The Indie Exhibition Problem (And the People Fixing It)

Recorded live at Sundance, this episode features a wide-ranging roundtable on the current state of independent film exhibition. Host GG Hawkins speaks with festival programmers, exhibitors, and platform founders about what’s broken in the exhibition ecosystem, what’s actually working better than people realize, and how community-driven models—from art houses to new distribution tools—are reshaping how films are discovered, shown, and sustained beyond the festival circuit.

In this episode, No Film School's GG Hawkins and guests discuss…

• Why art house cinemas and film festivals remain vital community hubs

• The realities of audience-building beyond “market festivals” and multiplexes

• How filmmakers can rethink distribution, touring, and self-exhibition

• New tools and platforms helping filmmakers navigate submissions and discovery

• The rise of alternative distribution models, including physical media reimagined

• Why shorts, community producers, and collaboration matter more than ever

• How filmmakers and exhibitors can work together more effectively

• What a sustainable film community could look like in 2026

Memorable Quotes:

• “Art house cinemas and independent exhibitors and film festivals are thriving because they build community.”

• “Making movies is like having a baby… then you’ve got to raise it.”

• “There is such an opportunity on both sides for filmmakers and exhibitors to learn how to work together.”

• “Independent film is rooted in community and curation.”

Guests:

• Ash Cook – Programmer, Sundance Film Festival; Festival Director, San Francisco Jewish Film Festival; Founder & CEO, Video.Storage

• Tony Gapastone – Founder & Executive Director, Bravemaker

• Lela Meadow-Conner – Interim Executive Director, Art House Convergence; Co-founder, The Popcorn List

• Tyler Knohl – Co-founder, Hiike; Assistant Director, Boston Sci-Fi Film Festival

• Brynne Norquist – Co-founder & CEO, Hiike

• Aidan Dick – COO, Video.Storage; Programmer, Frameline Film Festival

Resources:

• Bravemaker – https://bravemaker.org

• Art House Convergence – https://arthouseconvergence.org

• The Popcorn List – https://thepopcornlist.com

• Hiike – https://hiike.com/

• Video.Storage – https://www.videostoreage.com

• Frameline Film Festival – https://www.frameline.org

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