Documentary Community Still Wary as AVOD and FAST Channels Proliferate
variety.comAddie Morfoot Contributor Is AVOD the solution for struggling indie doc filmmakers? “Beyond Utopia,” “A Still Small Voice,” “Deep Rising,” “It’s Only Life After All,” “Going Varsity in Mariachi,” and “The Grab” are all documentary titles that garnered good reviews, positive audience feedback and plenty of media attention at major film festivals including this year’s Sundance and last year’s Toronto International Film Festival.
But despite the high visibility, each title is still seeking distribution. The chances of any of the six titles garnering a highly coveted distribution deal isn’t likely given the state of the entertainment industry at present.
The dismal distribution landscape has forced some nonfiction filmmakers to turn to substantially less lucrative alternatives, such as ad-supported VOD, or AVOD channels, and revenue-sharing arrangements to get their work seen.
That list include filmmakers Violet Columbus and Ben Klein, who directed the 2022 Sundance grand jury prize documentary winner “The Exiles.” The duo negotiated an all-rights video on-demand release via Gravitas Ventures in December.
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