MISSION STATEMENT
THE COLLABORATIVE is the first non-profit, full-service provider dedicated to the distribution of independent film. It will offer a full range of affordable distribution, educational, and marketing services to independent/non-commercial filmmakers looking to reach out to traditionally underserved audiences, thus enriching the lives of filmmakers, audiences, and communities alike.
THE COLLABORATIVE will achieve these goals without ever needing to own or exploit a filmmaker’s intellectual property rights, opening up a new landscape of distribution opportunities free of extraneous middlemen and unfair contract terms, and drawing heavily upon the promise of new media/digital distribution and the power of viral and social networking.
In today’s marketplace, the traditional avenues of distribution for independent and art house distribution have largely collapsed, leaving thousands of filmmakers without a way to bring their films to market. As a result, there is a dire need for a service-oriented agency to step in to educate and empower filmmakers to reach out to audiences directly, to network with each other and trade vital experiences and marketing assets, and to master the tools of emerging DIY and new media opportunities.
By providing services geared towards educational consultation, low fee or commission-only sales support, non-theatrical distribution, DIY theatricals, grassroots/community outreach, low-cost publicity, and aggregation and marketing for digital platforms, THE COLLABORATIVE will re-establish a crumbling link between independent filmmakers and underserved audiences.
THE COLLABORATIVE is pro-film, pro-filmmaker, and pro-audience. THE COLLABORATIVE is the right step for the shifting landscape of 21st century media, helping filmmakers enjoy sustainable careers through viable distribution, and putting diverse filmmakers and audiences above megalithic profits and monolithic messages.