The connection between the noir thriller Dark My Light and its distributor Ethos Releasing.

      Neal Dhand realized he had chosen the wrong distributor for his beach-town serial killer film, Dark My Light, when the company proposed changing its title.

      The distributor sought a more conventional and less poetic title than Dark My Light, suggesting alternatives like The Coastal Killer or The Sand Murders. However, Dhand, who creates socially conscious, genre-bending films, understood that viewers attracted to a title like The Coastal Killer would likely be disappointed by the film’s depth and ambition.

      “They’d get 12 minutes into Dark My Light and think, ‘This isn’t The Coastal Killer,’” Dhand chuckles. “They’d be so angry that they wouldn’t recommend it to anyone. We’d end up getting bad reviews.”

      Dhand is aware of the risks associated with misrepresenting a film; he still remembers a past experience where a distributor promoted one of his projects—described as “a slow-paced methodical detective film”—by showcasing the lead actress in a dress and a karate pose with a gun on the poster, despite her never wearing a dress in the movie. Viewers felt understandably deceived.

      “And I had no control over it,” he laments.

      Sergio Uguet de Resayre, a producer on Dark My Light, shares Dhand’s disdain for vague “Hollywood accounting” after having faced issues with distributors himself.

      Dhand and Uguet de Resayre value transparency: their meeting in Warsaw took place when Dhand attended an art-house screening of Uguet de Resayre’s produced film, 2019’s experimental and absurd Jesus Shows You the Way to the Highway. Following a night out for whiskey, Uguet de Resayre agreed to produce Dark My Light.

      Dhand filmed the project in Florida in November 2021, making the bold artistic choice to use 16mm film. While digital might have been more convenient, 16mm adds a haunting, timeless quality. The movie incorporates elements of horror, sci-fi, and dark humor, with Uguet de Resayre starting to seek a distributor during a lengthy editing phase filled with challenges but also gratifying revelations.

      Initial meetings with distributors were unfruitful, partly due to disagreements over the film's title. However, they soon encountered a new distributor who understood their vision of what a distributor's role should be.

      Noah Lang, the founder of Ethos Releasing, explains, “A distributor is essentially a partner in delivering your film to audiences.” He emphasizes that distributors also play crucial roles in marketing, branding, and strategic outreach.

      Lang recently joined forces with writer-director-producer Rod Blackkurst (known for Netflix’s 2016 Amanda Knox and last year’s Night Swim) to establish the niche distributor Ethos Releasing. Drawing from his extensive background as a producer, which includes a Film Independent Spirit Award nomination for the 2021 film This Is Not a War Story, Lang aims to build a strong slate of films. Dark My Light is Ethos's third release.

      Like Dhand, Lang has experienced having at least one of his films “totally mismarketed.”

      For Ethos's lineup, Lang combed through the schedules of genre-focused film festivals he admires, such as the Chattanooga Film Festival, Kansas City's Panic Fest, and Brazil's Fantaspoa, where he discovered Dark My Light.

      Filmmakers navigating the festival circuit in hopes of finding a distributor may find solace in knowing that distributors sometimes face rejection from filmmakers as well. It's not solely distributors who deflate the dreams of filmmakers.

      Lang observes that some filmmakers mistakenly wait for lucrative offers from major studios instead of prioritizing getting their films in front of an audience.

      “Everyone believes their movie will be the one that sells for millions, and they'll be recognized as the next big thing. I always advise filmmakers to appreciate that they’ve completed a film, regardless of the outcome,” he says.

      “Let’s aim for the best, but you also need to recognize that you’re among the lucky few who get to make a film. Most people never have that chance,” he adds. “While we should strive for the best possible outcome, it's essential to find joy in the process of creating the film.”

      Dhand appreciated Lang’s straightforward approach.

      “I teach film at Temple University, and he sent me a thoughtful email to that address. I was pleasantly surprised to receive it. It wasn’t just a generic message; he talked about why he found my film intriguing. It may have flattered my ego, but I appreciate meaningful recognition,” Dhand chuckles.

      This communication led to further discussions with Dhand, Uguet de Resayre, and Ethos, culminating in the filmmakers signing with the new company. Uguet de Resayre requested a clear contract, which Lang was glad to provide. Dhand wanted to ensure Uguet de Resayre felt satisfied with the business aspects but also desired a personal connection.

      “I want