Let's Talk About... Falling for the Trap of the Minimum Guarantee. Plus: DARUMA Got Us Invited to the White House
Also in this edition: An LA Screening of American Pot Story, Why you're more likely to get an MG in Q1 vs another time; Plus: are you going to the American Film Convention in October? I am!
Here’s a sentence I never thought I’d be typing: the DARUMA team was invited to the White House this week to celebrate the 34th signing of the ADA (The Americans With Disabilities Act) as a result of our work on the film. It was an incredible experience and we were thrilled to connect with so many leaders and change makers in the space who are all working to make the world a better place for everyone.
It was an incredibly moving event, and as we introduced ourselves to other guests and told them about the film’s upcoming release on November 15, we could see people get visibly excited about the film. Their reactions reminded me how important the arts are and how important it is for indie filmmakers to use their work to say something about the world. I truly hope anyone reading this is galvanized to keep going with their own work because you never know whose life you might impact.
Your work as a filmmaker is important and it matters. Don’t forget that.
It’s hard to make an indie film. Like, really hard. Sometimes I wrestle with whether or not my work matters or if anyone will take notice or not; I can only imagine a few of you reading this probably feel the same way and I hope that this can serve as a reminder to anyone who might feel a little down on themselves today that it’s so important to keep going and keep pushing.
More to come but I had to remind myself that we never taken the risk to make the film, we’d never have experienced this once in a lifetime honor.
Your work as a filmmaker is important and it matters. Don’t forget that.
Filmmaker Promotion: Screening of American Pot Story
I wanted to give a shout out to filmmaker and fellow Dances With Films and Slamdance select Ravit Markus for her upcoming screening of her incredible documentary, AMERICAN POT STORY. Ravit is taking advantage of my offer to promote her movie on this Substack and I’m happy to do so!
Filmed over a decade, American Pot Story: Oaksterdam, is “a must-watch for every American,” (Film Threat), illuminating the power of the activist, no matter the cause, by following a group of Oakland rebels who literally changed the conversation in this country, and subsequently changed the world. The film is the winner of the Audience Award at Slamdance 2023 and of dozens more international awards. One of only twenty films picked for the inaugural Popcorn List, the "new Blacklist" for indie festival favorites without distribution, the film features cameos by California Governor Gavin Newsom, Tommy Chong and Danny Glover.
The film will be screening Saturday, September 21, 2024 at 5pm at the Lumiere Music Hall in Beverly Hills, CA, with a Q&A with directors Dan Katzir and Ravit Markus to follow the screening + afterparty. Click here to get tickets.
Click here for more upcoming screenings.
If you have an indie film you’d like me to promote, click here. Please note I’m only promoting full-length films and docs at the moment that are screening or available to watch online, but I will open up to shorts at another time! I am not opening up to crowdfunding campaigns.
The American Film Convention
Before I get into this week’s newsletter, I wanted to mention a new convention that’s happening in Los Angeles in October called The American Film Convention. They were offering free registration up till August 15th, so it looks like you’ll have to pay for badges now if you want to go. I’m not sure what to expect, but I will be there to check it out.
Here’s the link to registration if you’re interested.
Are you going? Message me and let me know! I’m trying to network as much as possible but I’m not a very good cold-conversation starter, so I’d love to connect before the event if possible!
I’m also linking to some of my more popular posts below and am plugging a paid subscription to this Substack before getting into this week’s paid post. I hope the contents continue to provide value and are a resource to indie filmmakers looking for some guidance into what can be an utterly confusing and treacherous landscape.
Links to some of my most-read posts:
Let's Talk About... Press Releases and Why They Don't Work
Plus updates about the project in New Mexico, news about Dances with Films projects I'm working with & a list of helpful links for those of you about to screen in film festivals this summer & fall.
Let's Talk About... Social Media For Your Indie Film
A vital part of your marketing mix for your indie film is social media. But how do you make the most out of it and build your audience? This post gets into the nuts & bolts of social & where to start.
Mass exodus at HotDocs, Joanna Vicente leaving Sundance after 2 years, shuttering of the Human Rights Festival: the future of indie film festivals & film is plunging into uncertain waters. What to do?
And now let’s get into this week’s subscriber post: Falling for the Trap of the Minimum Guarantee
Avoiding the Trap of the Minimum Guarantee
The topic of MG’s (or minimum guarantees) is one that definitely needs some additional discussion in the indie filmmaking community today, because MG’s aren’t what they used to be anymore and they can really trip a filmmaker up in their decision making process and blindside you as you chart your film’s release.
Most MG’s offered these days can be seriously misleading and create a domino effect for other terms in your contract that ensure you never see another penny beyond the MG. I’m going to dive into this topic in this week’s subscriber post to hopefully help you create a plan for your film and discuss what chasing an MG means and how it can impact your overall potential profitability.