Why can’t an award-winning documentary about Amazon’s union find a buyer?

For the filmmaking team behind the new documentary “Union,” the timing seemed like it couldn’t have been better.

The film, which follows a successful grassroots effort by Amazon workers in Staten Island to form the first US Amazon union, debuted amid the highest levels of union approval since the 1960s. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January, following a year that saw 460,000 US workers participate in major strikes (a 20-year high). And workers’ attempts to unionize are spiking: union election petitions have doubled since President Biden took office. 

“Union” was also acclaimed by critics. At Sundance, the first since Hollywood’s own successful labor movements, “Union” won a Special Jury Award for the Art of Change. While a Sundance award doesn’t guarantee a documentary a distribution deal, it certainly doesn’t hurt. Since documentaries don’t typically pull in “Suits” numbers, awards and critical acclaim are perhaps the primary incentives for streamers to strike doc deals.

But, in the 10 months since Sundance, “Union” has yet to find a buyer, on streaming or otherwise. 

It’s a bit of a head-scratcher. Focused on the labor movement and Amazon’s controversial work conditions — two issues that have dominated headlines and drawn the attention of lawmakers — the film seemed poised to attract attention from big distributors. While Amazon’s Prime Video understandably wasn’t interested, it stands to reason that another high-profile streamer would be intrigued by the doc for both its newsworthy subject matter and the fact that it casts a questionable light on Amazon, a major rival.

That’s not to say that the filmmakers were particularly shocked. 

“I’ll just say we were in a position where it wouldn’t have been surprising to be where we are now. We were sort of prepared for that from the jump,” said “Union” producer Mars Verrone, who added that the team behind the film had received a mixed bag of feedback throughout production, ranging from “you guys are crazy” to “this is a no-brainer.” In the end, they weren't surprised by streamers’ restraint.

Instead, the documentary will launch a self-funded theatrical run starting Friday, opening at select theaters in about 20 cities across the country after months of fundraising. Most showings will be one-night screenings, but the film will have weeklong runs in New York, LA, Austin, and Chicago.

The theatrical distribution plan, while likely not the filmmakers’ first choice, is by no means haphazard. According to Verrone, “Union” is partnering with local unions, labor organizations, and worker-advocacy groups to couple the showing with Q&As and other programming panels in an effort to attract what they say is a massive built-in audience.

“The idea right now is we’ll do theatrical this month, some sort of limited online launch before the end of the year, and then next year will be a more wide release,” Verrone said.

There are a handful of reasons why a film like “Union” could have been overlooked by distributors. The documentary market has struggled, along with the broader entertainment industry, amid an ongoing Hollywood contraction. Documentary filmmakers have faced shrinking budgets, fewer distribution deals, and, following decades of consolidation, the same decrease in the overall pool of potential buyers as other creators in the industry.

Spokespeople for Amazon, Warner Bros., Apple TV, and Netflix didn’t respond to requests for comment.

Still, other docs in the film’s Sundance class have had an easier time finding a buyer. 

Netflix bought the Will Ferrell-led “Will & Harper” — one of at least four Sundance docs bought by the streaming titan — for a rumored $10 million. “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story” was acquired by Warner Bros. Discovery for $15 million. Disney-owned Nat Geo picked up “Sugarcane,” Amazon Studios secured “Frida,” and Apple TV picked up “Girls State.” The films have all since premiered and are available to watch on various streaming platforms. 

“Union” works with a sales agency, Submarine, which was able to strike deals for other docs it brought to the festival.

So the question remains: what’s kept the streaming industry away from “Union”? 

“I would say not wanting to poke the bear and aggravate a competitor,” Verrone said. “Even if you’re not in business with Amazon Studios or something more front-facing, it’s very likely your platform is hosted on Amazon Web Services.”

While Amazon may be a ratings rival, it also operates as a streaming hub and has deals with several competitors, including Warner Bros. Discovery’s Max, Paramount+, and, as of this month, Apple TV+ through its Prime Video channel service. Through a combination of channels, original shows and movies, and licensed content, Amazon boasts the largest video store in the world. 

With that in mind, it makes sense that streamers may be more hesitant to ruffle the feathers of Amazon as opposed to a smaller competitor. Case in point: “Quiet on Set,” a docuseries detailing accusations of abuse and toxic workplace behavior at Paramount’s Nickelodeon, was released on Max this spring.

Verrone also said streamers could be avoiding the film just for its labor focus in general.

Of course, Verrone is speculating, and they say there are several critically acclaimed documentaries in the same boat as “Union.” But for entertainment-industry workers like Verrone, consolidation has led to an environment where creating socially and politically impactful work has become exceedingly difficult. With fewer buyers overall, streamers (particularly those with the deepest pockets) are in a position of power where they could softly censor films that don’t align with their values.

“If you’re an average joe, you’re not going to go searching for this indie film that you’ve never heard of. You’re going to go to the platform you subscribe to,” Verrone said. “That’s why there’s just so much thought and energy being put into these alternative distribution plans: because there are really incredible films that are just not reaching their audiences, that are going to get lost. And I refuse to let these companies allow that to happen.”