Distribution

Distribution is the business of getting a finished film in front of paying audiences: theatrical release, streaming licenses, home entertainment, airlines, and territory-by-territory international sales. It's the phase where a film becomes revenue — and for independent films, it's the phase most projects never adequately plan for.

The independent model runs on windows and territories. A sales agent takes the film to markets (AFM, Cannes, Berlin) and licenses rights territory by territory — Germany, Japan, Latin America — each deal an advance against that market's revenue. Domestically, a distributor may pay a minimum guarantee for rights, or offer a service deal where the filmmaker pays for release costs. Streamers changed the shape but not the logic: a global SVOD buyout is one giant territory deal.

The number every financier runs before green light: projected distribution revenue versus budget. That's why pre-sales and cast value matter so much in packaging — they convert distribution guesswork into contracts.

For writers, distribution awareness shows up early as market viability: who is the audience, what platform serves them, what did comparable titles actually earn. It's a scored dimension on our coverage scorecard because producers ask it on page one.