As this year’s Sundance Film Festival prepares to open this week, a new independent film distribution company, Subtext, is launching. The company was founded by industry veterans Daniel DiGiacomo, Brian Levy, and Teddy Lioliakis. The company plans to open offices in New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago.
The company plans to actively consider acquiring films at Sundance. Subtext is also one of the producers of Michal Marczak’s Closure, which will premiere at the World Cinema Documentary Competition.
The company says its mission is to “connect audiences with author-driven films.” The goal is to use a multi-platform US distribution strategy to help films have a greater “cultural impact” and create long-term value for both creators and investors. To that end, Subtext says it will forge partnerships across brands, music, publishing and fashion. The Subtext slate will focus on unique, filmmaker-driven work. According to the founders, the film will receive a bespoke release strategy.
The first film produced under the banner was director Josh Swade’s “Empire Skate,” a documentary examining the rise of Supreme and the streetwear brand’s influence on skate culture. Produced in collaboration with Time Studio and ESPN. The film premiered at the 2025 Tribeca Film Festival and is currently streaming on Disney+. Subtext will be announcing details of a growing number of fiction and non-fiction films in the coming weeks.
DiGiacomo is the former head of content at Utopia Media and previously served as senior vice president of acquisitions and strategic partnerships at 1091/The Orchard. She will oversee distribution and content curation. Brian Levy, formerly of Entertainment 360 and Pulse Films/VICE, will continue to oversee production and content curation while managing a roster of film, television and documentary writers, directors and filmmakers. Teddy Liouliakis, founder of cultural strategy and insights consulting firm Why-Q, will oversee marketing and operations.
“At Subtext, we believe that great independent films deserve more than recognition. They deserve context, community, and longevity,” the founders said in a joint statement. “Our goal is to create distribution strategies tailored to where audiences are, while creating sustainable value for filmmakers and partners.”
“Independent distribution doesn’t fail because there’s no audience; it fails when the strategy doesn’t align with the culture,” the founders said. “The subtext is there to fill in that gap.”
Levy and DiGiacomo have a long history of collaboration. Their collaborations include the acclaimed documentary Meet Me in the Bathroom, produced by Levy and acquired and distributed by DiGiacomo during his tenure at Utopia, and All These Sleepless Nights, directed by Levy client Michal Marczak and acquired and distributed by DiGiacomo for The Orchard. Levy’s producing credits include “Coup!” DiGiacomo, on the other hand, made a name for himself with critically acclaimed films such as ‘Shiva Baby’ and ‘Holy Spider’.
Liouliakis provides a background in data analysis, consumer insights and cultural strategy, which Subtext says it will use to create campaigns across digital marketing, PR and live activations. Why-Q partners with brands such as Apple, LVMH, Netflix, Nike, and Universal.
