The early bird, seen from our campaign room in Scotland.
Photo: Ben Kempas

The Power of Documentary

The Power of Documentary

At Film & Campaign, we believe in the power of documentary film. We create bespoke outreach strategies for your films — grounded in our own background in documentary filmmaking and powered by innovative digital tools.

Our impact campaigns know no borders. We're a European team rooted in Scotland — and we work with clients around the world.

Committed to keeping the spirit of the doc community alive in the midst of a pandemic, we’ve expanded our remit to include livestream production, providing an online environment that recreates the magic of live documentary events.

    Producing Online Impact Events

    Committed to keeping the spirit of the doc community alive in the midst of a pandemic, we’ve expanded our remit to include bespoke livestream production, providing an online environment that recreates the magic of live documentary events while still creating impact.
    More about Producing Online Events

    Delivering Impact Campaigns for Documentaries

    The film you’ve created is unique, so why limit its horizons with an ‘off the shelf’ outreach plan? We’ve developed a range of innovative techniques to bring independent films to audiences that traditional distribution just can’t reach. Together, we’ll define your impact goals and the best strategies to meet them. This could be a community-driven day of action to maximise public attention, or an online ‘story universe’ where your audience can explore the film’s themes. Long before your premiere, we build a following to make use of your greatest asset: the energy and enthusiasm of your audience. Driven by our expertise in harnessing this people-power, our aim is to craft unique campaigns that will stand out in a crowded digital space. Here are some examples.

    After THE OIL MACHINE

    Can we break our addiction to North Sea oil and gas?

    DIE KINDER DER UTOPIE

    A Germany-wide, year-long, on-demand impact campaign

    ANOTHER PARADISE

    Promoting ANOTHER PARADISE at Sheffield Doc/Fest

    More about Delivering Impact Campaigns 

    Sharing Knowledge: Workshops & Industry Events

    We’re committed to celebrating the open and collaborative spirit that is the hallmark of the doc scene. Drawing on years of experience as a filmmaker and campaigner, Ben has been sharing his knowledge in individual consultancies, campaign development workshops and presentations at industry events across Europe – on-site and online. Here’s a selection.

    Outreach Clinic at Nordisk Panorama Forum 2022

    For the eighth year running, Ben will host an outreach clinic where all Nordisk Forum participants are free to pop in for a chat about organising outreach campaigns, building communities and taking control of distribution.

    Keynote for DocPoint Impact

    An online keynote by Ben Kempas for DocPoint Impact in Helsinki, based on "13 Myths about Outreach Campaigns".

    EFM Industry Sessions - Round Table (2)

    Online consultancies for EFM participants at Berlinale

    See all actvities

    Building Your NationBuilder System and Website

    In order for your documentary to have an impact, you’ll need the right digital tools to get organised. NationBuilder software may be better known as a political campaigning tool, but we were the first to apply its power to the world of documentary outreach. Whether you’re a producer, distributor or impact campaigner, our expertise will help you organise and grow your own community using NationBuilder. Increasingly, this grassroots approach offers a viable alternative to traditional distribution models. Here are some examples of websites we’ve built on NationBuilder.

    Auto Images

    Website for Auto Images, Malmö

    DIE KINDER DER UTOPIE

    Website for Mittendrin e.V., Cologne

    Aconite Productions

    Website for Aconite Productions, Glasgow

    More about Building 'Nations'

    Notes from the Film & Campaign trail

    This is where we share insights and ideas, stories that we’ve picked up along the way, and portraits of our inspiring clients.

    A message to our colleagues in Ukraine
    by Ben Kempas  ·  24 Feb 2022

    Whatever happens, your work will continue to inspire us and outshine the present darkness.
    Read more

    When Women Direct
    by Hannah Currie  ·  19 Apr 2021

    "We are women and we are filmmakers, and we want to be part of it all." Hannah Currie makes the case for the Women Direct(ory) launched by the Scottish Documentary Institute this week
    Read more

    A Pledge to Listen: FREE TRIP TO EGYPT
    by Christopher Silver  ·  30 Oct 2020

    Client portrait: How Tarek Mounib is building bridges in FREE TRIP TO EGYPT – and why we all need to listen
    Read more

    Read more on Our Blog

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