Screen: Social films find philanthropic distribution

In an effort to help issue-based documentaries, Gil Scrine has launched a not-for-profit Distribution company which relies on philanthropy. Tracey Prisk reports.

According to scrine, cinema ventures has a number of initiatives which he hopes will benefit not only the individual filmmakers but the Australian film industry as well. One of the key strategies devised by Cinema Ventures is Community Targeted Distribution (CTD) which Scrine said “grew out of years of struggling to present issue-based documentaries in cinemas under a commercial paradigm”.

“CTD works by allowing ‘host groups’ in regional centres to run film screenings for their own benefit. Each ‘host’ is drawn from existing groups already formed around issues explored in the films. Under the CTD scheme, a ‘host group’ can keep 100 percent of the box office to further their work.”

Funded via money from philanthropists, for whom donating is a tax deduction, CTD will help ensure that everyone involved in distributing/exhibiting the films will be given a return for their efforts. “I fail to see why philanthropists wouldn’t get behind it,” said Scrine.