We The Economy

The lines are blurring when it comes to distribution platforms for film and television, and competition is fierce. There’s Netflix versus HBO versus Amazon versus Hulu, to name a very few. But somehow, despite all of this competition, Morgan Spurlock has managed to get more than fifty digital, cable, television, and mobile platforms (and Landmark theatres) to play nice and work together to launch his latest project, We The Economy: 20 Short Films You Can’t Afford to Miss.

They assembled a group of economic advisors and “brilliant economic minds” to help shape the topics for each segment, which led to films about supply and demand, natural resources, government regulation, and the healthcare system. Then they went out to directors on a “first come, first served” basis, says Spurlock. Catherine Hardwicke, Barbara Kopple, Adrian Grenier, Albert Hughes, and Adam McKay (who helmed an animated film about pastel colored alpacas that explores economic inequality) came on board.

The goal is to begin a larger conversation and education of the general American public, but the project could also serve as an example of yet another way to evolve old-school distribution models.

“The window is gone,” says Spurlock. “The window is out the window.”