Fly By Night Entertaiment’s Post

Everyone’s talking about where the Sundance Film Festival will live in the future, but a more compelling question may be this: How do independent filmmakers plan to distribute their films and create real careers when even Sundance — wherever it may be based — is not enough? That’s not a knock on Sundance, or on any festival; it’s recognizance that the world has changed. Many films don’t sell, even at Sundance. The decline in theatergoing, the change in streamers’ strategies, the rise of arthouse events: No one knows what the new normal is, but today putting faith in selling a movie at its premiere and living happily ever is not even a fairy tale; it’s a toxic myth. #IndependentFilmmaking #FilmDistribution #SundanceFilmFestival

My work with film festivals and indie filmmakers made me write this post/article, which I share here. I noticed that there are a lot of misconceptions regarding DCP - the standard for screening films in digital cinemas. I hope it helps clarifying the topic! #digitalcinema #dcp #film #theaters #antipiracy

Great article here on indie filmmakers getting their movies into theaters through creative self-distribution. It's not for everyone, but certainly for those that want to reach audiences, and hopefully, make some money too. #film #distribution. https://lnkd.in/eGyWjz88

Taking the pulse of the movie industry, director Richard Linklater ("Boyhood," "School of Rock") noted that after passing on a completed, film festival and audience tested, popular crime/rom-com genre movie with a new "A-list" actor ("Hitman"), the legacy film studios "...A[They]’re not interested in adult entertainment.” He states that the studios are so risk averse that they walked away from a first class product handed to them on a platter. In this Indiewire article, he posits that the studios now want only established intellectual property (read, comic books). So, the original content is going to the streamers where the exhibition risk is diversified by the streamer and the ability for the filmmakers to make an outsize profit is limited (nominal). Read it here: https://lnkd.in/gUfVc545

Sundance just announced their Official Selections for their 2025 season… but along with the associated acceptance notification emails comes a slew of rejection notifications. For those of you who had your fingers crossed for an early Christmas surprise and are instead left with a Sundance-branded lump of coal, take heart… Some 2024 Sundance Stats: 17,435 total submissions Features: 5,000+ Shorts: 12,000+ Of the 5,000+ features submitted, approximately 2,700 were international Of the 17,435 films submitted, 4,200 were docs (shorts & features). What was Programmed: 135 total films (.0077% of all submissions) 82 feature-length films (.015%) and 53 short films (.004%), both scripted and documentary And, if you’re not already an alumnus, or didn’t go through one of their Sundance Labs, or don’t have a Hollywood star in your cast, your chance for an acceptance is probably even lower. This is why Sundance is considered a “lottery ticket” festival. Can an unknown filmmaker be accepted? Sure, it can happen. But can you count on that ‘win’ to pay next month’s rent, so to speak? If it’s any consolation, you’re in good company, with many Hollywood directors having been rejected by Sundance early in their careers, including Richard Linklater, Ava DuVarnay, Damien Chazelle and Christopher Nolan! The good news is, there are plenty of reputable festivals capable of giving your film great exposure! While not all film festivals are created equal, many are fantastic opportunities for networking, to build your fanbase, for press, to gain reviews, and potentially may lead to distribution. As a festival programmer for the Garden State Film Festival, I can tell you we're currently in the process of making our schedule for our 2025 event... and we're going to end up rejecting some very good films, as we do every year. Believe me, some of these decisions are tough. It’s important to remember that, if a film festival rejects your film, they are not rejecting YOU. Your film was just not a good fit for them for whatever reason that year. It's so subjective, and reasons can vary... Please know that most festival programmers are filmmakers themselves, and we understand the sting of a rejection. We feel your pain. We're always rooting for you and, if you are not accepted this year, please don't let that discourage you from submitting your next film to us in the future. Keep making your art - we're all in this together! Spend the time to do the research and you will find festivals where your film is celebrated, and you will find your film family! If you haven’t yet watched my free webinar, I recommend you set aside 40 minutes and learn how you can Master Your Film Festival Strategy Like an Insider (Without Making Costly Mistakes in the Process)! Start planning now for your 2025 Festival run! https://lnkd.in/epPGzngW

What impact does redefining theatrical success have on the film industry? Redefining theatrical success can lead to a more sustainable and audience-centric approach in the film industry, encouraging innovation in content creation and distribution strategies. Read more: [Link to the Hollywood Reporter article](https://lnkd.in/dKyVeWDv)

New film production company coming to South Shields set to produce film and television series in the region #LoveSouthTyneside https://lnkd.in/engHj7kE

You can literally *hire* a distributor for your film Did you know this? There are indie distributors out there who can help you put your film in theaters, and they *need* more movies to distribute I put a list of 100 of them here: https://lnkd.in/g6WuguRW You can reach out to them, tell them about your project and your goals, and form a plan to get your movie into theaters Which is the dream, right? Hundreds of movies get released every year. Why not yours?

As challenging as it is to produce an independent film, everything that comes after can be just as difficult. From researching which festivals to apply to, getting the film in front of the intended audience, to finding the right partners for distribution, each step can bring stress and confusion. It often leads us to ask ourselves, “Am I doing the most I can with this piece of art?” For many of us independent film producers, our instinct is to submit our work to film festivals. Personally, I’ve found that with so many festivals out there, it can be hard to determine which ones are worth applying to. How much value do we truly gain from a laurel or from an in-person screening versus an online one? Christine and I had an experience with the Spotlight International Film Festival that completely shifted my perspective on the value these programs can provide to independent filmmakers. Not only did it give us an opportunity to screen "Seen", but it also granted us access to the #AmericanFilmMarket. This experience demystified so much of the journey between completing a short or independent film and getting it in front of the audience it’s meant for. The knowledge we gained made the entire trip to Las Vegas worthwhile—not to mention the opportunity to share our art, connect with talented filmmakers, and learn more about this industry. Grateful for this experience and excited to share "Seen" with everyone in 2025! 💜

Local Suppliers, Crew and Talent Can you provide a service to Film Productions in Dorset & Hampshire?   Would you like to see more film projects in this region? Just imagine how working locally will reduce the time and cost of travelling to set, let alone carbon footprints! Then raise your hand now, and let us know who you are. Why? The doors are opening wide with opportunities for local Crew, Talent, Services and Locations. We need to gather the stats that show Film & TV Productions that we can deliver world-class skills and facilities across Hampshire, Dorset and the Isle of Wight. That’s why we’ve been out and about talking to land-owners, studios, investors, streamers, and councils across our region. All of them have expressed an interest in seeing film studios in the two counties. What’s more you could benefit from what’s coming through our connections: ·        The new Medina Film Studios on the Isle of Wight is coming soon! ·        There are talks for another film studio in Southern Hampshire.  ·        Discussions are also taking place for two new film studios in Dorset. ·        COLLABORATION IS KEY, join us, Dorset Film Office, Hampshire Film Office, Isle of Wight fixers, FILM EXPO SOUTH and Medina Studios working together to 'MAKE IT HAPPEN' To complete our survey, it’ll only take you two minutes - the more Crew/Talent we can highlight in the region, the greater the benefit to all. Taking a few minutes of your time could make a major change for our region and the opportunities in the industry for us all. So please fill out the survey here: https://lnkd.in/ejQHZtzv and let’s pull together to make sure that light turns green.   Please do share with other local filmmakers. Kind regards Gillian Tully Luke English DAL Strategy Ltd Danny Stack Adam J. Merrifield Julia Stringer Debbie Tarrier Buz Ross Devoted Films Ltd Love Films Treehouse Digital Paul Sarony