The Movie Marketing & Distribution Podcast

"Know how you're going to market your film from day one." Markian Tarasiuk, Director,  Hunting Matthew Nichols How do you take a $275,000 independent film from a 12-day shoot to more than 1,000 cinema screens across North America? In this episode, Alex Stolz speaks with Markian Tarasiuk about the release strategy behind Hunting Matthew Nichols — a genre-bending true-crime-style horror film that by...

What does it take to market films at scale in a fragmented, fast-moving landscape? In this episode of the Marketing & Distribution Podcast, Alex Stolz speaks with Linda Fiolka, Head of Marketing at Constantin Film, one of Germany's leading production and distribution companies operating across the full value chain, from development and production through to theatrical, streaming and world sales. L...

What actually happens to cinema screenings when a film receives an Oscar nomination or wins Best Picture? In this episode of the Marketing and Distribution Podcast, Alex Stolz welcomes back leading film industry analyst Stephen Follows to unpack usheru-backed research into the real impact of awards on theatrical exhibition. Drawing on multiple years of Best Picture data, the conversation examines...

In this episode, Alex is joined by two industry leaders with unparalleled insight into how films truly reach and resonate with audiences. Kevin Goetz, founder and CEO of Screen Engine ASI, and legendary studio marketer Bob Levin share the thinking, decision processes and real-world experience behind their new book How to Score in Hollywood . Together, they discuss the realities of greenlighting, t...

How can independent distributors build a sustainable future for world cinema in an era of content saturation and shrinking public support? In this episode, Alex Stolz speaks with Meret Ruggle , Co-head of Trigon Film, the Swiss foundation and distributor that has spent more than three decades championing outstanding films from Latin America, Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe. Meret shares how Trigon...

Independent filmmakers face a fast-evolving landscape: rising costs, fragmented audiences, and tougher routes to market. Yet with more platforms and opportunities than ever before, smart strategies can still give films the best chance to succeed. In this episode, Alex Stolz speaks with  Jonathan Sadler — veteran marketer and author of Film Marketing and Distribution: An Independent Filmmaker's Gui...

In this episode of the Marketing and Distribution Podcast, host Alex Stolz speaks with Susie Bould, Marketing Director at Curzon, the iconic UK exhibitor, distributor, and streaming platform. Susie shares how Curzon's unique ecosystem and real-time audience data shape its marketing strategy, enabling bold, authentic campaigns that connect deeply with film lovers. She reveals how Curzon successfull...

In this episode of the Marketing and Distribution Podcast , Alex Stolz is joined by Maxwell Riesberg, founder and CEO of Rascal (RSCL) Films – a bold new theatrical-first studio on a mission to bring international action films the big-screen releases they deserve. With a background that includes award-winning campaigns for A Quiet Place and Bumblebee , Maxwell shares how Rascal aims to become the...

In this special episode, Alex Stolz is joined by Elin Boijens (Searchers, Netherlands) and Giulia Amadio (BIM Distribuzione, Italy), two participants in Distributors on the Move , Europa Distribution's pioneering professional exchange programme. Together, they reflect on the transformative impact of spending time embedded within each other's companies and exploring the day-to-day realities of film...

In this episode of  The Marketing and Distribution Podcast , host Alex Stolz welcomes Jackie Brenneman — a trailblazer in the cinema industry and President & CEO of Attend Theatrical Marketplace, Jackie shares the journey behind ATTEND, the groundbreaking platform she helped launch to empower filmmakers and exhibitors through smarter, more transparent theatrical distribution. A founding partner of...

In this episode of the Marketing and Distribution Podcast , host Alex Stolz is joined by Ana Maria Jipa and Malcolm Wood, co-founders of Olyn, a new digital platform aiming to redefine how independent films are released and monetized. Drawing on their backgrounds in technology, entrepreneurship, and film production, Ana and Malcolm discuss how Olyn seeks to provide filmmakers with direct-to-consum...

"Community isn't just the audience—it  is the audience. And that shift in thinking is where real change begins." – Shawn Dawes In this episode of the Marketing and Distribution Podcast , Alex Stolz is joined by filmmaker, producer, and platform founder Shawn Dawes , the visionary behind IndieScene —a new SaaS-based platform aiming to transform the independent film ecosystem through transparency, d...

In this episode, Alex Stolz is joined by Guy Bisson, Executive Director at Ampere Analysis, a leading firm in media and entertainment analytics. Guy brings over two decades of expertise in the global TV, film, and entertainment industries, offering unparalleled insights into the transformations reshaping content creation, distribution, and consumption. Together, they dive deep into the challenges...

"Our goal is to make every theatrical release feel like an event." Lynne Schmidt, SVP Operations and Strategic Partnerships Fathom Entertainment  In this episode of the  Marketing and Distribution Podcast , host Alex Stolz sits down with Shannah Miller, Vice President of Marketing, and Lynne Schmidt, Senior Vice President of Operations and Strategic Partnerships at Fathom Entertainment. Fathom has...

In this episode Alex Stolz sits down with Pierre-Alexandre (Alex) Labelle, co-founder of Under the Milky Way, the global digital distribution company helping studios, filmmakers and rights holders bring their films to VOD platforms worldwide. Alex shares his journey in the film industry, from the early days of digital distribution to working with major platforms like Apple, Google, and Amazon. He...

"We want to be a positive force in the ecosystem." Jen Davies In this episode, Alex Stolz speaks with Jen Davies and Graham Fulton, co-founders of Conic, the Glasgow-based film distribution company formed in 2022. They discuss the origins of Conic, their mission to support independent cinema, and the evolving landscape of film distribution. The conversation covers their values, team dynamics, acqu...

In this episode we welcome world leading film researcher Stephen Follows to the show for a deep dive into the data behind the horror genre. With insights fresh from Stephen's new exhaustive exploration of the space, The Horror Movie Report 2.0, we explore the significant increase in horror film production and the numbers behind its profitability. In a conversation that covers the importance of the...

"Data and AI can increase risk taking" Tobias Queisser   In this episode we are joined by Tobias Queisser, co-founder and CEO of Cinelytic, the AI-powered platform designed to optimise decision-making across film production and distribution. As perhaps the most controversial - and misunderstood - topic in film and entertainment at this time, AI is often portrayed as a creative destructor but Tobia...

In this conversation, Leslie Vuchot, CEO and founder of the Festival Agency joins the show to discuss her journey in the film industry, the importance of film festivals, and the evolving landscape of film distribution. She shares insights on festival-driven success stories of independent films, the health of festivals, and the agency's new direction in building community around cinemas. Vuchot emp...

Jim Fredrick is a trailer editor, studio marketing executive and film professor - and author of the OPENING WEEKEND: AN INSIDER'S LOOK AT MARKETING HOLLYWOOD'S HITS AND FLOPS.    In this conversation, we discuss Jim's career which began in editing trailers and spanned both the studio, independent and vendor sectors. We also hear about Jim's experience in helping launch some of the biggest and most...

 "The film value chain is very disconnected from today's online reality" Ben Johnson, Founder Gruvi In this episode we are joined by Ben Johson, Founder of the digital media agency, Gruvi. In a wide ranging conversation, Ben describes the lightbulb moment that led him to establish a film-specific model and why he believes the current value chain in the sector is out of sync with how audiences make...

"It's a changing landscape, but people still want to see movies." Thor Sigurjónsson, Scanbox In this episode we meet the leading - and legendary - Nordic distributor, Scanbox Entertainment with their top executives Merete Christensen (COO and Head of Theatrical) and CEO Thor Sigurjónsson. In the conversation we discuss how the Nordic markets are transforming through shifting audience behaviour and...

Luis Perez Endara is CEO of Gluon Media and Founder of Panoptico.tv, a new online community and recommendation engine for film and TV across Latin America. In this conversation, Luis explains how the current recommendation solutions, from algorithms to peer to peer services, are failing audiences. Drawing from his extensive experience in sales, marketing, distribution and curation, he reveals how...

"The current distribution model is broken, and Blue Harbor is here to offer a different approach that benefits both filmmakers and audiences." Mike Messina, co-founder Blue Harbor Entertainment   This episode is an insight into the obstacles and opportunities in the current releasing environment in a conversation with the founders of Blue Harbor Entertainment, the new service distribution company....

"Optimising cinema businesses through better data strategies can transform the entire entertainment landscape." Marina Kosten Why the theatrical experience is so critical for the film and entertainment ecosystem and how it can be revitalised through a bold and innovative data-led strategy are some of the key topics explored here with the brilliant Marina Kosten. In the conversation Marina unpacks...