The Film Industry is Broken
Our mission is to realign the broken indie film distribution landscape to ensure filmmakers, creatives, and independent investors are given a fair deal. That, and we want to release some super cool movies.
Filmmakers and their investors are way too low on the payment waterfall. Most money is last in, first out, and those who take the risks to make the film reap the fewest rewards.
The way we see it, filmmakers have already made the film, and we don’t think they should have to wait until the distributor has made tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars to start getting paid.
It shouldn’t take weeks for a filmmaker to get a status update on a project. You’ll know shortly after you deliver your films when we’ll be pitching it, and when your film will be released. More detail below.
How Are We Different?
TLDR: We’re straightforward, responsive, well-connected, and only an email away.
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All our filmmakers get a gross corridor matching our commission. This means if we’re getting paid, you get paid, even before our expense cap is hit.
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Part of the reason we pay from the first dollar is that it means we need to report what we made from the first dollar. We’ll always tell you the truth, even if neither of us likes it. While there may be times we don’t know an answer, we’ll find it if we can and tell you why it can’t be found if we can’t.
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We don’t just pump it out onto streaming services with no coordination or marketing. Every film we sign gets pitched to major players for upselling and co-distribution. We can’t emulate your voice, but we can amplify it. Consider us your personal megaphone.
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We don’t oversaturate our release calendar and throw things at the wall to see what sticks. We carefully curate content, and make sure every film has its time in the limelight. Fair warning - If we’re helping get a film out there that’s already been released elsewhere, then it might not get as much attention.
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We have the ability to pitch and place you on pretty much every TVOD and AVOD platform in the US. This means anywhere you have to pay to watch the movie, or see ads run against it. Streamer and SOD pitches will happen as well, but no one can guarantee placement.
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We use different models to keep costs down and increase visibility of a film. Just because a theatrical release doesn’t make sense doesn’t mean a community screening model can’t work. Our theatricals often take the form of road shows and staggered releases to keep costs down and reach new communities. We’re always open to trying new things, and every release is at least a bit different for us.
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No plan means you get lost along the way and miss out on opportunities. Too stringent a plan means you can travel too far down a path that’s not working. Instead, we create a framework and general roadmap for distributing your film, but not a step-by-step instruction manual. When you couple that with the fact that we work with the filmmaker, our model lets us give every film a bespoke release with a real chance of success.
Not every film we release will make way mart or theaters, but a good portion of them will and we’ll be upfront about what we think we can do.
Submit Your Film
This is a unique opportunity to have your film considered for legitimate distribution opportunities through Disrupt Entertainment, with a focus on amplifying the diverse and vibrant cinematic voices of the independent. When you submit, our executive team actually watches your screener link! Plus, we generally get back to you regardless of the outcome! Our process is detailed to ensure our team has the best information possible when reviewing your film to determine if its a good fit with Disrupt. Click the button below to complete your submission.
What Sort Of Movies Do We Release?
TLDR: We distribute well-produced movies with something to say from filmmakers with a voice. We are picky though.
Since we’re transparent, here’s what we’re looking for and our rubric for assessing projects. These aren’t totally prioritized, and are really more guidelines than rules, but here’s our process.
In short, we take good movies with something to say. Or at least movies we think have a chance at selling not only to intermediary buyers, but to a community as a whole. We don’t accept everything; in general, we sign less than 10% of what we’re sent, but we do put thought into every decision. You’ve got a good shot if you can tell us an underserved audience the film is for. You’re likely to get signed if your assessment aligns with our understanding of the space. Here’s what we look for.
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It’s easier to sell a diamond in the rough than the excrement left by someone else seeking diamonds.
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We’re not exactly activists, but we do believe that movies influence culture and culture shapes the world we live in. We consider subtext and themes of anything we release, and do what we can to use our media to change the conversation and make a better world. Shoving messages down your throat won’t change culture, but a widely viewed sci-fi comedy about learning to love the worst part of yourself might influence you.
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The message won’t matter if people don’t tune in, and it’s still easier to sell a bad horror movie than a great drama. Like all distributors, we do consider genre pretty heavily.
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Do you have an underserved audience who needs content? Great, let’s talk. If we think there’s an audience for a film, it’s always on our mind. Celebrities still matter when it comes to releasing a film; anyone who tells you differently is lying. We consider all movies regardless of the involvement of celebrities, but those recognizable names and faces will always help.
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This isn’t exactly a fifth priority; it’s something absolutely vital that all companies in media should do.
Submit Your Film
This is a unique opportunity to have your film considered for legitimate distribution opportunities through Disrupt Entertainment, with a focus on amplifying the diverse and vibrant cinematic voices of the independent. When you submit, our executive team actually watches your screener link! Plus, we generally get back to you regardless of the outcome! Our process is detailed to ensure our team has the best information possible when reviewing your film to determine if its a good fit with Disrupt. Click the button below to complete your submission.