RoleCall , Atlanta based film production management platform, launched RoleCall Watch in April to connect mainstream audiences with quality, independent films.

By curating independent, creative talent in one space, the general public can more easily discover the stories often overlooked by more well known streaming services.

“From the beginning, one of the main objectives for RoleCall has been to take the ‘independent’ out of independent filmmaking. If indie creators want to benefit from the efficiencies and economics of the scale of industrialized cinema, we need to start thinking more strategically,” founder and CEO of RoleCall, Stephen Beehler, said. “We truly are stronger together.”

In February, RoleCall opened its first brickandmortar, RoleCall Theatre at Ponce City Market in order to become the creative hub for storytellers in the Southeast. In only a few weeks, they produced six local plays, screened a dozen Georgia lensed films, and hosted comedy and improv nights. The community was buzzing until COVID19 put everything to a halt.

After seeing how the self isolating world was turning to streaming services not just for entertainment, but for comfort in these ominous times, Beehler knew RoleCall needed to pivot their approach. Building and launching RoleCall Watch as fast as possible was key in order to give indie filmmakers a new source of revenue while simultaneously providing audiences with new, fresh stories from relatively unknown voices.

“How we respond as a community is critical during public health crises, and how we respond and support artists during this time is also critical,” the company’s head of business operations, Maija Ehlinger, said. “We want to ensure that local artists are still able to tell their crucial stories to the general public and make money doing so.”