Documentary Film Distributors and Wholesalers

Connecting with documentary film distribution companies
By Nate Waymire, Freelance Writer Documentary film companies produce hundreds of documentaries every year on every subject imaginable. These films are becoming more popular as movie watchers discover the wide array of interesting and informative topics they cover. Full-length documentaries and documentary short films have become eligible for Academy Awards, which shows the respect and acceptance these films have received from audiences and members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Retail businesses that want to sell documentaries and theater owners who wish to exhibit them must contact documentary film distributors to request the rights to these films. Working with the documentary distributors will allow these businesses to:

1. Purchase the rights to show one or more documentaries to a paying audience;

2. Employ a documentary sales agent who will help obtain the documentaries or the rights for a public screening of any film.

3. Receive discounts on bulk purchases of DVDs that will be used either as rentals or sale items.

4. Obtain promotional materials to advertise the documentary films.

Locate companies that deal in documentary distribution

Documentary distribution companies keep a large inventory on hand to supply your business with all the copies of a particular film you are interested in. They maintain a complete catalog of all the films that are available so retailers may peruse the list and order copies of several film titles at the same time.
Try:  Order the documentaries you need from Smiley Documentary Film Distribution , Icarus Films and ro*co films.

Contact companies that specialize in documentary film sales

Film sales companies act as brokers for many different documentary production companies. They will carry the documentary titles that are produced by these documentary film companies and provide a retail business with everything they are looking for in one location. Some of these companies will also specialize in a particular style of documentary.
Try:  Obtain documentary films from The Film-Makers’ Cooperative or Docurama. The African Diaspora Film Festival sells films that "depict the human experience of people of color."

Work with documentary film agents

A sales agent for documentaries will help your company locate the movie you want and work out the purchasing rights for you. The agent will work with you to get permission to screen a documentary to a paying audience and make sure you are aware of the obligations you will have and payments you must make before showing the film. The agent will also help a retail business secure the documentary titles they wish to sell or rent.
Try:  Talk to agents from MAGNEPIX Distribution or Galloping Films.

Order movies from documentary film wholesalers

Documentary film distributors and wholesalers provide multiple titles and copies of documentaries to businesses that sell or rent movies. They offer retailers a discounted rate on the films and, most often, the more copies a company purchases, the lower the price will be for each film.
Try:  Purchase documentaries and theatrical films at wholesale prices from KOCH Entertainment and Acorn Media Group.

• Work with a documentary film distribution company that specializes in ordering hard-to-find movies that are requested by customers.
• Ask documentary film distributors and wholesalers about promotional materials that will encourage customers to purchase a particular documentary. These items are commonly included at no extra charge.