NonDē Venue List - UPDATE!
We need your input!
If you missed the original post that went out on FFDD last month, (See Below) we are building an alternative screening venue list exclusively for EVERYONE to use for their own custom distribution journey.
The most exciting thing to materialize from our initial post was having @marielleheuy send me a list of 350 theatres that she had put together for one of her films. It was an incredible gift that has propelled this entire project forward. THANK YOU MARIELLE! Jonathan Keifer also sent a list he had from when his movie toured.
As of today, we have over 100 theaters entered. With the help of brandt , Tom Violett , Alan McIntyre and a few of my other non Filmstack friends we’ve been able to get a good start. But we need HELP entering these theatres into the database. I am looking for Data entry volunteers! ANYONE? It takes about 6 to 7 minutes per entry. If you sign up for a list of 10, it’s an hour of your time.
And if you’ve toured films yourself and have a list, please send our way. I’m looking at you Hudson Phillips
Our fearless team leader Taylor Lewis is setting up a zoom meeting/info session next week to help everyone who wants to be involved get up to speed. Let us know if you want to join us!
I’ve been revising the layout endlessly and recently added a MAP. Take a look and let me know what you think!
ORIGINAL POST-
Hey Filmstackers! Imagine you’ve finally finished your NonDē film and you’re ready to go out on the road and show your movie to the world. Where do you begin?
We NEED a list of the best independent movie theaters, cultural institutions, micro cinemas and anywhere else where we can screen our films all across the country. Inspired by @tedhope and the push to create a more sustainable distribution model @taylorlewis, @sutais and I have created a form to build an Alternate Venue Database to assist filmmakers with their self-distribution releases. But we need your help to grow the list.
We are asking everyone to add at least 3 local indie theaters, or any other alternative venues from your city or town to the list, (or places you may want to screen your film outside of New York and LA) and soon we will have a national network of venues that will be an invaluable resource for any successful theatrical self-distribution strategy.
We are actively looking for 6 volunteers to help input data from a few existing lists of Arthouse Cinemas that we have ready to go. DM me If you are interested.
To add a theatre to the list, we have a form with a few questions about the theater: website, capacity, contact info, etc. We are asking that you add up to 3 photos so filmmakers can get a good sense of the space. Many theaters post their private rental fees on their website. A trickier piece of information we are looking for is the minimum guarantee/ticket split for a public screening. These are usually negotiable and project dependent but its an important question and a good reason to contact the theatre to find out. It’s also a great way to develop relationships with the folks that run the venues. Feel free to add any notes that will help us get a sense of how the venue operates. Reaching out to your theatre and introducing them to our NonDē movement is a great way to build community!
Putting together this list, I’ve learned quite a bit about booking a film. Most of these theaters are independently owned, usually by one or two people, and each theater is unique in how they operate and function. Some are more filmmaker friendly that others, but every theater I’ve spoken to is HUNGRY for exciting new films.
There are more places than ever to screen a film. I live in the country (upstate NY) and there are 6 movie theaters with a combined total of 24 screens within 30 minutes from here. I went to see Die My Love at StoryScreen in Hudson NY and there were two other people there. (I LOVED the film. Absolutely beautiful) On the other hand, I saw ENO at the Orpheum in Saugerties and it was packed. The key difference was that the Director Gary Hustwit was at the screening. If we are talking about getting our movies seen, we need to rethink how we present.
Booking a theater is unique to every single film and creating an event, an atmosphere that is fun and in line with the film itself, can greatly enhance the turnout, and create a better experience for everyone. Let’s build this list together so we can get our films out into the wild!
https://lookerstudio.google.com/reporting/305a559e-6df1-42a5-81ae-ba3752b76257