Cannes Next speakers call for innovation as direct-to-audience models reshape independent distribution
- CANNES 2026: Experts gathered to discuss the structural, financial and strategic implications of the shift from traditional distribution models towards pipelines based on community-building
The rapid transformation of independent distribution within the audiovisual sector is forcing producers, programmers and sales specialists to rethink the relationship with audiences, release windows and even the very concept of commercial success.
According to the speakers at the Cannes Next panel “The Evolution of Distribution: How a Direct-to-audience Pipeline Will Energise Independent Film – Presented by Eventive”, held at the Marché du Film (12-20 May), traditional market mechanisms are no longer sufficient to guarantee the sustainability of specialised cinema.
The session was moderated by Iddo Patt, co-founder and CEO of Eventive, which provides ticketing, streaming and audience-management technologies for all kinds of independent film exhibitors. For the past ten years, the company has worked with film festivals, collaborating with 6,000 festival editions worldwide, gathering an enormous amount of audience-behaviour data, expanding into theatrical exhibition across more than 50 countries and issuing over 16 million tickets to date.
Opening the discussion, Patt stressed that the core issue lies in an ongoing technological and behavioural transformation. He explained that traditional approaches now need to incorporate automated and data-driven tools, especially in areas such as audience management, digital tracking and hybrid exhibition strategies. While festival audiences are returning, the commercial life of independent films has changed irreversibly. “Independent distribution is dead – long live independent distribution!” Patt declared.
John Nein, senior programmer and director of strategy at the Sundance Film Festival and the Sundance Institute, defined success as “a film’s ability to continue being seen beyond the festival”, explaining that the curatorial role of festivals no longer necessarily coincides with access to the distribution market. Nein also insisted on the importance of artistic authenticity: “What makes a festival film special is the feeling that this work could only have been made by that particular person.” He further emphasised how modern virtual communities and creators moving from digital platforms such as YouTube to the big screen are reshaping audience engagement. This mechanism acts as a powerful tool for attracting new audiences into festivals and independent theatres.
The session paid particular attention to the experimental direct-to-audience work of US filmmaker Sharon “Rocky” Roggio through her documentary 1946: The Mistranslation That Shifted Culture. Roggio described her departure from traditional sales routes in order to expand the movie’s distribution possibilities. Despite the project winning the Audience Award at DOC NYC and achieving strong online virality, every major traditional distributor rejected it. Roggio explained how she subsequently embraced self-distribution and argued that direct-to-audience strategies can provide creators with the tools necessary to maintain financial control, and make conscious artistic and commercial decisions. “You need to know your audience,” she said, “start engaging with them, and then decide how to build the film’s brand in an innovative way.”
Sarah Mosses, CEO of Together Films, criticised what she described as the “obsolete categories used to classify success” that still dominate the industry. According to Mosses, “Distribution begins the moment audiences pay to watch content,” regardless of whether this happens in cinemas, on YouTube or through community-based circuits. A film that has screened at 150 festivals and been seen by thousands of people may ultimately have a greater impact than a title formally released in only a handful of US cities. Presenting her “CAST” model, Mosses encouraged filmmakers to classify audiences into four operational segments: commercial, affected, supportive and tactical. The framework allows producers to distinguish between viewers able to purchase cinema tickets and those who instead require community screenings or digital access.
Mosses also noted, “The average European goes to the cinema 2.7 times a year, usually for a summer or Christmas blockbuster,” while arguing that a screening organised by a church or an NGO and attracting 1,000 viewers should carry the same value as a standard theatrical release. Structural uncertainty and differing windowing strategies became another central theme of the discussion.
Daniel Berger, president of Oscilloscope Laboratories, explained that independent distributors today face multiple challenges, from exhibitor resistance to the financial volatility of specialised releases. While describing his company as highly selective, Berger repeatedly stressed the need to balance curatorial taste with strict economic realities. Maintaining a healthy balance sheet alongside realistic revenue expectations remains essential for the survival of distribution companies.
“In the most basic sense, success means: will we still be here next year? Because this business is extremely volatile,” Berger admitted, comparing specialised distributors to vintage stores relying on the pre-curation of festivals such as Sundance to filter the best 10% of available films. Berger also warned that traditional exhibitors remain deeply hostile towards simultaneous digital availability. However, he acknowledged the possible “snowball effect”, whereby online visibility ultimately boosts physical theatrical attendance, even if traditional gatekeepers have not yet fully embraced this logic.
In conclusion, the panel argued that social change and virtual communities should not be perceived as threats to traditional cinema, but rather as complementary pipelines requiring strong artistic and technical skills.
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