Strategies For Distributing Your Indie Film

Part two on how to improve your prospects of getting acquired in domestic and international markets

By Mark Litwak, Esq.

Filmmakers expend so much effort to produce their films that they often give little thought to distribution until the movie is completed. Many filmmakers believe that if they just make a good film, distribution will take care of itself. However, securing distribution is often more challenging than raising funds and producing the movie. One’s leverage... Read more

Markets And Festivals

The differences between film markets and festivals, with advice on the best way to promote and sell your independent film

By Mark Litwak, Esq.

Markets and festivals aren’t the same. Filmmakers may find this confusing because some festivals operate alongside a film market, as is the case in Berlin and Cannes. Sundance is a festival; however, an informal market has now grown up around it, with distributors bidding to acquire rights to films. FILM MARKETS Markets are generally only open to... Read more

Risky Business: Financing Your Feature Film Part 2

Part Two on how to score film financing, with a detailed examination of equity investments, financing from producers and soft money

By Mark Litwak, Esq.

In the last issue, we covered some of the most important ways to finance a feature film. To wrap up, let’s take a look at the remaining options, namely equity investments, financing from producers and soft money. EQUITY INVESTMENTS With equity investments, an investor shares in potential rewards, as well as the risks of failure. If a movie is a hit,... Read more

Risky Business: Financing Your Feature Film Part One

The most important part of any production begins with securing funds to make it all happen

By Mark Litwak, Esq.

Editor’s Note: Veteran entertainment attorney and producer’s rep Mark Litwak, Esq., joins HDVideoPro with a column devoted to all aspects of film financing and distribution. Independent films can be financed in a variety of ways. In addition to self-financing a movie, the most common methods are: 1) loans; 2) borrowing against pre-sales; 3) donations,... Read more