How to Sell Your Film to a Distributor
Hey Folks!
Just a quick reminder, we have our next workshop this Wednesday.
It’s with the president of Bleecker Street Films, Tyler DiNapoli.
We are incredibly lucky to have Tyler.
Details below…
best,
Clarke Scott - Founder & CEO, The Industry
Workshop: How to Sell Your Film to a Distributor
If you’re a filmmaker, actor, writer, director, producer, or financier making an indie film, the end goal is to get it seen by audiences.
But after finishing a movie, the process of selling a film can feel impenetrable.
Meanwhile, we hear countless success stories of Netflix picking up a film for $14M at Sundance or Mubi making a $25M festival buy at Cannes.
But what makes a film attractive to distributors?
For this workshop on How to Sell Your Film to a Distributor, we’re talking to the President of Bleecker Street Films, Tyler DiNapoli.
Tyler has been instrumental to the rise of Bleecker Street in the indie studio space. He’s been with the company since its inception, overseeing two Oscar-nominated films and more.
Hard Truths (2024)
Dir: Mike Leigh
Sasquatch Sunset (2023)
Star: Riley Keough, Jesse Eisenberg
The Assistant (2019)
Star: Julia Garner
The Art of Self Defence (2019)
Star: Jesse Eisenberg
Logan Lucky (2017)
Dir: Steven Soderbergh
Cast: Channing Tatum, Adam Driver, Daniel Craig, Riley Keough
Paterson (2016)
Dir: Jim Jarmusch
Star: Adam Driver
The Lost City of Z (2016)
Dir: James Gray
Cast: Robert Pattinson, Tom Holland, Sienna Miller
Captain Fantastic (2016)
Oscar-nominee
Star: Viggo Mortensen
Trumbo (2015)
Oscar-nominee
Cast: Bryan Cranston, Diane Lane, Helen Mirren
Beasts of No Nation (2015)
Dir: Cary Joji Fukunaga
DiNapoli previously worked at Focus Features, overseeing Atonement, Coraline, The Kids Are All Right, Milk, Moonrise Kingdom, and one of my personal favorites, The Place Beyond the Pines.
The workshop will cover:
How do distributors actually find and evaluate films, both at festivals and during the development stage?
What are the conversations inside a distributor’s team when deciding whether to acquire or produce a film?
How much does a film’s budget, cast, or festival pedigree matter when negotiating a sale?
What makes a film attractive to a distributor before it’s even made?
How can an emerging filmmaker make their project stand out in a crowded festival lineup?
Workshop Details
Date: Wednesday, July 23rd, 2025
Time: 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm EST
Location: Zoom
Price: $97; $47 annual paid subscribers; Free for Founding Member subscribers.
Click here to secure your spot - https://theindustry.co/how-to-sell-your-film-to-a-distributor/
If you are an annual paid subscriber or a Founding Member, email me to get the discount.