Article
How did you first hear about Wolfe Releasing?
A mutual friend connected us. I knew nothing about them before that point.
documentary
fiction
I’ve been around a little bit so I guess maybe at a film festival I was watching something else that they were distributing?
My producer had worked with Wolfe before.
fiction
fiction
We were introduced through our sales agent.
They reached out to me.
fiction
fiction
I knew them as a sort of distributor of queer content. Some very high-quality queer content and then some years where it was trashier stuff. I knew that they had championed queer filmmakers for some time. I think my impression was that they were one of the first. There was a time where it felt like they were the only ones.
I feel like I’ve known about Wolfe for a very long time because they’ve been around for so long and put out so many LGBTQ+ titles. I feel like there were titles I couldn’t find in other places, but Wolfe would usually have them.
documentary
Wolfe was not the initial choice. They felt like they may not be the best fit at first. We weren’t sure if Wolfe was keeping up with the current distribution landscape, connections with SVOD platforms, etc… We wanted to make sure that we would not only be categorized for audiences that wanted LGBTQ titles because we knew that there was a larger audience for this film. Ultimately, however, we put together something really creative with them.
documentary
fiction
We first heard about them from our EP, redactedredacted, who had worked with them previously. Wolfe specialized in LGBTQ content and [our EP] loved working with them. They came highly recommended.
I had heard of them generally but when my film premiered at [film festival], the president, Jim, approached me with a business card at the end of my premiere.
fiction
documentary
I knew they were a distributor who focused on LGBTQ content.
What motivated you to work with them?
They seemed very enthusiastic about the film. That’s number one. We were looking for a true believer. They have the experience, and some track record, so it seemed to me that that work belonged in the hands of someone who knew how to do it.
documentary
fiction
We had gotten a couple of other offers from other distributors and Wolfe gave us the best deal. My producer thought it was a good fit because they were a small company and didn’t have a huge staff that would cost us a lot of money or bill us for things that we didn’t need. In his experience, it was the only distribution company that actually paid.
Wolfe stood out because of their focus on showcasing LGBTQIA2S+ stories. We felt that our movie would be in good hands with them.
fiction
fiction
They actually gave us the highest MG (as in…they gave us an MG) which was a real selling point. The investment, and also the fact that we had known someone who had worked with them before. I had sort of reached out to other people who had done a film of our size before and no one really had anything to say. But we had one person who sold multiple movies with this company and had a good experience.
The truth is I think that they were the main bidder in the end. Wolfe was the sole bidder at the end of day.
fiction
documentary
I didn’t want to go with Wolfe, to be honest. I didn’t want to go with LGBTQ distributor, thought it would limit the audience. But Wolfe seemed like the best option (to my team). Wolfe was good at saying they were going to do a lot of big things, but I don’t really know what they did other than the [SVOD deal].
What went well?
We’ve had some good discussions about things and they’ve talked about their honest disappointment that more hasn’t happened so far. It’s only been a short amount of time, but they’ve been responsive to having discussions about how to retool the campaign. But they’ve also been honest about how the pandemic has been impacting everything.
documentary
fiction
Their ideas for our premieres I thought were very good. It was an approach that was personalized for our film and they went out of their way to try to keep costs down while getting the word out as much as possible.
They have been great advocates for our film. They make sure that any platform it will be shown on—be it festival screenings or via streaming—accurately represents the wants of the core creative team. There is a consistent focus on getting it to audiences that we want it to be shown to.
fiction
fiction
What I’m happiest with is that our film was on [multiple SVOD platforms]. Very hard to do for our budget level. It’s a calling card.
Wolfe was amazing. They were super communicative. They were super excited. I felt like they knew and appreciated the film more than our [additional distribution partner]. They were highly collaborative.
fiction
fiction
[With regard to marketing,] they presented as if they were in it for the right reasons, which is to lift up the voices of queer filmmakers and queer content.
No one’s going to gun for our film harder than we will. Wolfe ended up showing some really good faith.
documentary
The deliverables list was extremely daunting and we had a phone call and by the end of the phone call, it was very manageable. They were easy to work with and pretty communicative.
fiction
fiction
They were really passionate about the movie. Seemed to be very tireless. They had big ambitions for it. I appreciated that. Some of those ambitions did not come to pass. Not because of any lack of follow through. The promotional materials were really good.
[Regarding SVOD licensing,] apparently, it was a good sum of money.
documentary
What went poorly?
Nothing really went “poorly.” I didn’t think the artists that they hired for the poster artwork were that great, but they were very patient in getting it right and making sure everyone was happy. The one thing I thought was strange was that we never saw the contract they made with [SVOD platform], so the amount that was made off of that deal could have been hidden from us. My producer said this was typical and happens everywhere, but to me it seemed strange.
fiction
fiction
Our experience has been very positive, any small hiccups along the way have been sorted out collaboratively, promptly, and effectively.
Disappointing amount of money.
fiction
fiction
The biggest disappointment and complaint would be the actual marketing. There wasn’t a cohesive, well-communicated branding/marketing plan. What I wanted and pushed for—they didn’t go with. What they ended up going with didn’t represent the film accurately. The way they decided to brand my movie—I’m unhappy with. My experience working with [Wolfe staff member] was 80% annoying and unprofessional sometimes. The way they spoke to me on a certain phone conversation was condescending.
I didn’t love the PR person they wanted and wasn’t able to bring on the contact person I wanted to work with. Nothing happened with socials—I made every social thing happen. It felt like it was being phoned in.
fiction
fiction
Nothing, not really. Not to my recollection. Everything was clearly communicated.
I have a really intense design aesthetic. What I saw on Wolfe’s website and catalogue was panic inducing. Their branding looks like it came from 1989 so we wanted to separate the branding and make sure we had approvals over any messaging that went out and any images that went out. We wanted to set everyone up for success.
documentary
fiction
They weren’t great [with regard to a very specific marketing deliverable].
The biggest issue was that they were a small operation and we really could have benefitted from a bigger PR arm. There were a couple of small dropped balls about [specific delivery issue]. I would say they were a little bit cheap. There’s probably a more delicate way of putting that. Their resources were limited. They really did the best they could with what they had. There was a lot of passion and spirit and dedication while dealing with a lack of resources.
fiction
documentary
I think there was just a lack of communication on everyone’s part. There were a couple times I emailed Wolfe and didn’t get an answer back…There was zero creative energy about how to sell this energy more broadly. I also think no one ever cares about your movie as much as you do. I try to be the best I can be, so I expect my distributor to be the best distributor they can be.
Did they breach the contract?
Every filmmaker interviewed replied, “No.”
Not at all. In fact, they’ve offered more flexibility for me to do things on my own that, originally, they thought would be in conflict with their work.
documentary
fiction
I’m not aware of any breach in the contract.
Filmmaker Friendliness?
They speak as short and efficiently as they possibly can. After some time, I got very little communication from Wolfe without my requesting it, usually more than once. I had to request status reports.
documentary
fiction
My first interaction with the owner of the company was them screaming at me for [a specific delivery problem]…but other than that, everyone else at the company was friendly and easy to work with. And the owner ended up being nice later on, as well.
The team at Wolfe are extremely friendly and considerate. They always make a point to keep the producers in the know on what is happening on their end, and they are very quick to respond and act whenever we had a request or question.
fiction
fiction
I found that they responded within 24 hours. They were super approachable. Any time that there was a question, input on my end, they were super receptive. It was wonderful.
It’s all been really positive.
documentary
fiction
I would say they didn’t necessarily stay in touch after the deal was signed. I’d have to email them. I’m always the first one to reach out to get quarterly reports, but they’re always responsive after I reach out. [Describes a very specific billing issue that was rectified quickly].
That was positive across the board. They were very—what’s the opposite of patronizing. Very filmmaking friendliness. Very prompt, engaged, personable. They would show up in person to screenings and show their investment and commitment to the project. They were very friendly.
fiction
documentary
They were very friendly and complimentary of the movie to begin with. They genuinely liked the movie.
What would you have done differently?
I wouldn’t go with them. I reached out to a couple other filmmakers before signing this deal, but they were two gay men. If I had worked with a queer woman, or if there were a better point person, I would have worked with them again.
fiction
documentary
Wouldn’t change anything. I love how all of that rolled out. Shockingly.
I wouldn’t use a sales agent but that doesn’t have to do with Wolfe. I think I would probably do it the same way. I’m happy and I would definitely work with them again.
fiction
fiction
I think that they did the best they could with their resources, which was admirable. I think if we could have gone with a bigger distributor with more resources, particularly in publicity and marketing and PR, that could have helped the film a lot. A film with complex subject matter that needs bespoke shepherding through a complex media and twittersphere/landscape. That could have really helped the film a lot, but it wasn’t a part of their package.
Any Final Thoughts?
Overall, I was happy with what they did for us. I think for our next film, I would want to somehow demand to see copies of contracts, if possible, because I feel like we got a little bit cheated on the [SVOD platform licensing] deal—but there’s nothing we can do about that now!
fiction
fiction
Nope! We’re very happy with the pairing.
The only thing I’ll add is that I think there’s no way to work with a distributor unless there’s some actual real baseline trust. We had that trust with Wolfe going in because there was a relationship that predated our business relationship. It’s so much about who you know.
documentary
Takeaways
Reviews of Wolfe seem to be on the positive side, but some filmmakers expressed concerns about keeping up with the current distribution landscape or connections with SVOD platforms. It should be noted that many of Wolfe’s titles are now on Hulu, in what seems to be a larger service deal that features many of their films.
TFC has worked with many filmmakers who believe that their film has a wide audience appeal and should not be categorized as only of interest to audiences seeking LGBTQ titles. In our experience, we have found that it’s simply easier to market a film when there is a viable niche attached to it. So, when a film premieres, we try to get it into an A-list festival. After the premiere, however, we go as wide as possible, even if it's heavy on the LGBT film circuit. While this may be disappointing to some filmmakers, it is often a better business strategy.
