Dogwoof

Dogwoof was founded in 2003 by Andy Whittaker, and originally concentrated on foreign films, including such titles as Don't Move, Fateless, El Lobo, and Esma's Secret.[1] They recently began to distribute documentaries such as Black Gold, Crude Awakening, and The Devil Came On Horseback.[1]

In July 2005, the company experimented by distributing James Erskine's EMR simultaneously in cinemas, on the internet through Tiscali (ISP), and on DVD through its Home Entertainment division. The move was notable since most films are released through different distribution channels on a staggered schedule, giving each channel an exclusive release window. Exhibitors were especially wary, as many feared that they would eventually lose their exclusive release windows for more mainstream films.[2]

In 2005 Dogwoof launched the UK Digital Screen Network DSN at the Curzon Soho cinema. Political thriller King's Game was shown from a digital print as opposed to 35mm at the Curzon Soho cinema in London at a commercial matinee performance. The cinema installed the digital projector as part of the Phase 1 roll-out of the UK Film Council Digital Screen Network.[1]

In 2009 Dogwoof distributed the documentary The Age of Stupid,[3] The End of the Line, Burma VJ, We Live in Public and Afghan Star.

In 2010 Dogwoof announced a deal with technology company Cisco to build social media websites using the Cisco Eos platform for each film release. Dogwoof was the first European customer for Cisco Eos.[4] The first website launched was Good with Film.[5]

Dogwoof has so far released 28 Oscar-nominated documentaries, with four wins and an additional three BAFTA winners; notable titles include Oscar-winning and BAFTA-winning Free Solo (the UK's highest-grossing documentary of 2018), BAFTA-nominated Apollo 11 (the UK's highest-grossing documentary of 2019), double-Oscar-nominated and BAFTA-nominated Collective, BAFTA-winning The Act of Killing, and Blackfish. Dogwoof is increasingly ramping up its production activities, and recent titles it has financed and produced include Playing with Sharks (Sundance 2021, sold to National Geographic), The Lost Leonardo (Tribeca 2021, sold to Sony Pictures Classics), Citizen Ashe (Telluride 2021, sold to CNN / HBO Max), and McEnroe (Tribeca 2022, sold to Showtime).

Dogwoof started 2022 with five Sundance films: Navalny by Daniel Roher, which won both the US Documentary Audience Award and the Audience Favourite Award; The Territory by Alex Pritz, which won both the World Documentary Audience Award and a World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award; Midwives by Snow Hnin Ei Hlaing, which won a World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award; Jono McLeod's My Old School featuring Alan Cumming; and Riotsville, USA from Sierra Pettengill. It recently launched four films at Tribeca: Lynch/Oz by Alexandre O Philippe, McEnroe by Barney Douglas, Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, a Journey, a Song by Dayna Goldfine and Dan Geller, and Dreaming Walls: Inside the Chelsea Hotel by Maya Duverdier and Amelie van Elmbt, executive produced by Martin Scorsese.

In 2011 Dogwoof launched Dogwoof Sales, the international sales arm of Dogwoof Ltd, that has established itself as a sales agents for documentaries like Blackfish, Dior and I, Weiner and Cartel Land, offering filmmakers representation, alongside raising finance, UK theatrical distribution and direct to consumer global distribution via an international network of online and theatrical partners.[6]

TDog is Dogwoof's invite-only production fund. The fund launched in 2016 in order to support the making of documentaries across the world.[6]

Dogwoof has distributed many films including: