At this year’s Doc10 film festival in Chicago, leading documentary filmmakers voiced concern about the collapse of the streaming market, while Illinois Governor JB Pritzker used the platform to speak out against global threats to democracy.
Academy Award-winning producer Geralyn Dreyfous, co-founder of Impact Partners, declared during a panel discussion that the golden age of documentary streaming has ended.
“The market for streamers is not coming back,” said Dreyfous. “Going to Sundance expecting a big sale is unrealistic. Only one in 20 films are being bought. It used to be eight out of 10 for us. That’s over. We need new distribution models.”
To address this crisis, Dreyfous helped launch Jolt in 2024. The AI-powered, direct-to-consumer platform supports documentaries that perform well at festivals but fail to secure distribution. Recent titles on Jolt include Hollywoodgate, Zurawski v. Texas, and The Bibi Files, from Oscar winner Alex Gibney and Alexis Bloom.
Dreyfous spoke on a panel titled “6 Radical Ideas: Disrupting the Documentary Landscape” alongside Submarine co-president Josh Braun and Red Owl co-founder Alice Quinlan.
Braun said even top-level festival exposure no longer guarantees sales. “Submarine went to Sundance with eight films. We didn’t sell a single one at the festival. That’s a first,” he said. “Now it’s May, and we’ve sold four. If they had sold in February, we’d be excited. But now we’re unsure if it means anything.”
Dreyfous also encouraged filmmakers to build direct relationships with audiences through social media. She proposed creating a consumer guild of dedicated viewers who seek original content.
Filmmaker Heidi Ewing, whose documentary Folktales screened at Doc10 and was recently acquired by Magnolia, stressed the importance of theatrical releases. “Festivals are like a tour leading up to theatrical openings,” she said. “They help build word-of-mouth. People are lonely and want to gather. There’s still a way to reach them.”
Ewing was one of several high-profile filmmakers at the 10th edition of the festival, along with Geeta Gandbhir (The Perfect Neighbor), David Osit (Predators), and Oscar winner Mstyslav Chernov (2000 Meters to Andriivka). All three films premiered at Sundance 2025.
Chernov’s previous documentary 20 Days in Mariupol showed the early days of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. His latest film focuses on Ukrainian soldiers and the difficult choices they face on the battlefield.
In a Q&A with festival programmer Anthony Kaufman, Chernov explained his reason for returning to the subject. “When I travel, people ask what’s next for Ukraine. I never know what to say, so I make films,” he said. “I want to turn numbers and names on a map into something meaningful.”
The five-day Doc10 festival ended on May 4 with a screening of Prime Minister, a documentary about former New Zealand leader Jacinda Ardern. Directed by Michelle Walshe and Lindsay Utz, the film received high praise after its Sundance debut.
Governor JB Pritzker introduced the film and Ardern, warning the audience about the dangers of authoritarianism. “We are seeing autocrats exploit those who struggle to make ends meet,” he said.
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