Distribution

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I've been meaning to watch more documentaries, Randall Scott White, but I've been catching up on fiction movies and shows. I'll pay to watch a documentary if it's interesting. I haven't watched documentaries in theaters. I would.

Absolutely. Documentaries are fantastic at diving deep into a story and bringing out the most interesting and compelling facts about topics we sort of know about and others we don't know. Many series and movies are written in a documentary style with a sprinkle of drama. The doc is here to stay. I personally watch a lot of them.

Cloud looks thrilling, Geoff Hall! I'm looking forward to seeing it and Kiyoshi Kurosawa's other work! I like that the trailer is only one minute and doesn't give away too much.

Maurice Vaughan yeah, it’s interesting, isn’t it, how there seems to be a form for short trailers, that try to give us the tone and style of the film without giving away the story. It will be interesting to see how further trailers move more towards the story. I suppose there may be a whole study in trailers, duration, style, story.

Thanks Mike and Randall! I have added more details to my post.

Those are some big goals. I suspect you’d need to pay these panelists. And then you’ll want a lot of filmmakers to attend, because they’d be the main audience. Hopefully filmmakers with quality movies, to make it worthwhile for buyers to attend. A bit of a chicken and the egg problem, what do you focus on first?

Sounds like the Austin Film Fest might be a good model for what you want to do. Research how they started.

Try a five year plan, you probably can’t get what you want overnight.

@ Mike, I really appreciate your inputs. Yes, this is a long term game plan but I need to start somewhere - Austin sounds like a great idea to explore.

Hey Rigi Nigam Your World Culture Film Festival sounds like exactly the kind of meaningful event that the industry needs right now. Opening with "The Monk and the Gun" shows strong curatorial vision, and your mission to promote consciousness-raising cinema fills a real niche in the festival landscape.

For attracting executives and distributors, consider these targeted approaches:

Strategic Outreach:

- Focus on companies that specialize in international and arthouse content (A24, Focus Features, Neon, Magnolia Pictures)

- Target distributors who work with Oscar foreign film submissions

- Reach out to streaming platforms seeking diverse, meaningful content

Value Proposition Development:

- Create compelling industry-focused materials highlighting your unique positioning

- Develop case studies from last year's success stories

- Offer exclusive preview access to top-tier content

Partnership Opportunities:

- Connect with cultural consulates and international film offices

- Partner with organizations focused on conscious content (Spiritual Cinema Circle, etc.)

- Collaborate with film schools and industry organizations

Practical Incentives:

- Industry panels with actionable topics (international co-production, conscious content marketing)

- Private screening events for executives

- Structured networking with filmmakers seeking distribution

Stage 32 Connection:

Many of our executives work with international and meaningful content. we could certainly help identify those who might align with your festival's mission.

Your festival fills an important gap in the marketplace!

Hi Pat, these are awesome ideas. I especially like your suggestion of finding international arthouse film distributors. I'd love to take you up on your offer to help find relevant folks on this site - I've sent you a network request. Thanks!

Thank you, Ewan. I've learned that what I need is a two-minute proof of concept with 2 posters which costs about $7-9,000. Since this is about my script, I don't know how to make it look like a trailer. I was told there is a website where you can download pieces from films for free, but don't know the name of the website. My idea is to show this POC along with trailers at festivals to generate interest in the script's production. Several people have said they can make a POC, but I don't know which person is the best candidate. And then--- how do I get financing? I'm a senior on fixed income and can hardly afford all the entry fees for contests and festivals. I just feel sending query emails is a waste of time, and what's the point of winning so many contests if they don't lead to production? You just get bragging rights. I need to take my award-winning script into a new direction, and I think that's making a POC. If anyone has another idea, please, please let me know. Thanks

You could make a post on the Job Board, Georgette Skolnick. www.stage32.com/find-jobs Someone might charge less to make a two-minute proof of concept and two posters.

Emma Smith wrote a blog you might be interested in. It’s called “Unlocking the Secrets of Film Grants: The Ultimate Guide Every Filmmaker Needs!” (www.stage32.com/blog/unlocking-the-secrets-of-film-grants-the-ultimate-g...).

Stage 32 also has other Financing blogs (www.stage32.com/blog/tags/financing-85).

Georgette Skolnick I echo Ewan Dunbar 's advice - focus on one or two emblematic moments that speak to the heart of your story — either a key emotional turning point or a scene that reveals the world’s rules/tension. You don’t need big production value — just a clear vibe/tone, good acting, and direction that will allow those elements to come through.

Georgette, it's so great to be here asking these questions! Are you going to be directing it yourself, or are you also looking for a director? Identifying the key people to help you get this made (Director, producer...) can help you get the rest of the pieces together. It also might be worth looking into grants that you may qualify for. Good luck! :)

Heather, no, I don't know anything about directing or even how to get financing. I just have this great award-winning script, and I need a POC to announce it needs someone to produce it.

You're welcome, Chiara Torrisi. You're right. I didn't know about some of these things before reading the blog. I learn a lot about different areas of the industry from the blogs.

HI Maurice, thanks for sharing. I haven't been receiving the daily blog via email lately. Does that daily communication now require Writers' Room log in to locate it in a blog conversation?

Hi, Catherine Cole. You're welcome. I don't think so. You should be able to see the daily blog notification by clicking the bell in the top right-hand corner of Stage 32, selecting "See All" in the drop-down menu (at the bottom of it), then clicking "Blogs & Announcements."

Yes, that's always been available. What ceased was my receiviing the daily blog via my personal email inbox.

Catherine Cole, it's possible that if you were no longer clicking to access the blog from your email, then our system stopped sending them to you. It's a way to detect the kind of emails that our members want to receive. So if you click on "Keep Reading Here" on a blog email, you'll continue to receive them every day.

This is awesome advice!

Really great advice Stephen Folker

Happy to help!

Hi, James Fleming. Yeah, the Your Stage Lounge (www.stage32.com/lounge/promotion), Your Wall, the Logline page (www.stage32.com/loglines), and the Videos page (www.stage32.com/videos).

Jed Power I went to see it with my son and we left the theatre feeling very underwhelmed, to the point there was no conversation about it on the way home, in the car. I can’t think of a any other film we’ve been to see, that it has ever happened to us.

With hindsight, we wondered if it was perhaps that the film had more meaning in America and didn’t really translate well internationally?

Geoff Hall I do believe that four-walling is the term for what used to be called a traveling road show. I don't recall if anyone but his own company is involved. Certainly no releasing company has come to my attention.

Shadow Dragu-Mihai, Esq., Ipg yeah, the usual deal is for the production company to take the box-office and the theatre all the concession sales. That would be pure profit for FFC's company, but I can't see him recouping the $120m budget for the film, via four-walling.

Geoff Hall Maybe it's just Canada, but I find the theater releases a lot underwhelming since Barbie and Eras. It could be because I'm super-heroed to death. Also, given the current state of affairs, superhero Marvel type movies seem a bit out of place.

We still need entertainment, especially during challenging times and streaming is where they are all at. I look at the quality and quantity of content available in streaming, and even cable, and then when compare it to the theater of late, it's a no-brainer for me.

A lot of my reluctance to go to the theater is that matinees are no longer available, and that I'm still using a walker. I loved the atmosphere of the matinee in my reclining Cineplex chair with my large popcorn and Pepsi. However, that option is no longer available, so if there's a film I want to see, I will rent it from either Cineplex or YouTube. I don't think I'm alone.

Where I might start going back to the theater regularly is if bands simulcast live performances through the theater. I'd much rather go to see Bloodywood, Lamb of God, Måneskin, Bad Bunny, and Kendrick Lamar perform on a movie screen as they play live in Germany or wherever.

Debbie Elicksen thanks, Debbie. Event cinema is really taking off in the UK. It’s a shame that the things you love, are no longer available.