Distribution
A Powerful Noise Theatrical Event, March 5
I will be knee-deep in our annual fundraiser on March 5, but I got an event invite on Facebook that I thought you should know about. This is from Tom Capello about his fim A Powerful Noise:
As many of you know, my documentary feature debut, A Powerful Noise, premiered at Tribeca last year. Now everyone will have a chance to see it March 5, 2009 for one night only as we roll the film out to 450 theaters. I know what you are thinking, “But Tom, this is a documentary without Al Gore in it. How could it possibly be in 450 theaters?” Well, it has been a long climb and through the magic of satellite broadcast by Fathom Events we have made it happen in Regal, AMC, and Lowe’s theaters everywhere. After the film, there will be a live panel on solving global poverty and injustice that everyone can see and be a part of that night. Please make every effort to support this movement of women changing the world and support independent documentary film… And bring 5 friends with you! Since this release is nationwide, please invite at least 5 Facebook friends to go to the film. I am curious to see if my FB friends alone could sell out the film just by telling their friends to go and invite their friends. THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT! WE WILL ONLY SELLOUT IF EVERYONE BUYS A TICKET!
Panel Will Feature:
Former Secretary of State, Madeline Albright
New York Times Reporter, Nicholas Kristof
CARE Ambassador/Model, Christy Turlington Burns
President of CARE, Dr. Helene Gayle
[Removed Unconfirmed Guests]
Sundance 09: SXSW & IFC
Yesterday, Ingrid Kopp asked me over Twitter what I thought of the IFC/SXSW announcement of launching SX films on IFC’s VOD platform during the fest. My initial reaction was, no biggie, cool for all involved. After a couple more questions, I realized that Tom Hall wrote one of his long and thoughtful pieces that was prompting Ingrid’s question. Of course, in that case, I owe this more thought, but here is what I’m working with:
1. I love SXSW. It is hands-down my favorite festival (and it was so before I got to Austin). I do a bit of screening for them and last year I did some program notes, so I consider myself invested in their success in a small way. I have to admit that bias, though I feel no less supportive of any other festival. I love film festivals in general.
2. Before I left for Sundance this year, I was hearing ads on my brand new Time Warner digital cable OnDemand that they would be offering 13 films from the Sundance line up while the festival was happening. IFC & SXSW are not the first to create this kind of partnership, they just happened to have held a press conference about it, while I never received so much as a press release from Sundance about their Time Warner partnership. Are you feeling like the general public is over Sundance already because it was on Time Warner? Probably not.
Bird’s Nest: Get It While You Can!
Got a great message from Jonathan Miller over at Icarus Films about a special promotion they are running for an intriguing-looking film, Bird’s Nest by Christoph Schaub & Michael Schindhelm. The film follows the 5-year effort of architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuronto as they build the new 100,000 seat stadium for the Olympic Games. The cool part is that the film had its US premiere at Silverdocs in June, and normally wouldn’t be available to consumers for a while, but Icarus is making it available on Amazon Unbox for the duration of the Olympic games. So, if you are consuming all things Olympic, here’s another vantage point.
I dig the interesting things people are doing to find audiences, and the trailer looks wonderful. Lemme know if you’ve seen the movie.
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iW: Theatrical Docs Down, But Not Out
A quick read of David Ansen’s recent “The End of the Documentary Film Market” over at Newsweek is a good summary of the theatrical marketplace for documentary film as it stands here in mid-summer 2008. Too much content for too few screens, distributors closing their doors and small grosses for the films that do manage openings, with the mind-boggling exception of the Ben Stein anti-Darwin film “Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed” taking in a whopping $7.6 million. Despite the usual filmmaker mantra that their film requires a big screen to properly showcase their story, audiences are deciding with their dollars what movies they want to see in theaters and which they don’t. Read the whole article>>
Train on the Brain
I just watched a very wonderful film, Train on the Brain by Alison Murray. I have to admit to being in a bit of a viewing slump. I’ve been busy with my job and trying to get settled here in Austin. I have a few films atop my TV that deserve my attention. To be honest, the thing that jolted me out of my slump was that I had told the distributor that I’d watch it and I felt like I needed to get back to him (take note: he’s a follow-upper and he’d already nudged me).
Ah, but the film was just what I needed! Murray finds herself drawn in some indomitable way to travel across the country on the train. Embracing the hobo life when she had no “rational” reason for doing so. But she takes to it so fully, while making a film about it, that the film stands as one of the few stories about true freedom. Freedom from bureaucracy, family ties, material belongings but also artistic freedom. The friendships are fast and intense and end not abruptly but like a berg of ice broken into two that slowly drift apart.
Oddly nostalgic at times, but also whimsical and driving. Striking cinematography with amazing scenery, and music that moves your spirit along with the hobos and trains. The film is a true pleasure.
Hollywood Can Suck It is the name of Scott Beiben’s distribution effort. Scott, this is a totally awesome choice with which to launch this company. Hollywood Can Suck It.
[youtube]1rUnFWIhbME[/youtube]
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