Festivals
can be a great way to introduce films to distributors.
But all festivals are not equal. Some are much better
launching pads than others. Certain festival directors
have reputations for selecting films that go on to
great critical acclaim and/or box office success.
Other festivals have different ambitions; they focus
on the work of regional filmmakers, or exhibit films
that have already secured distribution. These
festivals may be more intent on obtaining popular
programming for their local audience than helping
filmmakers secure distribution.
Since
acquisition executives have limited amount of time to
attend festivals, they prefer those that premiere the
best films. The top festivals strive to attract
industry executives because they know that their
presence will make their festival more worthwhile for
filmmakers seeking distribution. Consequently, the top
festivals compete with each other to premiere the best
new films.
A
film can only premiere once in each territory or
region, and participation in one festival may make the
film ineligible for selection in others. For instance,
Sundance has a policy of accepting films into
competition that are U.S. premieres and have not been
shown in more than two international festivals. Note
that Sundance has other sections that do not require a
premiere.
Generally
speaking, for filmmakers with features seeking
distribution, the top festivals are: Telluride,
Sundance, Slamdance, Hamptons, New York, SXSW, Mill
Valley and Seattle. Also significant are AFI, Austin,
Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Miami, Los Angeles and
Santa Barbara. Palm
Springs is known for showing some of the best foreign
films competing for the academy award. Method Fest
honors great acting. The most important European festivals are: Berlin, Cannes and
Venice. The chief Canadian film festival is Toronto,
although Vancouver and Montreal are first-rate. For
documentaries, Amsterdam IDFA, Hotdocs Toronto and
Marseille are vital gatherings of filmmakers and
distributors.
There
are many festivals, each with its own selection
criteria and point of view.
Some
are specialized and concentrate on one type of film
such as documentaries, shorts or animation, while
others focus on particular subject matter such as
stories of interest to the Gay and Lesbian,
Ecological, and Jewish communities; other festivals
exhibit a broad range of motion pictures.
Consequently, selecting which festivals to enter will
depend on the nature of the film. A list of festivals
can be found online at my website: www.marklitwak.com
There
are several good books about festivals including the AIVF
Guide to
International Film & Video Festivals by
Kathryn Bowser, The
Ultimate Film Festival Survival Guide by Chris
Gore, and the Variety
Guide to Film Festivals by Steven Gaydos.
Sundance has been often been criticized for
being over-crowded, over-hyped and over-rated. This
festival has become for independent film what the
Academy Awards are for the major studios: an
opportunity to generate a lot of publicity to promote
one’s films. Many of the specialty companies, almost
all of which are now subsidiaries of the majors, spend
gobs of money throwing parties, flying in stars,
handing out promotional items in an attempt to
generate press and a positive buzz about their
pictures. Since the town is filled with 600
journalists searching for something to write about, it
is not difficult to generate press coverage.
I
confess to having mixed feelings about Sundance.
Sundance 2005 was notable for its overwhelming crowds
and traffic jams. Screenings were delayed because
moviegoers could not get to the theaters on time. On
the other hand, distributors competed fiercely for
films, and three films made by my clients benefited
greatly. HUSTLE AND FLOW, a 3 million dollar movie
written and directed by Craig Brewer won the audience
award and was the subject of an intense all night
bidding war and was ultimately won by Paramount which
paid a $9 million dollar advance. THE MATADOR by
writer/director Richard Shepard was also a huge hit,
and sold for $7.5 million to Miramax. And two of my
producer clients were delighted to have MARILYN
HOTCHKISS BALLAROOM DANCING and CHARM SCHOO acquired
by Goldwyn.
However,
many other Sundance films receive little, if any,
distribution. Distributors shun them as uncommercial
for the general moviegoing public. While lesser
festivals do not have the cachet of Sundance, the
competition is less intense, and a filmmaker’s
chance of making a splash may be better. Foreign language films, for example, receive more attention at
Berlin, Cannes or Venice.
Sundance
is a difficult festival to attend. Assuming you do not
want to pay thousands for a priority pass, your
alternative is to buy a limited pass which allows you
to obtain a package of tickets or purchase tickets
individually, if they are available. You cannot select
your films at the last minute while at the festival,
which means that if you hear about something that
interests you, it may be difficult to attend the
screening. Of course, many of those who go to Park
City during Sundance are more interested in skiing and
partying. The festival has become a giant networking
event for the independent film community.
In
my next column, I will discuss Toronto, Cannes and
Telluride.
Mark
Litwak is a veteran entertainment attorney and
producer’s rep based in Beverly Hills, California.
He is a friend of IMAGINE and a regular contributor.
He is
the
author of six books, including
the recently published Risky Business, Financing and Distributing
Independent Film
(Silman-James, 2004). He is the author of the CD-ROM
program Movie Magic Contracts.
He can be reached at law@marklitwak.com
