Promotion & Distribution of Independent films

Distribution is one of the final stages in the filmmaking process and refers to the circulation and marketing of films. I decided upon researching into the distribution and promotion of the film East is East, which was released in 1999, due to the difficulties with promoting the film as a product for a large target audience because of the actors cast and the fact it explored British Asian experience making it potentially niche film. This issue was resolved by promoting the generational conflict, which appeals and appears in all cultures. Along with changing the approach to target a larger audience, East is East also had a range of advertising and publicity strategies.

For the advertising side of East is East’s film promotion involves reoccurring and common campaigns in and on media such as TV, radio, newspapers, magazines and billboards. With this media available, the advertisements were intentionally placed at specific times, knowing that a large majority of their target audience will be reached. For example with television, which attained 26.5 million views, they set their commercial between shows such as Hollyoaks, Frasier, Home and Away and Ricki Lake. The media type that had the biggest impact, with 33.4 million views, was the newspapers. The Sunday prior to the film opening, page dominant advertisements were included in mass-selling national popular papers, such as The Sun and The Mirror, who also supported the film exclusively.

Although East is East had quite standard advertising techniques, the methods of publicising the film were, however, more inventive. One of the main publicity stunts that the film pulled was tying itself in with Supergrass’s new album. At Supergrass shows, on the tour when promoting their new album, large quantities of leaflets about East is East were handed out, along with a chip van serving free curry and chips with East is East branded forks. This fitted with the casting and themes of the film, and giving away free goods helped give the film positive word of mouth before the release date. The film also aimed to show 100,000 people the film, with free screenings, before the release date to generate further positive word of mouth. Other publicity strategies included, the premiere of the film being tied in with the Royal Court Theatre charity, which focuses of helping playwrights make their break; cast interviews, with different age and class members of the cast addressing different types of media. For example, the younger cast promoting the film with the music and teen press, where older members of the cast were used with upmarket, and broadsheet press. This was used to try and draw in a wider audience, due to the public holding interest and self-relation to the characters and cast closer to their own age range. Customary publicity techniques included a website, and a press pack, which contained plot summaries, character profiles, actor’s biographies and five selected clips that ran well together.

East is East apparently had a lack of commercial potential and received a staggered, platform release. It opened gradually into more cinemas over a five week period, going ‘wide’ by its third week with 246 screens. In a sense, having a staggered released helped the film more so, due to good reviews and word of mouth suggesting it was a non-commercial film that was worth seeing.

From researching into East is East, I have learnt that non-commercial films need to think more strategically about their promotion and distribution, due to competing with large and expensive films. Also entering a film into film festivals such as Cannes, like East is East did, would be another way to help gain the film recognition, and potential studios wanting to buy the rights for your film internationally.

Relation to my project:
Even though East is East was an independently promoted and distributed film, it was also a full length feature film. This is where is differs greatly from our project, suggesting we would have to promote and distribute our film in different ways. This could include sending our film off to a number of different short film festivals, or applying to screen our film at Cinemas interested in independent films (like the Rex in Berkhampstead).