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Every filmmaker wants a theatrical exhibition for their film because of the prestige and the classic appeal. Key, in our opinion, is to know what’s possible and what you’re paying for. There are lots of services that charge big fees to book your film. Be knowledgeable about when you can book yourself (Landmark, Film Forum, Quad, Laemmle Theatres, Cinema Village, lots of others), or spend less on theatrical.

Publicity is the most important part of theatrical and that’s what you should spend money and time on. A New York Times review is usually a key goal, and it won’t come from having just a NYC release (that’s new NYT policy). A Theatrical release is important to directors for the obvious reasons and it is a very useful marketing component, but the operative word is “useful”. It’s useful only if it does not cost you more than you’ll make back from it and ancillaries that are enhanced by it.

According to one of our VOD partners, Comcast and InDemand have said, off-the-record, that they will start insisting on a 10-city day & date release for films to have access to their service. This policy would be implemented to help sift through the glut of the content in supply. We caution, before filmmakers rush into that spend, to think whether their film is likely to make it onto key Cable VOD platforms. Will the spend on theatrical likely be recouped on VOD? Also, cable VOD wants day and date releases, but theatres don’t so be cautious when planning your distribution route.

Are you a filmmaker who has worked with a distributor or service company for theatrical exhibition? Tell us about them in our Distributor Report Card.

Orly Ravid July 21st, 2010

Posted In: DIY, Uncategorized

Tags: Cinema Village, Comcast, Distributor Report Card, Film Forum, InDemand, Laemmle's, Landmark, New York Times, Quad Cinema, The Film Collaborative, theatrical distribution, theatrical exhibition, VOD

If your film’s subject/theme closely mirrors the mission statement/goals of an organization, you can reach out to them to lend promotional support to your film. For example, many documentaries deal with themes that non-profit orgs are fighting for in the REAL world, and a good film on these subjects can subsequently help raise awareness of their issues — making it a win-win for both the organization AND the film.

Many organizations are open to these kind of relationships…but the most common mistake filmmakers make is to get unspecified or “mushy” support from an organization, and nothing quantifiable ever materializes. You need to give an org something very specific to do….i.e. send an email blast about your screening at a festival, or organize a screening on their premises. If you are considering the latter option, consider organizations that actually have an auditorium or screening room. For this reason, museums and churches are often the best options as they are already in the exhibition business.

Orly Ravid July 20th, 2010

Posted In: Marketing

Tags: alternative theatrical, independent film, non profit organizations, The Film Collaborative

The quick answer is YES….well, maybe. It depends how sought after your film is, and who is representing your film. If you have a world premiere at one of the top film festivals like Sundance or Cannes or a handful of others, then Festival programmers will request to see your film.

The general rule is if a programmer REQUESTS to see your film and then accepts the film, you can ask for a rental fee (usually between $500 and $1,000 is a good place to start). If you SUBMIT to a Festival, then generally they will not pay you. However, if you are represented by a distributor or a producer’s rep, they may have more negotiating power and be better able to get you a screening fee. ALSO….niche festivals such as Latino Fests, Jewish Fests, LGBT Fests, Asian fests etc. are much MORE likely to pay you fees to screen your film, because there is less product for them to choose from, so they are more likely to NEED your film in their Festival.

Orly Ravid July 19th, 2010

Posted In: Film Festivals

Tags: Cannes, Film Festivals, independent film, screening fees, Sundance, The Film Collaborative

Just because a documentary doesn’t get a theatrical distribution deal doesn’t mean it can’t be considered for an Academy Award. Since many great docs don’t get distributed theatrically, many filmmakers choose to qualify the film themselves. But it’s not cheap. The least expensive option is the IDA’s DOCUWEEKS program (www.documentary.org), or you can four-wall the film yourself. It needs to run at least two times a day, for a week in New York City AND Los Angeles. Theaters that regularly cater to this kind of Academy-qualifying runs include the Laemmle’s in LA, and the IFC Center in NYC. Know in advance that you should expect to pay at least $30,000 to qualify this way. If you are considering this kind of run….TFC can help.

Are you a documentary filmmaker who has worked with a distributor for theatrical exhibition? Tell us about it on our Distributor Report Card.

Orly Ravid July 18th, 2010

Posted In: Uncategorized

Tags: Academy Award, Distributor Report Card, documentary, IFC Center, independent film, Laemmle's, The Film Collaborative, theatrical exhibition

Ask for revenue potentials and examine how many layers of middlemen there are between the distributor/aggregator and the stores or platforms that you most want to be on, assuming that you cannot go direct (which often is the case). Make sure distributors are not going through too many middlemen, or selling to themselves and double dipping, or simply offering to do something on your behalf that you could do yourself. And make sure you know what their deals are with key stores or platforms.