In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

  • The Politics of Distribution
  • Ben Levin (bio)

Documentary has an important role to play in the current media environment. The war in Iraq and global warming, for example, are issues that permeate our current political climate. Films addressing such concerns tend to emanate from liberal-thinking directors and funding entities. It would be useful if additional well-made films could come from other sectors as well, beyond knee-jerk reactions to films like Fahrenheit 9/11 and An Inconvenient Truth.

In the past, a major problem has been distribution of noteworthy documentaries to the widest possible audiences. Until very recently, documentaries addressing important issues were seen by a relatively small number of viewers and, more often than not, praised by the already converted and attacked by opponents, who in many cases had not seen the film. For these documentaries to really make a difference, they must be seen by viewers outside the major metropolitan areas who do not have the luxury of the Angelikas, the Magnolias, and other such outlets. Television venues like the Documentary Channel and Link TV offer other possibilities but at this point are only available on select cable, digital, or satellite systems and tend to show documentaries that are valuable but often not current. Public television, which has been subject to intense funding pressures from the government, has increased its activity in the independent documentary sector, but the programming is seen sporadically in markets across the country, often after 10:00 p.m.

Recent efforts by Netflix, Blockbuster, amazon, and others, along with decisions by some distributors to release DVDs sooner and at reasonable prices, in some cases during or immediately following theatrical release, are a step forward. It will still take funds for promotion of the films and consideration for documentaries beyond those nominated or winning important awards. This is key. There are many relevant "smaller" films that may not be picked up by the major documentary distributors (ThinkFilm, IFC Films, First Run, Icarus, etc.) that have value and should be readily accessible. While smaller distributors like California Newsreel, Bullfrog Films, Cinema Guild, and Direct Cinema do a good job of reaching the educational market and in some cases are increasing their activities re direct sale to consumers via the Internet, there are still vast potential audiences that do not have easy access to the material.

There are, however, variations and alternatives. Along with the films that are fortunate to gain major distribution, there are also films like Being Caribou, a low-budget documentary made by a husband-and-wife filmmaking team that may have been a major factor in temporarily blocking the drilling of oil in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. While it was seen at festivals and was shown in other venues as well, it may have been the filmmakers' trips to Washington to show the film to relevant members of Congress and their staff that actually turned the tide.

Perhaps most intriguing currently is the intense activity on Internet outlets like YouTube, Grouper, MySpace, and Google Video. New work is being created and disseminated, and existing work is being "shared" in these new arenas. While potential legal and copyright issues abound, the process is having a major effect on how younger people are dealing with vast number of issues, including those that are political in nature. This is already impacting on mediated political statement and debate.

In any case, we must not lose sight of the critical importance of access to the work by the broadest number of people and those who could impact on anything from the passage of a piece of national legislation to a regional [End Page 82] or local ordinance. Ironically, there are times when well-intentioned filmmakers no doubt make "deals" that may restrict the dissemination of the work. In our documentary program, we encourage our students to consider the importance of how their films will reach the maximum number of relevant viewers.

Ben Levin

Ben Levin is a documentary filmmaker and professor who is currently director of graduate studies in the Department of Radio, Television and Film at the University of North Texas, which offers an M.F.A. program in documentary production and studies...

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