eXe : establishing an innovative and inclusive digital film distribution label
Lead Research Organisation:
UNIVERSITY OF EXETER
Department Name: Communications, Drama and Film
Abstract
Whilst working on the AHRC-funded project 'Building an Alternative Distribution Network for Moroccan Cinema' (2019-22) it became clear to the research team that there is a strong appetite amongst audiences from academia, film festivals, and cinephiles of world cinema for "forgotten" titles that have either fallen out of licence with distributors or are not available in a format that permits digital distribution.
The expertise of academic researchers in film studies (film history and world cinema) in identifying films of cultural and historical significance (and which often emerge from marginalised or previously overlooked communities), combined with the increasing accessibility of these titles via digital distribution, can thus be transformed into a commercial opportunity. As the success with diverse audiences of Bab Al-Sama Maftuh / Door to the Sky (Benlyazid, 1989) the pioneering Arab feminist film restored as part of the the Moroccan Cinema project has shown, there is an underexploited market (both in the UK and internationally) to generate wider impact from these cultural works whilst simultaneously providing income for the artists behind these films, who, historically, have often been excluded from the opportunity to fully realise the commercial potential of their work.
Building on the strong routes to market through the connections established in the previous AHRC-funded project and the greater accessibility offered by digital distribution, this project looks to diversify the routes to sustainability by spinning out an independent distribution label that helps to realise the cultural, social and economic value of these films. By using the international film festival network and developing wider digital distribution, the proposed spinout will enhance the impact and public engagement of these works of cinematic art. This helps to feed into academic and industry concerns around the promotion, preservation, dissemination and commercialisation of films (short, feature-length and essay films, which encompass fictional and documentary modes) that do not fit conventional industry formats, whilst providing the artist themselves with a fair income, and wider recognition.
The project will also allow student volunteers from Exeter university to gain hands-on, real world experience of film distribution whilst studying at Exeter - preparing these students for a potential future career in film distribution and helping to fill a current skills gap for emerging distribution specialists in the film value chain in the UK.
The expertise of academic researchers in film studies (film history and world cinema) in identifying films of cultural and historical significance (and which often emerge from marginalised or previously overlooked communities), combined with the increasing accessibility of these titles via digital distribution, can thus be transformed into a commercial opportunity. As the success with diverse audiences of Bab Al-Sama Maftuh / Door to the Sky (Benlyazid, 1989) the pioneering Arab feminist film restored as part of the the Moroccan Cinema project has shown, there is an underexploited market (both in the UK and internationally) to generate wider impact from these cultural works whilst simultaneously providing income for the artists behind these films, who, historically, have often been excluded from the opportunity to fully realise the commercial potential of their work.
Building on the strong routes to market through the connections established in the previous AHRC-funded project and the greater accessibility offered by digital distribution, this project looks to diversify the routes to sustainability by spinning out an independent distribution label that helps to realise the cultural, social and economic value of these films. By using the international film festival network and developing wider digital distribution, the proposed spinout will enhance the impact and public engagement of these works of cinematic art. This helps to feed into academic and industry concerns around the promotion, preservation, dissemination and commercialisation of films (short, feature-length and essay films, which encompass fictional and documentary modes) that do not fit conventional industry formats, whilst providing the artist themselves with a fair income, and wider recognition.
The project will also allow student volunteers from Exeter university to gain hands-on, real world experience of film distribution whilst studying at Exeter - preparing these students for a potential future career in film distribution and helping to fill a current skills gap for emerging distribution specialists in the film value chain in the UK.