IFP Market Dispatch: Distribution and its Discontents
The IFP Market, a collection of panels and conferences for the independent film community thats been taking place at the Puck Center since Sunday, got down to business yesterday during a conversation centered on the most vital and troublesome aspect of the field: Distribution. The panel, entitled The State of Independents, was hosted by indieWIRE editor-in-chief Eugene Hernandez and featured an eclectic group of filmmakers and distributors. Many ideas and concerns were expressed about the state of the industry, but one issue was highlighted more than any other: Too many movies, not enough screens.
The biggest change [in independent film] that Ive seen is the number of film that are released, lamented Bill Thompson, Head of Distribution for Picturehouse. Last Sunday in the New York Times, I think there were 15 films reviewed thats a challenge for any one of those films: getting noticed on your own merits. Even the most rabid filmgoer is going to see one, or maybe two, films a weekend, and if there are six, seven, or eight of them opening, not everybodys going to survive.
Peter Goldwyn, VP of Acquisitions for Samuel Goldwyn Films, concurred. There is a real saturation in movies and not enough screens for them, he said. Specialized films arent really suited for blitzkrieg marketing. They need time to build word of mouth.
The biggest casualty of this extreme saturation? According to Tom Quinn, Head of Acquisitions for Magnolia Pictures, its the documentary. I believe the theatrical docs audience has come of age [so that] they expect just as much as they do from other specialized films, he explained, citing his companys disappointment over the mediocre reception of their explosive documentary about a guy who blinded his future wife, Crazy Love. It was a high profile buy for us at Sundance and wound up being a disappointing theatrical release for us in terms of box office.
Of course, narrative filmmakers have their distribution woes as well. Michael Kang, the youngish director whose earlier Sundance hit The Motel was released at Film Forum last year, has yet to find a distributor for his sophomore effort, the Tribeca Film Festival-screened Korean gangster film West 32nd Street. Kang admitted that he was scared about the unknown future for his film, calling himself the newbie at the table.
The director whose legacy precedes Kang also represented the happy ending of the distribution struggle. Charles Burnett, whose film Killer of Sheep, a revolutionary 1977 narrative about a lower class African American dealing with day-to-day stresses and the durability of his personal moral code, never found actual distribution until this year, when it was released by IFC Films and did incredibly well. (Initially, it couldnt be commercially released because Burnett couldnt get the rights to the music he used in the film, which he made as a film school thesis project.)
I must give credit to Milestone Films, Burnett said, speaking of the talented team who restored the classic production that inspired the likes of David Gordon Green. It was their passion that really made film work. They went through a lot of obstacles to make the film successful. They knew which critics favored the film, and got them involved.
It should be pointed out that, when Burnett speaks of the critics who championed the film, he is undoubtedly referring to New York Press critic Armond White. The success of Killer of Sheep speaks to the power of the written word, which will continue to sustain the legacy of Burnetts accomplishment: On November 13, Milestone Films will release Killer of Sheep: The Charles Burnett Collection, a DVD containing the restored film in addition to Burnetts My Brothers Wedding, three short films, and liner notes by White himself. Its the ultimate success story, thirty years in the making. Dont sweat it, Kang.
Top, clockwise from left: Michael Kang, Peter Goldwyn, Charles Burnett, Bill Thompson; center: Eugene Hernandez. Photos by Eric Kohn.