Welcome back to another exciting episode of Documentary First! In this week’s continuation from last week’s episode, we dive deeper into the fascinating world of film festivals and film markets. Joe Amodei, our experienced distributor and filmmaker, shares valuable insights and personal experiences that every filmmaker should know. If you’re passionate about filmmaking, you definitely don’t want to miss this!

At the 2023 Film Festival in Cannes, Joe had 33 meetings where he pitched his films and listened to other pitches. He takes us through this experience and shares the lessons he’s learned, highlighting what he would do differently next time (01:06).

The landscape of the film industry is changing, with the merging of premium cable channels and streaming platforms leading to a shift in distribution strategies. Filmmakers and distributors are now focusing more on transactional and A-VOD sites, like Tubi, Pluto, Amazon, and iTunes. This change opens up opportunities for a wider range of genres and films from different countries to gain acceptance (02:15).

Joe reflects on the transformation he’s witnessed in the market, for one, he now feels more comfortable approaching booths from other countries, a stark contrast to the hesitations he’s had in the past (05:11).

Christian raises an important question about who the target consumers are for movies considering the lack of information shared by streamers. Joe shares his observations, revealing that streamers like Netflix are increasingly focused on international growth rather than solely on the United States. This shift presents both advantages and limitations for filmmakers who are seeking opportunities overseas (05:53).

Joe has been in the movie biz for 20 years and he shares how he deals with beginning filmmakers and those with more extensive backgrounds differently. He emphasizes the importance of building relationships and having honest conversations regarding the future of the industry (07:18).

The conversation takes a reflective turn as Christian asks Joe whether filmmakers should continue to make films. Joe’s replies by stating the resilience of the film industry and emphasizes the importance of creating quality content (10:05).

Exploring popular genres, Joe and Christian discuss current trends. From horror to true crime, teen romantic dramas, comedies, family films, and even faith-based movies, each genre presents unique opportunities (13:18).

The discussion then shifts to documentaries, a genre that poses challenges in terms of profitability. Christian and Joe engage in a lively debate about the difficulties faced by documentary filmmakers in making money (17:04).

Towards the end, Christian and Joe remind us of their unwavering passion for filmmaking. They share heartfelt stories about the power of film to make a difference in people’s lives and society as a whole (20:55).

Wrapping up the episode, Christian expresses gratitude for distributors like Joe Amodei and his team for prioritizing genuine relationships and care for filmmakers over purely chasing financial gain (26:40).

We extend our sincere thanks to Joe, Jason, and Christian for their valuable contributions to this enlightening episode. And a special thank you to all our listeners for joining us on this incredible journey of storytelling. Remember, everyone has a story to tell, and you can be the one to tell it!

NOTE – NO DocuView DejaVu this episode