Founder & CEO of YEKRA

 

A visionary of game-changing distribution solutions for the entertainment industry, Lee Waterworth conceptualized the YEKRA technology model – he was inspired by his experience working for major Hollywood titles, including Twilight, Men Who Stare At Goats, 3:10 to Yuma, and Academy Award Best Picture Slumdog Millionaire. As a veteran of live theatrical entertainment and top-end content distribution, he brings a unique background of diverse expertise to his newest venture at YEKRA.

 

YEKRA was built to distribute a cerebral, niche documentary called Thrive. Because of our strong background and experience in traditional film marketing and distribution, Thrive’s filmmakers approached us and asked us to create a direct-to-audience solution that would allow them to control their own windows, pricing, and territorial availability — a channel that would allow them to speak directly to their avid fans while retaining full control of their work.Well, we took the plunge, and the rest is history.

Thrive today has a lifeforce beyond what we could have imagined. It’s been translated into 26 languages exclusively by fans, built a self-sustained and flourishing community where like-minded individuals can engage with one another, and been seen by more than 20 million people around the world to date. We experienced firsthand a real solution that works for connecting films to online audiences, and it’s been our mission ever since to bring it to all filmmakers.

YEKRA is a film and technology start-up founded in 2011 by Lee and Sonya Waterworth, and based in Los Angeles, California. We’re a premium direct-to-audience marketing and distribution platform that connects films and audiences around the world more closely than ever before.

We believe in good films – from independent gems and niche documentaries to major studio favorites – and we believe in getting them seen. With our traveling technology and network of film curators and online screens, we’re decentralizing the old distribution model and creating a new one — one that allows films to travel with no limits and find audiences where they are.