March 23, 2022
As I've been mentioning for the last few weeks, it's hard to write this newsletter with what's going on in the world, everywhere, but specifically right now in Ukraine. Well, a loyal reader (thanks, Marshall Strauss) tipped me off to a great project he started, and it shines a light on the good things folks in the cinema world can sometimes put together in such a unique way, and it's something you can contribute to by going to see a movie - or just donate if you aren't ready for that yet.
 The folks at Cinema Salem, MA put together this great fundraising idea for Ukraine - Stand with Ukraine Through Film, where you can watch The Guide, a 2014 Ukrainian film set against the backdrop of Soviet efforts to exterminate Ukrainians in the 1930s with proceeds donated to support Ukraine.
The film premiered at Cinema Salem and with the help of many partners is playing over 600 cinemas across the US - it started last week, but shows remain for at least a few more days. They've also got various screenings around the world. This is a true team effort, with help from the Digital Cinema Distribution Coalition, Fast Forward Films, Paper Airplane, Vista, Deluxe, Go Theater Marketing, Stampede Studios, 2656 Marketing, Prenner Group, Total Cinema Solutions, HCROA (a human right's group), among many others (sorry to those I left out here).
Get all the info here, and here's their FB page to share, and a donation site. This is an all volunteer effort and all proceeds go to the cause. It shows the good that can come from this industry in a nice way, and it seems like this is just about the most important thing going on in the film world right now (and the Oscars are this weekend...) so I'm dedicating this opening article slot to this news for the week. Go see a movie and support Ukraine!
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Film
Taking Control: Engineering your Distribution: DocNYC has an online panel that looks informative - Documentary distribution planning is often overlooked until the editing starts. However, when long-term strategy, grassroots organizing and audience building begin during production, they can have a profound impact on your distribution goals. Ingenuity at every stage contributes to your outreach momentum. Join distribution educator and author Rachel Gordon (The Documentary Distribution Toolkit), filmmaker Chanda Chevannes (Living Downstream) who also wrote The Roadmap to Creative Distribution and educational distribution expert James-Michael Boyer from Collective Eye to hear inspirational and practical examples of exactly how to engineer your documentary’s journey to the world. More info here. (BN)
Will Packer and The Oscars: There's a little ol' Awards show happening this weekend. This year, the ratings will likely be terrible and blame will be thrown around everywhere, but I know for a fact that one person - producer Will Packer, will be trying his damndest to make it the best show he can given what he was dealt. But I am biased, as we went to the same high school, and he was on my board at the Atlanta Film Fest when I ran it, so I have to be in his corner. If you don't know much about Will - which would be crazy because he is pretty famous and makes amazing movies - I wrote a bit about him as a Hollywood based indie producer role model way back at the start of this whole coronavirus. Check out that old piece here, which also links to a great Indiewire interview, and keep that in mind as the inevitable crap starts hitting the fan. (BN)
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Branded Content
 Mud\Wtr Films Launches with Resurfacing: Koa Smith: In some Sub-Genre client news, I've been consulting for months with Mud\Wtr on the launch of their Mud\Films division, and a couple weeks ago, we had a VIP launch for the division and a new film in Venice Beach. Now the short, Resurfacing: Koa Smith has launched on their website and on YouTube (after a premiere on Stab), along with the video of the Q&A from that evening which featured surfer Koa Smith speaking with Psychedelic Drug Development Leader, Dorna Pourang about the use of such drugs to improve one's mental health after traumatic brain injury (and in general). It's pretty brave and cool stuff for a brand, and expect to see a lot more about healthy lifestyles from the brand in the future - and here's a trailer on what to expect.
Heineken Just Punked People With the First Beer Made for the Metaverse: Heineken, the latest brand to enter the metaverse? Nope, not really, but a recent campaign for Heineken Silver, a virtual beer you can’t taste for obvious reasons, does poke fun at brands’ obsession with the virtual (find campaign in article). A couple takeaways here: (1) The virtual beer idea is ridiculous but also entirely plausible, and (2) Heineken’s campaign raises questions about how brands that have nothing to do with virtual reality (like a beer company) can make its mark in a world turning digital. Despite the campaign being a prank, my bet is that in just a few years our avatars will all be drinking virtual beers. Adweek’s Brittaney Kiefer has the news. (GSH)
‘Built-in audience’: Inside Fender’s educational, inspirational TikTok strategy to tune in new guitarists: The quarter-century-old guitar brand is staying with the times though its TikTok presence. Through educational videos, partnerships with prominent bands and musicians, online jam sessions and product demos, Fender is harnessing TikTok to build community around their instrument and brand. As a musician, I come across so many fake (or poor-quality) efforts at music-oriented community building on social media. This tires musicians out quickly, especially the ones who are looking to learn online (which is most of us). I can only hope that Fender is engaging with musicians online authentically, and that both parties (musicians and Fender) will benefit. Digiday’s Kristina Monllos brings us the news. (GSH)
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Miscellany:
 A look at the most interesting innovations at SXSW 2022: From holograms to the future of psychedelics: SXSW in a nutshell. To learn about SXSW 2022’s XR experiences, head to Kent Bye’s podcast, where he discusses the AR/VR experiences and special events at the festival. You can also find a list of all the XR events here. Of note, a recurring theme at SXSW this year was the relationship between music and XR / the future of live music. And be sure to check out Eric Kohn’s IndieWire article, where you can watch snippets/trailers of award-winning XR pieces that he says “demonstrate the range of aesthetic possibilities in the [virtual] space.” In another article, Kohn provides summaries of SXSW 2022 films in need of a distributor. Lastly, check out Heather Landi’s piece for Fierce Healthcare where she recounts some of the innovations used in the medical setting that caught her attention at SXSW. Among these were: (1) An interactive holographic communications platform that produces a lifelike person in hologram that can travel/beam to other locations and interact with others; (2) A wearable patch that delivers ketamine and other psychedelics to (potentially) relieve pain; (3) An immersive sound environment that provides a respite for healthcare workers in the hospital setting. The list goes on! (GSH)
GSH = Articles written by Sub-Genre's Gabriel Schillinger-Hyman, not Brian Newman (BN)
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