Thirty years of bringing compelling stories to the screen have earned Stephen Woolley and Elizabeth Karlsen the ultimate recognition, the Observer can reveal
It is hard to imagine what students would have put up on their bedroom walls over the past 30 years without the work of Stephen Woolley and his wife and fellow producer, Elizabeth Karlsen. The posters for all the films they have either produced or distributed tell the story of independent cinema.
After bringing audiences foreign arthouse hits such as Paris Texas, Eraserhead and Diva, Woolley had his first triumph as a producer with The Company of Wolves in 1984, going on to make a series of landmarks in British cinema, including Letter to Brezhnev, Absolute Beginners, Mona Lisa, the Oscar-winner The Crying Game, Scandal, The End of the Affair and Made in Dagenham. And this winter, the Observer can reveal, the couple are to be honoured by Bafta...
It is hard to imagine what students would have put up on their bedroom walls over the past 30 years without the work of Stephen Woolley and his wife and fellow producer, Elizabeth Karlsen. The posters for all the films they have either produced or distributed tell the story of independent cinema.
After bringing audiences foreign arthouse hits such as Paris Texas, Eraserhead and Diva, Woolley had his first triumph as a producer with The Company of Wolves in 1984, going on to make a series of landmarks in British cinema, including Letter to Brezhnev, Absolute Beginners, Mona Lisa, the Oscar-winner The Crying Game, Scandal, The End of the Affair and Made in Dagenham. And this winter, the Observer can reveal, the couple are to be honoured by Bafta...
- 12/15/2018
- by Vanessa Thorpe Arts and Media Correspondent
- The Guardian - Film News
1985 was the year of Back To The Future, Rocky IV and Rambo II. But what about these 20 movies, that also deserve a fair share of love?
Thirty years ago, Marty McFly was riding high with the smash hit Back To The Future, while Sylvester Stallone enjoyed his most successful year yet with the one-two punch of Rambo: First Blood Part II and Rocky IV. It was an era of family sci-fi and teen comedies and bullet-spraying action, where The Breakfast Club and Teen Wolf rubbed shoulders with Death Wish 3 and Commando. Then there were low-key dramas like Out Of Africa and The Color Purple, which were both awards magnets at the Oscars.
Away from all those big hits, 1985 saw the release of a wealth of less successful movies, some of which found a second life on the then-huge home video circuit. Here's our pick of 20 underappreciated films from the year of Rambo,...
Thirty years ago, Marty McFly was riding high with the smash hit Back To The Future, while Sylvester Stallone enjoyed his most successful year yet with the one-two punch of Rambo: First Blood Part II and Rocky IV. It was an era of family sci-fi and teen comedies and bullet-spraying action, where The Breakfast Club and Teen Wolf rubbed shoulders with Death Wish 3 and Commando. Then there were low-key dramas like Out Of Africa and The Color Purple, which were both awards magnets at the Oscars.
Away from all those big hits, 1985 saw the release of a wealth of less successful movies, some of which found a second life on the then-huge home video circuit. Here's our pick of 20 underappreciated films from the year of Rambo,...
- 9/2/2015
- by ryanlambie
- Den of Geek
More4 will broadcast a special tribute to Lord Richard Attenborough tonight (August 26).
The one-off programme will look back at the career of the actor and director, who died aged 90 on Sunday (August 24).
Steven Spielberg, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Penelope Wilton, Hayley Mills and Sir Kenneth Branagh will be among the friends and colleagues who will reflect on their memories of working with Attenborough.
Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, broadcaster Melvyn Bragg and former Channel 4 Chief Executive Michael Grade will also appear.
The special will also include archive material from many of Attenborough's films, including Brighton Rock, 10 Rillington Place and Gandhi.
Channel 4's Chief Executive David Abraham said: "As well as being one of Britain's finest actors and directors, he was also one of the founding fathers of Channel 4.
"He was Deputy Chairman from 1982 to 1987, having turned down the Chairmanship as he was busy making Ghandi. He was then...
The one-off programme will look back at the career of the actor and director, who died aged 90 on Sunday (August 24).
Steven Spielberg, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Penelope Wilton, Hayley Mills and Sir Kenneth Branagh will be among the friends and colleagues who will reflect on their memories of working with Attenborough.
Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, broadcaster Melvyn Bragg and former Channel 4 Chief Executive Michael Grade will also appear.
The special will also include archive material from many of Attenborough's films, including Brighton Rock, 10 Rillington Place and Gandhi.
Channel 4's Chief Executive David Abraham said: "As well as being one of Britain's finest actors and directors, he was also one of the founding fathers of Channel 4.
"He was Deputy Chairman from 1982 to 1987, having turned down the Chairmanship as he was busy making Ghandi. He was then...
- 8/26/2014
- Digital Spy
Genre filmmaker Robert Rodriguez's El Rey Network announced today that Alfred Molina (The Da Vinci Code, Spider Man 2) has been cast as Andres Galan in the network's upcoming scripted original set to premiere July 2014. Previously announced cast members include Gabriel Luna, Nicky Whelan and Neil Hopkins.
Created by Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, and produced in association with K/O Paper Products, the coveted writing/producing team behind Sleepy Hollow, Fringe , Star Trek and the Transformer franchise, Matador will feature Molina as Andrew Galan, a man who built his fortune in the telecom industry, but his true passion is soccer. As owner of the ascendant La Riot franchise, he is celebrated in both the sports and business worlds. But there is another world that he operates in -- as a member of an elite group of powerful global players, ruthless individuals who can effect world events on a scale that one would never imagine. What Galan doesn't know is that there is a mole in his midst. One of his new players, Tony Bravo, is actually an undercover operative, sent in to expose him and his cohorts. As Tony and Galan grow closer, the fate of their relationship may very well determine the fate of the world.
Irreverent and action-packed, Matador chronicles the unlikely rise of Antonio "Matador" Bravo, a popular soccer star, who comes to be known as much for his playboy antics off the field as his dynamic moves on it. But what his fans and family don't realize is that it's all a cover--in truth, he is a skilled covert operative executing missions for a little known branch of the CIA. “Matador” has the kind of fame and notoriety that affords him access to powerful circles of corruption and villainy. But, in balancing the dueling roles in which he's been cast, he will be forced to confront the question of his true identity...and it is this mission which will prove to be his most dangerous.
Robert Rodriguez, El Rey Network's chairman and founder, is set to direct the first episode which will be penned by showrunners, co-creators and executive producers Jay Beattie and Dan Dworkin
An accomplished London-born actor whose diverse and distinguished gallery of performances have led to a lengthy and triumphant career in film, television and the stage, Alfred Molina is best known for his roles in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2 and Steven Soderberg’s Frida. Molina made his American film debut in Raiders of the Lost Ark and later appeared in Letter to Brezhnev, but his movie breakthrough came two years later when he portrayed Kenneth Halliwell, the tragic lover of playwright Joe Orton, in Stephen Frears' Prick Up Your Ears. His other feature film credits include The Da Vinci Code, Boogie Nights, Magnolia , Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time , The Pink Panther 2, Enchanted April, Not Without My Daughter , The Perez Family, Anna Karenina and Chocolat , among others. On television, he most recently starred on NBC’s Law & Order: Los Angeles and David E. Kelley’s TNT drama series Monday Mornings. Molina’s stage work includes two major Royal National Theatre productions, Tennessee Williams' The Night of the Iguana and David Mamet's Speed the Plow, as well as his Broadway debut in Yasmina Reza's Art, for which he received a Tony Award® nomination. Molina also performed in the highly celebrated UK-based Donmar Warehouse production of Red which opened on Broadway in April 2010 and for which Mr. Molina received rave reviews and a Tony Award® nomination. Most recently, Molina completed the feature film Love Is Strange opposite John Lithgow for director Ira Sachs. The film premiered at Sundance this year, and will be released later in the year by Sony Classics. He also shot the feature films, Swelter for director/writer Keith Parmer, We'll Never Have Paris for director/writer Simon Helberg with co-stars Zachary Quinto and Maggie Grace, Return to Zero with co-star Minnie Driver and The Normal Heart for HBO in which he co-stars opposite Mark Ruffalo and Julia Roberts.
Matador executive producers are Jay Beattie and Dan Dworkin, also showrunners, alongside executive producers Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman and Andrew Orci. Also joining as executive producers are Heather Kadin of K/O Paper Products; Robert Rodriguez and FactoryMade Ventures and El Rey Network co-founders John Fogelman and Cristina Patwa.
Entertainment One Television (eOne) exclusively represents worldwide distribution rights (with the exception of U.S. broadcast network rights) for El Rey Network's "Matador" and other original scripted series created for the U.S based cable network, to be announced.
About El Rey Network:
El Rey Network is a new 24-hour English-language network founded by maverick filmmaker Robert Rodriguez. Curated by Rodriguez and his artistic collective, the network will unite the most culturally diverse generation in history through fearless, badass and original content that awakens the renegade in everyone. The network's action-packed content is anchored by original signature dramas, feature films, grindhouse genre, cult classic action and horror/sci-fi. El Rey Network LLC (www.elreynetwork.com) is jointly owned by Robert Rodriguez and FactoryMade Ventures with a minority stake held by Univision Networks & Studios, Inc.
About FactoryMade Ventures:
Founded by John Fogelman and Cristina Patwa, FactoryMade develops, produces and oversees media and entertainment franchises in partnership with leading Hollywood talent and global brands and investors. The company founded El Rey Network and Tres Pistoleros Studios with renowned filmmaker Robert Rodriguez and Univision Communications, Inc. It also forged a joint venture with leading Mexican wrestling league Lucha Libre Aaa and four-time Emmy® Award winner Mark Burnett and Hearst Corporation’s One Three Media. It executive produces a slate of scripted and non-scripted television shows including From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series, the remake of the cult classic by Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino, and Matador, an original production with Bob Orci and Alex Kurtzman. Previously, the team spearheaded the creation of Hasbro’s film business and television business with Transformers, G.I. Joe, Hasbro Studios and the Hub Network with Discovery Communications, and created retail’s first digital gaming and commerce platform Hsn Arcade.
About Entertainment One:
Entertainment One Ltd. (Lse: Eto) is a leading international entertainment company that specializes in the acquisition, production and distribution of film and television content. The company’s comprehensive network extends around the globe including Canada, the U.S., the UK, Ireland, Spain, Benelux, France, Germany, Scandinavia, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and South Korea. Through established Entertainment and Distribution divisions, the company provides extensive expertise in film distribution, television and music production, family programming and merchandising and licensing. Its current rights library is exploited across all media formats and includes more than 35,000 film and television titles, 2,800 hours of television programming and 45,000 music tracks. Through strong relationships with broadcasters and content providers, eOne Television International has successfully sold eOne’s original and third-party productions to over 500 broadcasters in 150 countries, including key Us networks and international pay TV channels.
Created by Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, and produced in association with K/O Paper Products, the coveted writing/producing team behind Sleepy Hollow, Fringe , Star Trek and the Transformer franchise, Matador will feature Molina as Andrew Galan, a man who built his fortune in the telecom industry, but his true passion is soccer. As owner of the ascendant La Riot franchise, he is celebrated in both the sports and business worlds. But there is another world that he operates in -- as a member of an elite group of powerful global players, ruthless individuals who can effect world events on a scale that one would never imagine. What Galan doesn't know is that there is a mole in his midst. One of his new players, Tony Bravo, is actually an undercover operative, sent in to expose him and his cohorts. As Tony and Galan grow closer, the fate of their relationship may very well determine the fate of the world.
Irreverent and action-packed, Matador chronicles the unlikely rise of Antonio "Matador" Bravo, a popular soccer star, who comes to be known as much for his playboy antics off the field as his dynamic moves on it. But what his fans and family don't realize is that it's all a cover--in truth, he is a skilled covert operative executing missions for a little known branch of the CIA. “Matador” has the kind of fame and notoriety that affords him access to powerful circles of corruption and villainy. But, in balancing the dueling roles in which he's been cast, he will be forced to confront the question of his true identity...and it is this mission which will prove to be his most dangerous.
Robert Rodriguez, El Rey Network's chairman and founder, is set to direct the first episode which will be penned by showrunners, co-creators and executive producers Jay Beattie and Dan Dworkin
An accomplished London-born actor whose diverse and distinguished gallery of performances have led to a lengthy and triumphant career in film, television and the stage, Alfred Molina is best known for his roles in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2 and Steven Soderberg’s Frida. Molina made his American film debut in Raiders of the Lost Ark and later appeared in Letter to Brezhnev, but his movie breakthrough came two years later when he portrayed Kenneth Halliwell, the tragic lover of playwright Joe Orton, in Stephen Frears' Prick Up Your Ears. His other feature film credits include The Da Vinci Code, Boogie Nights, Magnolia , Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time , The Pink Panther 2, Enchanted April, Not Without My Daughter , The Perez Family, Anna Karenina and Chocolat , among others. On television, he most recently starred on NBC’s Law & Order: Los Angeles and David E. Kelley’s TNT drama series Monday Mornings. Molina’s stage work includes two major Royal National Theatre productions, Tennessee Williams' The Night of the Iguana and David Mamet's Speed the Plow, as well as his Broadway debut in Yasmina Reza's Art, for which he received a Tony Award® nomination. Molina also performed in the highly celebrated UK-based Donmar Warehouse production of Red which opened on Broadway in April 2010 and for which Mr. Molina received rave reviews and a Tony Award® nomination. Most recently, Molina completed the feature film Love Is Strange opposite John Lithgow for director Ira Sachs. The film premiered at Sundance this year, and will be released later in the year by Sony Classics. He also shot the feature films, Swelter for director/writer Keith Parmer, We'll Never Have Paris for director/writer Simon Helberg with co-stars Zachary Quinto and Maggie Grace, Return to Zero with co-star Minnie Driver and The Normal Heart for HBO in which he co-stars opposite Mark Ruffalo and Julia Roberts.
Matador executive producers are Jay Beattie and Dan Dworkin, also showrunners, alongside executive producers Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman and Andrew Orci. Also joining as executive producers are Heather Kadin of K/O Paper Products; Robert Rodriguez and FactoryMade Ventures and El Rey Network co-founders John Fogelman and Cristina Patwa.
Entertainment One Television (eOne) exclusively represents worldwide distribution rights (with the exception of U.S. broadcast network rights) for El Rey Network's "Matador" and other original scripted series created for the U.S based cable network, to be announced.
About El Rey Network:
El Rey Network is a new 24-hour English-language network founded by maverick filmmaker Robert Rodriguez. Curated by Rodriguez and his artistic collective, the network will unite the most culturally diverse generation in history through fearless, badass and original content that awakens the renegade in everyone. The network's action-packed content is anchored by original signature dramas, feature films, grindhouse genre, cult classic action and horror/sci-fi. El Rey Network LLC (www.elreynetwork.com) is jointly owned by Robert Rodriguez and FactoryMade Ventures with a minority stake held by Univision Networks & Studios, Inc.
About FactoryMade Ventures:
Founded by John Fogelman and Cristina Patwa, FactoryMade develops, produces and oversees media and entertainment franchises in partnership with leading Hollywood talent and global brands and investors. The company founded El Rey Network and Tres Pistoleros Studios with renowned filmmaker Robert Rodriguez and Univision Communications, Inc. It also forged a joint venture with leading Mexican wrestling league Lucha Libre Aaa and four-time Emmy® Award winner Mark Burnett and Hearst Corporation’s One Three Media. It executive produces a slate of scripted and non-scripted television shows including From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series, the remake of the cult classic by Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino, and Matador, an original production with Bob Orci and Alex Kurtzman. Previously, the team spearheaded the creation of Hasbro’s film business and television business with Transformers, G.I. Joe, Hasbro Studios and the Hub Network with Discovery Communications, and created retail’s first digital gaming and commerce platform Hsn Arcade.
About Entertainment One:
Entertainment One Ltd. (Lse: Eto) is a leading international entertainment company that specializes in the acquisition, production and distribution of film and television content. The company’s comprehensive network extends around the globe including Canada, the U.S., the UK, Ireland, Spain, Benelux, France, Germany, Scandinavia, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and South Korea. Through established Entertainment and Distribution divisions, the company provides extensive expertise in film distribution, television and music production, family programming and merchandising and licensing. Its current rights library is exploited across all media formats and includes more than 35,000 film and television titles, 2,800 hours of television programming and 45,000 music tracks. Through strong relationships with broadcasters and content providers, eOne Television International has successfully sold eOne’s original and third-party productions to over 500 broadcasters in 150 countries, including key Us networks and international pay TV channels.
- 3/25/2014
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
You’ve written the screenplay, raised the money, shot and edited your film, and your movie is finally ‘in the can.’ Congratulations! But now what? It’s time to get your film seen and distributed. Whether you live in New England or anywhere else on the globe, you must navigate your next steps wisely.
This month I speak to Sydney Levine, president of SydneysBuzz -- whose tagline for her company -- “Pulling Back the Curtain on the International Film Industry” -- precisely does just that. Levine focuses on international film industry developments and analysis of the international film market related to buyers, sales agents, filmmakers, film festivals and distribution. Traveling extensively on the international film market circuit, Levine is a hired panel moderator, educator, consultant for filmmakers, the Cannes Film Market, the Berlinale’s European Film Market and Talent Campus, Deutsche Welle Akademie and others. Her company covers events, panels, buying, selling and educational initiatives at Toronto, Sundance, Berlin and Cannes, regularly reporting on who is buying, who is selling, which films stand out, and how the films were created.
Prior to establishing FilmFinders, she helped start the profitable video rental division of Republic Pictures as Vice President of Acquisitions and Development after having spent three years acquiring such feature films for Lorimar as My Beautiful Laundrette, Letter to Brezhnev, Tampopo, and Sugar Baby as part of a wide variety of international artistic and commercial genres. Levine has worked in international distribution for Twentieth Century Fox in Amsterdam, in Ross Perot’s start up video company Inovision, in marketing for ABC Video Enterprises, at Public Media Inc. the social issue documentary division of Films Inc. and Pyramid Films, the award-winning short film distribution company in Santa Monica, California. During her tenure at all these companies she acquired features and documentaries for international and domestic distribution.
Susan Kouguell: You and your partner, Peter Belsito, are known throughout the international film festival circuit for having the finger on the pulse of independent filmmaking for over twenty-five years. The independent film movement has certainly changed dramatically from the early celluloid days -- American Playhouse, the onset of the Sundance Film Festival, Harvey Weinstein at the ‘original’ Miramax Films -- to digital filmmaking and the increase of ancillary markets and venues, to Harvey Weinstein at The Weinstein Company. One thing that hasn’t changed is the quest for filmmakers to get their work seen and distributed. For filmmakers not living in New York City or Los Angeles, their quest can be even more challenging. What tips can you offer to assist filmmakers on their quest for getting their work seen and noticed?
Sydney Levine: Actually you can make that 38 years. When I started at 20th Century Fox International in ’75, I was the first and only woman in international film distribution except for one Dutch woman living in Germany whose company, Cine International, sold independent German films to distributors around the world but whose films never entered the United States. Theatrical and television were the only platforms in those days.
In this day of digital technology, a filmmaker can reach every corner of the world. That means the filmmaker must create a Persona with a personal digital platform which serves as an integral part of mapping out a curriculum vitae. The films are one part of who the Persona is, and the created website and blog must offer more than just the film in order to create the Persona one presents to the world. Secondly, the target audience for one’s films and for one’s other interests must be located and addressed by the Persona on the many levels of their interests. A film cannot stand alone and be noticed. It must be part of a larger picture, whether personal or affiliated with a larger brand.
Sk: What are the current trends in promoting short and feature films at festivals and markets that you find successful and not so successful?
Sl: Festivals have their own websites and use YouTube channels. The brand your film can distinguish itself by might be a festival, such as Sundance or Tribeca (or many others), which have their own platforms to promote and show films, or Cannes whose platform (called Cinando.com) shows the films of the festival and market as well as films of Sundance, Afm (American Film Market), Ventana Sur (the Argentinean market for Latino films), Busan,San Sebastian, Toronto, Deauville and Karlovy Vary film festivals. Cinando is known to the trade (and is only open to the trade) but still has not caught on as broadly as it is intended. Sundance has experimented with showing its shorts on YouTube where it has a channel, as does Tribeca. Tribeca on Demand is also a distribution platform for features which it takes on for distribution. Other festivals also use YouTube to showcase films or trailers…Karlovy Vary, Cinequest, Locarno has The Pardo Channel on You Tube. Some act as distributors and some are only promoting. Again finding these may be an issue -- or not -- depending on their purpose and how they market.
Definitely social networking is an important way to promote films. Subscription newsletters using mail chimp might work over a long trajectory.
Sk: What are the pros and cons of posting a film on platforms such as Vimeo and YouTube before it gets accepted into a film festival or has distribution?
Sl: On the pro side, it can build up a following which might persuade the distribution company to get on board. I think that if an entire film is posted before a film festival, it will destroy its chances to get in the premiere festivals which insist on premieres and it might degrade the pristine discovery element for any other festivals. Other arguments against showing the entire film, is that if it is free, no one will ever need to pay for it again. The purpose of a film is to be seen, but the purpose of the filmmaker should be to have a commercial success which speaks to the business world of distribution about the ability of the film and filmmaker to make money to repay investors and bring financial gain to the distributor. Film is, after all, a commercial art not a “fine art” which also, in fact, must show some financial gain in the end. Film is public and you must have a public that pays.
Sk: Navigating film festivals and film markets can be overwhelming for those trying to get attention for their projects. What tips do you recommend for filmmakers to make the most of their time there?
Sl: Be sure to choose the first festival as the one with the trade attending and looking to acquire films like yours. Be sure not to disqualify the film because you have it already shown it elsewhere. You can use your film as a passport to travel the world or you can use your film to promote your career in the international or in the domestic market. Be conscious of what your end goal is and then create a smart strategy to reach your objective.
Before you arrive, have a one-sheet or postcard with relevant information on you and the film. Know who from the trade is attending and write to them in a way to persuade them to see your film. Make appointments with them to discuss your film after the screening. When you are there, carry your cards and your promotion. Have a 30-second pitch and a longer pitch ready to deliver in the appropriate moments. Be aware of who you are speaking to and speak to them about them, before pitching your own agenda. Attend workshops if there are any.
Sk: Getting an offer from a film distributor to distribute a filmmaker’s project is exciting and a possible foot-in-the door to success. However, filmmakers need to proceed with caution. What should filmmakers look for before they sign on the dotted line?
Sl: First they need to have an experienced entertainment attorney review the contract carefully with them. Actually that is not the first step. The first step is saying how interesting and exciting the offer is and before saying yes, ask for the contract to review with your attorney. Filmmakers also should know how distributors and sales agents work a film so they can ask the right questions about how they will market the film.
Sk: What advice do you have for aspiring filmmakers?
Sl: Read books on the subject, take courses on the film business, attend seminars, join Ifp or Film Independent or San Francisco Film Society and network, stay abreast of new technology. Read at least one trade every day, preferably one that covers the international as well as the U.S. film business. Get to know who is who, and what role they play in the film business, so that when you meet them, you will be able to hold an intelligent conversation with them about what they do. Learn to pitch your film and yourself.
Sk: Anything you would like to add?
Sl: Proceed with passion and with caution. Take good care of yourself and recognize there is another life beyond film. Exercise, meditate, socialize, don’t take too many drugs or drink too much. In the film business it always seems like success is just around the corner. If you are lucky and meet it, your next film will be just as difficult as the first. If you go around too many corners without getting anywhere, give it up and try something new. If you succeed, don’t believe you have it made; don’t believe you are your Persona. Realize you have a human life with human needs and don’t ignore that blessing.
To learn more about Sydney Levine, SydneysBuzz, their consulting services and more, visit:
http://www.sydneysbuzz.com.
This month I speak to Sydney Levine, president of SydneysBuzz -- whose tagline for her company -- “Pulling Back the Curtain on the International Film Industry” -- precisely does just that. Levine focuses on international film industry developments and analysis of the international film market related to buyers, sales agents, filmmakers, film festivals and distribution. Traveling extensively on the international film market circuit, Levine is a hired panel moderator, educator, consultant for filmmakers, the Cannes Film Market, the Berlinale’s European Film Market and Talent Campus, Deutsche Welle Akademie and others. Her company covers events, panels, buying, selling and educational initiatives at Toronto, Sundance, Berlin and Cannes, regularly reporting on who is buying, who is selling, which films stand out, and how the films were created.
Prior to establishing FilmFinders, she helped start the profitable video rental division of Republic Pictures as Vice President of Acquisitions and Development after having spent three years acquiring such feature films for Lorimar as My Beautiful Laundrette, Letter to Brezhnev, Tampopo, and Sugar Baby as part of a wide variety of international artistic and commercial genres. Levine has worked in international distribution for Twentieth Century Fox in Amsterdam, in Ross Perot’s start up video company Inovision, in marketing for ABC Video Enterprises, at Public Media Inc. the social issue documentary division of Films Inc. and Pyramid Films, the award-winning short film distribution company in Santa Monica, California. During her tenure at all these companies she acquired features and documentaries for international and domestic distribution.
Susan Kouguell: You and your partner, Peter Belsito, are known throughout the international film festival circuit for having the finger on the pulse of independent filmmaking for over twenty-five years. The independent film movement has certainly changed dramatically from the early celluloid days -- American Playhouse, the onset of the Sundance Film Festival, Harvey Weinstein at the ‘original’ Miramax Films -- to digital filmmaking and the increase of ancillary markets and venues, to Harvey Weinstein at The Weinstein Company. One thing that hasn’t changed is the quest for filmmakers to get their work seen and distributed. For filmmakers not living in New York City or Los Angeles, their quest can be even more challenging. What tips can you offer to assist filmmakers on their quest for getting their work seen and noticed?
Sydney Levine: Actually you can make that 38 years. When I started at 20th Century Fox International in ’75, I was the first and only woman in international film distribution except for one Dutch woman living in Germany whose company, Cine International, sold independent German films to distributors around the world but whose films never entered the United States. Theatrical and television were the only platforms in those days.
In this day of digital technology, a filmmaker can reach every corner of the world. That means the filmmaker must create a Persona with a personal digital platform which serves as an integral part of mapping out a curriculum vitae. The films are one part of who the Persona is, and the created website and blog must offer more than just the film in order to create the Persona one presents to the world. Secondly, the target audience for one’s films and for one’s other interests must be located and addressed by the Persona on the many levels of their interests. A film cannot stand alone and be noticed. It must be part of a larger picture, whether personal or affiliated with a larger brand.
Sk: What are the current trends in promoting short and feature films at festivals and markets that you find successful and not so successful?
Sl: Festivals have their own websites and use YouTube channels. The brand your film can distinguish itself by might be a festival, such as Sundance or Tribeca (or many others), which have their own platforms to promote and show films, or Cannes whose platform (called Cinando.com) shows the films of the festival and market as well as films of Sundance, Afm (American Film Market), Ventana Sur (the Argentinean market for Latino films), Busan,San Sebastian, Toronto, Deauville and Karlovy Vary film festivals. Cinando is known to the trade (and is only open to the trade) but still has not caught on as broadly as it is intended. Sundance has experimented with showing its shorts on YouTube where it has a channel, as does Tribeca. Tribeca on Demand is also a distribution platform for features which it takes on for distribution. Other festivals also use YouTube to showcase films or trailers…Karlovy Vary, Cinequest, Locarno has The Pardo Channel on You Tube. Some act as distributors and some are only promoting. Again finding these may be an issue -- or not -- depending on their purpose and how they market.
Definitely social networking is an important way to promote films. Subscription newsletters using mail chimp might work over a long trajectory.
Sk: What are the pros and cons of posting a film on platforms such as Vimeo and YouTube before it gets accepted into a film festival or has distribution?
Sl: On the pro side, it can build up a following which might persuade the distribution company to get on board. I think that if an entire film is posted before a film festival, it will destroy its chances to get in the premiere festivals which insist on premieres and it might degrade the pristine discovery element for any other festivals. Other arguments against showing the entire film, is that if it is free, no one will ever need to pay for it again. The purpose of a film is to be seen, but the purpose of the filmmaker should be to have a commercial success which speaks to the business world of distribution about the ability of the film and filmmaker to make money to repay investors and bring financial gain to the distributor. Film is, after all, a commercial art not a “fine art” which also, in fact, must show some financial gain in the end. Film is public and you must have a public that pays.
Sk: Navigating film festivals and film markets can be overwhelming for those trying to get attention for their projects. What tips do you recommend for filmmakers to make the most of their time there?
Sl: Be sure to choose the first festival as the one with the trade attending and looking to acquire films like yours. Be sure not to disqualify the film because you have it already shown it elsewhere. You can use your film as a passport to travel the world or you can use your film to promote your career in the international or in the domestic market. Be conscious of what your end goal is and then create a smart strategy to reach your objective.
Before you arrive, have a one-sheet or postcard with relevant information on you and the film. Know who from the trade is attending and write to them in a way to persuade them to see your film. Make appointments with them to discuss your film after the screening. When you are there, carry your cards and your promotion. Have a 30-second pitch and a longer pitch ready to deliver in the appropriate moments. Be aware of who you are speaking to and speak to them about them, before pitching your own agenda. Attend workshops if there are any.
Sk: Getting an offer from a film distributor to distribute a filmmaker’s project is exciting and a possible foot-in-the door to success. However, filmmakers need to proceed with caution. What should filmmakers look for before they sign on the dotted line?
Sl: First they need to have an experienced entertainment attorney review the contract carefully with them. Actually that is not the first step. The first step is saying how interesting and exciting the offer is and before saying yes, ask for the contract to review with your attorney. Filmmakers also should know how distributors and sales agents work a film so they can ask the right questions about how they will market the film.
Sk: What advice do you have for aspiring filmmakers?
Sl: Read books on the subject, take courses on the film business, attend seminars, join Ifp or Film Independent or San Francisco Film Society and network, stay abreast of new technology. Read at least one trade every day, preferably one that covers the international as well as the U.S. film business. Get to know who is who, and what role they play in the film business, so that when you meet them, you will be able to hold an intelligent conversation with them about what they do. Learn to pitch your film and yourself.
Sk: Anything you would like to add?
Sl: Proceed with passion and with caution. Take good care of yourself and recognize there is another life beyond film. Exercise, meditate, socialize, don’t take too many drugs or drink too much. In the film business it always seems like success is just around the corner. If you are lucky and meet it, your next film will be just as difficult as the first. If you go around too many corners without getting anywhere, give it up and try something new. If you succeed, don’t believe you have it made; don’t believe you are your Persona. Realize you have a human life with human needs and don’t ignore that blessing.
To learn more about Sydney Levine, SydneysBuzz, their consulting services and more, visit:
http://www.sydneysbuzz.com.
- 12/5/2013
- by Susan Kouguell
- Sydney's Buzz
Three films to be shot in Bristol over six months as part of project to encourage new talent and boost city's growing reputation
One is a ghost story that takes place on the spooky borderland between town and country, while another is a twisted romance set in a call centre. The third is a story about love and politics in the aerospace industry.
At a time when arts organisations are fighting for money and survival, it was announced today that three full-length feature films are to be made in Bristol over the next six months.
The films are being made with public and private money as part of a project aimed at encouraging young talent, boosting the city's burgeoning film industry and perhaps prompting other cities to follow suit.
Bristol has a growing reputation in the film world, led by Aardman, the creators of Wallace and Gromit, and Banksy, a...
One is a ghost story that takes place on the spooky borderland between town and country, while another is a twisted romance set in a call centre. The third is a story about love and politics in the aerospace industry.
At a time when arts organisations are fighting for money and survival, it was announced today that three full-length feature films are to be made in Bristol over the next six months.
The films are being made with public and private money as part of a project aimed at encouraging young talent, boosting the city's burgeoning film industry and perhaps prompting other cities to follow suit.
Bristol has a growing reputation in the film world, led by Aardman, the creators of Wallace and Gromit, and Banksy, a...
- 10/18/2010
- by Steven Morris
- The Guardian - Film News
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