Madison Hayes

You search for a movie you love on Netflix. Nothing. You check Hulu, Prime Video, Disney+. Still nothing. It feels like the film has vanished from the internet entirely. This experience is more common than you think. According to data from Reelgood, only about 12% of movies in active distribution are available on the top … Read more

I spent three months interviewing programmers at eight festivals to answer one question: how do film festival programmers actually choose which films get in? I watched screening committee meetings, sat in on final selection debates, and read more rejection letters than I can count. What I found surprised me. The process is more rigorous, more … Read more

I have spent the better part of a decade watching talented filmmakers pour their hearts into short films, only to go broke paying festival submission fees. One filmmaker I know burned through $2,400 across 50 festivals and got exactly zero acceptances. Another spent $180 total on four well-chosen festivals and landed screenings at three of … Read more

If you have ever finished a film and wondered what a 70/30 revenue split actually means in dollars, you are not alone. VOD revenue splits determine what percentage of every rental, purchase, or ad impression you keep when your film lands on a streaming platform, and most filmmakers find out the real math only after … Read more

Getting feedback on a short film before submitting to festivals is one of the smartest moves an indie filmmaker can make. I learned this the hard way after dropping a few hundred dollars on festival fees for a film that was not ready, and I never want you to repeat my mistake. Our team has … Read more

Getting an indie film onto Tubi, Pluto TV, Amazon Prime, or Vudu used to require a sales agent, a minimum guarantee, and a Rolodex of platform contacts. For most independent filmmakers, that door stays shut. A film aggregator changes that equation. A film aggregator is a company that acts as an intermediary between indie filmmakers … Read more

The film festival circuit is the journey an independent film takes from its first public screening through dozens of festivals, market screenings, and eventually to distribution. I have spent years following this path with indie projects, including conversations with filmmakers behind films like Lez Bomb, and I can tell you the process is more structured … Read more

If you’ve ever submitted a film to a festival, you’ve probably seen the question: “Is this a world premiere?” That single checkbox carries more weight than most filmmakers realize. Premiere status shapes which festivals will accept your film, how the press covers your screening, and whether distributors will return your calls. In this guide, I’ll … Read more

If you are an independent filmmaker finishing your first feature, you have probably wondered whether you need an MPAA rating before anyone can see it. The answer surprises most newcomers: the MPAA rating system is completely voluntary, and no law requires any film to carry one. That said, getting rated or skipping the process entirely … Read more

Indie films open in only a few theaters before going wider because limited release is how independent producers manage risk, build word of mouth, and earn the data they need to expand. A platform launch on 5 to 50 screens lets a small distributor test demand, court critics, and qualify for awards without betting the … Read more