Rallying Hope & Resistance in Today’s Marketplace
Documentary producers inspired us with their forward thinking in Producer’s Notebook #1. Now we bring you ten new perspectives including Field of Vision’s Charlotte Cook, Oscar-winning producer Shane Boris (Navalny), and former Sundance programmer turned producer Caroline Libresco. Our questions:
What do you see as signs of hope, resistance, or surprising success?
What do you think is needed for this moment?
We invite you to email your suggestions for future topics to listen@purenonfiction.net.
Co-founder: Field of Vision
Executive producer:
Milisuthando
Riotsville, USA
“We need to really broaden what “success” means in our field. We’ve been so focused on the commercial and awards side of the documentary field, when that often only applied to certain kinds of films.”
I see a huge amount of hope at the moment, and I know that might sound strange, but some of the best work that’s been produced in the documentary field is happening now and by some of the most exciting filmmakers. For me, it’s always about assessing changes in the field as to whether they are a moment or a shift. Moments can be fleeting whereas shifts are concrete changes in the field we can really build upon. I think we all knew the rise of the commercial space was likely to be a moment. When decisions are predominantly for financial gain they’re not going to think about the field as a whole, or its sustainability, and so won’t contribute to supporting and building upon either.
The biggest positive shift is that those of us who have been doing this for a while have always been told that documentary is niche, and doesn’t have an audience. The streamers, and the sales that have come with them, have proven the audience is there. That can’t be taken away again now. What’s needed is to build upon that is a commitment from platforms to marketing and for robust distribution for films, as that’s so often why people have dismissed our work as not having an audience - and then it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. What is also essential, is that platforms really understand the value and skill of curation - that it’s not about finding an audience and then making similar work to show them over and over. That’s how previous trends that are now being revisited died out the first time around. Instead, build upon the audience you have, and the trust you’ve built with them, by taking them in new directions and with different types of films.
I think we need to really broaden what “success” means in our field. We’ve been so focused on the commercial and awards side of the documentary field for the last few years, when that often only applied to certain kinds of films, of which there was an extremely limited number - not forgetting the two areas are rarely synonymous. It saddens me to see filmmakers feel unless they make a film that sells for millions of dollars that they have somehow failed, but that’s been the bar that was set for the last few years because that’s what people and press were paying attention to. I really hope we see real support for documentaries with a wide variety of barometers of success, and that we find ways to ensure filmmakers can thrive no matter what the market is doing at any given moment, and a turn to focus on and celebrate the evolution of the form and the phenomenally talented people making films.
Producer:
Navalny
Fire of Love
“You can fail at what you don’t want. So you might as well take a chance on doing what you love.”
In a 2014 address, Jim Carrey said: “My father could have been a great comedian but he didn't believe that that was possible for him, and so he made a conservative choice. Instead, he got a safe job as an accountant and when I was 12 years old he was let go from that safe job, and our family had to do whatever we could to survive. I learned many great lessons from my father. Not the least of which was that: You can fail at what you don't want. So you might as well take a chance on doing what you love.” With a documentary industry currently structurally disposed to make conservative, unrepresentative choices over bold, representative ones, I draw hope from filmmakers who continue to make cinema because it is what they love to do. We need to support these filmmakers and the public interest that their work serves.
Founder: ROCO Films
“Don’t wait for a gatekeeper who works for a public media company to dictate the fate of your film…get creative.”
As an industry, we handed over the keys to the streamers when they started to pay well for films. After using those acquisitions to gather data and track viewing habits, they have left us. It’s long overdue for independents to innovate. We recently worked with a film team whose goal was to reach parents and educators (that is a massive audience) - getting a streaming deal wasn’t a priority, but a possibility. After an appearance on The Morning Show talking about the film being freely available on our secure platform for one week, over 40,000 people logged on to watch the film. Now, we (and the film team) have the data and the relationships. We know who watched and for how long. The completion rate was astonishing and the word of mouth is growing like crazy. Paid semi-theatrical screenings are getting booked every day, the film has a robust impact campaign that will continue to drive the momentum, and a TVOD release is on the runway. The film team will decide when to turn it on - likely after a lengthy exclusive window for semi-theatrical bookings.
What do you think is needed for this moment?
Patience and resolve. Thousands of times over my career I have heard “this is the Golden Age of documentaries”. It has always been a roller coaster. Don’t wait for a gatekeeper who works for a public media company to dictate the fate of your film…get creative.
Producer:
Hidden Letters
Please Remember Me
“We can achieve so much more by supporting and elevating each other. That’s the kind of abundance that truly matters, and that’s what keeps me going.”
It's a tough time. But let's not fool ourselves into thinking that it's ever been easy. As an indie filmmaker, whether our industry is labeled as "Golden Age" or "Dark Age" does not mean much to me. For me, it's all about finding a voice that needs to be heard and believing in the power of our work to make a difference. It's never about chasing a million-dollar deal.
So the question has always been, what is within my control to make things happen? Well, with Hidden Letters, we timed our festival run, impact campaign, theatrical release, and award campaign all at once, so that we could build up some momentum ourselves.
But what's even more powerful is the sense of community we've been able to build around our project. We've realized that we can achieve so much more by supporting and elevating each other. That's the kind of abundance that truly matters, and that's what keeps me going.
Producer:
You Were My First Boyfriend
United States vs Reality Winner
Enemies of the State
“What is needed in this moment is what has always been lacking: more federal and state funding for the art of non-fiction filmmaking.”
What is needed in this moment is what has always been lacking: more federal and state funding for the art of non-fiction filmmaking. Ideally, we start to rely less on philanthropic giving, forever hoping that wealthy people find our projects worthy of their support (directly or through gatekeeper organizations.)
I’m sure commercial subject matter (biopics, music docs, true crime,) will always find a way to financing and distribution, but I am worried about career sustainability for those of us who want to make different kinds of films – surprising in their form and content, or investigative and political films that challenge the status quo. Who will fund this truly independent work, and who will be confident enough to program it?
Producer:
It’s Only Life After All
Lowndes County and the Road to Black Power
“Our current landscape reminds me of how the blockbuster-focused 1980’s gave way to the indie film heyday of the 90’s.”
When opportunities expanded in nonfiction storytelling during the so-called ‘Golden Age’ of documentary, the influx of resources disproportionately benefited white male filmmakers. Today, the constricting distribution and funding pathways for documentary disproportionately impact filmmakers from historically excluded communities – those who are BIPOC, LGBTQ, disabled, and/or women. It wasn’t easy for marginalized filmmakers to get their work financed and distributed during the ‘Golden Age’ — and it isn’t easy now.
That said, evolving barriers have forced underrepresented filmmakers to bring as much creativity to financing and releasing our films as we bring to the filmmaking process itself. Our current landscape reminds me of how the blockbuster-focused 1980’s gave way to the indie film heyday of the 90’s and movements such as New Queer Cinema, when independent producers found paths and created pipelines for exciting, yet marginalized work despite the power of commercial forces. While it is challenging to remain solutions-oriented as the landscape becomes increasingly constricted, I’m looking to the ingenuity of LGBTQ and BIPOC folks, as well as women and disabled filmmakers, for constructive paths forward that don’t reduce nonfiction storytelling to the value of underlying IP or a vague notion of commerciality.
Producer:
Little Richard: I Am Everything
The Thief Collector
“I find it inspiring that producers are not giving up but rather continuing to refine their practice, forging new paths for distribution tailored specifically to the audiences for their films, and staying the course.”
I’ve been encouraged by recent conversations that lean towards a rejection of cynicism. In challenging times, it’s easy to lament the state of things, but as someone who appreciates a good challenge (and every documentary is one), the question becomes how to creatively overcome these hurdles.
I find it inspiring that producers are not giving up but rather continuing to refine their practice, forging new paths for distribution tailored specifically to the audiences for their films, and staying the course because they believe in the power of these films. I’d also give a hat tip to those independent funders driven by genuine altruism and trust in the filmmakers who continue to support documentaries despite market challenges – this is more critical now than ever.
As the landscape changes and re-shuffles, distributors need to recognize that this moment is an opportunity to support documentaries in a more equitable and meaningful way that will help nurture a healthy and vibrant ecosystem for all of us to continue delivering stories that are provocative, entertaining and artistically ambitious.
Producer:
The Tuba Thieves
Free Chol Soo Lee
“I find strength in the resilience of filmmakers who, when I was growing up, did not have a seat at the table.”
The documentary field faces an existential crisis. I see the anxiety and worry amongst my peers. With a shrinking space for bold and daring content. I know so many filmmakers with great work who have not found homes for stories that clearly have a vision and an audience. I think all of us have to be willing to be brave and trust that these connections will happen.
Under financial and structural pressure, from many fronts, will this be a sustainable industry for all? When I wrestle with this question, I find strength in the resilience of filmmakers who, when I was growing up, did not have a seat at the table. Their visionary stories are transforming nonfiction, bringing it to communities who have long clamored to be heard. So while I do not have all the answers, I have faith in cinema.
Producer:
The Disappearance of Shere Hite
Food, Inc.
“At the end of the day, many more outlets for quality nonfiction exist than in the past.”
The independent financiers and smaller distributors who’ve had trouble competing with streamer money in the last few years will have more opportunity now, but doc filmmakers will have to be really proactive. Hopefully the larger doc ecosystem will emerge healthier out of this time. There are still a lot of documentary advocates working within the “system” who are pushing on behalf of filmmakers. This is a challenging moment but when the dust settles, we still have a very strong documentary community.
What do you think is needed for this moment?
We need to work together to ride this out; we need creative deal-making to incentivize all parties in success, and producers need to help mitigate risk by putting together undeniable projects. We’ve come too far in advancing the documentary form and building audience demand to go back to documentaries as niche programming. And at the end of the day, many more outlets for quality nonfiction exist than in the past.
Producer:
Food and Country
American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs
“Perhaps what we need is a philanthropically funded large scale, competitive streaming platform.”
One area of hope/resistance is that, even in a moment where the widest distribution platforms are owned by multinational corporations led by algorithms which flatten programming, several artistically challenging docs made it to the final academy award nominee list this year.
What do you think is needed for this moment?
Non-profit distribution companies. The realities of the documentary film economy require that most independent docs raise at least some non-recoupable $ (alongside equity investment) to complete their budgets. Why wouldn't we also look to philanthropy to help independent docs reach general audiences? Perhaps what we need is a philanthropically funded large scale, competitive streaming platform, capitalized with enough advertising/marketing money, that can take curatorial risks and become a voice of truth in our teetering democracy.
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