Altered Innocence
San Francisco-based independent distributor releasing LGBTQ and queer cinema alongside arthouse films theatrically and digitally across the US.
Overview
Altered Innocence is a San Francisco-based independent film distribution company founded in 2015. The company distributes LGBTQ and queer cinema alongside arthouse films theatrically and digitally across the United States. Altered Innocence occupies a niche in the US LGBTQ distribution landscape, operating alongside Strand Releasing, Wolfe Video, and Breaking Glass Pictures, with a particular focus on emerging and international queer filmmakers.
San Francisco's location is significant: the city has one of the most engaged LGBTQ cinema communities in the US, home to the San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival (Frameline), the oldest and largest LGBTQ film festival in the world. Altered Innocence's proximity to Frameline and its community connections within San Francisco's LGBTQ film culture give it consistent access to emerging queer filmmakers and festival programming.
Distribution Model
Altered Innocence distributes theatrically through arthouse cinemas and LGBTQ-friendly venues in major US cities, with particular strength in California and the coastal arthouse markets. Digital distribution follows the theatrical window through major VOD platforms.
The company's focus on emerging and international queer filmmakers distinguishes it from Strand Releasing, which tends toward more established arthouse names, and Wolfe Video, which focuses primarily on home entertainment. Altered Innocence's willingness to work with debut filmmakers and films from outside the US provides a distribution entry point for queer cinema that other US LGBTQ distributors may overlook.
Frameline Relationships
Frameline's San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival is Altered Innocence's most important acquisition context, with the festival's annual programming providing a concentrated source of new LGBTQ films from across the world. The company's San Francisco base and its community relationships within the Frameline ecosystem give it natural early access to films premiering there.
For international LGBTQ filmmakers premiering at Frameline, Altered Innocence is a primary US distribution conversation alongside Strand Releasing. The company's interest in emerging and international voices makes it a more accessible target for debut films than the larger specialist distributors.
What Filmmakers Should Know
Altered Innocence is an accessible acquisition target for LGBTQ and queer filmmakers whose work has festival credentials in the LGBTQ cinema circuit. The company's emerging director focus and its interest in international queer cinema make it more receptive to debut films and less commercially established projects than larger LGBTQ distributors.
See Also
For LGBTQ theatrical distribution by the largest US specialist, see Strand Releasing in this directory. For LGBTQ home entertainment distribution, see Wolfe Video in this directory.
