Above Photo: Matt Petit/(c) AMPAS
Academy Award-winner Rob Epstein (The Times of Harvey Milk; Common Threads) opened the DOCS! event at the Academy's Goldwyn Theater Wednesday night by thanking the IDA for hosting the Oscar nominees in the doc categories for the past 27 years. And with that, the torch was passed to its rightful owner.
According to IDA Founder Linda Buzzell, in a piece she wrote for Documentary Magazine on the occasion of IDA's 20th anniversary, the Oscars Reception was one of IDA's first public events, spurred by the fact that Nigel Nobel, winner for the 1981 short Close Harmony, was totally snubbed by the press backstage, who preferred to talk to presenters Richard Benjamin and Paula Prentiss instead. In the quarter-century since then, the Documentary Short Subject category was on the endangered species list several times, but IDA led the charge to keep that category thriving. Early last decade, changes started to take root: The documentary category got its own branch, along with three governors, and its current roster now totals over 150 members; the rules for qualifying one's doc for Academy Award consideration went through several iterations, some controversial (the 14-city roll out, the two 35mm prints, etc.); and the Academy expanded its extra-Oscars programming to include more documentary screenings and events.
So it seemed a little counter-intuitive for IDA to host an Oscars event in the very building where the Oscars and most other AMPAS activities were planned. And so, AMPAS made its debut as host.
Two-time Academy Award-winner Barbara Kopple (Harlan County, U.S.A.; American Dream) took the stage to moderate two separate panels--one for the shorts, one for the features-after introducing clips from all the nominated films before the filmmakers mounted the stage.
Left to right: Elise Pearlstein (Food, Inc.); Barbara Kopple, Louis Psihoyos (The Cove), Rick Goldsmith (The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers), Judith Ehrlich (The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the POentagon Papers), Lise Lense-Moller (Burma VJ), Anders Ostergaard (Burma VJ), Rebacca Cammisa (Which Way Home), Robert Kenner (Food, Inc.). Photo: Matt Petit/(c) AMPAS
Most of the films were produced at great risk, often in dangerous places. Discussing the challenges of filming in a society like China, director Matthew O'Neill of China's Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province, which documents the aftermath of the 2008 earthquake in Sichuan Province and the actions of the parents of children who died in poorly constructed classrooms, said that the chaos surrounding the earthquake "enabled us to capture images of the protestors at a very early stage because the authorities weren't on their ball in terms of repression." But soon enough, the filmmakers were threatened with arrest, but by the time they were actually detained, they had shipped their footage out of the country. Anders Østergaard, of course, relied on flip cam footage from on-the-ground journalists to get the story that became Burma VJ. And when they started production in 2004, "There was nothing to film. People were too afraid to tell their stories" But now, according to producer Lise Lens-Mulkler, "Burmese are mostly optimistic about change; there are more citizen journalists." The Cove actually had a director of covert operations among its artistic personnel, according to director Louis Psihoyos, in his aim to expose the slaughter of dolphins in the coastal town of Taiji in Japan, for the eventual purpose of supplying mercury-laden dolphin meat to stores. But is film is not about bashing Japan, the filmmaker insisted. "The film is a love letter to Japan; it's about healthy eating."
As is Robert Kenner's Food Inc., for which he was often denied access to where he wanted to shoot. "We wanted to have a dialogue in the film, but corporations refused to be in the film," Kenner said. "But now the dialogue is happening." And while General Motors denied Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert (The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant) access to the plant and to the top brass, the filmmakers opted to focus on the workers anyway. "We wanted to show what it meant to work in a factory," Reichert said. And it wasn't easy getting the workers to agree at first, given the swarm of local and international reporters following the story. "The workers auditioned us," said Bognar "So we did something we never do: We showed them a rough cut of what we had shot so far." That worked, and not only did the filmmakers have their cast, but the workers agreed to shoot footage inside the plant.
Although the evening didn't call for questions from the audience, Kopple handled both panels with grace and geniality. "We want each other to succeed," she said of the nominees-and the documentary community in general. "I feel very privileged to be on stage with all of you."
Over the last several years, there has been a lot of talk about how films are making use of the Internet for marketing and distribution. The Web 2.0 revolution has hit film festivals as well, changing the way they communicate with their patrons, support their filmmakers and sustain their brands. Savvy festivals have adjusted with technology, taking advantage of all the new tools the Web has to offer. Along the way, they've had to make calculated decisions about how to invest their limited financial and human resources.
The new media landscape presents many questions: Where does social networking fit into a festival's conversation with its audience? What should be the purpose of a festival's website? Should festivals blog? If so, what kind of voice should be used? How can a festival take advantage of the Internet to create a year-round presence for a once-a-year event? With so many online tools now available, how can they help festivals operate more efficiently? I spoke with representatives from several festivals to find out the answers to these and other questions about how fests and the 'net intersect.
South by Southwest Conference and Festival (SXSW)
SXSW has long distinguished itself as a leader in making use of online tools. In addition to its film section, the Austin-based festival programs an Interactive component. Chief technology officer Scott Wilcox has been with SXSW since 1996, and he's been pleasantly surprised by everyone's willingness to adapt to new technologies. When it comes to adding new features to its site, "We look at what the filmmakers are trying to accomplish, and how a potential new feature might help them do that," he explains. "We try to use new technologies to further exposure for the films. Also, we are constantly looking for new models."
Conference and Festival Producer Janet Pierson echoes this sentiment: "I don't believe I'll necessarily figure out what the new paradigm is, but I'd like SXSW to be the place where people figure that out. It helps that we're already in the conversation." She believes that SXSW is a place where filmmakers often lead the way, and feel comfortable testing out new technology solutions for marketing and distribution.
Experimentation at SXSW has taken all forms. The festival started playing around with online video in 2000, posting several film trailers when there was barely enough bandwidth to support streaming. Despite the obstacles, it was obvious from the beginning that the trailers were a great way to help patrons deal with the challenge of figuring out what to see; in 2009, 165 films posted trailers online. Over the years, the festival has expanded its original production efforts to include videos of conference events, alumni news and fun "how-to" pieces about getting around the festival, among other offerings.
According to former SXSW producer Matt Dentler, SXSW was one of the first festivals to have a MySpace page. Over the years, their social networking efforts have grown to include Facebook and Twitter. Dentler believes that it's important to deliver information in a variety of ways because everyone listens or pays attention to different things. The key is that no matter which tool you're using, you must be authentic and personal in your execution.
The advantage of today's social networking tools is that they let the audience know that the event isn't just a big, nameless corporate entity. Twitter posts and Facebook updates are ways of showing that there are people behind the event who care deeply about making it successful. This is also helpful for filmmakers, who at times can feel like they are sending their film babies off into a black hole of programming. Knowing there are passionate cineastes screening around the clock puts a more human spin on the submission process.
Blogs are now a regular feature of festival websites, but when Dentler started blogging for indieWire in April 2004, he was one of the first festival directors to do so. It was tricky, he admits, as the blog was officially his own, not an official representation of SXSW. However, he was very aware that many people read it just because he programmed for the festival. "I think the filmmakers appreciated hearing festival news from the source rather than from press releases or official interviews," he notes. "The blog also became a way to get feedback about films. I made it interactive by doing things like asking questions about what people wanted to see."
Interactivity has been a double-edged sword for festivals. On one hand, Twitter and Facebook give SXSW the ability to respond in real time to the community, fostering dialogue that strengthens the event and deepens people's affection for the brand. It allows festivals to listen in on the conversation about their event in a way that was never before possible. But that community can be a needy one; people expect answers immediately. Plus, whenever you put a public face on something, you open yourself up to criticism.
Managing that conversation internally can be a challenge as well. According to Wilcox, several people are responsible for SXSW's social media output, and staying on message with a group can be difficult. Social media is a moving target, and the interactive group at SXSW is constantly fine-tuning its activities and voice in the space based on the feedback they receive.
To make all this happen, SXSW has an internal tech team of about 10 people, whose specialties include development, database management, IT, customer and staff support, social media, Web editing, and network and server management. They work with third parties on application development, and often hire outside designers for projects.
This is the first year that the film division of SXSW is making use of the Panel Picker, a tool the Interactive Conference has been utilizing for the past couple of years. People submit ideas for festival panels, and the public then votes on what they'd like to see. The tool promotes cross-conversation among audience members and increases the year 'round reach of the event. Pierson says that though she was at first a bit nervous about losing the curatorial hand over the panels, there has been a fantastic turnout of ideas.
Also on deck for the 2010 edition of SXSW is a new version of My SXSW, a tool that will allow attendees to make and share their festival schedules. SXSW has co-developed My SXSW with the Social Collective, and planned features include profiles, messaging functionality, groups and tie-ins to Facebook and Twitter. The goal is to expand the experience of the festival both before and after the event. SXSW is also experimenting with several mobile initiatives to take advantage of the fact that nearly everyone now has the Internet in his or her pocket.
Sundance Film Festival
If there's any festival whose brand is safely established, it's Sundance. But that doesn't mean the festival is sitting on its laurels when it comes to new media. "As a 'Discovery Festival,' we try to stay on the cutting edge, and using cutting-edge technology is a big part of that," maintains programmer David Courier. "It's important to put our money where our mouth is and to stay current."
Sundance has more resources than most film festivals, but still has to be smart about how to use them. In his article "Ten Ways to Harness New Media," Joseph Beyer, associate director of Sundance Institute Online, writes, "Every technological tool in your kit should be chosen and used for the direct impact it'll have on one of your core objectives. Technology flash is less enduring than technology smarts."
At Sundance, this core objective revolves around connecting artists with audiences. Says Beyer, "We try desperately to be just a step ahead of what's happening so that we can address our filmmakers' needs with all the resources that Sundance has. We try to stay as relevant as possible. At the end of the day, that's our standard: relevancy to our filmmakers and to our audience. Then we're doing what [Sundance founder] Robert Redford hoped we would do all those years ago."
According to Beyer, Redford is actively involved in the conversation about new technology. It speaks to the actor/director's constant energy for reinvention, and his personal push to not be afraid of change. He urges the team at Sundance to constantly ask the question: "Are we doing what we're supposed to be doing right now, and if not, how can we change that?"
There have been a lot of changes over the years in the way that Sundance communicates with its patrons. Previously, the festival's prime vehicle was a daily newspaper that helped acquaint people with lesser-known areas of the festival such as New Frontiers, Documentaries and Panels. But at the end of the 2009 festival, it was clear that the print components very quickly became dated, so Sundance decided to put its energy into moving its communication tools into the digital realm. For the 2010 edition of the fest, they're working with B-Side to develop a robust online version of the festival guide. In addition to film descriptions, credits and screening times, the online guide will allow patrons to see what others are adding to their schedule and to share responses to films. It will be mobile-enabled, and users will be able to add events to their calendar programs.
Beyer is also very excited about Sundance's new iPhone application, which he describes as "almost as necessary as mittens; the whole festival at your fingertips." The goal of the application is to simultaneously simplify and enrich the festival experience. It includes practical information as well as bonus content such as short films from previous years and a history section that features old festival trailers, archival photography and lists of jurors and awards. On the eve of the festival, Beyer predicted the killer feature for the app would be What's On Now?, which uses GPS technology and a time stamp to inform users about what's happening at the festival closest to where they are--including nearby venues showing films that are about to start.
"We understand that Sundance has been frustrating," says Beyer. "At times there are an enormous amount of tickets still available for events, but there's a mythology that you have to know someone or buy an expensive pass in order to access them. The features on this app will break down that idea."
When it comes to social media, Sundance takes the general approach that it won't participate unless it has value for the audience. "If a person is saying something helpful, that's great," says Courier about festival bloggers. "But personally, I wouldn't want to do it just for the sake of having my stuff out there. I'm not actually sure we should be blogging for our festival; we put the work out there and let it speak for itself."
Speaking of the work, Twitter and Facebook have been helpful in amplifying the conversation about the projects that are shown and created at Sundance. These tools give the festival a year-round ability to tell people about release dates for films and innovative distribution strategies. Sundance's Twitter account, @sundancefest, is featured prominently on the festival website, and includes regular updates from director of programming Trevor Groth and festival director John Cooper.
"Use social media differently than you use your traditional media," Beyer advocates. "Take the time to see what kinds of information the users are looking for on those platforms, take the time to recognize the tonality of how they are communicating on those platforms and take the time to develop a different voice on those platforms."
There's a lot of pressure to use the latest, greatest online tool, and often, festivals feel a bit out of touch if they're not Tweeting every 30 seconds. Beyer suggests that before a festival takes on a new platform, those involved should ask, "What is it I want to accomplish by using a new tool like Twitter?" Perhaps it's a dialogue with the audience, or maybe it's the ability to listen to your patrons. But if you can't answer that basic question, Beyer advises letting yourself off the hook from the pressure of using new technology: "Know what objectives are important to you, and then use technology to achieve them, rather than letting technology lead your sense of ideas."
Another Sundance mission is supporting artists' long-term careers, not just the particular project they may have at the festival in a given year. New this year is an alumni association, informally referred to as the "Sundance Posse," which includes a Posse blog featuring contributions and updates from alums. Sundance has promoted it via social media, and eventually it will be integrated into www.sundance.org.
This summer, the festival will launch "The Source," which Beyer describes as akin to a Sundance IMDb.com. It will utilize materials from the Sundance archives, drawing upon the festival's rich history. Users will be able to chart the entire trajectory of someone's Sundance career.
Sundance has an internal Web team to support all of its online endeavors. The team is split across two departments: Sundance Institute Online and Creative Services. Online manages all of Sundance's visible media properties, while Creative Services is responsible for producing content. The managing editor sets the tone for the site and social media activities, making sure that the festival voice remains unified and clear. Folks at the festival are constantly meeting vendors and businesses such as B-Side, Withoutabox and iTunes to stay on top of what's happening in the new media space. There's also an internal task force that focuses on how to use new technology tools to support filmmakers.
"We've developed our process over the years," Beyer explains. "It wasn't always so easy to be flexible and nimble. I'm very proud that it looks good and big, but behind the scenes, we all do a little bit of everything. We all love pop culture, and are fascinated by this time that we're in, so that really does translate."
Tribeca Film Festival
The Tribeca Film Festival's (TFF) site is unique in that it showcases not just events at the festival, but film happenings all around New York City. Says executive director Nancy Schafer, "Everything we do is to try to grow the audience for independent film. We use the site to have a conversation around films big and small. That reflects the Tribeca Film Festival because we want to show all kinds of films to all kinds of people."
In addition to the usual film guide, schedule information and trailers, the TFF site features several non-fest-centric blogs: Free Flick Fridays showcases feature films online that can be watched for free; The Price of a Movie blog lists cheap, fun things to do in New York City; and Super Shorts guides users to cool short films on the Web.
Kristin McCracken, director of Web content and operations, makes sure that the voice of Tribeca is reflected on the site. As with Sundance and SXSW, this means managing several different people. During the festival itself, many different staff members Tweet from their different posts at the event. This keeps things lively and, taken together, gives a comprehensive sense of the festival.
Schafer doesn't think that all festivals need a website that features year 'round, dynamic content. "Ours grew out of the fact that we were capturing so much content and having such a lively discussion in months leading up to festival, and we wanted to continue that conversation. As a festival director, I like that we're engaging the audience year 'round. It reflects strongly on us as a brand. We are always looking for more and more ways to connect with our audience."
The future of that connection definitely includes mobile. TFF did a mobile festival guide in 2009, and will do so again this year. Says Schafer, "As people like myself and others live our lives through our mobile devices, we have to be in that space because we have to be where consumers are."
Sponsors also want to be right in the pockets of consumers, and that perhaps is why Stolichnaya Vodka signed on to sponsor both years of the TFF mobile guide. Another benefit of new media tools is that they can open up new, targeted opportunities for sponsorship, something that all fests sorely need.
Ashland Independent Film Festival (Oregon)
For smaller festivals, online endeavors present an interesting paradox: On one hand, they can help streamline operations and provide free tools for grassroots marketing; on the other hand, many festivals don't have the staff or time to support such efforts.
At Ashland, systems manager Christi Wruck does everything from maintaining the festival's website to overseeing IT operations. One board member is the president/CEO of Project A, a Web solutions company, and the company helps create the festival's online presence. Volunteers from the community pitch in as well.
Ashland has an active Facebook page that is constantly updated with festival information, deadlines and the latest news about films that have played at the event. Programming director Joanne Feinberg says that when deciding which social media tools to use, Ashland has to balance the needs of its local audience with the festival's industry presence. Right now Facebook has been a much more effective tool than Twitter for staying in touch with patrons; the 2010 festival will conduct an audience survey to see what the audience is really paying attention to.
Ashland is currently working with Withoutabox on a new online submissions feature, which allows filmmakers to submit their work online, rather than sending in a DVD. "I was initially resistant to trying it because we had spent all of this time and effort perfecting our systems for screening films," Feinberg admits. "However, I'm finding that I really like the online submissions. It's great to be able to easily share information, and our screeners can watch films from any location. I've found the quality to be really good; I just make sure I have a high-quality set of headphones."
Feinberg and her staff spend less time and energy copying submission forms, and less money on postage. She definitely recommends the service for festivals interested in more sustainable operations.
Tamara Krinsky is associate editor of Documentary
Culminating an awards-laden year that began with the Audience Award at Sundance 2009, The Cove, directed by Louis Psihoyos and produced by Fisher Stevens and Paula DePre Pesman, won the Academy Award for Best Documentary. Stevens, accepting the honor, said, "We tried to make an entertaining film that also tried to enlighten everybody." And just as Stevens introduced Psihoyos as "the man who came up with the idea," Rick O'Barry, the man devoted to saving the dolphins, held up a sign, "Text...Dolphin," and the Academy denied the director the chance to speak, even though he had 15 seconds left. Look, AMPAS, I know that many honorees over the years have used the podium as a forum for getting a message out, but please: Don't deny a guy a once-in-a-lifetime chance to speak about this career-defining achievement; there was nothing about O'Barry's gesture that will incur the wrath of the FCC. If time was the issue--and it wasn't--how about cutting the John Hughes tribute? Was he really that much greater than the great individuals who passed last year? Nonetheless, I do commend the Academy for showing longer-than-usual clips from the nominated feature docs.
See the acceptance speech by The Cove filmmakers at Oscar.com here.
Moving on, Music by Prudence, directed by Roger Ross Williams and produced by Elinor Burkett, received three rousing ovations at DocuDays on Saturday morning, with Prudence Mabhena herself in attendance. I later had the privilege of attending a party hosted by HBO, at which she performed with piano accompaniment. Those two events, in a way, foreshadowed the film's Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject. Accepting the award with Williams, Burkett said, "In a world in which most of us are told and tell ourselves that we can't, Liyana, the band behind this film, teaches us that we're wrong. Against all odds they did, so we can. So the bottom line is, to me, my role models and my heroes, Marvelous and Energy, Tapiwa, Goodwell, the whole rest of the band and especially Prudence."
I did notice that Burkett had muscled her way onto the podium--I had figured that it had taken a while longer to make her way down, and she was hurrying to meet the 45-second acceptance speech allotment. But following up observations from audience members that she had "pulled a Kanye,"-- in reviewing the acceptance speech drama, I noticed that she did say, "Can a man let a woman talk? Isn't that just the classic thing?..."-- Salon.com spoke to both Burkett and Williams, and apparently there have been considerable friction between the producer and director over creative differences-considerable enough to have resulted in a lawsuit, which has since been settled. Since the Academy only allows one person to speak, Williams was the designated guy.
If there was a theme to 2010 DocuDays L.A.'s first night it was activism.
The two films which screened at the three-day, multi-city event focused on individuals who stood up for what they believed in, even if it meant facing off against a larger and seemingly-insurmountable foe. (See pictures from the night here and here on our Flickr pages.)
The first movie of the night, The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers, tells the story of former war planner Daniel Ellsberg and how his decision to leak 7,000 pages of a top secret Pentagon report to the New York Times helped stop the Vietnam War. It was followed by The Cove, which follows Louie Psihoyos, renown dolphin trainer Ric O'Barry and a special ops team which infiltrates a cove near Taijii, Japan to expose an annual dolphin slaughter and Mercury poisoning to the Japanese people.
When taking the stage for post-screening Q&As, both sets of filmmakers were met with standing ovations.
Daniel Ellsberg and Judith Ehrlich discuss The Most Dangerous Man in America. Photo by Josh Weiss (www.joshweissphoto.com).
Dangerous Man's co-director/producer Judith Ehrlich, who appeared with co-director/producer Rick Goldsmith and Daniel Ellsberg and his wife Patricia was clearly touched by the enthusiastic welcome and choked up when she acknowledged it.
Ellsberg, still very much an active activist, was asked about the similarities to America's involvement in Vietnam then and Iraqi and Afghanistan now. "We are rather easily manipulated into violence by our leaders," he said. But believes we have it in us to change. One way may be to have politicians watch the film, which champions those brave enough to risk all in the name of exposing the truth. "If it's seen by officials in Washington, it can encourage people to undertake the acts of truth telling what will end this longest war--'Vietnamistan.'"
Of course you'd have to get it to them. Joking that high-ranking officials don't read anything unless it's labeled Top Secret, Goldsmith said, "We just have to label the DVD 'Top Secret.'"
Even though his name is in the film's title, Ellsberg pointed out that he was one link in a very important chain and gave credit to the others who had the moral courage to follow his lead. "In making this film," said Goldsmith, "We learned that courage is contagious."
That quote can be applied to the story of The Cove as well. Because of his concern over the dolphin slaughter in Japan, Ric O'Barry enlisted Psihoyos and a team of experts to expose the secrets of the area. Appearing by himself last night, Psihoyos gave an update on how The Cove is enacting change.
The movie screened at the Tokyo Film Festival and now has distribution in Japan. The town of Taijii was mandated to get tested for Mercury poisoning--and found astoundingly high levels of it in the population. Just last week, the national government stopped the killing of dolphins in the cove depicted in the movie, which Psihoyos called a "qualified win" because the activity continues about a half-mile away. "But to me that's good news, he said."It's like Hitler has gone to his bunker."
Psihoyos called his film a "love letter" to the people of Japan. Because during the making of the film, Psihoyos, a Pescetarian, discovered that he had high levels of Mercury in his system. "I'm giving you information that your own government won't give you," he said.
Psihoyos explained that his next project will "bring across that realization that you know what we're not the only species on this planet that matters" and that while members of his Oceanic Preservation Society (OPS) have been in town for Oscars preparation, celebrations and activities, they've also secretly been using their talents working with federal agents at night for…something. "You have no idea," he said. "I would love to tell a story tonight that I realize I can't…but stay tuned to your papers in the next couple of days, it's going to be interesting."
Psihoyos gave a nod to The Most Dangerous Man in America and his other Oscar "competitors." "It's an amazing film, with a great social message. People try to talk about these films being competitors. I hang out at these dinners with the producers and directors and I don't feel competitive, I feel like collaborators. We're on the same team."
"I'm hoping that this movie is a form of activism," he continued. "Once people see it, then I would imagine that nobody in this audience is going to go to Sea World again. And you'll probably tell your friends to do the same thing. And maybe hopefully go home and Facebook to your friends and say that you saw this incredible movie go see it. That's a form of activism. It's not about us, it's about you guys."
"If this movie teaches anybody anything, I hope it's that one person can change the world and a few us of together can make a huge difference."
In a journey that began at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival with lots of acclaim but no distribution offers, the story of Anvil! The Story of Anvil reached a rousing crescendo last night with an Independent Spirit Award for Best Documentary, capping an Awards Season that garnered a bevy of kudos, including an IDA Award in December.
"I think we're both going on, having spent these incredible few years together on this amazing journey," director Sacha Gervasi exclaimed backstage. "I feel a sense of completion. I wanted to make a movie I was proud of, with people I liked-I did that. This band, when we were making the movie was, playing to 20, 30 people a night, and now they're regularly playing to 10s of thousands of people."
"It's the independent spirit of the band that was the face of this film," producer Rebecca Yeldham added. "Every time we got hit with an obstacle, they didn't give up and it was an inspiration."
Anvil had been overlooked on the Oscars Short List for Best Documentary, but Gervasi was philosophical about that. "Of course we didn't get an Oscars nomination--it's Anvil! In the documentary branch for the Oscars, the median age is the 60s and 70s; four minutes into this movie, Lipps takes out a marital aid and plays his guitar; I think maybe we lost it there. We're so thrilled with what happened here. It would've been lovely, it didn't happen. But this is the Independent Spirit Awards. This is the essence of what the band has lived and what the film has loved. This is an incredible honor."
Bill Ross and Turner Ross, makers of 45365, earned the Chaz & Roger Ebert Truer Than Fiction Award for an emerging documentary filmmaker. Film Independent, the LA-based nonprofit that produces the Spirit Awards and the Los Angeles Film Festival, had announced earlier in the week that the Eberts would sponsor the award, which includes an unrestricted $25,000 grant to "an emerging director of non-fiction features who has not yet received significant recognition." The Spirit crowd paid loving tribute to the Eberts with a montage of clips from his Siskel & Ebert and Ebert & Roeper days.
45365, an essay documentary on nine months in the life of Sidney, Ohio (the zip code for which is the title of the film), won the Grand Jury Prize at SXSW, was honorable mentioin for the HBO Emerging Documentary Award at Full Frame and earned several Cinema Eye Honors nominations. The film has been screening at festivals and arthouse venues around the country and will have weeklong runs in Los Angeles this month and in New York City in June.
45365 and Anvil! The Story of Anvil will be screening Saturday, March 6, at 4:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., respectively, at the Writers Guild of America Theater in Beverly Hills, as part of DocuDays LA.
For more information on DocuDays LA, click here.
The International Documentary Association held a special awards week mixer last night at The Standard Hotel, Hollywood. Independent Spirit Award and Oscar nominated filmmakers, IDA members and staff mixed and mingled in the swanky setting.
Enjoying the night were the filmmakers behind More Than a Game, Which Way Home, The Cove, Rabbit a la Berlin, Music by Prudence, Burma VJ (most docs which can be seen at DocuDays™ 2010) and IDA Board Members, Marjan Safinia, Senain Keshgi, Bob Niemack, Eddie Schmidt, Adam Chapnick, Steve Reich, Gilda Brasch and more!
See great pictures from the night below and then check out more on our Flickr site from photographers Josh Weiss here and and Amina Horozic here.
International Documentary Association March 2010 Mixer. Photo by Amina Horozic (www.hyperorange.com)
International Documentary Association March 2010 Mixer. Photo by Amina Horozic (www.hyperorange.com)
International Documentary Association March 2010 Mixer. Photo by Josh Weiss (www.joshweissphoto.com)
International Documentary Association March 2010 Mixer. Photo by Amina Horozic (www.hyperorange.com)
International Documentary Association March 2010 Mixer. Photo by Josh Weiss (www.joshweissphoto.com)
Editor's Note: Music by Prudence, which eanred the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject, airs May 12 on HBO. Here's an interview we conducted with director Roger Ross Williams in the days leading up to the Oscar telecast on March 7.
In the days leading up to the Oscar-cast, we at IDA will be introducing--and in some cases, re-introducing--our community to the filmmakers whose work has been nominated for an Academy Award for either Best Documentary Feature or Best Documentary Short Subject. As we did in conjunction with the DocuWeekTM Theatrical Documentary Showcase that we presented last summer, we have asked the filmmakers to share the stories behind their films--the inspirations, the challenges and obstacles, the goals and objectives, the reactions to their films so far, and the impact of an Academy Award nomination.
So, to continue this series of conversations, here is Roger Ross Williams, director/producer of Music by Prudence, which is nominated in the Documentary Short Subject category.
Synopsis: Prudence lives in Zimbabwe, and for a long time almost no one knew about that hauntingly beautiful voice. No one knew the strong, resilient woman that owned it. They were unable to overlook her body: crippled and deformed with a debilitating condition called arthrogryposis.
When Prudence was born, her paternal grandmother wanted her dead. In Zimbabwe, disabled children are believed to be the result of witchcraft. In extreme cases, families kill them--to remove the "curse" from their family. Prudence's mother kept her and fed her. Cast out of her husband's (Prudence's father's) home, she brought the baby to her own mother's rural home. Four years later, she left. Prudence was raised by her maternal grandmother, Rachel, who taught her to sing. But when Prudence turned 7, Rachel knew she couldn't school her, so she sent her to live with her father and his new family.
There, Prudence fell prey to neglect and isolation, in an unloving and unsupportive environment.
But there was a haven from this pain: King George VI School & Centre for Children with Physical Disabilities (KG6), which offered her a scholarship, and her new life as a singer/songwriter began--first as a student, and now as a teacher.
Music by Prudence traces the path of this young woman, and her remarkable transcendence from a world of hatred and superstition into one of music, love and possibility.
IDA: How did you get started in documentary filmmaking?
Roger Ross Williams: As a child I was never very popular, and I lived in my own fantasy world. I escaped by writing short stories, which eventually evolved into documenting other people's stories as a television producer/director for Sundance Channel, Discovery Channel and PBS. But I've always wanted a bigger canvas, and independent documentary film has provided that.
IDA: What inspired you to make Music by Prudence?
RRW: I grew up with a single working-class mother who was a maid, and there were many struggles in my own childhood. While Prudence's struggles were far worse than mine, her resilient spirit, her determination to survive and overcome obstacles, and her message of hope inspired me.
IDA: What were some of the challenges and obstacles in making this film, and how did you overcome them?
RRW: Everything was a challenge in making this film: Shooting in a country with the highest rate of inflation in the world, with sporadic electricity, water and basic resources--all with the backdrop of a violent political election. I can't tell you the details, but it's a miracle this movie ever got made.
IDA: How did your vision for the film change over the course of the pre-production, production and post-production processes?
RRW: As the film developed, so did the focus of the story. While I had originally set out to include other members of Prudence's band as main characters, as all filmmakers know, the story you set out to shoot isn't always the story you end up with. Prudence's story shone through in a way that was illuminating and enlightening.
IDA: As you've screened Music by Prudence--whether on the festival circuit, or in screening rooms, or in living rooms--how have audiences reacted to the film? What has been most surprising or unexpected about their reactions?
RRW: Audiences have been blown away. Some of the words I get are "blown away," "inspired" and "entertained." I was most surprised by the intensity of the reaction to her story. I think the intense reaction is partly because seeing this powerful woman living her life so proudly and fully with a severe disability in a country that has experienced such profound economic devastation allows audience members to reflect deeply on the blessings in their own lives, and awakens the passions of their own possibly dormant dreams.
IDA: Where were you when you first heard about your Academy Award nomination?
RRW: I got together with a bunch of friends on the morning of the announcements. My first reaction was to call Prudence in Zimbabwe to tell her she was coming to the Oscars. For someone like Prudence, who has had such a challenging life, to finally be recognized for her talent and her beauty, and to roll down the red carpet is beyond amazing to me.
IDA: What docs or docmakers have served as inspirations for you?
RRW: Albert Maysles, because Salesman is one of my all-time favorite films, and he's a genius. Barbara Kopple, because she has such deep empathy for her subjects, takes real risks and she's brilliant. And any documentarian who takes risks and pushes the boundaries of the genre to new heights.
Music by Prudence will be screening Saturday, March 6, at 9:00 a.m. at the Writers Guild of America Theater in Beverly Hills, as part of DocuDays LA, and Saturday, March 6, at 1:30 p.m. at the Paley Center for Media in New York City as part of DocuDays NY.
For more information on DocuDays LA, click here.
For more information on DocuDays NY, click here.
DocuWeeks 2009 alums Severe Clear (Dir.: Kristian Fraga) and Kimjongilia (Dir.: NC Heikin) open in theaters this month, as does IDA Fiscal Sponsoree See What I'm Saying (Dir.: Hilari Scarl). Also on tap for March are a couple of Hollywood-oriented docs: Peter Hanson and Paul Robert Herman's Tales from the Script, about the art and business-and travails-of the screenwriting trade; and Don Hahn's Waking Sleeping Beauty, a chronicle of golden age of animated blockbusters, from The Little Mermaid through The Lion King. New York's Film Forum brackets the month with Felix Moeller's Harlan: In the Shadow of Jew Süss, about Third Reich era filmmaker Veit Harlan and his troubled and troubling legacy; and The Sun Behind the Clouds, from Ritu Sarin and Tenzing Sonam, about Tibet's ongoing struggle for independence.
Opening: March 3
Venue: Film Forum/New York City
Film: Harlan: In the Shadow of Jew Süss
Dir./Wtr.: Felix Moeller
Distributor: Zeitgeist Films
http://www.zeitgeistfilms.com/harlan/
The infamous Jew Süss (1940), directed by Veit Harlan, and produced under Joseph Goebbels's Ministry of Propaganda, was the Nazis' most vicious anti-Semitic film. A drama set in 18th century Germany, it purports to tell the true story of a Jew who dresses incognito (as a Christian), corrupts a local Duke, restructures the government to bleed the people through punitive taxes, and forces himself upon a beautiful, married Christian woman (played by Kristina Söderbaum, Harlan's third wife). At the war's end, the filmmaker was prosecuted for crimes against humanity, but acquitted. Today, his children and grandchildren consider his legacy and the hard questions it continues to pose. Some have changed their name and left Germany. Others claim he was forced to direct the film and deride it as loathsome, crudely-made propaganda. Harlan is a fascinating exploration into the murky waters of a family's unique, disturbing relationship to one of history's worst crimes.
Opening: March 12
Venue: Angelika Film Center/New York City; Gaslamp Stadium/San Diego
Film: Severe Clear
Dir./Wtr.: Kristian Fraga
Distributor: Sirk Productions
http://severeclearthemovie.com/wordpress/
Severe Clear is based on the memoir by First Lieutenant Mike Scotti as well as video footage shot by him and other members of 1st Battalion, 4th Marines on the outset of the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
Opening: March 12
Venue: Quad Cinemas/New York City
Film: Tales from the Script
Dir.: Peter Hanson
Prods./Wtrs.: Peter Hanson, Paul Robert Herman
Distributor: First Run Features
http://www.talesfromthescript.com/
Few modern art forms are as misunderstood as the craft of screenwriting, because the collaborative nature of filmmaking and the dominance of celebrity actors and directors obscures the contributions of screenwriters. So if you're a writer eager to break into Hollywood or simply a movie buff excited to hear the stories behind your favorite films, this unique nonfiction book/documentary film project will captivate you with insights into the wild and mysterious world of Hollywood screenwriting.
Enjoy inside conversations with the men and women who dreamed up some of the world's most beloved movie characters. Learn how they surmounted the incredible odds against breaking into Hollywood, and discover the myriad ways in which they transformed their ideas into films that topped the box office, launched the careers of major stars, and earned them Oscars. The stories behind the storytellers are as exciting, surprising, and inspirational as the narratives of their celebrated films.
In addition to name-brand talents, Tales from the Script features newcomers whose stories prove that talented people can write their way into the top ranks of the movie industry.
Tales from the Script puts readers into the trenches of the Hollywood development process through colorful stories about Harrison Ford, Morgan Freeman, Adam Sandler, Joel Silver, Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, and many more. Entertaining, startling, and uplifting, this collection is a pure pleasure for those who dream of writing the Great American Screenplay--it's a master class taught by those who made that dream come true.
Opening: March 18
Venue: Egyptian Theatre/Los Angeles
Film: See What I'm Saying
Dir./Prod: Hilari Scarl
Distributor: Sprint
http://www.seewhatimsayingmovie.com/
Deaf people can do anything but hear. But an all deaf rock band? An international deaf comic famous around the world but unknown to hearing people? A modern-day Buster Keaton who teaches at Juilliard but is currently homeless? A hard-of-hearing singer who is considered "not deaf enough?"
See What I'm Saying follows the journeys of four extraordinary deaf entertainers over the course of a single year as their stories intertwine and culminate in some of the most important events of their lives.
See What I'm Saying is the first American film to be fully subtitled for the country's 30 million
deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers and opens the door into deaf culture for those who are "signing impaired."
Deaf culture is unique. Out of the nearly 30 million deaf and hard-of-hearing Americans, only 10 percent have a parent who is deaf, making deaf culture one of the only heritages in the world that is rarely handed down from parents to children. Deaf culture is composed of a community of people who consider
deafness to be a difference in human experience rather than a disability. There are deaf entertainers within the community who perform mostly for deaf audiences, many of whom are trying to cross over to the mainstream. This film is about four of those entertainers.
See What I'm Saying is a powerful and unique look at deaf entertainers that touches on the human nature of these unsung artists. Its universal appeal transcends the four intertwined stories,
allowing audiences to peek inside deaf culture and see this vibrant community in a fascinating new light.
Opening: March 19
Venue: Cinema Village/New York City
Film: Kimjongilia
Dir.: NC Heikin
Distributor: Lorber Films
http://www.kimjongiliathemovie.com/index1.html
North Korea is one of the world's most isolated nations. For 60 years, North Koreans have been governed by a totalitarian regime that controls all information entering and leaving the country. A cult of personality surrounds its two recent leaders: first, Kim Il Sung, and now his son, Kim Jong Il. For Kim Jong Il's 46th birthday, a hybrid red begonia named kimjongilia was created, symbolizing wisdom, love, justice and peace. The film draws its name from the rarefied flower and reveals the extraordinary stories told by survivors of North Korea's vast prison camps, of devastating famine and of every kind of repression. All of the interviews featured took place in South Korea, where the defectors now live. Their experiences are interspersed with archival footage of North Korean propaganda films and original scenes that illuminate the contours of daily life for a people whose every action is monitored and whose every thought could bring official retribution. Along with the survivors' stories, Kimjongilia examines the mass illusion possible under totalitarianism and the human rights abuses required to maintain that illusion. Ultimately, the defectors are inspiring, for despite the extremes they have suffered, they still hold out hope for a better future.
Opening: March 19
Film: Neil Young Trunk Show
Dir./Prod: Jonathan Demme
Distributor: Abramarama
http://www.trunkshowmovie.com/
Few musical artists have shown as much interest in cataloging their history as Neil Young. Since Rust Never Sleeps in 1979, Young has been at the center of ten concert films. Oscar-winning director Jonathan Demme has always exhibited a passion for music in his films and reset the standard for concert films with 1984's Stop Making Sense. The two men, both in their 60s, came together for the 2006 release Heart of Gold, which chronicled a Young concert in a historic theater as elegantly and precisely as a well-rehearsed curtain call. But Young and Demme never rest, and three years later, they are back, chronicling yet another tour. This time, the style is rough, raw and relentlessly rock 'n'
roll. Nine cameras shooting two shows in three formats (HDCAM, HDV and Super-8mm) create the ultimate Neil Young video bootleg video. The duo plans on completing their trilogy in 2012.
--David Poland
Opening: March 26
Venue: Quad Cinema/New York City
Film: Dancing Across Borders
Dir./Prod: Anne Bass
Distributor: First Run Features
http://www.dancingacrossborders.net/
From the serene countryside of Southeast Asia to the halls of New York's School of American Ballet to the stage of the Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle, Dancing Across Borders peeks behind the scenes into the world of dance and chronicles the intimate and triumphant story of a boy who was discovered, and who only much later discovered all that he had in himself.
Opening: March 26
Film: Waking Sleeping Beauty
Dir.: Don Hahn
Prod.: Peter Schneider
Distributor: Disney Films
http://www.wakingsleepingbeautymovie.com/
By the mid-1980s, the fabled animation studios of Walt Disney had fallen on hard times. The artists were polarized between newcomers hungry to innovate and old timers not yet ready to relinquish control. The conditions produced a series of box office flops and pessimistic forecasts: maybe the best days of animation were over. Maybe the public didn't care. Only a miracle or a magic spell could produce a happy ending. Waking Sleeping Beauty is no fairy tale. It's the true story of how Disney regained its magic with a staggering output of hits-The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King and more--over a 10-year period.
Opening: March 31
Venue: Film Forum/New York City
Film: The Sun Behind the Clouds: Tibet's Struggle for Freedom
Dirs./Prods.: Ritu Sarin, Tenzing Sonam
Distributor: Self-Distributed
http://thesunbehindtheclouds.com/
Fifty years have passed since the fall of Tibet. The Dalai Lama, Tibet's spiritual and temporal leader, has lived in exile for most of his life, trying to find a peaceful solution to the Tibet issue by giving up the goal of independence and reaching a compromise with China. But his efforts have failed to yield any positive outcome, and his people are becoming more desperate.
March 2008. Tibet erupts as the biggest uprising since China took control in 1959, spreads across the country. The Tibetan people, for one brief moment, demonstrate to the world their unhappiness under Chinese rule and their desire for freedom. But China cracks down hard on the protests. It is also the year of the Beijing Olympics.
Even as the unrest spreads in Tibet, exiled Tibetans in India, frustrated by the lack of political progress, set out on a march to their homeland, convinced that this is the only action they can take to support their
countrymen. Meanwhile, there is a huge groundswell of international sympathy for the Tibetan cause.
This is a year of dramatic possibilities for Tibet. Can the Dalai Lama's strategy of non-violence and compromise based on his Buddhist beliefs finally make a breakthrough?
In The Sun Behind the Clouds: Tibet's Struggle for Freedom, Tibetan filmmaker Tenzing Sonam and his partner, Ritu Sarin, take a uniquely Tibetan perspective on the trials and tribulations of the Dalai Lama and his people as they continue their struggle for freedom in the face of determined suppression by one of the world's biggest and most powerful nations. The filmmakers had intimate access to the Dalai Lama and followed him over the course of an eventful year, which included the 2008 protests in Tibet, the international response to it, the Beijing Olympics, and the breakdown in talks between his representatives and the Chinese government.
Set against this backdrop, the film explores the interplay between the personal and the historic, spirituality and politics, and the tension between the Dalai Lama's efforts to find a peaceful solution to the Tibet situation based on compromise and dialogue, and the impatience of a younger generation of Tibetans who are ready to take a more confrontational course.
Sundance, Berlin, Cannes, Venice, Toronto--the high mantra of any filmmaker thinking about his or her film's festival run. Where to world premiere? Which programmer to trust with watching a rough cut or work-in-progress? From whom to seek advice about the best possible rollout, domestically and internationally? Which festivals will provide the largest audiences, the most optimal screening times, the PR and marketing that will get people to buy tickets and show up to the film? Which festivals provide round-trip transportation, accommodations, per diems for food and drink, and other costs associated with taking a film on the road? Do you consider this your theatrical exhibition and ask for screening fees and other related costs? What kinds of networking opportunities will you have with other filmmakers, industry executives and commissioning editors? What value, if any, will playing at certain festivals offer for your professional future?
The considerations and deliberations can be endless, aggravating, bewildering--and not just for the novice filmmaker. But as Jim Browne, Tribeca Film Festival programmer and principal of Argot Pictures, a New York-based independent distribution and production company, says, "Your festival run is part of your film's release strategy--essentially the launch of your film out into the marketplace. So, have a strategy!"
The Sundance Film Festival is one of the few venues that can now offer some kind of built-in strategy for a select number of films that debut there. Sundance Film Festival USA, a traveling exhibition in which the Park City, Utah fest brings direct-from-festival filmmakers and their films to theaters in eight cities, premiered during the 2010 festival. The news out of Park City wasn't a total surprise, since talk of just this kind of extra-festival exhibition scenario had been bandied about in programming and filmmaking circles for a while, spearheaded for the most part by Geoffrey Gilmore, who left his leadership role at Sundance last year to creatively oversee Tribeca Film Enterprises.
These conversations center on the idea that film festivals could possibly play other roles besides a showcase for fresh, innovative work or a platform for filmmakers to meet potential audiences and fans. But can, or should, festivals act as hybrid discovery showcases, taking some films directly to cinemas? Should they be quasi-distribution mechanisms--or distribution enablers, if you will? And if so, can they stay true to their core values and missions?
"Festivals struggle in the best of times," says Thom Powers, documentary programmer at the Toronto International Film Festival. "Distribution is not an opportunity that looks like a winning financial one." Lest we forget, festival darlings and best sellers in the marketplace can be two very distinct things. Muddying already muddy waters is not the way forward, for either filmmaker or programmer.
Given that the community has seen a number of significant changes at the helms of many festivals over the past year or so, Documentary wanted to investigate how the current festival model is--or is not--working and, more importantly, what they need to continue to offer to stay viable. What follows is a very circumscribed snapshot of what's happening here in the US (with a couple of significant weigh-ins from the UK and Canada) in terms of how some of the top programmers perceive the terrain. We also spoke to a few filmmakers who have had the beneficial experience of doing a circuit or two.
All of the programmers with whom I spoke believe strongly in bringing festival films out into their communities in a variety of semi-theatrical or full theatrical settings, enabling audiences hungry for new and original fare to get a steady stream of it year ‘round-the opportunity to experience screenings "direct from the festival." In addition to his position in Toronto, Powers runs Stranger Than Fiction, a documentary screening series, out of the IFC Center in New York City. Sean Farnel, head of programming at Hot Docs, founded DocSoup out of Toronto; filmmakers who have screened as part of that series are astounded when they play to a packed house of 1,000 people. The San Francisco Film Society partners with the Sundance Kabuki Theater to bring week-long engagements of festival faves to that city's denizens, and new director Rachel Rosen has plans to expand upon that. There continue to be plans afoot among many other festivals to offer similar curatorial packages to extra-festival communities. Most programmers have already realized the value of that.
In an interview I conducted with Sky Sitney, SilverDocs' artistic director, in February 2009, she stated unequivocally that "Every film is its own universe." In terms of this ongoing conversation, she feels, "It glosses over something critical; what festivals provide are one of the few stable areas where a filmmaker's desire to connect with audiences is met." Filmmaker Havana Marking concurs: "The one thing I have learned from my festival experience with Afghan Star is that every film is different, every festival is different, and that a personalized approach to distribution and the circuit is required for each."
One grows up fast on the festival circuit, learning an infinite array of lessons and cautionary tales to take into the next go-round, and that's the best thing to come out of it. Everyone acknowledges that the filmmakers drive the circuit. They are the content-providers; they are the artists looking for support and community and some sort of infrastructure into which they can pour their deepest ambitions, and meet people who can help them further their careers. In essence, this is what the best festivals currently provide, isn't it? The programmers like to think so. Most of them also think it's a bit misguided to keep having conversations wherein a festival run can be thought of as ancillary to a distribution strategy. It is part and parcel of taking a film to market, period--especially if one wants theatrical play.
But to throw something over the transom willy-nilly and hope for the best is naïve, and gives a festival acceptance or rejection far too much weight since, as Withoutabox's director of festivals, Christian Gaines, puts it, "Any one person's opinion is informed by the reality of his or her own business model." A festival's interests do not necessarily align with those of any given filmmaker submitting to that festival. However, when a filmmaker is given a slot, he or she should have a very specific list of objectives at that festival and then let the directors know what those objectives are. This is the best way to ensure that festivals will keep their focus on creating filmmaker-centric events.
In fact, a filmmaker can do a lot to enhance the festival experience that goes beyond the purview of the festival itself. "When we go to a festival and they are graciously paying our way, I try to take full advantage of being in the city," Ashley Sabin, who co-directs and produces documentaries and runs a distribution company called Carnivalesque Films with her partner, David Redmon. "I try to book one of our other films not playing the festival at another venue, which includes colleges, high schools, organizations and/or museums. With these screenings and the film festival screenings, it's possible for us to sell a healthy amount of DVDs afterward and collect names and contact information to build our fan base."
In the case of David Wilson and Paul Sturtz's True/False Festival out of Columbia, Missouri, filmmakers, programmers, fest directors, and especially the town of Columbia, agree that Wilson and Sturtz have created one of the top festival destinations in the country. Because it is such a highly curated event, in no way driven by market forces or the hottest thing out of anywhere, filmmakers feel a real sense of accomplishment when garnering a slot in the program there. Wilson, a filmmaker himself, maintains that he and Sturtz have no desire to become a market, or coalesce with other markets. What they can provide is a watermark of sorts; in years to come, True/False aims to become more like an old-fashioned record label, with something along the lines of a branded collection that can be sold on various sites, and also perhaps be a fully fleshed-out road show sometime down the line. There are still many ways in which festivals should be allowed to grow and partner financially with filmmakers.
But is moving over to the distribution side of things where those efforts should be concentrated? To be a nonprofit entity while trying to be a market-and-bottom-line-driven one seems foolhardy and counterproductive. Except for those deep-pocketed festivals, it's not a viable business model. Christian Gaines has over 20 years' experience programming and directing festivals, including all the fests run under the American Film Institute banner. He maintains, "Festivals need to go back to their core values--honoring the artist by showing his or her work with the best possible picture and sound and enhancing the audience/filmmaker relationship as much as possible."
Of course, some festivals and markets do provide a pretty close to perfect market experience if your distinct purpose is to do some business-provided that you're thoroughly prepared to do so if you get the privilege to attend a venue like Hot Docs or the Sheffield Doc/Fest in the UK. Heather Croall, Sheffield's director, has been concentrating on cross-platform distribution since 2000. "We introduced the MeetMarket as an alternative to the public pitching forums," she says. "I did a lot of one-to-one research with commissioners to ask them what they wanted, and designed the MeetMarket around the results of that research, taking a user-centered approach to it to make sure it actually did what the buyers wanted. This is why we have designed the MeetMarket as we have, with a very sophisticated online match-making system in advance that makes sure the buyers, in the main, only meet the projects that fall within what they're looking for. We've seen growth so rapidly because of the bespoke treatment we give each project. So far, it's been very successful at getting real deals happening."
Hot Docs stages the largest and most important international pitching forum in North America, and has forged partnership deals with national theatrical distributors and created a DVD brand called "The Hot Docs Collection" with Kinosmith for a few select films coming out of the festival that get moved directly into public exhibition. Observes Farnel, "Given that film festivals appear to be thriving, at least in terms of audience growth, while other sectors, namely distribution and commercial exhibition, flounder, there does seem to be a growing consensus that film festivals could provide a spine to whatever new distribution/exhibition model(s) emerge in the coming years...The core change that is central to all of these so-called hybrid strategies, however, is that a film has to be 100 percent ready to enter the commercial market on the heels of--or even concurrent with--a festival premiere. That's a game-changer for festivals... If one festival, or an alliance of festivals, starts negotiating with rights holders to distribute a given film, what are the terms? Will the rights holders get their fair share of the revenue pie, which includes not only revenue from ticket sales, but also sponsorship revenues?
"Film festivals are the only arts-based events that do not pay fees for their content," Farnel continues. "Obviously, in a model in which festivals take on more ownership of the distribution life of a film, ‘free' won't sustain the production of new work to feed the market...We have to work together to transition to a model in which rights holders begin to tangibly share in the revenues generated by film festivals, modest though they are."
The year 2009 was a watershed, providing many exciting moments directly off the festival circuit, where we saw truly groundbreaking work in the ways that filmmakers marketed and exhibited their films. The array of choices will only grow as the technology advances and production budgets start to properly reflect the costs of DIY distribution and marketing, enhanced by a small team dedicated specifically to that phase of a film's lifecycle. This is no small thing to lose sight of.
Many have finally woken up to the fact that there are audiences in Alabama and Arizona and West Virginia and Kansas and Indiana that want what New York and San Francisco audiences have in abundance--the chance to see first-run features fresh off their festival run in the cinema. These places have great festivals, as well as a great art-house cinema culture. All you have to do is look at the theaters across the country where Emerging Pictures and Fathom bring the Metropolitan Opera or the New York City Ballet to big screens. A few documentary filmmakers have very successfully staged one-night-only special events that played in over 450 theaters across the country simultaneously, like Franny Armstrong's The Age of Stupid, Gini Reticker's Pray the Devil Back to Hell and several others.
In his "New Year: New Model" article, December 21, 2009, indieWIRE founder Eugene Hernandez observed, "Numerous filmmakers and producers are talking about these sorts of alternative approaches right now...There is a lot going on and I find it reassuring that months of talking about and experimenting with new models in 2009 will lead to more direct action among even bigger players in 2010."
In the same issue of indieWIRE, entertainment lawyer Steven Beer wrote, "For many independent filmmakers and producers, 2010--starting with the upcoming Sundance Film Festival-figures to be a watershed year and the beginning of a Decade of Filmmaker Empowerment. After years of disenchantment with traditional all-rights distribution deals, filmmakers and producers are poised to take matters into their own hands and forge a truly independent path to marketing and distributing their films."
It's a new decade with fresh beginnings. Get in the game.
Pamela Cohn is a New York-based independent media producer, theatrical outreach and social engagement producer, film programmer, and freelance arts journalist writing for many publications and sites including Hammer to Nail, Filmmaker Magazine and DOX Magazine. She writes a well-regarded blog on nonfiction filmmaking called Still in Motion.
Join other IDA members as well as documentary filmmakers nominated for this year's Spirit and Academy Awards as the 2010 awards season comes to a dramatic close. IDA staff and board members will help you get connected to the documentary community, share your projects, meet new friends and build your professional network.
No Host Bar. Event parking is valet only. IDA Mixer participants will receive a special sticker upon check-in at the door that will reduce the valet parking fees to $6.00 per car, not including gratuities. We do encourage carpooling!
See photos from Past IDA Mixers:
IDA Mixer October 7, 2009
IDA Mixer August, 28, 2009
IDA Mixer July, 15, 2009