Making an independent film is a huge project, and conventional wisdom has it that you: shoot your film, cut your film and then, after that’s all done, you try to sell your film. However, marketing your film should begin during the production phase. But who has the time? That’s just it— you don’t.

So...find some people who do. Marketing is a priority, but it should not be your priority. You need to beg, borrow and trade favors to find a few key people who can stay on top of your marketing needs while your film is in production. Ideally, you want to make the entire production process a marketing process too. Below are a list of five key things you do not want to forget to do, or better yet, that you do not want to forget to find someone else to do for you.

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"Indie Filmmakers Looking for Film Buyers: 5 Reasons Why It’s Never Too Early To Start Marketing"

As anyone who is involved with the entertainment industry knows, sometimes you have to take matters into your own hands to make things happen. That is exactly what Tonisha Johnson did, starting her own company, TOMI Enterprises, in 2007. Not yet two years old, TOMI already has one successful film festival under its belt (there's a festival recap here), a second one in the works, and a wealth of resources set up to bring business knowledge to people in the entertainment industry. With a focus on minority and underground filmmaking, TOMI is setting the pace for showcasing and promoting emerging talents. Check out this inspiring and personal interview with Tonisha about the challenges and rewards of DIY business.

Click here for the Sell Sheet for
'She's Got It' - Produced by Fear No Man Productions
Winner of Best Feature at the 2008 TOMI Film Festival.


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"The ‘Other’ Movie Industry: How TOMI Brought Indie Urban Film to the NBA All Star Weekend"

So, you have an indie film and you want to find distribution.

Never have so many options for distribution been available; never has it been so confusing to decide what is right for you and your film. The industry is experiencing a transitional moment; everyone knows online downloads are the future, but nobody knows exactly how it will play out. As well, distribution has gone online too, offering a plethora of choices for the indie filmmaker and producer. What to do, what to do.

This article is the first of a 5-part series that looks at all of the avenues open to you as a filmmaker and distributor. We’ll offer some tips on how to find your film a home.

Regardless of your film’s ultimate destination, your goal is to find a license buyer for your film. Who are film buyers? We’re talking about broadcast TV (cable, satellite, and terrestrial), home DVD companies, VOD service providers, and mobile content providers.

Let’s start this series by examining the psychology of this rare and overworked professional. Here are five things you should know about Film Buyers and 5 tips for putting the best face of your film forward.

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"Looking for Film Buyers? 5 steps to secure distribution for your indie film"

Film fan bloggers are up in arms all over the information superhighway over the recent announcement that Sony Pictures Classics has purchased distribution rights to Sundance fest favorite The Wackness. The film features unlikely cast-mates Ben Kingsley and Mary-Kate Olsen (we were all wondering when these crazy kids would finally get together), in a dark comedy about getting high and getting therapy.

The Specialty Film Division for Sony Pictures Entertainment, Sony Pictures Classics is taking a blog-beating for its film’s poor box office showings, moving too slow to go into wide release, and just generally not being hip enough to handle the promotion of non-mainstream films in the manner that Fox Searchlight and Focus Features have come to excel at. 

Well, I may be sent to Hell for it, but I am going to defend SPC on this one.

Just in case you missed the brouhaha (thanks to Cinematical for the summary):
Neil Miller (Film School Rejects)
Peter Sciretta (Slashfilm)
Alex Billington (First Showing)
Edward Douglas (ComingSoon.net)
Josh Tyler (Cinema Blend)

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"Indie Film Distributor Spotlight: Sony Pictures Classics deserves an Indie Spirit Award. Really."