If you are a filmmaker looking to secure distribution for your film or documentary, it can be intimidating to reach out to distribution companies. Video Librarian's guide offers advice on how to contact film distributors and the proper etiquette when approaching them. Securing distribution is the key to getting your film seen by the world.
There is a massive elephant in the room for filmmakers that is inscrutable, ever-changing, all-encompassing, and often frustrating. That elephant is the question of distribution. A sphere both wildly different from the process of film production and strangely complementary if viewed through the correct prism.
As a longtime independent producer, I have been on every side of the equation; positive experiences, horrifically negative ones, completely mediocre, inspiringly DIY, and everything in between. I have had the benefit of laurels from the biggest film festivals in the world—Sundance, Cannes, TIFF, SXSW, Tribeca, etc.—and leaning heavily on wonderful regional festivals—Tallgrass, Chattanooga, Napa Valley, Berkshire, etc. I have enjoyed prestige distribution—Sony Pictures Classics, HBOMax, Universal, etc.—to more volume and aggregator-oriented distributors such as Gravitas Ventures, Marvista, etc.
The common experience across all of them? You ultimately WILL need to push back, fight for your film, and annoy anyone who will listen to advocate for your film.
But that’s a lesson for another time.
First things first. More often than not, you need to find your distributor and get their attention. And there are a few ways to do that but a central problem to contend with.
Finding high-end distributors
The central problem with landing the sort of high-end and meaningful distribution that you need to truly crossover in the industry and ensure greater success on future titles is that you ultimately are reliant on forces you cannot control. The one-in-a-million success stories—Bellflower, Thunder Road, Clerks, Slacker, etc.—are huge outliers. They require complete and confounding luck and/or advocacy at the highest level from festivals, name executive producers, and industry tastemaker standpoint.
But if you do manage to fight your way to that sort of programming and advocacy, you still need to protect yourself. So let’s talk about…
What materials should you send to film distributors?
In a dream situation, you have access to and interest from high-end sales agents—think Big 4 talent agencies, Cinetic, Submarine, Visit Films, etc.—who can not only help you get seen by every possible buyer for your film but will side-channel with festivals to ensure your film gets seen by the right programmers.
Access to these folks is not easy. If you make cold submissions, ensure you have strong written materials as well as tape to show. A brief and well-designed creative deck as well as a 1.5-4 minute teaser can get you very far as it doesn’t ask a lot of time of the executive (or assistant or coordinator) to pique their interest for further conversations. Never send the film unsolicited. Period.
So, say you manage to surmount those obstacles. Working with a sales agent at this level can at least guarantee your film is considered by everyone. It doesn’t guarantee you anything on the sales front (trust me, I’ve been there) but at least you can sleep knowing you were in the mix at the highest level.
You will need to navigate the process with a clear mind. Contact fellow filmmakers, get in touch with friendly producers who have their info on IMDBpro, research every resource you can (Film Collaborative, IFP, Sundance Distribution Services, the Indie Film Hustle podcast, and consult anyone who will give you a few minutes of your time.
And be willing to walk away if you are presented with terms you don't agree with.
If you are in a situation where a premium sales agent does not come to fruition, be prepared to go the DIY route. Where you are your only advocate. And you have to learn fast, placate many forces, and wear a few more hats than you anticipated.
What is DIY film distribution?
So DIY can mean a couple of different things but let’s focus on two main paths of execution:
- Selling directly to a distributor/aggregator
- Distributing all rights yourself
Usually, people tend to start with number one and reluctantly end up embracing number two to varying degrees of success.
It's safe to assume a certain level of distributor simply won’t engage with you without a sales agent or reputable lawyer reaching out on your behalf. But smaller boutique buyers are looking for diamonds in the rough and ultimately it's important to remember that quality materials will take you far.
If your teaser, deck, and poster are of a certain standard, you’ll get engaged executives. So again—take that part of the process seriously. Never assume someone will simply watch your entire film straightaway. Incentivize them.
To contact these folks, be dogged, scrappy, and completely shameless. If you can find their emails on IMDBpro you can cold email them straightaway. You can call their listed numbers and wear down a tired receptionist or assistant to share a personal email for direct submission of materials. You can find any other email for the company to identify the stem design for their email addresses. And in a last-ditch effort, simply email the info@ email address or email module on their site and set a timeframe (3-4 weeks) for a follow-up, and decide thereafter at your discretion if it is worth waiting.
But all of this may yield results you simply aren’t prepared to accept. After all, you broke your back to make the film, and swallowing a poison pill of bad terms and apathetic communication is never a good feeling or typically a positive experience.
So that brings us to a route that doesn’t particularly apply to the theme of this article but for our purposes let’s identify some best practices as it is relevant to the modern filmmaker. Perhaps the most relevant knowledge base to have prepared if your plan A, plan B, and plan C fail.
How can I self-distribute my film?
You decide to self-distribute your film and control your rights. For our assumptions, let’s assume you have both time and (some) money. You’ll need a few things: a few bucks, an aggregator for various distribution windows, a publicist, and an interest in social media.
Standing out in the marketplace is more difficult than ever. More films are released weekly than ever before and self-distributed films have an even harder time standing apart from the pack. So you’ll need to engage your niche (if it exists), communicate with your audience to make them feel like a part of the process, and be willing to not shut up until every last person you can identify will watch and advocate for your film.
If you work with a publicist, ensure they understand the film’s audience and potential but more importantly—listen. They will have good ideas and you should embrace them rather than alienate them.
You may want to consider four walling or identifying indie-friendly theaters in communities you feel you can attract audiences within. This, at worst, guarantees you more exposure but can often mean actual revenue if you can put meat in seats. It can also mean press coverage you otherwise wouldn’t have.
Perhaps the best part of self-distribution is that you own your film. You’ll work with an aggregator such as Indie Rights or FilmHub but they won’t own your film. You will.
And if your greater goal is to keep making films, remember that filmmaking is like boxing; you always need to get back up for the next fight. And if you get lucky and film two, three, or four break out? Suddenly film number one has value and no one gets to benefit more than you.
What you should remember before looking for film distribution
Ultimately you need to make peace with the fact that you likely won’t be able to contact EVERY film distributor, especially the ones you really love like A24 or NEON. But the process itself is an education. If you aren’t shy, the worst-case scenario is you walk away knowing a lot more people than you did before. But also, filmmakers get lucky every year. Anyone who says luck isn’t part of the equation is deluded, lying, or both.
Good luck.