If Werner Herzog can't sell an indie film then who can?

I'm getting more and more disillusioned in film festivals these days. In the past, it seems, that film festivals were places for the independent filmmaker to get his film seen and his talents showcased. Now, they are more of an open marketplace for big time actors to sell their smaller films.

Have you seen the trailer for Moon yet? Kevin Spacey and Sam Rockwell, on the freakin' moon. Sure, it looks interesting, but in no way, would it normally be classified as a festival film.

And, if a drug addled Nick Cage can't get any bids, well...****.
 
I consider this article to be a good thing. That not selling could mean no one's buying, or it could mean no one's getting won over by names they've heard before when nothing else about it beats the competition.
 
i found this on a blog...

An insider on the new Bad Lieutenant team, responding to the Abel Ferrara item posted earlier this morning, explains it all: "The whole reason the film was made was because [executive producer] Avi Lerner got hold of the rights, which he bought from Ed Pressman for an undisclosed sum. And he went out and pre-sold the film in ten countries for $30 million, or an average of $3 million per country.

"Lerner funded the film for $20 million, and pocketed $10 million for himself. Nic Cage, who likes New Orleans and owns a home there, took a substantial pay cut -- only about $2 million -- because he wanted to work with [director] Werner Herzog, who probably got his first decent payday check out of this deal. William Finklestein's script wasn't good but Herzog upgraded it considerably. Lerner didn't even look at the script."
 
Maybe it's just me, but I'm still a little confused about the importance of film festivals. I mean, maybe it's because I live in Chicago where it's not too terribly difficult to get your movie screened at a local venue, but with a lot of people getting larger and larger monitors or even (like myself) having a computer hooked up to their massive HDTV, is there really that much of a need to have your film shown in an actual theatre? All I can think is about the cost of film transfer (as a lot of places still don't have digital projectors).

I think the only true indie marketplace anymore is the internet. And while I'm sure that there are a lot of people who would like their movie to play in a theatre, most indie folks aren't making action-packed popcorn movies (which are the only movies I actually go to a theatre to see). Maybe it's because I don't write comedy -- I just don't see the need for any theatre presence unless you're a big production house trying to get a big return. Otherwise you may as well just charge a dollar at the door on your website (or have commercials before the film starts) and call it a day...
 
Oh -- and I'd TOTALLY rent that film are you kidding? Cage doing a little Fear and Loathing would so be worth the watch.
 
Herzog is the only director who has a chance of making a more over the top remake of Abel Ferrara's original Bad Lieutenant. Nic Cage is the only actor who can possibly outdo Harvey Keitel's role of the Bad Lieutenant.
It's a match made in ....... hell ! This film must be released theatrically. Herzog's Rescue Dawn w/Christian Bale showed Hollywood that he could work within the system and churn out product with the best of them, but Bad Lieutenant could be his real piece d'resistance.

Gotta see this one.
 
Chamber005 said:
Maybe it's just me, but I'm still a little confused about the importance of film festivals.
Click to expand...


There are audiences at festivals and they act as sort of a microcosm of a larger potential market. If acquisition executives SEE that there is interest in a film (at a festival) then it means there IS a potential audience and hence a potential market for a film.

It's sort of a "proving ground" for films. If your goal isn't to sell your film, then it probably doesn't matter.

.
 
Chris Santucci said:
There are audiences at festivals and they act as sort of a microcosm of a larger potential market. If acquisition executives SEE that there is interest in a film (at a festival) then it means there IS a potential audience and hence a potential market for a film.

It's sort of a "proving ground" for films. If your goal isn't to sell your film, then it probably doesn't matter.

.
Click to expand...

Yeah, of course. And also film festivals have long been an area where unsold films can be picked up. It's not that it's the norm, haha, by any means, or that you should expect this. After all there are thousands of festivals. BUT at the bigger festivals, there is absolutely a chance for films to make a mark and increase their statures. That is the point!

Dances With Films, even in its first year in 1998, had 40% of the features that played there sold. That's an excellent number, better than Sundance (by far)! DWF starts tomorrow with the filmmaker's party here in L.A., and my screening (just a short) is June 10, can't wait! It'll be so cool seeing it with a full audience. I've never had that experience so far with this film, I mean just seen it with one or two people at most, usually not even that, usually just hearing people (friends) see it when I gave them a copy or something and them telling me what they thought. Nothing like a full audience.
 
It doesn't look like it stands up to the original Abel Ferrara version number one
and.. Hollywood is kicking everyone out of the playground. The less films, the more they make.

Times is changing. ;)
 
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