Sloan Science and Film

I've known about the Sloan Foundation grants to filmmakers who make movies featuring science and technology, but today was the first time I've been to Museum of the Moving Image's Web site where they feature the Sloan Science and Film. I thought I would share. 

From the Sloan Science and Film Web site: 

Sloan Science and Film is a website devoted to exploring the intersection of science and film, and enhancing the public understanding of science and technology. It features award-winning science-themed short films that have been supported by grants from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, videos of discussions with filmmakers and scientists, news about the Sloan Film Program’s awards and activities, and original articles exploring the cinematic depictions of scientific ideas and the portrayal of scientists and engineers in film and television.

It's a pretty cool place to see work from some interesting artists. Maybe you will find your next director there!

More on the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation: 

 
The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation has been giving production and screenwriting grants to filmmakers since 1997. The Sloan Film Program, led by Program Director Doron Weber, supports the creation of realistic and entertaining stories about science and technology, many of which challenge existing stereotypes about scientists and engineers.

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The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus to Be Sold Early...Hmm

So the Hollywood Reporter features an article today about how the filmmakers and U.S. producer rep Cinetic Media have decided to try to sell the much-anticipated Terry Gilliam film The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus prior to its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. Hmmm. Very interesting. 

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is the last film Heath Ledger was working on prior to his untimely death. A group of well known actors, Jude Law, Colin Farrell and Johnny Depp, took his place in the film that is now being released, a year after Ledger's passing.

With such name power and buzz prior to the Cannes premiere, one would think the film would have a chance for a strong sale after (or during) a festival premiere. In fact, that has largely been the model for selling independent films in the past. Capture a slot at a major film festival, build the anticipation, fill the theater with acquisitions execs, and let the offers roll in. 

Well, that model of releasing at a top festival and creating a bidding war has all but vanquished due to buyers taking less risk on indie fare. There have been too many losses on the films purchased in this fashion and buyers are still licking their wounds and a number have never healed from them. 

So has Cinetic Media started a new, more profitable trend on how to sell independent films or perhaps a new trend on how to sell problematic films? Could it be that Cinetic feels Imaginarium will have a mixed or controversial or even a poor reaction so they would rather err on the side of caution and have acquisition execs make their decision on the sale during calmer, buyer-only screenings before critics and finicky Cannes audiences have a chance to weigh in? Terry Gilliam's films are known to be brilliant, yet tough. 

Or perhaps the film is remarkable and they feel the acquisitions execs will pony up more cash prior to the anticipated premiere so they can use Cannes to launch the film?

My gut says the film is not an easy sell, despite the early buzz and starpower and Gilliam's fanbase, and Cinetic is using this strategy to create a wonderment about the title. Even embarking on an out-of-the-box sales strategy gets the rumor mill going, resulting in, you got it, publicity! It's all very intriguing. I will be watching to see how it fares and I look forward to actually seeing the film!

Here is a link to the Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus blog and a teaser trailer:

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Elizabeth Gilbert, Author of "Eat, Pray, Love" Talks about Creativity

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How to Stand Up for Your Value as a Producer

Angelo commented on my post Producers: What Are We Worth?: 

You present a strong argument to stand up for yourself in the presence of financiers and distributors. But how? I think every producer feels she is valuable to the project. But when you value is challenged how does one stand his/her ground. Examples would be nice.

Thank you for the comment Angelo. You make an excellent point. Here are some suggestions on how to stand your ground in negotiations for your producing deal on a film: 

• Provide concrete examples of what you are bringing to the table to the financiers/distributors. They may not realize everything you have done or plan to do that directly correlates to increased value of the project. Perhaps you spent a full year developing the script with the writer and have brought two major cast attachments to the project. This work = value.
• Show how your involvement is critical to the success of the project. No one wants a parasite on the project that will suck out resources but never give anything of substance back. If you can show how you are a valuable part of the team, you will have a higher chance of getting the deal you want. 
• Do your research. Make sure the deal you are requesting is industry standard for the type of project.
• Always keep the door open for continued negotiating. No one likes to hear: Take it or leave it.
• Be willing to make some concessions so the financiers/distributors feel they are winning in the negotiations too. Everyone likes to win. 
• Get creative with how you may be recognized. Perhaps they can't afford your salary, but they can give you a bigger credit or a credit for your company or a higher back end percentage. 
• Be as realistic as possible about your skills and what they mean to an established financier/distributor who is used to working with very successful producers. If you are angling for a similar deal as Brian Grazer then you are aiming too high -- unless you are an equal to him in success and relationships. 
• Have a good attitude. No one wants to deal with a sour puss. 
• Remain professional and have high integrity. Back-handed, low blow deal-making breeds negative feelings and will ripple out over the future of everything you do. Bridges are burned in this industry every day.
• Use an entertainment lawyer to negotiate on your behalf. It's harder for a financier/distributor to bully an entertainment lawyer that they know and have done business with in the past. 
  
• There are two sides to every story. Recognize that the financier/distributor may have strong reasons for why they are offering you a smaller deal. Find out why and offer rebuttals for their reasons, again, respectfully. 
• Network. The more you get out there and establish friends in the business, the more your value increases. Your relationships could directly and positively influence the success of your project!
• Be willing to walk away -- calmly. If your deal means that much to you then be willing to move on respectfully. Some deals just aren't worth your time and energy. 

I hope these ideas help. And please add more!!

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More Indie Film Distribution Resources

Here is a link to the list of distributors who work with the Film Forum in New York City. 

Mark Litwak, an entertainment lawyer who specializes in independent film, wrote an informative article titled Distribution and the Indie Filmmaker. 

Check out Film Specific. Stacey Parks has created a really great community filled with excellent resources for film distribution. 

Educate yourself on the film market attendees. Here is a list of the 2008 American Film Market attendees. These companies are selling product and one of them could be yours. 

Another excellent resource for producers, sales reps and distributors is the Web site www.cinando.com (a division of the Marche du Film - or the Cannes Film Market). You can search its database and learn about international producers, sales reps and buyers (includes North America). 

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Discussions on Indie Film Distribution

I've been reading a lot about distribution as I'm getting ready to release one of our titles from Wonder. I wanted to share some helpful discussions that I have found. I am trying to have an open mind and incorporate as many ideas as possible in our distribution strategy. 

There is a ton of information out there about distribution and all we can do is try them! The nice thing about the ideas I am gathering is that they are all very executable by me. This gives me a strong sense of control over the future of our film. And it doesn't mean self-distribution is our only hope. A lot of these ideas can be used in conjunction with any kind of release.  

Here goes:  

Alejandro Adams proposed a roundtable discussion on indie distribution on his Twitter account and published it on his site BRAINTRUSTdv as Roundtable: Self-Distribution.

Indiewire, the online news source for independent film, featured snippets from a Tribeca Film Festival panel on distribution titled 10 Tips for Strategizing Distribution Today.

In the New York Times, John Anderson discusses DIY or Do-It-Yourself Distribution in his article No Film Distributor? Then D.I.Y.

Distribution Consultant Peter Broderick has a number of excellent articles about distributing independent films here.

Jon Reiss wrote a series of articles for Filmmaker Magazine on his adventures in distributing his film Bomb It. Here is Part 1 and Part 2.

If you have any good links to articles, please share! I will post them all in a Distribution section on my blog site.

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Seattle International Film Festival 2009

Seattle International Film Festival 2009

World Premieres
Back to the Garden, Flower Power Comes Full Circle, directed by Kevin Tomlinson (USA, 2009) 
Dancing Across Borders, directed by Anne H. Bass (USA/Cambodia, 2009) 
Facing Ali, directed by Pete McCormack (Canada, 2009) 
The Hills Run Red, directed by Dave Parker (USA, 2009) 
Icons Among Us, directed by Michael Rivoira, Lars Larson, Peter J. Vogt (USA, 2009) 
I’m No Dummy, directed by Bryan W. Simon (USA, 2009) 
Pop Star On Ice, directed by David Barba (USA/Canada/Russia/Japan, 2009) 
The Spy and the Sparrow, directed by Garrett Bennett (USA, 2009) 
talhotblond, directed by Barbara Schroeder (USA, 2008) 
The Whole Truth, directed by Colleen Patrick (USA, 2009) 


North American Premieres
Alisa’s Birthday, directed by Sergei Seregin (Russia, 2008) 
Beauties at War, directed by Patrice Leconte (France, 2008) 
Black Dogs Barking, directed by Mehmet Bahadir Er, Maryna Gorbach (Turkey, 2009) 
Boy, directed by Aureaus Solito (Philippines, 2009) 
Breathless, directed by Yang Ik-june (South Korea, 2008)  
The Dark Harbor, directed by Naito Takasugu (Japan, 2008) 
The Escape, directed by Kathrine Windfeld (Denmark, 2009) 
Everyone Else, directed by Maren Ade (Germany, 2009) 
Forasters, directed by Ventura Pons (Spain, 2009) 
Forever Enthralled, directed by Chen Kaige (China, 2009) 
Hachiko: A Dog’s Story, directed by Lasse Hallström (USA, 2009) 
I Know You Know, directed by Justin Kerrigan (United Kingdom, 2008) 
Kaifeck Murder, directed by Esther Gronenborn (Germany, 2008) 
Light Year, directed by Mikael Kristersson (Sweden, 2008) 
Little Joe, directed by Nicole Haeusser (USA, 2009) 
Little Soldier, directed by Annette K. Olesen (Denmark, 2009) 
Live and Remember, directed by Alexander Proshkin (Russia, 2008) 
Mamma Moo and Crow, directed by Igor Veyshtagin (Sweden, 2008) 
Manhole Children, directed by Yoshio Harada (Japan, 2008) 
Miao Miao, directed by Hsiao-Tse Cheng (Hong Kong/Taiwan, 2008) 
Morris: A Life With Bells On, directed by Lucy Akhurst (United Kingdom, 2008) 
Nak, directed by Natthaphong Ratanachoksirikul (Thailand, 2009) 
No Puedo Vivir Sin Ti, directed by Leon Dai (Taiwan, 2008) 
Northface, directed by Philipp Stölzl (Austria, 2008) 
The Other Bank, directed by George Ovashvili (Georgia/Kazakhstan, 2009) 
School Days With a Pig, directed by Tetsu Maeda (Japan, 2008) 
The Sniper, directed by Dante Lam (Hong Kong, 2009) 
Story of Jen, directed by François Rotger (Canada/France, 2009) 
The Strength of Water, directed by Armagan Ballantyne (New Zealand/Germany, 2009) 
Summer, directed by Kenny Glenaan (United Kingdom, 2008) 
Tears of April, directed by Aku Louhimies (Finland, 2009) 
Telstar, directed by Nick Moran (United Kingdom, 2008) 
What’s on Your Plate, directed by Catherine Gund (USA, 2009) 
Wind Blows in the Meadow, directed by Khosro Masoumi (Iran, 2008) 
Yes, I Can See Dead People, directed by David Lee (Hong Kong, 2008) 


US Premieres 
The Admiral, directed by Andrey Kravtchuck (Russia, 2008) 
Be Calm and Count to Seven, directed by Ramtin Lavafipour (Iran, 2008) 
Blind Pig Who Wants to Fly, directed by Edwin (Indonesia, 2008) 
Buddenbrooks, directed by Heinrich Breloer (Germany, 2008) 
The Fortress, directed by Fernand Melgar (Switzerland, 2008) 
Krabat, directed by Marco Kreuzpaintner (Germany, 2008) 
Maradona by Kusturica, directed by Emir Kusturica (Spain/France, 2008) 
Sexykiller, directed by Miguel Martí (Spain, 2008) 
Spring 1941, directed by Uri Barbash (Israel/Poland, 2008) 
A Woman’s Way, directed by Panos H. Koutras (Greece, 2009) 

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