IFH 197: Sundance Wants to Help You Distribute Your Indie Film…REALLY!

Sundance Wants to Help You Distribute Your Indie Film with the Creative Distribution Fellowship

Yup that's right the Sundance Institute wants to help you distribute your film. Liz Manashil (listen to her interview here), the manager of the Sundance Creative Distribution Fellowship reached out to me to get the word out on the fellowship. It turns out that, believe or not, they haven't been getting a lot of submissions. Crazy I know. My feeling is that when filmmakers see Sundance in the title they feel that their chances are thin.
Well, now is your chance IFH Tribe. SUBMIT NOW! We go over all your questions in the interview. Here's some info on the program.
The Creative Distribution Fellowship Overview
The Fellowship - inspired by the Institute’s longstanding artist labs and entering its second year - is an immersive, rigorous program for entrepreneurial producers and directors seeking new ways to build and reach audiences with their finished work. We are now accepting applications for films preparing for a 2018 or early 2019 release who are open to a creative release - i.e. without a traditional distributor.
The Fellowship is a curated program that includes grant funds, access to premium pre-negotiated distribution deals, and connections to experienced industry mentors with the Institute’s Creative Distribution team playing a strategic advisory role. We’re currently engaged in the Fellowship’s pilot year, and supporting two films: Columbus, a fiction feature; and Unrest, a documentary. Both films have excelled with the framework provided by the Fellowship and we are thrilled with the results. Case studies will be finalized on each film in early 2018.
We are seeking films at all budget levels featuring distinctive, singular voices. We will select three or four films on a rolling basis, and we will support fellows during their initial release period (6 - 12 months). Films will be selected by a committee comprised of the Creative Distribution team along with key representatives from the Institute’s Feature Film, Documentary, and Festival programs. Our evaluation process will have two stages. We will initially review applications reviewing essay questions and a trailer or clip. After this initial review, we will invite select applicants to submit their feature in its entirety, and notify others that their project has been declined.
Selected Films Receive

$25,000 grant for marketing expenses with an emphasis on digital marketing.
A mid-five-figure minimum deal from either Amazon, Hulu or Netflix, and preferred access to other Sundance Institute brokered digital distribution opportunities through its relationship with their digital aggregator.
Guidance from the Creative Distribution Initiative and leading industry advisors prior to the release.
Referral to key marketing and distribution consultants to help execute campaigns.
Sundance Institute branding and promotion to support the release of the film.
Half-day marketing strategy session with leading industry marketing and distribution executives at Institute offices.
Sundance alumni designation and benefits.

What Sundance Needs

Fellows participating in the program will be expected to devote significant time and energy to the release of their film.
Fellows will be required to be fully transparent about their experience, including audience data and revenue numbers. This information will be turned into detailed case studies that will be publicly released by the Institute.
Fellows will be required to participate in weekly calls with Sundance Institute to discuss goals, strategy, and progress.
The Creative Distribution team will be available to advise fellows on major marketing and distribution decisions throughout the process.

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