We are on the verge of a new film culture and infrastructure.
Musicians put out a new song every day, don’t they? Well, I am sure some do.
Okay, this isn’t the only answer, and I don’t have the energy to do a comprehensive list, yet… but as I sorted through my various AM emails, a saw a common theme in two of them.
What saved Morris was a trip to the countryside: they organised a tour around the village halls of south-west England, where their film became a word-of-mouth hit. That allowed its makers to bypass the distributors and go straight to the exhibitors. Morris was finally picked up by the Picturehouse cinema chain, which agreed to roll it out on wider release, beginning last week.
“We just booked a week-long theatrical run in Philadelphia through Landmark for The New Year Parade and are going to see how that community-based release works for us. Will keep you posted!”
You probably already read how Anne Thompson suggested the specialized film companies move into the niche business. Me, I hope the mini-majors stay exactly where they are, and some of the great minds and visionary capital I have been speaking to recently claim the true niche as their own instead.
There *is* a new model and it’s online. One of the primary problems moving forward is that Anne (until this column) and her colleagues in the media have continued to blindly promote the myth that Weinstein and Miramax and Focus and Searchlight have anything at all to do with independent film. In this column and at long last, Anne asks the most relevant question to come out of the trade media in years: What if the future is about more narrow-niche movies…?” Bingo. The future for what’s left of the genuinely independent film community will remain bleak until it can win back the indie film label, rebuild the indie film community, re-educate film-goers and the media about independent film and then spread the gospel to the hundreds and thousands of independent-minded filmmakers out there who don’t even try because they think they have to raise millions of dollars and cast Brad Pitt in order to succeed.
Like that would ever happen. I am one who can’t even dream such things. My son has even banned me from ever singing in his vicinity. Being tone deaf, as I am is one thing, but add to it a nasal honk that some have compared to a goose (but with a less sweet sound), and you see why that particular pursuit is out of my reach.
Showbiz Sandbox with both myself and Christine Vachon talking about the current state of the union for independent film:The Galway Film Fleadh July 10th Producers Master Class:
Bill Mechanic, a man that is as responsible as anyone for building Hollywood as we know it and an incredibly smart man and passionate film fan at that, has been doing a lot of public speaking lately. Whenever he speaks, I learn something; I also understand our business better. Despite making far larger films than I can even dream of, he still knows what is critical to all film’s success (and our industry’s survival).
When was the last time you heard anyone either from a studio or an independent talking about improving their product, of creating positive buzz and expanding the audience?
An independent… should make movies individualistic and compelling… that actually do stand out and succeed because of their quality and their uniqueness.
When I spoke at IFF at TIFF with Festival Darling‘s Thomas Mai, he said there were 154 websites that posted film trailers. We need that list. Maybe Thomas will share it with us, but in the meantime with Sundance around the corner and Berlin on it’s heels, we can’t afford to wait to post. Let’s build that list! What sites do you know?
I sent the following email blast out this morning. Word’s got around and others have asked to see it. So here it is, albeit with a change or two….
