What Do You Want to Know?

First AMA of 2025, Impact Lounge Distribution Town Hall in Park City, and YouTube Movies and TV webinar tomorrow (over 750 sign ups already but there is still room).

AMA of 2025

As democracy begins to crumble around us in the face of an ever powerful plutocracy, what is the role of independent media? More important than ever! So how do we cope? How do we connect our films with audiences that need to see them? These are large issues but they become granular and personal when it pertains to your film and career.

Next week I’ll be hosting my first AMA of 2025. I’m going to try this out 1x a month and see how people like it. Occasionally I might have a special guest - but I want to see how this works with just me and you. This one will be for all subscribers - but I’m capping this one at 100. When you sign up - you’ll be prompted to ask a question and I’ll be using those questions as a starting point. I’m intending for these to be fun and interactive - god knows we need some fun right now.

Anything related to film distribution and marketing is fair game — from what just happened at Sundance to how much money should you budget for distribution and marketing to how should you window a theatrical release in relationship to educational to any existential questions about our industry.

Sign up and join me for what I intend to be a wide ranging fun filled hour:

Thursday February 13th at 1pm PT/4pm ET.

Distribution Town Hall at the Impact Lounge

Image courtesy of The Impact Lounge

On Saturday, January 25th at Sundance, we gathered for a no-holds-barred Distribution Town Hall at the Impact Lounge hosted by Caspian.

With Amy Hobby, Dan Mirvish, Glen Reynolds, and Russell Schwartz, we tackled the hard truths of indie film distribution: what’s working, what’s broken, and how we can reshape the future. Some time was spent on traditional sales - but as Amy Hobby said “What sales?” While we discussed split rights, how to find your audience, how to test screen your film, how you need a strategy before you go to festivals (which are distribution) and new exciting emerging platforms, it felt that these were topics we have been talking about for 15 years.

Halfway through I couldn’t take it anymore and I went on a rant about how we are dealing with an economic/structural system that is strangling our field. And while there is hope in a potential untapped audience for independent film - a few conglomerates now dominate and control audience attention and media and they don’t care about us. Until we deal with these issues and structures - the vast majority of filmmakers will be vying for the few drops of blood we wring from turnips.

Earning Revenue on Youtube AVOD with Filmhub’s Alan d’Escragnolle

Join us on February 6th at 1pm PT/4pm ET to see how YouTube Movies and TV has emerged as a dominant revenue stream for filmmakers. Alan will outline Filmhub’s best practices and open the hood to reveal transparent numbers. I’ve had a number of chats with Alan about this topic - and I’m excited about its potential and how this can affect filmmakers’ bottom line. Hope to see you there.