Announcing our first groundbreaking grants for experiments in distribution and marketing!

The Film-ADE Fund has selected five recipients for its inaugural round of project funding. Launched by Distribution Advocates in August, Film-ADE supports innovative distribution and marketing experiments for films to build audiences and generate new models for the field outside of studio-streamer and legacy models. 

The jury was composed of members of the Distribution Advocates, including Abby Sun, Avril Speaks, Carlos Gutiérrez, Amy Hobby and Karin Chien.  Distribution Advocates work advocates for plurality and originality in a culture that needs it more than ever.  

Applications were judged based on the degree of innovation, the feasibility of their strategies, previous experiences in distribution, the extent to which their project focuses on developing new audiences, and the relevance of the data that will be provided to the field.  The grantees are: 

Cargo Film & Releasing. Cargo will collaborate with GRUVI, a tech driven film marketing agency, in connection with the release of GOOGOOSH - MADE OF FIRE, a film about an Iranian pop icon who is also a vocal supporter of women's and human rights. They will explore the value in translating the latest audience identification methods to independent documentaries.

Film First. Film First will use the funding to produce a case study for publication around their "Eno - Art House Day" release strategy for their film ENO.

Level Ground Productions. Level Ground Productions will use funding for their direct-to-community release for the film UNION on Black Friday, studying the effectiveness of consumer profiling, coalition building and how simultaneous in-person promotional screenings and online screenings can best dovetail.  They have partnered with Red Owl, Michael Tuckman and GATHR for the new-style release.  The film follows a group of Amazon employees’ efforts to form the Amazon Labor Union, and won the US Documentary Jury Award at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.

Oscilloscope Laboratories. The Brooklyn-based independent film distributor will explore elements that can lead to the success of a documentary release structured around one day, in as many markets as possible, with their film OMAR & CEDRIC: IF THIS EVER GETS WEIRD. The documentary focuses on the relationship between Omar Rodriguez-Lopez and Cedric Bixler-Zavala of the band The Mars Volta.

Two Hands Productions. Founders Dan Levy Dagerman and Selina Ringel will use funding to engage and measure the impact of micro-influencers for the release of the narrative feature YOU, ME & HER. 

Film-ADE Director Amy Hobby remarked, “Film-ADE is excited to be a part of blazing new, more interesting, accessible and inclusive ways forward in growing audiences for diversely authored films. We can’t wait to share data back to the field from these exciting experiments.”

Film-ADE is supported by Perspective Fund, Ford Foundation, and LinLay Productions. More information about Film-ADE can be found on their website.