You make a film to be watched. But how do you make sure your documentary actually reaches the audience it was made for?
What does distribution really mean in today’s documentary landscape?
When should you start planning it — and why shouldn’t you wait until your film is finished?
How can you choose and approach the right market players?
What are your options beyond festivals and broadcasters?
Do self-distribution, niche platforms or educative campaigns open new doors for independent documentaries?
And what are the most common pitfalls filmmakers face when approaching distribution — and how can you avoid them?
Join us for the session with Matej Sotnik, who effectively combine the roles of producer and distributor, as he explores the fundamentals of documentary distribution, focusing on early-stage strategy and realistic pathways for independent projects. After the introduction, the floor will open for Q&A, giving you a chance to ask questions, share experiences, and gain practical tips how to plan your film’s journey from the outset.
Don't miss the opportunity to learn form experiences of documentary practitioner.
Matej Sotník is a partner and producer at Somatic Films (CZ) and guča films (SK) and co-founder and creative director of Film Expanded distribution.
The films he has produced premiered at leading international film festivals such as Berlinale (Notes from Eremocene), Karlovy Vary IFF (Action Item, The Other One, Lapilli), Busan IFF, IDFA, DOK Leipzig, FIPADOC, FIDMarseille, and many others. He is currently producing new films by internationally established directors such as Viera Čakanyová, Paula Ďurinová, Lynne Siefert and Anna Kryvenko, as well as few debut works by emerging talents. In his projects, he has brought on board co-producers from Germany, France, Canada, Austria, Italy, or the U.S., along with broadcasters such as ARTE and Deutsche Welle.
Matej is an alumnus of Emerging Producers, MIDPOINT Series Launch, MFI Doc Lab, and IDFAcademy. He is a co-founder of the Slovak Documentary Film Association and member of the European Film Academy.
This session is organized as a part of Eastories program supported by International Visegrad Fund.
Ask About is an online session format created by Pitch the Doc for documentary filmmakers. It features an expert introduction by an invited industry professional, followed by an open Q&A where participants can ask any question, exchange views, and engage in discussion with market practitioners.
Pitch the Doc is an initiative committed to fostering a more democratic and accessible documentary market. Combining documentary expertise with digital solutions, it offers support for the market activity of emerging and established professionals.
Film Expanded is a boutique distribution company that focuses on innovative distribution strategies and provides full distribution services for international creative docs. Takes quality care of high profile films from its catalog and designs a strategy for each of them right to the needs of the target groups.
