Day: September 25, 2013

Categories
Issues and Actions

FILMONOMICS: How to Qualify for General Solicitation Fundraising

By Duncan Cork

The ban on General Solicitation in the US has been lifted!

Filmmakers are now able to advertise their fundraising publicly, so long as they make “reasonable efforts” to ensure that investors financing the film are accredited. This historic day comes with caveats though. So we advise all filmmakers seek out legal counsel before taking advantage of General Solicitation. Here’s what we know…

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The SEC’s rules for Title II of the JOBS Act became law today. This post will address mostly what you can do now. However, the SEC has also suggested further proposed rules which will go into effect another 60 days after the SEC has taken into account comments from the public. These should be considered for the long fundraising periods associated with film financing.

As of today, filmmakers are able to market their fundraising publicly, which means Tweeting, Facebooking, shouting from the rooftops, and taking billboards out on Sunset Boulevard.

However, under Rule 506c (the rule allowing for General Solicitation),filmmakers must make “reasonable efforts” to verify that their investors are “accredited”.

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Categories
These Are Those Things

Love What You Do… Or Don’t Do It

I don’t post many commercials, but if I had to constrain such posts to things I love, whiskey commercials would be on my list.  If I raised the bar higher, and made it only include those that I admire, I would not have many logs to put on the fire.  Charles Bukowski carried me forward with his prose those years I was aged 22 -25.  I wouldn’t normally recommend advice from a drunkard, but he was a great one.  Live true.

“Live True” Dewar’s White Label [English] from &Rosàs on Vimeo.

Categories
Truly Free Film

Why on Earth Would I Give Away My Academy Award Shortlisted Film For Free?

By Rahul Gandotra

A few days ago I shared a sampler that allowed people to watch my film for free with a dear friend. Just to make sure the sampler worked and she could put it on her website, I followed up and got this response from her:

“I got everything and it works. I was just not sure that this [your film] is what you actually want to be giving away for free.” I paused and asked myself, “Yes, why the hell are you doing this?” – momentarily ignoring all the months of research I had done.

I replied, “Long story. For now, just share the sampler and let people see the film for free”. This post is about that “long story”.

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My film “The Road Home” is about a boy who escapes from his boarding school in the Himalayas to get back to his parents in England. As you might imagine, I poured my sweat and soul into making it. And given I didn’t want this film to be seen only by friends and family, I worked equally hard submitting the film to festivals and trumpeting from the rooftops of Facebook about each screening.

But I was left with a sour taste in mouth after my festival run. Why? Because I got invited to some festivals where I saw 30 people in a 500-seat theatre watching my film. All the while I’d continue to get Facebook messages and emails asking, “Hey when can I watch your film?” I’d reply, “Well it was playing in your city on this date.” And the common refrain I would hear is, “Why didn’t you email me?”

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