Very interesting article and a mention for re:fine! This was an exciting project and it is great to see the film (and the DVDs doing so well!)
The formula is changing for film distribution. Where at one time, nearly any successful project had to pass through the gatekeeping of festivals and distributors to get any kind of attention, there are a lot of documentary filmmakers finding other ways to go. The documentary “Beyond Biba” is an example of a film that effectively bypassed festivals, distributors and agents, and has done 50 theatrical screenings across the United Kingdom – something agents and distributors would have been hard-pressed to do. And rather than paying for the privilege of having their film screened at festivals at which the filmmakers realize no income, “Beyond Biba” has been bringing in revenue from Day One.
This kind of alternative model seems far more viable with documentaries than with fictional films, because of the principle that documentaries sell based on the topic, were fictional films generally sell based on the actors or director involved.
In the case of the one-hour “Beyond Biba,” the subject is Barbara Hulanicki, the Warsaw-born fashion designer who founded the Biba clothing store that became a fashion center in London in the 1960s. The film looks at her life and work.
read more at Documentary tech