SIDEBAR: TOP FIVE THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN SEEKING INDIE DISTRIBUTION
Times are tougher than ever for getting indie product out there. But according to the Distribute This! panel, there are a few markers to help filmmakers "think outside the box" and write that happy ending:
Know your audience: According to Eamonn Bowles, president of Magnolia Pictures and former president of Shooting Gallery Pictures: "The upside on art films like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon or Traffic is greater than ever. But those films are very rare, and most independent films are designed for a small, specific audience." Bowles called it "foolish" to try and compete with the studios on their turf. "You have to secure your core specialty audience and grow from there," he emphasized. "It's incredibly labor-intensive and you have to find people who are willing to spend a lot of time, not always money, to build quality word-of-mouth."
Consider other venues beside theatrical: "I never once regretted going with Showtime, because more people saw this movie than anything I've had released theatrically," said director Allison Anders about her film Things Behind the Sun. "Television is the beneficiary of this huge glut of indie films in the theatrical market," added Showtime VP Gary Garfinkle. "Things Behind the Sun, in its premiere month, played on Showtime, Showtime Women, and Sundance Channel, which is in more than ten millions homes. The glamour might not be the same as a theatrical release, but for a low-budget film, cable offers an incredible amount of exposure."
Don't forget the exhibitor: Senior VP of Marketing and Distribution for IFC Films Bob Berney said that the business is still a partnership between distributors and exhibitors. "There are still exhibitors, like Landmark and Lincoln Plaza in New York, who rely on their gut instincts. If they love a film, they will give it time to find its audience. The pressures of having to perform on that first opening weekend are lessened in these indie-friendly chains, and people like a Mike McClellan or a Dan Talbot, can be approached directly."
Go to film festivals: Panel moderator and New York Times film critic Elvis Mitchell said, "I go to film festivals, because they are still the best place to see new and interesting work. For many indies they are the last stop, but even if you don't get a distribution offer at a festival, critics like myself may see the film and use the power of the media to help the movie along."
Dare to be different: "The reason Memento was so successful," said Landmark's VP and Co-Head Film Buyer Michael McClellan, "was that it was radically different from any other indie film out there. Our audience thrives on the alternative to the mainstream, and filmmakers need to keep that in mind when they're making their movies." Memento co-producer Jennifer Todd said, "This is a business on every level and independents have to find something that is marketable in their films, like the hook we used for Memento. It was an element in the story that was totally unique and was sold very passionately by everyone involved."
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