Documentary Community Contends With Distribution Challenges: ‘Incredible, Urgent Films’ Are ‘Not Getting Those Kind of Platforms’

As a seasoned movie critic with over three decades of experience under my belt, I’ve seen the industry evolve from VHS tapes to streaming platforms, and it’s safe to say that the current landscape is as challenging as ever for independent documentaries.

The independent distribution of documentaries was a buzzing discussion during the 20th installment of the Camden International Film Festival, held in Maine and commenced on September 12.

John Sloss, the founder and CEO of Cinetic Media, who recently sold the Christopher Reeve documentary ‘Super/Man’ to Warner Bros. Discovery for an estimated $15 million from Sundance earlier this year, acknowledged that locating suitable platforms for well-known documentaries like “No Other Land” has proven challenging.

Regarding the movie “No Other Land,” which focuses on the Palestinian activists resisting forced displacement and settler expansion in Masafer Yatta, West Bank community, this film was featured at CIFF. It has also been screened at TIFF and Telluride recently. The documentary made its debut at the 74th Berlin Film Festival, IDFA-supported, where it garnered both the Documentary Award and the Panorama Dokumente Audience Award in February.

Sloss hasn’t disclosed specific reasons as to why the movie remains undistributed, but considering the streaming platforms’ current disdain for politically charged or topical documentary films, it comes as no great shock.

On September 14, during a discussion at the CIFF panel named ‘Bottom Lines: Social Impact Storytelling and the Documentary Market,’ Brett Story (co-director of the Sundance 2024 documentary “Union”) expressed that despite being screened at over 50 film festivals worldwide, including Camden, their film was not acquired by a major distribution company. As a result, Story along with her co-director Stephen Maing opted to release the movie in theaters themselves, starting from October.

According to Story, we’ve achieved significant success by nearly every standard important to a filmmaker’s perspective.

A group of Amazon workers in Staten Island, N.Y., are trying to organize a union, and their story is featured in the latest documentary titled “Union.” Due to changes in the film industry, this documentary was self-distributed as many documentarians now need to budget not just for production but also distribution. Service deals, where filmmakers pay distributors like Abramorama to release their documentary while retaining rights to the film, have become commonplace. Examples of recent documentaries that used service deals include “War Game,” which premiered at Sundance 2024, and the SXSW 2023 doc “Join or Die.

Story did not specify the details of “Union’s” upcoming release.

Story expressed joy after leaving Sundance, thrilled to have been a part of it. Delighted by the positive reception of our film and eagerly hoping someone would express immediate interest in distributing it widely. That would’ve made things easier for us and added excitement. However, we were also aware that such an opportunity might not present itself because we’ve seen numerous films that are outstanding, yet struggle to find platforms.

The story reveals that they, the team associated with “Union,” have been engaged in a fundraising effort over the past few months, aiming to smoothly distribute the movie.

A colleague on the panel, director Bonni Cohen, is showcasing two documentaries in this year’s festival circuit – “In Waves and War” and “The White House Effect.” Both movies, which deal with political matters, made their debut at Telluride and are currently seeking distribution. (“The White House Effect” was also screened at the Cleveland International Film Festival.)

Cohen asserted that regardless if her documentaries secure buyers, she is committed to ensuring that both films leave an indelible impression.

Cohen mentioned, “We’re hoping that both projects will eventually see the light of day somehow.” While we wait for the transactions to be completed, “we’re also working on our strategy for how these projects can make an impact.” This includes arranging screenings, particularly on college campuses and within communities. We’re focusing on planning these screenings even before the sales are finalized.

Marie Therese Guirgis, a producer and film financier, was part of the CIFF panel. She works for Play/Action Pictures, a documentary feature production company established by Jeffrey Lurie, owner of the Philadelphia Eagles. This company financed and produced the Academy Award-winning documentary “Summer of Soul” and more recently, Petra Costa’s “Apocalypse in the Tropics,” which was screened at CIFF and premiered at the Venice Film Festival in September.

Exploring how the evangelical movement impacts modern Brazilian politics, “Apocalypse in the Tropics” aims for distribution. Guirgis mentioned that although Play/Action Pictures hasn’t resorted to self-distribution before, the present situation could compel the company to take this route.

Guirgis stated, “Lurie values the vulnerability of democracy, particularly in relation to ‘Apocalypse in the Tropics.’ If this movie doesn’t receive distribution, Lurie might not immediately shut down the company, but it could put a strain on the business. Many philanthropic individuals involved in this field want films to be easily viewable, and for them, that means they can find it on various platforms. This is a problem I am currently grappling with.

The physical part of CIFF ended on September 15th. However, online viewings will be accessible from September 16th to September 30th for audiences all over the United States.

2024-09-16 20:17

Documentary Community Contends With Distribution Challenges: ‘Incredible, Urgent Films’ Are ‘Not Getting Those Kind of Platforms’

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