Gravitas Ventures – Indie Film Distribution

Today, I’m joined by Dan Fisher, the Senior Director of Acquisitions at Gravitas Ventures, and he’s here today to talk about film distribution in the independent world.

I’m going to put up some of the questions I asked Dan and I hope that you all listen in and see what he had to say. I’m also going to be speaking to more distributors to get ad much industry advice I can for my readers and listeners.

If you have any film distributor you want me to reach out to and ask further questions to, please leave comments below and let me know.

• So, why don’t start out with telling us a little about yourself and what you do at Gravitas Ventures.
• As a distributor, do you still factor in films that have been released online to something like YouTube or Vimeo, or are those off the table?
• When you’re looking to acquire a film, what are the major factors in your decision to pursue it?
• Do film festivals play as pivotal of a role in landing a distribution deal as the majority believes?
• I’ve read that filmmakers have less than 1% chance of getting a major theatrical release, if they have not first premiered at the Sundance, Cannes, or Toronto Film Festival. Do you have any insight on that, if it’s just hype or is there any truth to that?
• What mistakes do you think filmmakers make when negotiating a contract with a distributor?
• What’s the process, once you select someone’s film to be part of your network?
• What advice would you give, right now in today’s market, to a filmmaker who wants to get their film distributed?
• Here’s a question from one of our listeners: What are the Risk Versus Reward factors considered when assessing a project for distribution?
• Let me follow up with that with: Does originality trump the tried and true content we always see, or do distributors want to go with the “sure-thing” of a previously successful project they can duplicate?

Gravitas Ventures is a global entertainment distribution operation with the ability to connect filmmakers and producers with consumers through hundreds of media platforms throughout the world. As we celebrate our 10th anniversary this year, we have had the honor to collaborate with thousands of artists to share important films with global audiences.

Gravitas was one of the first companies to develop a global network of digital media platforms as partners and now has relationships with many of the key providers of cable video on demand (“VOD”), subscription video on demand, electronic sell through and electronic rental platforms around the world. CEO Nolan Gallagher founded Gravitas Ventures in 2006 after helping shape VOD strategies for the largest North American cable operator (Comcast), and a major studio (Warner Bros). With a simple mission to deliver ideas to the digital market, Nolan recognized that Gravitas could build a bridge between filmmakers and consumer friendly technology offerings.

Soon after Gravitas’ inception, Nolan and Gravitas’ President and co-owner Michael Murphy began attending worldwide film festivals in search of thought-provoking features and documentaries while establishing distribution relationships with worldwide cable, satellite, television and internet based partners.

While not abandoning its digital roots, Gravitas Ventures is now one of the largest all rights distributors in the world, with the ability to distribute films into theaters and brick and mortar retailers. The company releases over 400 new films annually and is a scalable partner to new media outlets interested in licensing from our library of thousands of titles. As technology advances and new distribution opportunities arise, Gravitas continues to stay at the forefront, providing exceptional film product to audiences worldwide.

https://gravitasventures.com/