Pete Ohs' 2026 Distribution Experiment #1: 'OBEX'

Mar 26, 2026

Pete Ohs, filmmaker known for microbudget features and festival premieres, recounts OBEX’s DIY Baltimore shoot and $14k production. He breaks down how Sundance buzz led to an Oscilloscope U.S. deal, the January theatrical rollout, booking mechanics, Q&A touring, marketing choices, and conserving creative energy during release.

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ANECDOTE

Microbudget Film Made At Home

OBEX was shot in and around Albert Birney's Baltimore home across two shoots, the first costing about $300 and the total roughly $14,000.
Pete Ohs shot the film with minimal crew (just Albert, his dog, then one extra crew member a year later).

ANECDOTE

Sundance Premiere Led To Oscilloscope Deal

OBEX premiered at Sundance 2025 with a Saturday night screening at the Egyptian on Main Street where the crowd erupted in applause.
Oscilloscope connected with the filmmakers at the festival and the U.S. deal followed a week or two later, not as an on-the-floor bidding war.

INSIGHT

Theatrical Rollouts Use Anchors And Timing

Distributors pitch films to individual theater bookers; opening at a respected venue (like IFC Center) becomes the anchor for expanding into more screens.
OBEX chose a January start to take advantage of screens opening after awards films drop out.

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GG Hawkins speaks with filmmaker Pete Ohs for the first installment in a quarterly 2026 series tracking how he releases four films over the course of the year. Using OBEX as the case study, Ohs breaks down the film’s microbudget production, Sundance 2025 premiere, U.S. acquisition by Oscilloscope, and the realities of theatrical rollout for independent films. Their conversation explores how booking works, what filmmaker participation in Q&As can actually do for a release, and where creative energy, audience-building, and sustainability meet during distribution.

In this episode, No Film School's GG Hawkins and guest Pete Ohs discuss...

How OBEX was made with Albert Birney in and around his Baltimore home
Why the film’s Sundance 2025 premiere led to a U.S. deal with Oscilloscope
What sales agents, distributors, and theater bookers each do in an indie release
Why January became the strategic release window for OBEX
How theatrical runs expand based on performance, per-screen averages, and momentum
Which Q&A appearances felt worthwhile in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Baltimore
What the marketing campaign looked like, including social assets created with Continue Agency
How Ohs thinks about audience response, Letterboxd reviews, and the digital release
Why preserving energy during release may matter as much as inventing new promotional ideas
What Ohs is testing next as Erupcja begins its release

Memorable Quotes:

“The walk from here to the bathroom is also recovering time.”
“They said he couldn't do period pieces on a budget.”
“I just love that it's proof that somebody watched it.”
“There are limits to the time and the energy, and that you can have all these ideas, but they're just ideas until you kind of do them.”

Guests:

Pete Ohs

Resources:

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