Producer Eric Tomosunas, founder of Atlanta-based independent media company and studio Swirl Films, is a filmmaker focused on helping other independents rise and monetize their work. It’s a mission that’s personal because he’s in the trenches himself, an independent filmmaker who has also produced more than 60 feature films and made-for-TV movies throughout his career.
“Originally at Swirl Films we released solely self-financed films,” Tomosunas says. “Then as we grew with films like ’35 & Ticking’ and ‘The Undershepherd’ (which won Best Film, Best Screenplay and other awards in 2011 at the American Black Film Festival in Miami Beach, Florida, and went into larger distribution in 2012 on Netflix and Apple TV), we moved into a work-for-hire space, where networks, partners and platforms would bring us on to execute, which was our niche.”
Over the years, Tomosunas and his teams across Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York City, Miami, Tennessee, North Carolina and overseas kept busy with jobs from various networks like Lifetime, BET, TV One and others.
Then came the pandemic and the industry-wide shift following the writers and actors strikes, when work hit a brick wall nationwide.
“Now, with the continued industry shift, we are back to where we were in the beginning, where we’re self-financing our own smaller indie films and taking them out in a straight-to-consumer distribution model,” he says.
In a twist this time around though, Tomosunas and team are helping other filmmakers find resources and monetization for their indie projects, as well.
“A partner and I have a [mobile-first streaming platform designed for independent vertical, short-form storytelling] called VURT, and we’re working daily to be a place where consumers have an option to upload their vertical content to monetize,” he describes. He and his partner conceived the idea for VURT because they had personally experienced the uncertainty indie creators face and their most burning question: How will I get my money back?
The prospect of reliably monetizing vertical content, as Tomosunas knows firsthand, is a huge sticking point for most independents.
“How do I get to the consumer? Our platform, VURT, is what we’re hoping can be the solution,” he notes.
Tomosunas is also focusing on helping indie filmmakers make their content in the first place, specifically in Atlanta.
“We have a new stage in Vinings called ATL Film Studios that’s open now and has standing sets, and it’s really built for independent [filmmaking]as well as vertical,” he describes. “It’s built for all creators, influencers, filmmakers, and it’s available at the right price, which is really the key. We want people to be able to afford it.”
Tomosunas and the Swirl Films team produced one of their latest indie projects there, the feature film “Camp Duvall,” produced by comedian Lil Duval alongside Swirl Films. “It’s a horror-comedy we’re releasing late August, early September in a theatrical experience,” Tomosunas says. “And it will go on VURT.”
In the meantime, Tomosunas and his collaborators plan to remain ultra-active in their broader mission to advance independent filmmaking at large—and the filmmakers who create it—from an always-brewing Atlanta creative hotbed.
Film festivals like American Black Film Festival in Miami will receive his continued focus, as well.
“It’s a great place to meet other independent filmmakers who are looking for opportunities,” Tomosunas notes. “We’re trying now to be one of those sources for opportunity.”
