After a Collection Screening of his film El Mariachi, celebrating the 20-year anniversary of its Sundance Film Festival premiere, Robert Rodriguez reminisces about the film’s production and answers audience questions. Recorded January 19, 2013Read More
Marc Ruxin compares the entrepreneur attitude of independent filmmakers with the engineers and programmers shaping the technological world. The closing evening of the 30th annual Sundance Film Festival seemed like an opportune time to ponder the similarities between two sets of oddly kindred spirits. “It took 10 years, innumerable false starts, five maxed out credit cards, and Read MoreRead More
Based on the life and writings of Mark O’Brien, Ben Lewin’s Sundance Dramatic Competition film “The Sessions” follows a man with an iron lung on a quest to lose his virginity.Read More
Getting a filmmaker to divulge the exact cost of a film is next to impossible. The same goes for distributors when asked about what kind of numbers to expect on the sales end. So at “Distribution X” at Sundance, a panel of distributors were asked to give numbers on wholly imaginary movies.Read More
Ian Calderon, director of digital initiatives for the Sundance Institute, talks with CinemaTech editor Scott Kirsner about trends in independent film: delivering content to mobile phones and Internet-connected TVs, producing in 3-D, piracy, and the challenge of breaking through the noise — whether you’re submitting a film to Sundance or uploading it to Vimeo or Read MoreRead More
The big question – how to find and reach your audience, is being pondered by the folks at the film festival that has become synonymous with “Independent Films”. Alternatives include, online sales, YouTube, and Video On Demand. …PARK CITY, Utah — The starkest picture to emerge from the opening days of this year’s Sundance Film Read MoreRead More
Sundance Film Festival Programmer John Cooper addresses 51 Independent film theatres at Salt Lake City. Cooper founded the Art House Project in 2006 as a tribute to 25 years of the Sundance Film Festival and to honor Independent Art Houses who are vital to filmmakers. On January 13, 2009 exhibitors, bookers, filmmakers, producers met to Read MoreRead More
Showcase of films capitalizing on new distribution models. Description: In today’s brutal marketplace, filmmakers and distributors are forced to think outside the box. From DIY theatrical to multiplatform releases and viral marketing, there are as many new strategies today as there are successful films. Join us as we showcase films capitalizing on the newest opportunities, Read MoreRead More
AJ Schnack offers some advice for filmmakers in his “An Annual State of the Industry Post and Some Festival Advice for Filmmakers.” …Distribution companies shutting down (or seemingly on the rocks). New technologies seeming to arrive on a daily basis. With all the fast and furious changes in the independent film world, it’s become necessary Read MoreRead More
John Anderson’s eye opening trend piece in The New York Times on self-distributing indie films. …When “Bottle Shock” played at the Sundance Film Festival in January, it appeared to possess that mix so tantalizing to well-heeled indie distributors. It had a name cast, including Bill Pullman and Alan Rickman. The director came with a track Read MoreRead More
John August replies to Mark Gill’s LA Time’s article “The sky is falling on indie film.” In the process he discusses his independent film “The Nines,” the roll of Sundance in the indie film world, the realities, the future and other great advice for anyone wanting to distribute their small film. Some may find it Read MoreRead More
By: Jeremy Coon (producer, “Napoleon Dynamite”) Based on my observations, the biggest mistake independent filmmakers make is not having a realistic strategy for the sale and distribution of their film. Plenty focus on raising money and the many physical aspects of producing their film, which are all extremely important, but they don’t give enough thought Read MoreRead More
