Distribution

As an audiovisual creator, protecting your project from legal issues is just as important as its artistic quality. This guide will help you understand the fundamental aspects of the clearance process (legal authorization) that you need to consider before exhibiting your work. What is Clearance, and Why is it Important? "Clearance" is the process through which you obtain all necessary legal authorizations to include any material or element in your audiovisual production. This process protects...

We can all agree that it’s nigh impossible for a finished film to be even 90% close to the original screenplay. Budget and logistic constraints can be very limiting for the filmmaker and often the creative vision changes according to the ebbs and flow of the production. Locations are changed, dialogues are added, and sometimes even characters are edited out. As a result, when the filmmaker has finished post and is busy procuring deliverable material required by film festivals or the distributo...

How in the blue blazes is an independent filmmaker like yourself supposed to find a favorable distribution deal and secure profitability for your movie? You’re not. In today’s economy, in every sector of the entertainment industry, institutions are more apt to sell artists and creators the possibility of success than they are to invest in the actual labor that goes into making a film successful. Just like every other sector of the entertainment industry, this unsettling reality tends to make eve...

And...we're off! The 2025 Cannes Film Festival is in full swing, and Stage 32 is all over the Croisette! For those of you who weren't able to make it to France this year, we want to make sure that you, too, are part of the action. Stop what you're doing right now, pick up your phone, and go follow our fearless leader, Richard "RB" Botto, and Managing Director Amanda Toney: Instagram @stage32 @rbwalksintoabar X @stage32 @rbwalksintoabar Facebook @stage32   We are LIV...

It is thrilling after all your work on a film, to have the exhilarating experience of a dynamic and successful Q&A at a film festival with a packed audience. Conversely, most of us have experienced the shock of seeing a Q&A where no questions were asked. Worse is having your short-screened with others and ending up the only one not having a question asked after hearing, “Well, guys, that’s all we have time for as the next film is coming in.” You Can Pack Those Screenings You can have jammed-p...

Happy Wednesday, Creative Army! The Cannes Film Festival in France is right around the corner! For those of you who missed it, we recently announced the official Cannes 2025 Stage 32 events schedule and partnerships right HERE on the Stage 32 Blog. Being involved each year in coordinating industry-leading panels with remarkable expert panelists from all over the world is one of our greatest honors and pleasures. This year, we're particularly proud of the lineup that we've put together, a...

Happy Tuesday, Creative Army! As the world continues to get smaller we love bringing together our community together every day through our platform. We wake up every day intending to give you all the tools and resources you need to help with your professional development as a creative. That's why I’m incredibly excited to share a major development that will elevate how we serve you here at Stage 32.  As of yesterday, Monday, May 5th, we have officially migrated all of our consultations, whic...

Happy Friday, Creative Army! Since 2011, Stage 32 has been at the forefront of the global entertainment community, working every day to connect you to the resources, relationships, and real-world insight you need to move your creative journey forward. Whether you’re a writer, director, actor, producer, editor, or composer, our goal has always been to give you unprecedented access to industry leaders and decision-makers—and keep you informed on where the industry is headed next. Recently, I h...

About the 2025 Cannes Film Festival Marché du Film The countdown is on—the 78th edition of the Cannes Film Festival is just around the corner, running May 13–24, 2025, in the breathtaking city of Cannes, France. For over a decade, Stage 32 has proudly partnered with the Marché du Film as an official education partner, and this year, we’re taking things to new heights! Whether you’re a seasoned Cannes regular or planning your first adventure to the Croisette, 2025 promises to be one of the...

Welcome back to TALKING BUSINESS: Insights from the Independent Film Industry, hosted by Stage 32 Thought Leader and Business Consultant, David Zannoni, from Freeway Entertainment and Zannoni Media. In TALKING BUSINESS, David brings you in-depth conversations on the behind-the-scenes of the filmmaking business with industry veterans. In today’s seventh episode, David is having a chat with his Freeway colleague Daniel Simonyi, who is Head of Legal for Collection Account Management. Freeway is t...