Doubling Down on Democracy
Independent film is essential for democracy. Filmmakers must empower themselves to connect their films to audiences. No one else will do it.
“Any form of art is a form of power; it has impact, it can affect change – it can not only move us, it makes us move.” Ossie Davis.
I have felt this way since my DIY punk days in San Francisco in which an art movement broke through the walls of largely conservative media that was blind to a neoliberal transformation of the western world.1 That DIY ethos helped in part foster the democratization of a wide range of media including independent film.
Since the 80s, independent film has provided a diverse range of voices and ideas that is essential to a healthy democracy. However, our media ecosystem is now dominated by a few global streaming platforms that not only control audience attention but exclude nearly all form of content that is even a tiny bit adjacent to engaging in a political dialogue or to fostering alternative or challenging ideas. This is why I am even more passionate about teaching filmmakers to develop strategies to connect to audiences that do not rely on major media platforms than when I started 15 years ago.
Next week we have an election that has the power to transform the world as we know it.2 I’ve been busy phone banking for Kamala and dems. While I have a number of issues with Kamala, the existential threat posed by the alternative makes this the most important election of my lifetime. I know that a lot of you are also working on the election and it will take some time for the results to resolve. In the mean time I thought I would program two free timely events to help get your diverse voices into the world.
Our first Ask-Me-Anything
I was lucky to participate in the 2nd iteration of the DC/Dox festival. That festival has a mission to promote politically relevant films and this year’s program addressed a vast array of pressing issues. For the first ask-me-anything, I thought who better than DC/Dox Co-Founder and Festival Director Sky Sitney to join me next Friday November 8th for an open ended exploration of film festival strategy. This event is co-presented by the Film Festival Alliance.
As the AMA name implies - the event will be driven by your questions - so bring those burning queries that have perplexed you about this very important part of your film’s distribution and marketing path. The event is free and open to all.
November Case Study: No Time to Fail
Fitting with the angst of this year’s presidential election, on November 15th, I will be conducting a live case study webinar about the feature documentary No Time to Fail with Filmmakers Margo Guernsey and Sara Archambault.
No Time to Fail shines a light on the heroic efforts of local election administrators. As the nation faced unprecedented challenges in 2020, these unsung heroes worked tirelessly to ensure every vote counted.
We will examine how the release and impact campaign gave voice to this largely invisible, yet completely indispensable workforce, at this critical time in our country’s relationship with election management.
Guernsey and Archambault will reveal the strategic partnerships they engaged to create a robust theatrical and community screening/impact campaign leading up to a PBS broadcast and subsequent TVOD release.
8 Above Distribution Lab
Continuing the theme of filmmaker education, I started the 8 Above Distribution Lab to create a collaborative learning environment for filmmakers to engage in the often isolating process of distribution and marketing in an intimate cohort of up to ten film teams. The next iteration of the Lab starts in December 2024/January 2025. Applications are now open.
Ironically see this excellent article from the Washington Post on how major media outlet largely gave Ronald Reagan’s administration a free pass. Note: this is a non-paywalled post prior to the current era of Bezos ownership. You are not supporting the Washington Post if you read it - if that is of concern.
I highly recommend this post from Heather Cox Richardson - it really kicked me into gear.
Thanks Lance!! You too!!
I am very interested in the Distribution Lab. I spent most of my career as a professor and making small indie films on the side. I produced for others and have always been disappointed in the deals we get from distributors. I just completed a proof-of-concept short film that is in festivals, and I am developing a feature version of that film (horror/comedy). I guess my long-winded question is can I apply to the lab if I'm still developing my film or do I have to be ready to go to distributors?