Why Netflix and debut directors seek each other out: diversity, exposure and the search for the next big thing

Netflix is always looking for new films and up-and-coming directors and unlike Hollywood, welcomes women and ‘niche’ directors

Many first-time directors pitch to Netflix because it is more willing than major studios to finance and distribute unknowns

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Eden Duncan-Smith (left) and Dante Crichlow in a still from See You Yesterday which premiered on Netflix. Photo: Netflix

Published: 5:00am, 3 Feb 2020Updated: 5:12am, 3 Feb 2020

Stefon Bristol had a clear vision of his first feature project. As a graduate film student at New York University, he had already shot a short version of a film called See You Yesterday, a story about a science-obsessed teen who masters time travel to save her loved ones.

Bristol knew a film with a young black heroine, an unknown cast and a socially conscious message about police brutality might be a tough sell in traditional Hollywood.

But the aspiring director was determined to reach a wide audience. With the backing of mentor and producer Spike Lee, he took the idea to Netflix, which eagerly agreed to finance and distribute the movie.

The vote of confidence paid off: 12 million households watched at least 70 per cent of See You Yesterday in its first four weeks after its release in May, according to Netflix.

Eden Duncan-Smith in a still from See You Yesterday, directed by Stefon Bristol. Photo: Netflix

“The game plan was to tell our story to as many people as possible and, honestly, I don’t think I would have got that number if it was in cinemas,” Bristol says.

As the streaming wars intensify, Netflix is aggressively courting not only Academy Award-winning filmmakers such as The Irishman director Martin Scorsese and Roma director Alfonso Cuarón, but also artists who haven’t yet broken out. The idea is to forge relationships with up-and-coming directors before they become big names.