TFC Impact VOD
Our digital offerings are shifting focus as we build an impact global VOD initiative that is geared more toward reaching audiences than achieving commercial success. The initiative’s goal is to help films impact the planet via global VOD exhibition on numerous international platforms and get financial support from philanthropic and/or responsible corporate sources.
This page will at once serve as the hub for this project and a resource tool for filmmakers who are doing impact work in conjunction with their release.
SXSW Panel
We kicked things off with a SXSW 2021 Panel, “TFC Impact VOD: Films Free, For Good.” 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.
The panel discussed how to distribute docs in a way that treats VOD as part of a robust impact campaign strategy, including how to reach audiences, impact the planet via global VOD exhibition on numerous international platforms, and get financial support from philanthropic and/or responsible corporate sources.
Click the image above or here to watch! (TRT: 101 mins)
Panel Description:
VOD audiences aren’t typically renting or buying most indies, especially documentaries. And corporate worldwide VOD streaming giants are licensing fewer independent films. But if critical films are not seen, no impact is made—nothing changes. Which international VOD platforms and financial sources can filmmakers avail themselves of to achieve impact-oriented distribution? This panel will discuss how to distribute docs in a way that treats VOD as part of a robust impact campaign strategy.
Note: After this panel was recorded, Amazon announced that it is restricting unsolicited docs for submission to their Amazon Video Direct portal, a move that will profoundly affect not only doc films doing DIY distribution, but also distributors and aggregators.
NEA Grant
TFC is happy to announce that it has been approved for a $25K Grants for Arts Projects award to support TFC Impact VOD, an online distribution program for educational and mission-driven independent films through VOD (video on demand) platforms. The TFC Impact VOD project is among the more than 1,100 projects across America totaling nearly $27 million that were selected during this second round of Grants for Arts Projects fiscal year 2021 funding.
The Film Collaborative is actively seeking projects to consider for this program in the following content areas with an eye towards global appeal:
- Environmental
- Disabilities
- Modern-Day Slavery
- Indigenous Rights
Impact Distribution Resources
Use the sub-tab navigation above to find some of the resources related to Impact Distribution that our panelists mentioned in the video, as well as additional references that are not merely limited to impact, but independent film distribution in general.
Start with our TFC Blog article on international platforms that license indie content, which has recently been updated. Read this in conjunction with our Digital Distribution Guide, which is one of the tools in our Distripedia™ suite of online resources for filmmakers.
Also check out our:
- reading list
- impact resources (which includes Impact Service Providers, links to Impact Producers Labs, and Impact Case Studies)
- aggregators; and
- our territories tool, which helps you figure out which which territories you can get on major global VOD platforms.
Looking for TFC digital distribution?
We have discontinued our flat-fee digital distribution/aggregation program. However, we can still advise on digital strategy as part of our fee-based distribution consultation program. Please go to our submissions page and include “Digital Strategy” as one of the areas you’d like to speak to us about.
If you have questions, please feel free to email us.