It’s rare that the subjects of a film?in this case a documentary?are directly involved in the film’s sales.
But having StreetWise vendors sell DVD copies of “StreetWise: The Movie” along with their newspapers on street corners is a win-win marketing strategy devised by executive producer Rob Federighi.
“Proceeds will go to the individual vendors in keeping with StreetWise’s mission of providing self-help,” said Federighi, who wrote and directed the hourlong film.
It’s also a unique way of promoting the doc.
The premiere of “Streetwise: The Movie,” about how vendors use the opportunity to become financially self-sufficient, takes place Dec. 14 at Park West.
The next day, vendors will begin selling the DVDs at the extremely low cost of $5 until Jan. 22, when the doc will air on Ch. 11. It will also be sold on Federighi’s Lucca Productions’ website.
“When people think of StreetWise, they usually equate it to homelessness,” said Federighi. “The fact is that 95% of the StreetWise vendors are not homeless because they earn money by selling the papers.”
The doc portrays six uplifting and powerful stories: A vendor tries to start his own catering company, another learns how to read, a woman deals with one leg and raising her daughter as a single mother and a gentlemen volunteers at his child’s school to ensure his son receives a great education.
Federighi tells of one vendor he met “who was elated when he earned enough money to rent a small apartment with a private bathroom.”
Deeper “StreetWise” involvement brought Federighi back from L.A.
