Educational sales is dead. What replaced it is even better.

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Rest in peace educational sales as we knew it. We filmmakers got distracted by streamer deals. Shrunken library budgets weakened institutional licensing. Then Kanopy officially put the nail in the coffin. What used to be called educational sales, is no longer. However, in its place is a set of strategies and a growing number of filmmakers who have found ways to generate hundreds of thousands of dollars and much needed meaningful impact by taking an entirely new approach.

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Educational sales used to mean selling DVDs to libraries or campus licenses to universities. But that definition is a long gone relic of the past. Today, filmmakers who thrive are expanding and redefining what “educational” means. We’re building fewer but deeper relationships, offering customized solutions to wide-ranging partners and tailoring pricing instead of offering low-cost licenses off a set menu. 

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Here are the big lessons from Show&Tell conversations with distribution experts, filmmakers, partners and our own journey raising over $350,000 in educational sales for our film MY ASCENSION:

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Expand What “Educational” Means

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Old model: Classroom screenings, libraries, and generic discussion guides.
New model: Government agencies, corporations, nonprofits, conferences, faith-based groups, hospitals, and professional associations

Position films as solutions for training, continuing education credits, empathy-building, and organizational missions to create more opportunities outside of  traditional EDU sales.

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Examples:

• California Dept. of Social Services licensed film clips for $30,000 from ALL THE LONELY PEOPLE
  
  
• The genealogy company 23&Me paid $20,000 to sponsor virtual screening events of the film THANK YOU FOR COMING at DNA clubs at 10 universities across the country
  
  
• The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center paid  $50,000 to host a live event with the film team and purchase a customized mental health toolkit from MY ASCENSION

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“Educational sales isn’t shrinking — it’s shifting.”

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Relationships Over Transactions

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Success no longer comes from hundreds of small sales. It comes from fewer, bigger partnerships. Ellen Bruno’s SPLIT films about divorce were picked up not just by schools, but by judges and mediators desperate for training tools. By understanding who actually needs and can make use of our films, we can identify meaningful partnerships that create impact on a larger scale than just classrooms.

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• Work with districts instead of individual schools.
  
  
• Target court systems rather than single judges.
  
  
• Partner with hospital networks instead of one clinic.

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 “We need to be more focused on relationships than on licenses.”

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Create Custom, Branded Resources

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Generic discussion guides don’t cut it anymore. The trend is toward tailored toolkits, branded content, and shorter film cuts. Films finding the most success are creating content for experiences rather than traditional screenings. 

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What works:

• Virtual Toolkits: password-protected sites branded for the partner, combining the film and their own resources. Sold for $7,500–$25,000
  
  
• Short versions (10–15 mins) for conferences and trainings instead of 60–90 mins.
  
  
• Filmmaker-led masterclasses or talks in conjunction with screenings.
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Multi-Channel Outreach Wins

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Relying only on cold email blasts or expensive PR is not enough. The filmmakers breaking through are using multi-channel outreach. With the rise of AI powered marketing, all of our email inboxes are more cluttered. We're receiving more spam phone calls. We're experiencing outreach from bots. We have to find more effective ways to stand out than we ever have before.

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Channels that work:

• Email + phone follow-ups
  
  
• LinkedIn direct messages
  
  
• Creative mail surprises (one filmmaker mailed lunch pails with Twinkies to the Gates Foundation — and got a deal)
  
  
• Targeted PR to audience-specific outlets, not just Variety or IndieWire
  
  
• Conferences + in-person networking
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Rethink Pricing & Value

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Filmmakers used to sell licenses for $149–$249. That meant a ton of customer service for very little money. Keith’s lesson: “For Age of Champions, I made over 1,000 educational licensing sales–each bringing in about $250. I wish I had charged more and sold fewer — customer service nearly killed me.” 

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Today’s successful strategy:

• Charge $1,500+ per license for institutions.
  
  
• Charge $25,000–$50,000 for custom toolkits.
  
  
• Always be flexible — tailor pricing to the institution and the value they’ll get. It’s worth it to adjust your price and still get a “YES”. Many times these initial small partnerships turn into larger relationships like HearingLife did for Skydiving Over Sixty.
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Kanopy: Proceed with Caution

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Kanopy can help with visibility, but it won’t sustain your film financially. The platform keeps much of the revenue and all of the user data. Plus, your film has to compete with thousands of other titles, many of which can be on the same topic as your film.

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Do it the right way:

• Be present on Kanopy for professors/librarians who rely on it.
  
  
• Don’t drive your audiences there. Drive them to your website and direct partnerships. Kanopy limits your options to just a screening license, while your website can offer more customized offerings.
  
  

“Don’t be Kanopy’s marketing arm. Be your own.”

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Breathing New Life Into Education

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The bottom line? Clinging to the old model of “educational sales” is like trying to sell VHS tapes in a streaming world. The future of educational sales is not about selling more licenses — it’s about selling smarter. Educational is not going away – but it sure has changed. Filmmakers who thrive are the ones that:

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• Expand their definition of “educational” to include hospitals, conferences, courts, companies, and beyond.
  
  
• Build fewer, bigger partnerships that create larger impact and higher revenue.
  
  
• Creating and selling tailored resources that meet partners’ real needs rather than a formulaic approach to offering the film and discussion guide.
  
  
• Price for value, not volume. Approaching pricing based on what a partner's capacity is rather than simply offering preset licensing options you have on your website.

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This shift isn’t just about revenue. It’s about creating lasting, systemic impact with your films — forging five-figure partnerships with institutions who need your film as a tool, not just as content. Think about it: one $25,000 toolkit deal can do more for your film, and your mission, than 200 one-off licenses. That’s the scale we need to be aiming for. Are you ready to reimagine educational?

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