Distributor Q&A: Wolfe Releasing

"Loving Annabelle" one of Wolfe Releasing's hits.

A lot has changed since 1985, when Kathy Wolfe started Wolfe Releasing in order to distribute lesbian films on video.  For one thing, 20 years ago, the acronym LGBT—which stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender—didn't even exist.  And words like "gay" and "queer" were still derogatory, not yet taken on as proud emblems.  So it's not surprising that LGBT cinema too has grown and flourished in the last two decades, moving beyond a cult following and entering the mainstream culture.  And with that, Wolfe's focus has shifted towards representing new award-winning LGBT films from around the world, as well as rescuing classic lesbian and gay films from oblivion.

Now in its 22nd year, Wolfe is the oldest and largest exclusive distributor of gay and lesbian films in the world. The Independent recently caught up with Jenni Olson, Wolfe Releasing's director of e-commerce and consumer marketing (and an original co-founder of PlanetOut.com), to learn more about how LGBT cinema has changed over the years and how Wolfe represents independent filmmakers.

When and why was Wolfe created?

Our CEO and founder, Kathy Wolfe, started the company back in 1985 to distribute lesbian films on video. At the time, there were very few lesbian and gay films being made and it was extremely difficult for consumers to get access to them. The company has come a very long way since then, but our primary mission continues to be bringing the best LGBT entertainment to people everywhere.

What is your elevator pitch?

Wolfe is the oldest and largest exclusive distributor of gay and lesbian films in the world. In 2007, we released more than 20 films, from Thom Fitzgerald’s epic 3 Needles, which was selected by the United Nations to be screened on World AIDS Day 2007; to director Katherine Brooks' record-breaking film Loving Annabelle, to Outing Riley from Project Greenlight winner, Pete Jones, to the Taiwanese lesbian love story Spider Lilies, winner of the Teddy Award for best queer film at the 2007 Berlin Film Festival. Wolfe has been a long-standing leader in the video industry and enjoys significant sales with Target, Blockbuster, Hollywood Video, Amazon.com, Netflix, Wal-Mart and Best Buy to name a few. Traffic to the WolfeVideo.com site now tops one million impressions each month.

How many titles does Wolfe represent?

There are about 100 features and documentaries in our library as well as several dozen shorts.

How many films do you acquire per year?

Wolfe releases between 15 and 20 features a year, and roughly the same number of shorts.

What is the difference between Wolfe Video and Wolfe Releasing?

Wolfe Video is our long-standing DVD and video label. Wolfe Video also represents the other significant part of our business, which is direct sales to consumers of all kinds of LGBT DVDs, ranging from The L Word to Brokeback Mountain and everything in between. We're proud to be able to help LGBT people from all over North America get the queer movies they're looking for via our website and through our quarterly mail-order catalogs.

Wolfe Releasing handles LGBT features, documentaries and shorts for festival, non-theatrical, digital delivery, foreign sales, you name it.

How has LGBT cinema and the distribution of it changed since Wolfe started?

Of course it's very exciting that there has been such a boom in LGBT entertainment over this past decade in particular. The landscape has changed so significantly -- consumers have access to more LGBT films and TV shows and other forms of media than ever before. There are so many distribution opportunities now for filmmakers I think it can be quite daunting.

In addition to the traditional avenues of film distribution Wolfe offers, Wolfe is also fully engaged in the new media space with video on demand and through deals with all the best digital distribution services. This yields new revenue sources and creates new audiences for queer cinema. Consumers can now stream over 50 titles from Wolfe at such destinations as Movielink and Akimbo.

What advice can you give filmmakers seeking distribution?

Get to know the distributors you're considering by talking to them and asking questions -- do they have experience releasing your type of film? Do they have experience with the gay market, the lesbian market? Or perhaps your film should be targeted to other communities as well. Look at the other films the company has released. Does it seem like they will be able to do a good job with your film? Also, talk to other filmmakers who have worked with the distributors you are considering and ask about their experiences. When you start talking about the details of the contract -- territories, types of rights, length of the term, royalty percentages, etc., -- don't be afraid to ask a lot of questions about anything you don't understand.

Your distributor is your partner. They should work very hard for you to get your film the best exposure and to generate revenue through rental fees, broadcast or foreign sales, and DVD sales. But also remember that nobody loves your film as much as you do! Stay involved in the process all the way through. There is so much work to be done and you are still the person to do it -- in particular around getting the media coverage you want and doing grassroots audience outreach.

How do you acquire films and how should a filmmaker approach you?

Our staff attends all the major film festivals looking for films, but we also are happy to have submissions directly from filmmakers. Our acquisitions director is Jeffrey Winter.

We are always looking for new work. Please send a tape or DVD and supporting materials about your film to the following address:

WOLFE RELEASING
c/o Jeffrey Winter
444 N. Norton Ave., #8
Los Angeles, CA 90004
TEL: 323.466.3536

Email inquires may be sent to: jeffrey@wolfereleasing.com


Related Links:

Find more about Wolfe Releasing at www.wolfereleasing.com and www.wolfevideo.com.

Also check out this resource for LGBT filmmakers: http://www.squidoo.com/lgbtfilmmakerlinks/