FILMHUB AND ESHAP FORM NEW ALLIANCE TO DISTRIBUTE CREATOR-LED COMEDY, "SKIT," FROM AWARD-WINNING PRODUCER EVAN SHAPIRO

Exclusive 30-Day Premiere Window Secured with Tubi, Launch Set for November 14

Collaboration Brings Shapiro's 'Affinity Economy' To Life, Where Mainstream Media Meets the Creator Economy and Empowers Creators To Reach Audiences on Their Own Terms

New York and Los Angeles, September 29, 2025 - Filmhub, a leading worldwide film and TV distribution company, today announced that it has secured the worldwide distribution rights to bold, creator-led, comedy SKIT through a new partnership with Peabody and Emmy-winning producer and media cartographer Evan Shapiro's production company ESHAP.

Shapiro and Alan d'Escragnolle, Filmhub CEO and co-founder, also announced that Filmhub secured a category-defining deal for the film's November 14 debut on Tubi, a free streaming service built for every fandom, for an exclusive, 30-day streaming window before being sold worldwide. Additionally, Filmhub will be selling worldwide rights to the film as part of its impressive slate at MIPCOM, which this year is spotlighting the growth of the Creator Economy.

Set in 2007, at the dawn of user-generated content, SKIT follows three female college students determined to make a viral YouTube video - resulting in a kooky, relatable coming-of-age farce. But SKIT is more than a comedy about creators, it is also created by them. With a cast of some of the internet's most recognizable performers, the film reflects and critiques the fast-evolving Creator Economy.

Independently produced, SKIT found in Filmhub a partner that combines talent, technology, and media expertise with powerful industry relationships to distribute the film.

"The Creator Economy has opened the door for independent voices to find homes on the same platforms as traditional entertainment," said Shapiro, SKIT's Executive Producer. "The next stage of the entertainment industry's revolution is the 'Affinity Economy' where success isn't just about scale, it's about depth. True power lies in creators connecting directly with communities, sparking emotion and passion and SKIT is a perfect case study in this shift. I'm thrilled to partner with Filmhub and our friends at Tubi to bring it to life."

"As we expand from traditional film and TV to more creator-led content, there's no better creative partner than Evan and ESHAP to help chart the course. At Filmhub, we focus on supporting storytellers by ensuring that films like SKIT not only get made but also reach the audiences they were created for," d'Escagnolle said. "Powering the connection between creatives and the audiences who will engage with their stories is an important part of what we do. Our collaboration with Tubi provides exactly that kind of opportunity, giving creator-driven stories the visibility they deserve and the chance to leave a lasting cultural impact."

SKIT's ensemble cast features Jamie Linn Watson, Nataly Aukar, Jamie Shapiro, Alise Morales, Lukas Arnold and Jacob Kaplan with cameo performances by Jim O'Heir (Parks and Rec) and Mary Birdsong (Reno 911). The comedy was created, co-written and directed by Des Lombardo (who shot the film in his family home) alongside co-writer and director Badr Mastrouq. In addition to a starring role, Jamie Shapiro produces alongside Paul Bukoskey. (See more in About The Making of the Film below.)

Added Shapiro: "We wanted to make something that not only reflected the rise of creators but was made by them. "I've been mentoring the writers and directors since my NYU class, and this is their first feature. I decided to self-finance on a contained budget so that the project had the best chance to make its money back - because the most powerful statement you can make as an emerging artist is 'my first feature made money.' This film is a collective effort, from my daughter Jamie producing and assembling the cast, to comedians and creators driving both the performances and the audience connection. SKIT proves you don't have to wait to be greenlit. You can build your own community, make your own rules, and defy the gravity of the media apocalypse."

Commenting on the film, Rich Bloom, General Manager, Creator Programs & EVP, Business Development at Tubi, said: "We're excited to partner with Filmhub and Evan Shapiro to bring SKIT to our Tubi audience of 100 million monthly active users. Tubi for Creators is designed to support independent storytellers - giving them creative freedom and the scale to expand their audiences. Tubi offers a platform where bold, breakthrough work can live alongside iconic movies and TV, making it the ideal home for SKIT and its creator-led ensemble."

About the Making of the Film

SKIT was independently produced on a $65,000 micro-budget under SAG-AFTRA's Ultra Low Budget Agreement and filmed over eight days in fall 2023. Written and directed by longtime collaborators Badr Mastrouq and Des Lombardo - both making their feature debuts - the project was developed with Evan Shapiro, who has mentored the pair for years. His daughter, Jamie Shapiro, both produced and starred in the film, which he describes not as nepotism but as part of the "family business of storytelling" passed down a generation. Jamie says it was nepotism, but "in reverse because [she] is much cooler than Evan." Paul Bukoskey, who began at ESHAP as an intern many years ago, produced alongside Jamie and also acted as first AD.

The cast brings together a dynamic mix of comedians, actors, and creators. Jamie Linn Watson (What We Do in the Shadows, Please Don't Destroy: The Treasure of Foggy Mountain) is joined by stand-up comic Nataly Aukar, recently named by Vulture as a Comedian You Should and Will Know and whose credits include the Netflix is a Joke Festival and touring with Ramy Youssef and Mo Amer. Rising comedy voices Lukas Arnold (Wild 'N Out), Jacob Kaplan (writer for Late Night with Seth Meyers and Saturday Night Live), and writer-performer Alise Morales (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Our Cartoon President, Go Touch Grass podcast) round out the ensemble. Cameos include Mary Birdsong (Reno 911!) and Jim O'Heir (Parks and Recreation). The film also features music from indie bands Thesaurus Rex and Boys Go to Jupiter, with an original score by Emmy-winning composer Jack Elliott.

In both its production model and creative DNA, SKIT embodies the principles of the Affinity Economy by leveraging community, collaboration, and authenticity to build lasting connections between creators and audiences. For Shapiro, SKIT stands as a case study in how independent creators, with the right mix of talent, story, and distribution, can punch above their budget and break through.

About Filmhub:

Filmhub is the film and television distribution company at the intersection of talent, technology and media evolving how entertainment meets global audiences. Founded by award-winning creatives and innovators, Filmhub has built one of the world's largest catalogs of license-ready titles from established studios to top emerging talent and forged trusted partnerships across the entertainment industry. By combining deep industry relationships with powerful technology, Filmhub ensures every title reaches its full potential.

About Evan Shapiro and ESHAP:

A noted commentator and sought-after speaker on the entertainment industry and recognized as the Unofficial Official Cartographer of The Media Universe, Evan Shapiro is an Emmy and Peabody Award-winning producer of TV, films and podcasts, including Portlandia, This Film Is Not Yet Rated, Please Like Me, Comedy Bang Bang, Brick City, and Harmonquest. Through his change agency ESHAP, Shapiro and his team chart the future of media and offer their community of partners insights and services for how to make, sell, and use media right now, and next.

About Tubi:

Boldly built for fandom, Tubi is a free streaming service that entertains over 100 million monthly active users. Tubi offers the world's largest collection of Hollywood movies and TV shows, thousands of creator-led stories and hundreds of Tubi Originals made for the most passionate fans. Headquartered in San Francisco and founded in 2014, Tubi is part of Tubi Media Group, a division of Fox Corporation.