Michael Husain, the Emmy-winning documentary filmmaker behind The Waiting Game and the 30 for 30 short, Slick, Nancy, and the Telethon, has launched The Reelist Indie Film Club, a first-of-its-kind streaming platform that compensates independent artists up front for the rights to show their films. The mission of The Reelist is twofold: to make outstanding but underseen films easily accessible to indie audiences, and to support artists so they can continue making meaningful work. The platform will launch with an initial curation of films, and one new film will be added every week with the idea of letting each project get its time in the spotlight. The Reelist’s headlining film is The Waiting Game, which was featured in the New York Times sports outlet, The Athletic, in a piece detailing ABA players’ ongoing fight to receive their due from the NBA.
In a sitdown with Bob Costas, who is featured in The Waiting Game, Husain says, “The Reelist is a platform to promote independent documentaries that have, for whatever reason, struggled to find a home on the major streaming services.”
The idea for The Reelist formed after Husain, a board member for the Heartland Film Festival, noticed that many of the exceptional films receiving acclaim at film fests were languishing after their initial showings. Major streaming platforms are prioritizing films that are easily promotable, such as celeb-driven projects and true crime documentaries. Even if an indie filmmaker is lucky enough to get their film on a major streamer, it may well end up buried due to an algorithm that relies on the quantity of views instead of the quality of a project.
As a result, these original stories are not being seen, and many creators are being forced to abandon their craft due to financial instability.
“Independent film is definitely at risk,” says Husain. “I’ve seen incredibly talented filmmakers give up because it simply isn’t viable anymore.” He adds, “And audiences are being deprived of impactful stories because the films are either not promoted or not available to stream.”
With The Reelist, indie filmmakers are paid a lump sum immediately after signing on, and can go on to earn more money and marketing support with member voting events.
Community was also a major driving force in the inception of The Reelist Indie Film Club. “The community at film festivals is wonderful. Everyone there is passionate about indie film and the process,” says Husain. “But when the festival ends, too often there’s nowhere for these stories to go, or the people that love them.”
The Reelist will host live Q&As with filmmakers, offer behind-the-scenes content, and host future in-theater showings. Husain’s goal is to strengthen the ecosystem for independent films, with filmmakers, audiences, and theaters all playing an integral role.
The Reelist will offer monthly subscriptions at $10.99/month (after a free 2-month offer) and yearly subscriptions at $89.99/year. Members can stream on Apple TV, Roku, Google TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Android devices.
