Distribution

A client recently asked me about the value of submitting a short film to a local film festival. After my recent romp at the 20th Annual HollyShorts Film Festival here in Los Angeles, I had to dish on the deets! My not-so-short answer was the stuff of epic emails, and so, I figured best to expand on it as a blog! In fact, it's particularly timely because my epic proof-of-concept short film, "Sanctuary" (Instagram: @SanctuarytheShortFilm ) just announced its premiere at the 9th Annual Silicon Beac...

Hello Creative Army! Over the past 13 years, we here at Stage 32 have been thrilled to be recognized throughout the industry as the leaders in online film craft and business education. We are honored to be partnered with some of the most prestigious film festivals and markets in the world including the American Film Market and the Cannes Film Festival Marché du film to name a few. Now, for the 9th year in a row, we are thrilled to be joining forces with one of the few Oscar-qualifying short...

Happy Sunday, Creative Army! Have you had a creative weekend so far? I have some content here for you that is sure to get the creative juices flowing, so grab your coffee, and let's dive in. First up, in this video from The Editing Podcast, hosts Hayden Hillier Smith and Jordan Orme sit down with the acclaimed editor behind David Fincher's brilliant cinematic masterpieces, Kirk Baxter! Kirk's illustrious career spans iconic films such as “The Social Network”, “Gone Girl”, and “The Killer”. H...

Happy Thursday, Creative Army! While you may have missed out on getting to attend Cannes in person, you certainly won’t miss out on the incredible insights that were shared there! At this year’s Cannes 2024, Stage 32 hosted a fantastic expert panel exploring the pros and cons of distribution deals, ranging from theatrical to streaming to self-distribution, providing insights into the best options for producers today. Moderated by Emma Louis Smith (ACCA, Finance Strategist, Monaco), our dis...

At some point, most filmmakers come across a great idea for a documentary film. It might be an interesting topic or personality, and you just know there is a story that must be told. But similarly to narrative filmmaking, there’s a huge difference between having an idea and being able to carry it into a finished motion picture. We talk about “packaging” in scripted films, attachments, pre-sales, and budgets, but oftentimes overlook the importance of doing the same thing in documentary films....

If you are considering attending the Cannes Film Festival Marché du Film for the first time but are unsure whether you will be able to navigate it, keep reading. I was in your shoes before I decided to take the plunge this year! I hope sharing my experience will give you that final push you need and help you make the most of your time there next year. First A Bit Of Context I am a director based in Dubai. Earlier this year, a grounded sci-fi thriller feature film I wrote and will direct was s...

Happy Tuesday, Creative Army! 2024 was Stage 32’s 11th year on La Croisette at the Cannes Film Festival and our 8th year as an official education partner of Cannes Marché du Film! It was amazing to see so many people from our global community show up to celebrate, network, and support each other. We had Stage 32 members screening their films and closing big deals, showcasing the immense talent that we’re lucky to foster here every day. We also had members attending and hosting panels, furthe...

Most independent filmmakers forgo hiring a unit or film publicist in pre-production. There are many reasons they do this, but the most common one is that they don’t think they have it in their budget. The truth is filmmakers can’t afford to make that mistake. Planning your publicity strategy in pre-production will give your film its best chance at success. Here’s a deeper look into why independent filmmakers should have a film publicist on their team from the get-go. Procrastination Gets Yo...

It is thrilling after all your work on a film, to have the exhilarating experience of a dynamic and successful Q&A at a film festival with a packed audience. Conversely, most of us have experienced the shock of seeing a Q&A where no questions were asked. Worse is having your short-screened with others and ending up the only one not having a question asked after hearing, “Well, guys, that’s all we have time for as the next film is coming in.” You Can Pack Those Screenings You can have jammed-p...

Independent film projects deal with business and legal aspects all the time. Bigger production companies generally have an in-house or external business and legal affairs manager. This is however less common for small production companies. In this article, we will discuss the role of business and legal affairs in independent film, and explore the areas covered by a business and legal affairs department or manager.     Business and Legal Affairs in Independent Film Business and le...