makers08 040_091.qxp_Layout 1 24/11/2021 20:29 Page 62
The uncomfortable truth about niche films
Image: Crip Camp © Betty Medsger & Netflix.
Niche films provide a glimpse into diverse stories and overlooked communities, but discovering them on giant streaming platforms is harder than ever, says Bohemia Media’s Miranda Fleming. It’s time for niche films to have a home of their own
I
t’s time for niche films and niche audiences to have a home. Niche films bring with them massive communities from all over the world, many of them online. Successful niche films are not a new enigma by any stretch – films like Moonlight (LGBTQ+), Walk With Me (mindfulness) and Crip Camp (disability) used their niche audiences to springboard their highly successful marketing campaigns both here and in the States. Niche films provide an incredible glimpse into diverse stories and the worlds of communities which are so often overlooked by mainstream filmmaking.
62
It’s these films that so many filmmakers passionately want to change the world with – to tell their story and make a real impact. Are these diverse stories getting to wide audiences though? Our world is not only becoming polarised by social media, it’s also becoming polarised by the giant film streaming platforms. Just like Facebook, the streaming platforms serve up films to audiences selected by their algorithms. If you have never actively searched for a disability film, or you have skipped over one in a menu, the algorithm will presume that you are not interested in disability films.
