The Popcorn List: Pop Up Series to Launch Theatrical Series of Films Without Distribution

Popcorn List Pop Up Series provides additional visibility for films that lack wide distribution. The second edition will hold sneak-preview screenings at about a dozen theaters across the country in July, followed by an encore during Gotham Week in October. Seven feature films from the 2026 Popcorn List were selected by three curators. The films are directed by first-time feature filmmakers, including women and people of color, and have previously premiered at major festivals such as SXSW, Sundance, Venice, BFI Flare, and True/False. Participating filmmakers use a collective financial model in which ticket revenue goes into a solidarity pool split evenly after the series. Centralized marketing supports audience-building while allowing filmmakers to retain rights.

"The Popcorn List, an annual survey completed by festival programmers identifying "fresh, hot" films without wide distribution, presents the second edition of The Popcorn List: Pop Up Series. This sneak-preview screening event will be held at a dozen theaters across the country in July before arriving for an encore presentation during Gotham Week in October."

"This is the second annual iteration of the Pop Up Series, which was created in 2025 to "deliver an additional window of visibility and audience-building for a number of films on the List" amid an uncertain distribution landscape, per a press release. This year, seven feature films from the 2026 edition of The Popcorn List have been selected by three curators: Ragtag Cinema programmer Ouma Amadou, Indiana University Cinema director Dr. Alicia Kozma, and freelance programmer Monica Castillo."

"Once again, the filmmakers will partake in a collective financial model, meaning that the money from every ticket sold is funneled into a "solidarity pool" which will be split evenly among the participants when the series wraps. The filmmakers will also benefit from a "centralized marketing strategy," which will allow them to retain the rights for their films while bringing them to new audiences."

Read at Filmmaker Magazine