S&T Success: An International Game needs an International Audience

Jackie Paré traveled the world for years to make ACES & KNAVES, a documentary about bridge. A truly international game with international players, she figured she’d need to keep her passport at the ready during distribution. Discovering Show&Tell was a revelation; not only did the platform help her easily connect with audiences all over the world, it gave her the ability to host even more screenings during a time when travel was impossible.

Highlights:

Surpassed target audience expectations

Generated momentum for crowdfunding campaign

Attracted an audience of bridge enthusiasts from all over the world

Full Success Story:

“Being able to reach these people, this audience, which is large, has been invaluable. The ball keeps rolling and I’m not going to stop it.”

Jackie Paré, Director/Producer, ACES & KNAVES

Making ACES & KNAVES was a labor of love for veteran journalist Jackie Paré. Shooting with a variety of crews and subjects at tournaments and locations all over the world, she spent years assembling her film about the game of bridge and its colorful cast of characters.

The international aspect of the documentary — bridge players live in far flung places — made it challenging and costly to make, and also to distribute. When the film first debuted, Paré spent her efforts traveling to international festivals for screenings. By the time 2020 rolled around, she was seeking other avenues, and came across Show&Tell and its Partner-Driven Distribution approach, which changed everything.

Working within the bridge community, she partnered with organizations around the world to bring screenings to them directly via the Show&Tell platform. She was able to bring the characters from the film into the screenings, giving audiences even more of a window into their personalities.

While Paré believes that the quality of the film and story is always what will ultimately dictate how far a film will go, she firmly believes Show&Tell will be in every filmmaker’s toolbox going forward. The ACES & KNAVES film team has hosted screenings all over the world to connect with bridge enthusiasts, and the momentum continues. They are currently working on organizing events with the Baltic & Irish Bridge federations, and continuing to reach out to other federations for future screenings.