millay (Director of Marketing, Cinedigm), Emma Manfredi (Manager, Content Acquisitions, Giant Pictures), Ryan Davis (Co-Founder, Smarthouse Creative), Jitin Hingorani (Founder and Principle, Jingo Media) and Charles Rice (Social Media Manager | Strategy & Transformation, Rogers & Cowen PMK).

Watch

SXSW 2021

TFC’s Orly Ravid moderated panelists Wendy Bernfeld (Managing Director, Rights Stuff), filmmaker/producer Tracie Holder (who runs consulting company Means of Productions), and filmmaker Yi Chen (First Vote) in a discussion about which international VOD platforms and financial sources filmmakers can avail themselves of to achieve impact-oriented distribution.

Watch

Film Financing Panel

Orly Ravid moderated a panel of producers to discuss foreign tax incentives and credits and other international financing. Panelists included Alexander Nevsky (Hollywood Storm), Lauri Apelian (Ocean Sky Entertainment), Peter Graham (120dB Films and 120dB Advisors), and Jay Lin (Portico Media).

Watch

apply for

fiscal sponsorship.

check out the

digital distribution guide.

read the

tfc blog.

read our

distribution case studies.

check out the

distributor reportcard.

donate to a

fiscally sponored project.

see who we’ve worked with!

visit the tfc alumni page.

distripedia updates

We have recently added Good Deed Entertainment to our Distributor ReportCard™, which collates real experiences from real filmmakers, so that you can make informed decisions about which distributor might be the right fit for your film.

Dozens more planned for later this year—stay tuned!

Read Now

distripedia updates

Updated: A Practical Guide to Distributing Your Film Internationally: Who Else is Out There in the International Digital Space Beyond Just the Big Globals?

Read Now

distripedia updates

TFC’s Distribution Days is upon us!
A Primer by David Averbach, Liz Manashil and Orly Ravid

Read Now

distripedia updates

Episode 5 of :20 in ’22 is now available!

Orly Ravid interviews longtime TFC collaborative Wendy Bernfeld of RightsStuff about the latest trends in distribution in the EU and beyond, and some great advice to independent films looking to distribute across the pond.

Watch

distripedia updates

Latest Case Studies:

Mama Bears and You Can Live Forever.

Read Now

If your film premiered on the festival circuit after January 2023, has an interesting story to tell, and you’d like to help your fellow filmmakers learn from your successes (or failures), please fill out our submission form and check the “be a case study” checkbox.

newsletter.

Read our most recent monthly newsletters. You can sign up to receive them by clicking here.

November 2024
TFC On Location, Critics Choice Documentary Awards, Shortlist Season, New Fiscal Projects, Grant Opportunities, and, of course, Tidbits!
October 2024
TFC On Location, Critics Choice Nominations, New Fiscal Projects, Grant Opportunities, and, of course, Tidbits!
September 2024
TFC On Location, Emmy Awards, New Fiscal Projects, Grant Opportunities, Studio One Digital, and, of course, Tidbits!
August 2024
New ReportCard, TFC On Location, Emmy Noms, New Fiscal Projects, Grant Opportunities, Lady Like Fall Theatrical, and, of course, Tidbits!

See all more of our recent newsletters here.

Subnavigation

The Film Collaborative™

how we work.

The Film Collaborative™

how we work.

submit your film.

A-Z site links.

questions?

ZURAWSKI V TEXAS

Desire Lines

Common Ground

Black Barbie

Beyond the Agressives 25 Years Later

Deep Rising

All That Breathes

Queendom

The Eternal Memory (La memoria infinita)

What Your Wish For

Mama Bears

Gumbo Coalition

Lilly

Only in Theaters

Max Roach: The Drum Also Waltzes

1946: The Mistranslation That Shaped Culture

recent news.

…and the awards go to…

TFC on location.

Fest and Furious:Maximize your Film Festival Strategy

Reimagining Distribution

SXSW 2022

Women’s Weekend Film Challenge (WWFC)

PBS Webinar

AFM 2021

SXSW 2021

Film Financing Panel

apply for

fiscal sponsorship.

check out the

digital distribution guide.

read the

tfc blog.

read our

distribution case studies.

check out the

distributor reportcard.

donate to a

fiscally sponored project.

see who we’ve worked with!

visit the tfc alumni page.

distripedia updates

distripedia updates

distripedia updates

distripedia updates

distripedia updates

newsletter.

The Film Collaborative^™

The Film Collaborative^™

Fest and Furious:
Maximize your Film Festival Strategy