BOND/360 is a film distribution company that grew out of BOND Strategy & Influence, which specializes in film marketing. Some of the campaigns that the BOND team has worked on include the Oscar-nominated film Exit Through the Gift Shop, the BAFTA-winning Senna, and the Walter Murch-edited documentary Particle Fever about the Large Hadron Collider.
Elizabeth Sheldon has been the chief operating officer for BOND/360 since 2016. Before that she was the senior vice president for indie film distributor Kino Lorber, where she expanded her knowledge of the global independent film landscape.
On this episode of The nsavides Podcast, she discusses how she finds films to acquire, how she likes to work with filmmakers, and how BOND handled the campaign for three recent releases: God Knows Where I Am, Karl Marx City, and Maurizio Cattelan: Be Right Back. Plus, she shares some breaking news about a new acquisition that came out of SXSW 2017.
God Knows Where I Am tells the story of a mentally ill woman who starved to death in an abandoned house. It won two Special Jury Prizes at Hot Docs 2016. Karl Marx City explores Cold-War East Germany from the perspective of the filmmaker whose father committed suicide and had rumored ties to the Stasi secret police. Maurizio Cattelan: Be Right Back profiles the infamous artist-provocateur who has earned both esteem and contempt in art circles around the world.
Film Distribution Takeaways
- Quotes on a movie poster can help a film stand out in a crowded marketplace.
- Distributors sometimes turn to their peers, agents, and festival goers for recommendations about what to buy.
- Some distributors are open to meeting new filmmakers at festivals, and emailing a request in advance might help to make it happen.
- Universities and higher-learning organizations can build awareness and increase income for issues-driven films.
- Filmmakers who try to take on distribution themselves aren’t able to take advantage of a distributor’s sophisticated relationships with big industry players who can help a film gain traction.
- Creating special outreaches for segmented audiences related to a film can raise awareness of a release.
- A film campaign isn’t always just about getting more views. Sometimes it can also extend conversations around a film’s topic.
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Related Things
- BOND/360
- BOND/EDUCATOR
- BOND on Facebook, Twitter
- Marketing Is a Key Creative Process To Indie Film Success? by Kobi Shey
- Part I & II of my coverage at SXSW 2017
Past releases from BOND/360 that caught my attention but that we didn’t get to discuss include Mudbloods, a look at the real-life quidditch sport inspired by the world of Harry Potter, and two Shakespeare-related films. Now: In The Wings On A Worlds Stage follows the worldwide tour of a Richard III production that starred Kevin Spacey and was directed by Sam Mendes. A Midsummer Night’s Dream was filmed during Julie Taymor’s stage production of Shakespeare’s beloved play.
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Films Discussed
- God Knows Where I Am
- The Imposter
- Karl Marx City
- Man Down
- Maurizio Cattelan: Be Right Back
- Through the Repellent Fence
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- Say hello on Twitter: @nsavidesPRO
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