Distribution Tips from Documentary Filmmaker Scott Thurman

Discover the Journey of Finding Distribution as an Independent Filmmaker with Scott Thurman

Producing an independent film requires immense time and effort, but the real challenge lies in finding distribution for your creation. To shed light on the distribution process for a successful documentary film, we sat down with director Scott Thurman to discuss his acclaimed 2012 Tribeca Special Jury Prize-winning film, The Revisionaries.

Check out the official trailer for The Revisionaries from Naked Edge Films.

Scott embarked on the production of The Revisionaries during his master’s program and continued working on it throughout his thesis year. After submitting the film to various festivals and receiving overwhelming feedback, Tribeca came knocking. From that point on, Scott and his producers secured a broadcast deal with PBS through Independent Lens, found core distribution with Kino Lorber, and struck a smaller deal with Netflix to maximize exposure for The Revisionaries. In the following Q&A, Scott provides a glimpse into each step of this process.

After completing the final cut of The Revisionaries, what was your first step in finding distribution? Did you have a plan for the film? Did you set specific goals and work towards them?

Our plan was simple: secure the best distribution offer(s) we could. As we approached Tribeca, my two fellow producers and I decided to bring in a third producer solely dedicated to obtaining distribution. Once we were accepted to Tribeca and the screening schedule was announced, our producer reached out to approximately 20 distributors, some of whom he had closer relationships with than others.

We wanted them to attend the premiere, allowing them to experience the film for the first time and potentially spark a bidding war. We also contacted Independent Lens at that point (our producer had been in touch with them regarding other documentaries), but since they didn’t have a representative at Tribeca, we sent them a link to an online screener on the day of the premiere. After the premiere, we shared that link with all the distributors.

You managed to generate significant buzz for the film before its Tribeca debut. How did you achieve this? Additionally, are there any aspects you would have approached differently now that you’ve gone through the process?

We were fortunate to have Don McLeroy, the main character of the documentary, invited to appear on the Colbert Report a couple of days before the premiere. However, the biggest support came from Tribeca’s PR team. Both SXSW and Tribeca initially expressed interest in our film, but we could tell early on that Tribeca was more invested and willing to promote it. That’s why we chose to work with them. Tribeca included us on a list of top films at the festival, known as “curtain raisers,” which was shared with major local press outlets like The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.

We also reached out to online communities and popular bloggers who would be interested in the subject matter, such as the National Center for Science Education, the Skeptics Society, and science blogger Phil Plaitt, all of whom made announcements.

What about your approach to promotion and building buzz caught Tribeca’s attention?

The quality of the film undoubtedly played a significant role in our acceptance into Tribeca. However, once you gain some recognition, your film is often reviewed by a “decision maker” at the festival rather than one of the many interns initially screening the entries. Since our producer had been involved with other films at Tribeca in the past, he knew some of these decision makers and ensured that they watched our film.

Did the Tribeca screening and Special Jury Selection attract multiple suitors interested in releasing the film?

Indeed, as soon as Tribeca made the announcement, we received inquiries from a few distributors. However, we didn’t receive any compelling offers except from Kino Lorber, who were willing to provide a minimum guarantee upfront payment as well as a percentage of the proceeds. The special jury prize didn’t significantly impact our offers. Kino Lorber made their offer after the second screening at Tribeca, and we received the paperwork within a couple of weeks.

Before finalizing the deal with Kino Lorber, we received an offer from Independent Lens for the TV broadcast rights, amounting to $50k. We negotiated that deal before finalizing the agreement with Kino Lorber. While Kino Lorber didn’t receive as large a percentage of the deal, they did secure North American theatrical, DVD, online, and educational distribution rights.

Ultimately, filmmakers want their films to reach audiences through distribution and generate enough revenue to sustain their careers. Have you achieved this with The Revisionaries?