I’m sure I’m not alone when it comes to figuring out the next step for my film as an indie filmmaker. When it was done on the film festival circuit, I questioned… What’s next?
In 2015, I started the process of directing and producing my first film, a documentary short titled I AM MORE THAN MY HAIR. It includes interviews with women who have experienced hair loss (alopecia) and their journey of self-improvement to see their beauty beyond the media’s standards.
It took me almost 5 years to complete. I gave myself a deadline, and once I was done with the first cut, I held my first premiere at the AFI Theatre in October 2019.
In March 2020, I was finally done with the final cut and continued promoting it for publicity. I was able to secure several news and radio interviews. Just as I began receiving film festival acceptance/decline notifications, the pandemic hit.
Thankfully, I made it to my film’s first accepted film festival in Sarasota, FL, despite the travel warnings and prior to the shutdown. All festivals I AM MORE THAN MY HAIR was accepted in after that were virtual, excluding a select few in 2022.
Typically, films have a 1-year run, but due to the pandemic, the rules changed for some time. And although it did great on the circuit, I was left unsure of my next step. When reaching out to more established filmmakers for feedback, the consensus was that unless it’s a Hollywood film, shorts don’t get distribution.
Then I remembered… wait a minute (my actual thought)… I’ve seen shorts while flying!
I did a Google search for “airline film distribution companies,” and Walla!
That simple search directed me to a blog post that shared several airline film distribution companies. Give thanks for informative bloggers. The article I read saved me a lot of time.
I researched each company, found their contact information (that took the most time), and reached out to each rep individually. The fourth company rep I emailed expressed interest and replied with her cell phone number to reach her. I wasted no time and called her immediately. She did reiterate what I kept hearing: “It’s tough to secure airline distribution for a short film”, but she loved my work and said she would do her best. Just a few days later, the rep followed up with hopeful news and connected me with the decision-maker, who in turn said yes.
In 2022, I was granted a 6-month distribution deal with Air Canada. They intentionally started it in March for Women’s History Month. In all honesty, the pay was small. And as much as I understand that money is needed to live comfortably, that was not my aim. Impact has always been my goal, from the very beginning and at the core of my being. It’s not that I would turn down a big check because I’d gladly accept it, but it wasn’t the deciding factor for the work I create.
I currently don’t have any set plans or distribution deals set in stone, but I have leveraged I AM MORE THAN MY HAIR as a platform to bring awareness not only to my work but also to alopecia and women’s health. It has also broadened my platform as a public speaker. Speaking engagements and Q and A’s have allowed me the opportunity to personally connect with my audience and engage in meaningful conversations, which was my goal from the get-go.
In the end, I have not struck a big-time distribution deal, but the impact has been significant enough for me. I look forward to expanding my work as a director and DP and continuing meaningful conversations.
Oh, before I forget… here’s the list of the airline distribution companies I found in my research:
- Terry Steiner International
- Cinesky Pictures
- Captive Entertainment
- Jaguar Distribution Corp
- Encore Inflight
- Entertainment in Motion (EIM)
- Penny Black Media
- Gate 23 Entertainment
Did you find creative ways of securing distribution? Share in a comment below or send me a message.
Alyscia Cunningham 