Desperately Seeking Distribution AIDC 2017

Alternative Pathways to an Infinite Audience The fast-changing evolution of the distribution landscape is one of the most vexing and unnerving issues facing the screen industry today. New and fragmented consumer practices have severely disrupted the domination of the traditional release chain, while a deluge of cheap digital content erodes the profitability of alternative revenue streams. In this increasingly crowded market, competing for eyeballs – and distribution dollars – has never been tougher for independent documentaries, no matter the form. But is the news all bad? In an adapt-or-die scenario, filmmakers are getting creative. Crowdsourcing, “event” screenings, on-demand and multi-platform releases, as well as a host of clever campaign and social media strategies are just some of the ways filmmakers are shining a light on their work and breaking new ground. In this session, we draw on the lessons of two very different productions – webseries Black As (David Batty, 2016) and feature documentary Chasing Asylum (Eva Orner, 2016) – to posit the question: can we turn challenge into opportunity?

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