At Chicago’s Doc10, Filmmakers Say the Streaming Boom Is Over, and Governor Pritzker Talks Politics: ‘We Are Seeing Autocrats Exploit Those Who Struggle to Make Ends Meet’

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According to Geralyn Dreyfous, a multiple Academy Award winner and co-founder of Impact Partners, the surge in popularity of documentaries streamed online has reportedly come to an end.

During a panel at Chicago’s Doc10 film festival, Dreyfous stated that the market for streamers isn’t likely to recover. He argued that expecting significant sales from film festivals like Sundance is unrealistic, suggesting it’s akin to living in a fantasy world (la la land). The data shows this, as only one out of twenty films gets sold at Sundance compared to eight out of ten when Impact Partners first started. This trend has vanished. Instead, we need to innovate new distribution strategies.

2024 saw the inception of Jolt, an AI-powered streaming platform designed for direct consumer access, by Dreyfous – known for his work on “The Invisible War,” “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”, and “Navalny”. Established amidst the crisis in documentary distribution, Jolt aims to provide a much-needed boost to independent documentaries that have garnered success at international film festivals but struggled with traditional distribution. Some of its latest releases include “Hollywoodgate,” “Zurawsksi v Texas,” and “The Bibi Files”, the latter being a documentary by Oscar-winning directors Alex Gibney and Alexis Bloom.

On the May 3 panel discussion, titled “6 Revolutionary Concepts: Reshaping the Documentary Sector,” Josh Braun, co-president of a submarine, and Alice Quinlan, co-founder of Red Owl, joined Dreyfous in the conversation to discuss the present condition of the nonfiction market.

Braun admitted that sales are taking longer than expected to make.

Braun mentioned that a submarine brought eight films to Sundance this year, but none were sold. This is the first time such an occurrence has happened. Now, four of those films have been successfully sold. If they had been sold in February, we would have felt extremely satisfied. Since they are being sold now, in May, there’s a sense of caution because we wonder if this success was merely a coincidence or indicative of something more substantial. We’re not sure.

Beyond designing a carefully selected system to deliver desired content to viewers, Dreyfous additionally proposed setting up an “Angel Studios for the Left.” This studio, known for producing faith-based films, would enable members of its “Angel Guild” to decide on which film and TV projects the company should promote and distribute.

“Why can’t we have our own guild?” asked Greyfous.

Acclaimed documentary filmmaker Heidi Ewing, whose work “Folktales” was showcased at Doc10 and recently acquired by Magnolia Pictures, voiced her thoughts about the current landscape in the film industry.

As a filmmaker, attending these festivals serves as a promotional journey towards a theatrical release,” Ewing explained. “These events effectively act as our messengers. Audiences who view the movie at Doc10 will likely encourage their friends to watch it when it screens in Chicago cinemas. I’m not just being overly hopeful or idealistic, but people crave connection. The theatrical experience is essential for bringing them together. So, I truly believe that we can attract audiences to our film.

I was thrilled to be among the esteemed filmmakers who graced the tenth installment of Doc10, including Geeta Gandbhir (“The Perfect Neighbor”), David Osit (“Predators”), and the Academy Award-winning Mstyslav Chernov (“2000 Meters to Andriivka”). Remarkably, all three of these films premiered at Sundance 2025.

In “20 Days in Mariupol,” Chernov provided viewers with a raw perspective on the initial stages of Russia’s invasion into Ukraine and its devastating impact on civilians. Conversely, in his work “2000 Meters to Andriivka,” Chernov focuses his camera on Ukrainian soldiers, revealing their identities, origins, and the agonizing choices they must make as they struggle for every bit of territory while defending their land.

In a question-and-answer session with Anthony Kaufman, the main programmer at Doc10, the director shared his reasons for creating yet another film focusing on Ukraine.

Whenever I travel globally, people often ask me questions like ‘What’s going to happen with Ukraine next?’, ‘How do Ukrainians feel?’ or ‘What is their perspective on the land?’. Chernov shared that he always wishes he could provide an answer, but finds himself at a loss for words. In response, he decided to create a film about it. He aims to give significance to the casualties, distances, and names often reduced to mere statistics in maps and news headlines. This is the purpose behind this movie.

The five-day event came to a close on May 4 with a viewing of “Prime Minister,” directed by Michelle Walshe and Lindsay Utz. This documentary about the former Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Arden, received outstanding acclaim after its debut at Sundance in January. Governor JB Pritzker of Illinois had the honor of presenting the film and introducing the special guest, Jacinda Ardern.

In this documentary, you’ll witness a caring and understanding individual juggling the intricacies of their personal life alongside the stresses and demands of public office, as Governor Pritzker described. This kind of empathetic leadership is something I greatly respect, and it’s what we should expect from our public officials. (Arden) serves as a stark contrast to those politicians who choose to approach public service with harshness and lack of understanding. These elected officials confront the same challenges we all do, but instead of showing compassion, they add to others’ struggles.

During Doc10 fest, hosted by Chicago Media Project, we learn that true strength in leadership is rooted in empathy and kindness, especially during tough times. (Arden) demonstrates this by acknowledging and addressing our collective humanity.

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2025-05-05 21:18