Screens, cities, a run people can buy a ticket to.
Take the film to distributors, or four-wall it yourself: book theaters, sell tickets, and build a real run. Usually follows a festival premiere rather than replacing it.
Features with a clear audience, docs with a community, films with press behind them.
A theatrical run costs money before it earns any. Four-walling means you're paying for the room whether or not it fills.
Distributor, service deal, or four-wall
A distributor takes rights and pays for the release. A service deal means you pay them to run it. Four-walling means you rent the theater yourself and keep the box office. Each is a different amount of risk and control.
Theatrical is marketing for everything after it
For most independent films the run doesn't turn a profit on its own — it creates the reviews, press, and legitimacy that make the streaming and educational deals worth more.
Bring an audience, not just a film
Programmers and bookers ask who is coming. Community partners, a local premiere city, an email list, a cast with a following — that's the pitch.
Know your deliverables
DCP, closed captions, audio description, E&O insurance, chain of title, and music cue sheets. Missing paperwork kills more deals than missing quality.