Pete Ohs' 2026 Distribution Experiment #3: Love & Work (Plus a Traveling DVD?)
"And what I'm pitching is for there to be a touring circuit for independent film modeled very much after how independent bands tour."
'Love and Work'
What does it take to get an independent film in front of an audience when traditional distribution isn't working? In the third installment of Pete Ohs' 2026 distribution experiment for the No Film School Podcast, host GG Hawkins catches up with Pete to discuss his unconventional release strategy for Love and Work, a film that premiered at Slamdance in 2024 and is now available through Patreon.
Pete breaks down his approach to self-distribution, from intimate theatrical screenings and bonus content to the unexpected challenges of making a film discoverable through Google. He also pitches a new model for independent film distribution inspired by touring musicians.
First, filmmaker Matthew James Thompson joins GG to explain how he's building an audience for his romantic dramedy Handle with Care by sending a single DVD, portable player, and guestbook around the country in a traveling Pelican case. Together, these conversations explore grassroots film marketing, the value of physical media, audience building, and why creating experiences around movies might be as important as the movies themselves.
In this episode, we discuss:
- How Handle with Care, starring Justin H. Min, follows a newly divorced man selling his wedding gifts to strangers in New York City
- Why Matthew James Thompson created a traveling DVD experience to connect audiences with his film one person at a time
- The challenges of competing for film festival slots against independent productions with significantly larger budgets
- How physical media, special features, and a handwritten guestbook can create more meaningful audience engagement
- Why Pete Ohs waited two years after Love and Work premiered at Slamdance to release the film
- Organizing screenings in Corsicana, Texas, and at LA's Now Instant Image Hall, including a filmmaker conversation with Sean Baker
- Releasing Love and Work on Patreon with a 43-minute making-of documentary and an audio commentary track
- The unexpected SEO challenges of making a self-distributed film discoverable through Google and JustWatch
- Why getting people to visit a film's website doesn't necessarily translate into sign-ups or purchases
- How Radiohead's In Rainbows and Hundreds of Beavers illustrate the limits of replicating successful distribution strategies
- Pete's proposal for an independent film touring circuit modeled after bands, with one-night screenings, local filmmakers, and community events
- How thinking about film festivals, target audiences, and distribution earlier might influence the creative process without compromising it
- What's next in Pete's experiment, including the upcoming release of The True Beauty of Being Bitten by a Tick
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