JuntoBox Films was a Santa Monica-based independent film production company that focused on micro-budget films.[1] It featured a social media platform where creators could share ideas and collaborate to make their ideas into films, and where members could vote which screenplays would be financed by JuntoBox.[2][3] JuntoBox Films has been inactive since 2014/2015.
History
Philippe Caland founded JuntoBox in 2012 and officially launched it at that year's South by Southwest.[4][2] The partnership with Indiegogo, a crowdfunding website, started upon its foundation.[5] Actor Forest Whitaker was announced as co-chair in March 2012.[2] The company's name was taken from Junto, a mutual improvement club started by Benjamin Franklin in 1727.[2]
Structure
JuntoBox allowed actors, directors, producers, and writers to share ideas via a social media platform so they were able to collaborate with those without an agent or previous professional experience.[5][2][6] Site users then voted on which films they thought JuntoBox should support, both as a financer and as a mentor.[2][5] Those chosen still go through a vetting process, including traditional auditions for the chosen actors.[6] The first films green-lighted by JuntoBox were Passenger, Sacrifice (2014), Anthem, and Sharon 1.2.3. (originally Sharon is Caring).[5][4]
In 2013, JuntoBox partnered with the Slamdance Film Festival to increase the winnings of the festival's annual screenplay competition. Along with the usual $10,000 prize money, JuntoBox committed at least $50,000 towards production of the winning screenplay.[7]
In 2014, JuntoBox Films launched a three-month long workshop series called the Feature Film Incubator that sought to bring screenplays into the development phase.[8] This included "one-one-one meetings with industry professionals-including story analysts, casting directors and line producers."[9] Those selected to participate in the program "receive[d] budgeting and distribution consulting" and other financial and mentorship resources.[6][8] At least one of the films created during the Incubator was expected to be funded following the pitch session that marked the end of the program.[9][8][10]
