Ellen Windemuth launched OFF THE FENCE from her basement 25 years ago. In this week’s podcast, Ellen: Looks back at her company’s launch. Reflects on the particular challenges then for women in a male-dominated industry. Explores how Off The Fence grew into an industry-leading independent distributor / producer with a turnover of around $20 million. Describes her …
United Skates won the 2018 Tribeca Audience Award, attracted John Legend as an executive producer, and earned a deal with HBO. It’s a great achievement for the producer / director team of Dyana Winkler and Tina Brown: They worked for five years on their first documentary feature. Tina Brown shared the filmmakers’ inspirational story for …
Quibi is showing up in my conversations as an active buyer that is outbidding legacy networks. The ‘Quibi’ brand name does not refer to a Vietnamese appetizer: It is short for ‘quick bites.’ Funded by Disney, Alibaba, Comcast and others, it is a video streaming venture run by corporate heavyweights Meg Whitman (CEO) and Jeffrey …
Don’t miss the opportunity to pitch buyers and funders at the internationally-renowned documentary marketplace in La Rochelle from 24 to 27 June 2019. Each June, Sunny Side of the Doc creates a unique opportunity for the most exciting non-fiction concepts to be pitched in front of 300 top-level international buyers, commissioners and distributors. Through 5 …
The feature documentary is booming. That’s the message from Sundance 2019. Reported bids for rights approach $20 million. Topping the list is Knock Down the House, the Sundance Audience Award winner that captures the run for Congress in 2018 of the “AOC” superstar Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. The SVOD giant reportedly bid $10 million for worldwide rights. That’s …
In this week’s podcast, veteran unscripted producer Michael Hoff shares his Takeaways on the Realscreen Summit. Realscreen was held in New Orleans for the first time this year. Michael is President & Executive Producer of Hoff Productions. Key Takeaways include: Michael says that network executives are regaining their footing after enduring the recent hard impacts of …
Peter Broderick has just returned from the Sundance Film Festival. The quality of both the films and the deal-making in the Documentary category made a big impression on this veteran distribution strategist. Peter shares his Sundance Takeaways, including: 10-12 docs were at the “phenomenal” quality level; The impact of Netflix on the growing audience for …
The “Best of British” is one of my more popular posts. I list the year’s highest-rated unscripted programs, usually to honor UK producers in time for their PACT party at Realscreen. For a different look at 2018, I combined the Documentary, Factual, Lifestyle & Current Affairs categories, showing the best single episode for series. It’s …