Utopia Launches New Membership on Patreon, Complete with Online Screenings, Special Events, and More

Got five dollars? Love movies? Maybe don’t want to leave your house too much? Then indie studio and distributor Utopia has got a real treat for you. Today, Utopia has announced the launch of its Utopia Screening Room, a direct-to-consumer membership channel hosted on Patreon.

For just five bucks a month, members can access “exclusive screenings of newly released films, fan favorite library titles, and new surprises each month.” Utopia, co-founded by Robert Schwartzman and Cole Harper, is the first independent film label to launch content on Patreon, the media and community platform for creators to connect with their biggest fans. This new venture continues their mission of getting movies in front of the people who most want to see them.

Utopia Screening Room will host and produce live online screening events and Q&As during the theatrical window for all upcoming releases. It will kick off this month on Thursday, February 19 with Nastasya Popov’s acclaimed feature debut “Idiotka,” produced by Camila Mendes and Rachel Matthews’ Honor Roll, and starring Anna Baryshnikov, Benito Skinner, Saweetie, Julia Fox, and Mendes. 

Imagined as a digital component to the more traditional theatrical release rollout strategy, Utopia will schedule each new Patreon screening events as “a digital stop on each film’s release tour,” hoping to connect “audiences nationwide who love and appreciate independent filmmaking to some of the most exciting, emerging creative talents working in the industry today.”

Members will have the chance to watch each film live and engage directly with the filmmakers and participating cast in an intimate online setting. Can’t commit to the set screenings? A recording of the live screening and Q&A broadcast will also be available to members for 24 hours.

“Our team has been building towards a membership program for many years and we’re excited to give both our fans and filmmakers new ways to connect,” said Harper in an official statement. “While global viewership of film has never been higher, a huge majority are watching online. Launching the Utopia Screening Room will expand our reach to audiences wherever they are, giving people new ways to not only view films, but to interact with the creative teams behind each.”

Harper added, “Additionally, we will be offering real-world experiences and perks for our members through our premieres and theatrical releases as well as through events and social gatherings that give people a reason to leave home. The real opportunity is in strengthening the film-loving community to rally around independent film both online and in person.”

The Utopia Screening Room will launch with just one membership (“Cinephile”) tier for the very reasonable price of $5 a month. “Cinephiles” will aslo have access to virtual screening bonus content, ticket giveaways, special event pre-sales, exclusive party and event invites, a private Discord channel, exclusive company news and updates, home video bonus features, and more rare or never-before-seen content from the Utopia film library.

Additional premium tiers are planned to launch throughout 2026, alongside upcoming content releases that will be announced at a later date.

The Utopia Screening Room is now up and running, right here.