SESSION 10. THE UPDATED DIY GUIDE

DIY DISTRIBUTION: The Complete DIY Overview

The film industry is now made up of tens of thousands of micro distributors. It’s likely you are one of them. Filmmakers are having to navigate the system and take advantage of a whole new digital infrastructure. Hunter Weeks will unveil his new 10 MPH DIY Manual which was originally created when he launched his first feature film, 10 MPH. He’s adding additional learnings from the process, including some anecdotes from 10 Yards and his latest film, Ride the Divide. During this session he’ll work with you to examine the whole process of creating a rolling distribution plan including building your audience, PR, sponsorships, brand/image and much more. This will be a collaborative workshop where the content and findings will make the last chapter of his latest 10 MPH DIY Manual. Everyone who attends will get a free PDF version of the Manual.

HUNTER WEEKS, Filmmaker

Hunter directed and produced 10 MPH (2007), 10 Yards (2009), and Ride the Divide (2010), a film about a 2700-mile mountain bike race from Canada through the USA in the Rocky Mountains. He’s led efforts to bring major partners on board to help fund and promote the films, including companies such as CBS Sports, Quiznos, YouTube, Crocs, SmartWool, Fender and Chipotle. He’s also the author of the 10 MPH DIY Manual which discusses unique PR, Marketing and distribution insights on how to distribute indie films, both digitally and conventionally, without a major distributor. Hunter also has a strong background in social media platforms and web marketing, having worked as the lead of Blockbuster.com’s email programme and as a web guru in several startup companies.

Hunter has spoken on his achievements in distributing and marketing films at various major film events including Sundance Film Festival, Galway Film Fleadh, The Conversation and DIY Days.