The Independent | Obsessed with independent film since 1978.

The Independent: obsessed with independent film since 1978

Tuesday 13th of May 2008

		As Sundance Sells to Cablevision, Filmmakers Ponder the Future On Wednesday, May 7, the Sundance Channel announced that it had been acquired by Cablevision—the nation's fifth biggest operator, the parent of IFC and AMC, and a big player in the Northeast—for nearly $500 million. Robert Redford would remain affiliated with the network under the terms of the deal. So what does this mean for filmmakers who view the channel as both a key distribution outlet and a place that creates a sense of community for them? The Independent's Mike Hofman asked a few filmmakers for their views on the deal. Do you have an opinion? If so, read the article and then add your comment.
		The Doc Doctor's Anatomy of a Film: "Plagues & Pleasures on the Salton Sea" The Independent's Doc Doctor Fernanda Rossi analyzes the success of Plagues & Pleasures on the Salton Sea (view the trailer), directed by Chris Metzler and Jeff Springer. The filmmakers talk about sleeping in their car, having a camera melt in the heat, landing John Waters as a narrator, and re-editing their film after its world premiere at Slamdance. Also, check out Rossi's last "Anatomy" column on The Longing. Attention Colorado Filmmakers: The Doc will be conducting her signature workshops on story structure and trailer mechanics in Denver on May 17 and 18; she is also speaking at the Boston Media Market on May 30. For details, visit Documentarydoctor.com.
		To Shoot "Flying," Jennifer Fox Gave Up Control of Her Camera Most documentaries are shot by a DP or the director. Few subjects, if any, get to participate in the actual process of filming. But as Jennifer Fox began to make her latest film, she decided to experiment with a democratic approach that she has come to call "passing the camera." The technique makes Flying: Confessions of a Free Woman personal and intimate, as many documentaries are — but also unconventional and strangely universal. The Independent's Michele Meek takes a look at the six-hour series (view the trailer), which airs on the Sundance Channel this month.
		Blogging Hot Docs: A Few Wise Words from Richard Leacock Wrapping up his blog from Hot Docs in Toronto, filmmaker Paul Devlin writes about some of the memorable conversations he has had this past week with filmmakers from around the world. He also reflects on a charming speech given by Richard Leacock (pictured at left), the 86-year-old documentary legend who was awarded a lifetime achievement award. Plus: A few thoughts on Paul Rowley's Seaview (view the trailer), Astrid Bussink's The Lost Colony (view the trailer), and Tanaz Eshaghian's Be Like Others.
		Blogging Hot Docs: Playing the Pre-Sale, Co-Production Game Still euphoric over his film's reception at Hot Docs, filmmaker Paul Devlin heads over to the Toronto Documentary Forum where a sober mood prevails among his fellow documentarians. Among the 30 participants invited to pitch future projects to commissioning editors around the world, only Eugene Jarecki mustered much enthusiasm (for a Ronald Reagan project.) Devlin also met up with Geoffrey Smith, director of The English Surgeon (said surgeon is pictured at left; view the trailer), who had smart advice for filmmakers on budgets, editing, and shooting.
		Blogging Hot Docs: Will Online Platforms Save Documentary Film? "A premiere can be an ecstatic experience, but there's a bit of a hangover the next day," writes filmmaker Paul Devlin from the Hot Docs festival in Toronto, where his film BLAST! debuted to a sold-out house. "Now what? Will the movie get in more festivals or is this it? Is this movie going to sell? Will we make our money back?" These questions are common in today's over-saturated documentary marketplace and with all the new online distribution platforms popping up. Plus: Thoughts on John Walker's Passage (left), Juan Carlos Pineiro's Second Skin, and Celia Maysles' Wild Blue Yonder.
		Blogging Hot Docs: What Happened At My Film's World Premiere At long last, filmmaker Paul Devlin's documentary BLAST! has its world premiere at Hot Docs in Toronto, which also happens to be where many of the scientists who appear in the film live and work. That makes for a warm reception for the documentary (view the trailer). But, as Devlin writes, putting the finished project in front of the audience for the first time was not without its surprises.
		Blogging Hot Docs: BBC's Nick Fraser Named a "Doc Mogul" At the Hot Docs festival in Toronto, filmmaker Paul Devlin attends a luncheon honoring Nick Fraser, the editor of BBC's documentary program Storyville, who also happens to be the executive producer on Devlin's new film BLAST!. In accepting his "Doc Mogul" award, Fraser offers filmmakers the following advice: be ambitious in your storytelling and message, figure out how to survive in a system that offers you less and less support, and "pray for the grace of accuracy."
		Blogging Hot Docs: The Director of "BLAST!" Hits Toronto Paul Devlin's last film Power Trip, a look at a culture clash between American utility executives and some Russian workers they inherit in a merger, won the award for best international documentary feature at Hot Docs in Toronto in 2003. But due to the SARS scare, the filmmaker wasn't there to enjoy the accolades in person. This year, he's unveiling BLAST! (view the trailer), a new doc about a group of astrophysicists whose work takes them on a trip the length of the world. Devlin is blogging this week from Hot Docs.
		Adventures in Self Distribution: Three Case Studies Unless you get your film into the very top festivals like Sundance, Toronto, or Cannes, you'll probably have a hard time attracting interest from an established distributor. So how can you get your film in front of audiences? The makers of three successful indies—The Sensation of Sight, Buddy, and On Broadway (pictured)—chose to self-distribute. As The Independent's Lynn Tryba reports, this grassroots approach is hard work and there's no sure payoff. But self-distribution can work beautifully—turning a small film into a word-of-mouth phenomenon. Part 4 of our special report on distribution.
		The Peabody Award Winners: Watch Trailers and Clips The 67th annual Peabody Award winners were announced on April 2. Among the honorees: Taxi to the Dark Side, Alex Gibney's Oscar-winning look at the torture of alleged terrorists in Afghanistan; Silence of the Bees, a film about colony collapse disorder; Billy Strayhorn: Lush Life, a biography of the composer; Cheney's Law, about the veep's sweeping claims of executive privilege; Nimrod Nation, a rumination on small-town life; Sisters in Law (left), a look at two sisters who defend women's rights in Africa; and To Die in Jerusalem, an intimate take on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. To view clips from these films, click on their names above or go to our "Watch" page.
		Download This: The Future of Distribution is Just a Click Away If Hollywood is slow to make the leap online, independents are even more hesitant, fearing the gradual (or dramatic) shaving of their profit margins, which are low to begin with. What is the future of Internet film distribution? The Independent's Michele Meek takes a look the upstarts who are changing the way the distribution game is played, including Movieflix, EZTakes, Jaman, FilmOn, and, yes, Google Video.
		The DVD Isn't Dead... At Least Not Yet The future of film distribution is all about downloading, and the DVD is poised for extinction, right? Not so fast says Patrick Kwiatkowski, the founder of Microcinema, a company that distributes independent features and shorts. He notes that independent filmmakers always struggle to make money, but that they have a better chance of making a few bucks from DVD sales than they do from downloads. Kwiatkowski recently spoke with The Independent's Erin Trahan, for Part 2 in our special report on independent-film distribution.
		Letter to a Filmmaker Seeking Distribution So you want to get distribution for your film? In a letter to filmmakers seeking distribution, Cynthia Close, the executive director of Documentary Educational Resources, offers tips on how—and how not—to approach distributors. Close's company has a focus on international fare and often picks up films at festivals in places such as Brazil, Toronto, and Beijing. According to Close, you should do due dilligence on the company you're approaching. Make sure you label your DVD properly. And do you really have to have an agent? Part 3 of our special report on independent film distribution.

		Advice and Resources for Documentary Filmmakers (from the Learn section) We are thrilled that Fernanda Rossi, the Doc Doctor, has re-joined The Independent as a senior contributing editor. Her latest monthly column, "Anatomy of a Film", will look at documentaries that have hit it big, and trace how the filmmakers got from the idea stage to successful distribution. Meanwhile, our Documentary section also features the complete archives of Fernanda's immensely popular Ask the Doc Doctor series, as well as interviews with seasoned documentarians (see King Corn pictured at left) and helpful articles on topics ranging from budgeting to editing.
		Advice and Resources on Film Distribution (from the Learn section) The Independent's popular Distributor FAQ series is back with recent profiles on Wolfe Releasing, a company that distributes LGBT films, and Landmark Media (pictured at left), which specializes in films used by teachers in grade schools. To read more about distribution, visit the Distribution section.
		From Our Free Classifieds: Columbus International Film Festival Now in its 56th year, the Columbus International Film and Video Festival has recently put out its call for entries. The program, also known as the Chris Awards, is administered by the the Film Council Of Greater Columbus under executive director Susan B. Halpern. Last year's best of festival selection was the film Becoming a Woman in Zanskar by Jean Michel Corillion. The deadline for entries this year is July 1. Visit our Classifieds page for more information and to read other postings.

Note: The Independent was formerly The Independent Film & Video Monthly published by the AIVF (Association of Independent Video and Filmmakers).