What I Wish I Knew Before Releasing My Indie Film

Distribution is where most indie filmmakers go to die—or at least to disappear quietly. After the blood, sweat, and credit card debt of production, it’s easy to think your job is done. But distribution is not dessert. It’s not a celebration. It’s the war after the war, and most of us walk into it completely unarmed.

You don’t know what you don’t know. Until you do. And by then, it’s usually too late.

So when we asked, “What’s one lesson about distribution you learned the hard way?” the stories came flooding in. Here are ten brutal, necessary, and career-saving lessons indie filmmakers wish they’d learned before they released their films into the wild.

1. Distribution Isn’t the End

You don’t get distributed. You do distribution. It’s not a final step. It’s a second career. When your film is “done,” it’s actually just entering the phase where you have to market, pitch, promote, re-cut, subtitle, package, negotiate, follow up, and hustle it to death.

You will work as hard—if not harder—on distribution as you did on production. And you need to budget, plan, and commit accordingly.

2. If You Don’t Own the Rights, You Don’t Own the Outcome

Too many filmmakers sign away rights without understanding what they’re giving up. That “worldwide exclusive” deal for 3 years might mean no festival runs, no sub-licensing, no AVOD later, and no flexibility if the distributor ghosts you (which happens more often than you’d like to believe).

Before you hand over anything, ask: What exactly are they doing with it? What can I still do? What happens if they do nothing?

3. The Real Work Starts After the Premiere

Getting into a festival is not a distribution strategy. It’s not a business plan. It’s a milestone. Great. Celebrate. Then roll up your sleeves.

You need to know where to go next. Who to pitch. What platforms are right for your genre. Whether AVOD or SVOD is a better fit. Whether your title or poster needs tweaking. If your audience is mostly watching on mobile or TV. Every one of those factors influences what happens post-premiere.

4. Your First Deal Might Be Your Worst Deal

Distributors often come sniffing around right after your premiere—when you’re tired, emotional, and craving validation. That’s when they strike. And it’s when many filmmakers sign bad deals just to feel like something’s moving.

Wait. Negotiate. Ask questions. You don’t need to say yes to the first offer. Especially if it’s a lifetime contract for 5% of net profits. Spoiler: “net” profits are a lie.

5. Platform Fees Add Up Fast

Even when you go direct—using Amazon Prime Video Direct, Filmhub, or aggregators—you’ll start to notice just how many hands take a cut before you see a penny. 30% here, 20% there, a delivery fee, a marketing surcharge, a quarterly payout threshold.

You need to read every term and understand your real earnings. Gross numbers don’t matter if you never see net revenue.

6. You Need a Marketing Plan Just to Survive

If you think your distributor is going to market your film, think again. If they do anything at all, it’ll be a brief email blast and a tweet with your poster (if you’re lucky). The rest? That’s on you.

And without real marketing—email lists, trailers, interviews, influencer outreach, even Reddit AMAs—you’re not going to get eyeballs. Distribution doesn’t magically create attention. You have to bring your own.

7. Deliverables Will Break You If You’re Not Ready

Distributors don’t just want your final cut. They want a DCP, a ProRes HQ, a dialogue list, subtitle files, layered audio stems, legal clearances, and stills that don’t look like grainy screenshots. If you didn’t prep these during post, you’ll be scrambling later—and it’ll cost you.

Budget for it. Plan for it. Or be ready to max out your last credit card just to meet the deadline.

8. Don’t Wait for Someone Else to “Find” Your Film

The dream of being “discovered” is just that—a dream. Even the best distributors don’t have the bandwidth to care as much about your film as you do. They’re juggling dozens, maybe hundreds, of titles.

If you don’t push your film, no one will. Period.

9. If It’s Not Searchable, It’s Not Watchable

Your title matters. Your key art matters. Your trailer matters. If your film doesn’t show up in search results or thumbnails, no one will click it. Period.

Spend time on your title. Make sure it’s easy to remember and fits your genre. Create a thumbnail that works at postage-stamp size. Craft a trailer that gets attention in under 10 seconds.

10. Festivals Are Only Great for Prestige

You can’t pay rent in laurels. If your only plan is to impress other filmmakers and rack up festival wins, you’re playing the wrong game. Distribution is how you reach audiences, make money, and build a career.

One well-marketed AVOD release will do more for your long-term prospects than ten festival rejections and a handful of Twitter claps.

Garvescope Is Built on These Lessons

Garvescope was created by filmmakers who’ve lived through every single one of these mistakes. We know the pain of bad deals, ghosted deliverables, and wasted potential. That’s why we’re building tools that help you market smarter, distribute wider, and keep your film alive long after the premiere.

Our mission is simple: help you stop learning the hard way. Help you build a real plan. Help your film get seen by the people who matter.

You made the movie. Now make the move.