Larenz Tate Launches Vault, a Streaming Platform Built for Independent Filmmakers
Larenz Tate has lined up behind a new streaming and distribution platform called Vault, designed to give independent filmmakers a direct route to audiences without surrendering control of their work. The platform is already live at thevaultaccess.com, offering a mix of film, television, documentaries, short-form content and music. More than 50,000 subscribers have signed up to date, according to the launch release cited by Variety.
Tate built the project with Kenneth Gifford, founder of the Newark International Film Festival, alongside his brothers and business partners Larron and Lahmard Tate. The three siblings operate together through TateMen Entertainment, a company that has previously partnered with AMC Global Networks, ALLBLK and Starz on emerging filmmaker programmes and launched creative-industry initiatives in Chicago. Vault is the latest expansion of that collaborative work.
The pitch to filmmakers is unusually creator-friendly. Filmmakers can host content on Vault at no cost and decide for themselves which titles sit behind a paywall and which are free to watch. They set their own pricing, control monetisation and retain ownership of their revenue. The platform also provides marketing tools, including the ability to assign custom genres and generate shareable, interactive branded landing pages for individual titles. For viewers, Vault offers free access alongside a subscription tier that provides a more curated experience.
Tate described the mission in plain terms: Vault puts more power back into the hands of creators and gives their stories the ability to reach audiences around the world. The platform's launch press release frames its goal as connecting creators with global audiences while granting independent filmmakers greater access, control and ownership — three things that traditional distribution deals often require filmmakers to trade away.
Tate brings more than four decades in the entertainment business to the venture. His screen credits span Love Jones, Dead Presidents, Ray and Girls Trip, along with the Power franchise on Starz. He most recently starred in Michael, portraying Motown Records founder Berry Gordy. He teased the Vault project back in February 2026, posting on his official Instagram account that he was working late "in the vault" for independent filmmakers, as captured in a social media post from March of this year.
What makes Vault worth watching is the model rather than the name attached to it. Most streaming platforms sit between the filmmaker and the audience, taking a cut and setting the terms. Vault inverts that structure: the filmmaker sets the terms, sets the price, and keeps the revenue. Whether enough independent filmmakers and viewers migrate to make it sustainable is a question the subscriber numbers will answer over the coming months.
For now, the Tate brothers and Gifford have a live platform, a clear proposition and an early base of 50,000 subscribers. The next test is content — and whether filmmakers decide Vault is the shelf where their work belongs.
