"Stay afraid, but do it anyway. What’s important is the action. You don’t have to wait to be confident. Just do it, and eventually the confidence will follow.”
I don’t know the original context in which Carrie Fisher said this, but it applies to every step of filmmaking—and distribution is no different.
I don’t claim to have answers or solutions, but I do know that distribution is hard. Like most filmmakers, I’ve realized I can't just wait for a miracle, the "perfect" sales agent, or even a subpar deal.
I have a mini-slate of three films that explore the complexities of family and parenting under unique circumstances:
@foreignpuzzle – Breast cancer and parenting with a young child; using dance to process uncertainty.
@ammaspridefilm – LGBTQ+ family acceptance, trans rights, and marriage equality.
@lovechaoskinmovie – The nuances of openness in transracial domestic adoption. I am distributing them myself. There—I said it out loud.
I have plans and ideas, and I’ve been putting in the work. Through several small skill-share cohorts for writing and workshopping rough cuts, I have gained so much from collectively processing roadblocks. I have also participated in paid distribution cohorts with
@8.above and
@lookylookypictures , and I thank them profusely for helping me shift my mindset. As a member of the
@newdaydocfilms distribution cooperative since 2019, the idea of doing this has been slowly seeping into my veins. This need to do it on my own did not happen overnight; I’ve been building the foundation unintentionally for years. I am coming to this not merely for lack of other solutions, but because there is more to gain: power, autonomy, and sustainability. Frankly, I like being my own boss.
If you are a storyteller who owns your rights and—like me—you aren’t interested in waiting for someone else to open the door, please sign up [link in bio and linktree]. Let’s skill-share the hell out of distribution. Together, we can overcome the distribution fears that stall great films and build a bridge to our audience.
!["All the medications and procedures that I have had to go through..."Sharon lists them all — the diagnosis, the chemo, the side effects. DANCING is the MEDICINE.In @foreignpuzzle, Mexican American dancer and mother Sharon Marroquin choreographs her way through breast cancer treatment, processing the unprocessable — translating the impermanence, the fear, and the fight into movement.April is both #NationalCancerControlMonth and #NationalMinorityHealthMonth — and Sharon's story lives at the intersection of both. For Women of Color, cancer is more aggressive, and the burden of care is immense.She navigates intensive treatment while raising her 6-year-old son and teaching elementary school - because you need a full-time job for health insurance. Her experience quietly speaks to what so many in racial and ethnic minority communities know too well: the gaps in support, the invisible labor of being sick while holding everything together, the stories that rarely make it to the screen.This is my first long-form film. I made it as I was transitioning out of physical therapy, and it brings together my creative and health care communities.Watch FOREIGN PUZZLE for free on @kanopy through your local public library or university, or through @newdaydocfilms for educational use. [DM for links]Watch her meditate on the meaning of life, choreograph, and make sense of cancer treatment.You can also request a screening for your home, school, or organization [Link in bio]#BreastCancerAwareness #HealthDisparities #MinorityHealth #DanceAndHealing #LatinxHealth](https://sp1.picnob.com/p/pt_6747262651434768381864_0_18d375ab42f5ec841a47f54cd6841ed4.jpg?o=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&h=1a5fdf1a025d9c71ae7b2190d978f16d)
!["Stay afraid, but do it anyway. What’s important is the action. You don’t have to wait to be confident. Just do it, and eventually the confidence will follow.”I don’t know the original context in which Carrie Fisher said this, but it applies to every step of filmmaking—and distribution is no different.I don’t claim to have answers or solutions, but I do know that distribution is hard. Like most filmmakers, I’ve realized I can't just wait for a miracle, the "perfect" sales agent, or even a subpar deal.I have a mini-slate of three films that explore the complexities of family and parenting under unique circumstances:@foreignpuzzle – Breast cancer and parenting with a young child; using dance to process uncertainty.@ammaspridefilm – LGBTQ+ family acceptance, trans rights, and marriage equality.@lovechaoskinmovie – The nuances of openness in transracial domestic adoption. I am distributing them myself. There—I said it out loud.I have plans and ideas, and I’ve been putting in the work. Through several small skill-share cohorts for writing and workshopping rough cuts, I have gained so much from collectively processing roadblocks. I have also participated in paid distribution cohorts with @8.above and @lookylookypictures, and I thank them profusely for helping me shift my mindset. As a member of the @newdaydocfilms distribution cooperative since 2019, the idea of doing this has been slowly seeping into my veins. This need to do it on my own did not happen overnight; I’ve been building the foundation unintentionally for years. I am coming to this not merely for lack of other solutions, but because there is more to gain: power, autonomy, and sustainability. Frankly, I like being my own boss.If you are a storyteller who owns your rights and—like me—you aren’t interested in waiting for someone else to open the door, please sign up [link in bio and linktree]. Let’s skill-share the hell out of distribution. Together, we can overcome the distribution fears that stall great films and build a bridge to our audience.](https://sp1.picnob.com/p/pt_6735202931724973455562_0_bebf2e2732e34e4386486e2cb89f74af.jpg?o=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&h=9e508ab2d6a2aeb7a7f7e4e7e6c28580)
