I’ve written about the show in a bit more detail over on the Total Recut blog. You can also visit the SAW website for the show.

BY AUSTIN BURBRIDGE. HOLLYWOOD (CINEMA MINIMA) — An acquaintance asked, “Which version of BLADE RUNNER do you prefer — the director’s cut, or the original?”

I have only ever seen the original 1982 release of BLADE RUNNER, an adaptation of a novel by science-fiction writer Philip K. Dick. The film had been directed by Ridley Scott.

However — this being Los Angeles — I do nevertheless have a story about the director’s cut. And an opinion about why I never seem to get around to seeing the later versions of the film.

A director calls

In the summer of 2007 I worked on the packaging for the five-disk Ultimate Collector’s Edition of BLADE RUNNER.

Everyone was anxious, because the job was already late going to manufacturing for a Christmas release.

When the thing came to me, I was surprised that the project was running late — the studios are usually maniacs about deadlines, and the packaging shop was — ordinarily — very good about being on time.

I was looking over the proofs when the phone rang.

It was Ridley Scott. That was surprising because — usually — directors have nothing to do with making DVDs of their films. That’s what distributors — and sales-and-marketing departments — are for.

Why on earth did the director call — concerning a feature he had shot twenty-five years ago? Incredibly, he wanted changes made to the packaging.

At that moment, I grasped why the job was late: apparently, Sir Ridley likes to fiddle with things — and to go right on making changes — up to the last possible minute.

Five — no — seven versions

I guess that explains — in part — why there have been seven versions of the movie over 25 years. And, I suspect, why, in 1982, the producers took the film away from him as its original release date approached.

I had already been scratching my head as to why the world needed a box with five — five! — distinct versions of any feature film.

BLADE RUNNER had been a wonderful movie experience when I saw it at a matinée at the Tower Theater in Houston in 1982. I had walked out of the cool cozy dark theater, into the brilliant hot daylight, in a lovely daze. The film had been impressive, and stimulating, and in every respect, completely entertaining.

Did it answer all the questions it raised? No. It did, however, adhere to one of the rules of show business: “Always leave ’em wanting more!” It’s like a good meal — better to stop eating when feeling just about satisfied, not to gorge until the stomach is full but the palate is dulled.

Were there obvious mistakes of continuity and realism? If the storyteller draws a viewer into its world, and sweeps her along in a powerful narrative, why would she would let her attention be diverted to details? (Of course, if a film is boring, then the details will distract; but fixing the details won’t make a boring film more interesting, either.)

Not a syllogism, but a poem

Was it perfect? Who cares! That’s not the job of art.

It’s a bit like what the atheist H. L. Mencken said about Catholicism:

The Latin Church — which I constantly find myself admiring despite its frequent astounding imbecilities — has always kept clearly before it the fact that religion is not a syllogism, but a poem.

I think — no; I feel — that film is not logical, but poetic. I guess that BLADE RUNNER — as released in 1982 — was a beautiful moment — like a poem; like a kiss.

I suspect that the six subsequent versions may be more like replicants!

Here’s what Harrison Ford said about a later version:

Spectacular, but it didn’t move me at all. They haven’t put anything in, so it’s still an exercise in design.

In principal, I agree. I don’t imagine that the other versions would be bad, I just wonder whether they were necessary.

Alternate versions and theatrical exhibition

I also wonder whether, in general, the making of “director’s cuts” — not of BLADE RUNNER, but other, more recent pictures — sends a bad message to audiences, that any theatrical release is somehow deficient, that the best movie would have been held back for DVD. I love the feeling, sitting in a movie theater, when the title credits come up, and the music swells, that This Is It. Not, This Is Almost — But Not Quite — It.

To me, a work of art is not only what it means or what it expresses: it is also a performance. At a particular moment. Not about second thoughts, or “do-overs.” In 1981, artists got together and gave their best performances, and collectively, made a statement about what Los Angeles had, by that time, already become.

BLADE RUNNER as film noir

BLADE RUNNER is — above all — a very late film noir. Not an homage, with a wink and nod; but a film noir in an unbroken tradition going back to the forties.

It was also — and here’s the part that raised it above mere melodrama — a statement about film noir: That films noir were again relevant to the kind of place that in 1982 America was becoming. In the same way that films noir in their heyday were meditations on the kind of America which had emerged after the Great Depression.

Films noir show women and men in a system which is so big and complicated and so thoroughly corrupt, that they cannot master it, let alone understand it. They’re parables about looking for certain knowledge, and discovering that nothing will ever be known with any certainty at all. I guess that may have been the mood at the dawn of the Reagan régime.

How the fashion for continuity editing deprecated voiceover narration

Because BLADE RUNNER is an instance of film noir, the voiceovers in the original version work very well. Voiceover narration is one of the signature elements of the genre.

The film noir never, never exists in the present — it is always a story recounted in the regretted past, perfect, tense. The best example I can think of is SUNSET BOULEVARD, whose story is narrated in voiceover by a dead man, Joe Gillis.

The removal of the voiceover narration from later versions of BLADE RUNNER is a solecism — a second thought, a failure of artistic nerve, more a bow to fashion than an improvement in storytelling technique.

I think that recent Hollywood filmmakers have deprecated voiceover because the fashion in filmmaking since 1980 has been for continuity editing, the goal of which is a “seamless” (or “perfect”) illusion of reality (lately, this vogue for perfect illusion has given rise to 3-D films such as AVATAR).

But, sometimes, the perfect can be the enemy of the good. Although continuity editing is an essential artistic device, it is but one among many. It ought to be used when it is effective, and appropriate. Otherwise, a storyteller can end up like the repair-person whose only tool is a hammer — “When the only tool you have is a hammer, then every problem looks like a nail.”

When continuity editing is used as the exclusive mode of storytelling, it ends up as a kind of packaging that merely signals to the audience that what ought to be a story is merely a kind of consumer packaged good. Audiences expect the cinema to count for more than that in their lives.

And it’s really too bad — there had been a world of glorious films which told their stories — and entertained their audiences — with devices which broke the illusion: montage, non-realistic sets, and voiceover.

The films submitted to the annual festival — whose theme in 2010 is Passion, Innovation, and Adaptability — came from 37 countries spread across five continents, and in 33 languages.

The highest number of entries came from Spain, followed by Kenya and Nigeria, with new interest in the festival coming from Kosovo, Tunisia, Malawi, Moldova, and Singapore.

Animation carried the most entries from almost every country and continent. Also received were experimental films. A large number of quality films made by children and youth — those under the age of 18 years — was registered.

Besides introducing media literacy in 2010, Lola Kenya Screen — which usually caters to children ages 6 years and over — is also programming films for pre-schoolers in the age bracket 3–6 years.

The films selected shall run under these categories:

• The Golden Mboni Award Competition for the Best Children’s Film
• The 14-Plus Award Competition for the Best Youth Film
• Films by Students
• Films by Children and Youth
• Films for Youth
• Eastern Africa Prism
• World Panorama
• Television Series
• Special Focus
• The 4th Kids For Kids Africa Festival/Competition

The countries represented at Lola Kenya Screen 2010 are …

• Argentina
• Brazil
• Croatia
• Denmark
• Ethiopia
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• India
• Iran
• Italy
• Japan
• Kenya
• Kosovo
• Latvia
• Malawi
• Moldova
• Namibia
• Nepal
• The Netherlands
• Nigeria
• Norway
• Poland
• Romania
• Serbia
• Singapore
• Slovenia
• South Africa
• Spain
• Tanzania
• Tunisia
• Turkey
• Uganda
• Uganda
• UK
• Ukraine
• USA

… While the films came from …

• Africa
• Asia
• Europe
• North America
• South America

… they are made in these languages …

• Albanian
• Amharic
• Arab
• Chichewa
• Danish
• Dutch
• English
• Farsi
• Finnish
• French
• Gambay
• German
• Hokkein
• Italian
• Kannada
• Karamojong
• Kinyarwanda
• Kiswahili
• Luganda
• Malayalam
• Nepali
• Norwegian
• Polish
• Portuguese
• Setswana
• Sheng
• Singala
• Slovene
• Somali
• Spanish
• Tamang
• Tamil
• Turkish

… and no dialogue.

The 5th Lola Kenya Screen has selected the following films:

1. 5th Lola Kenya Screen Golden Mboni Award Competition for the Best Children’s Film
   1. VORSTAADTKROKODILE|THE CROCODILES, Christian Ditter, 98′00″, 2009, Germany
   2. CHAMPIONS OF OUR TIME, Mak’ Kusare, 120′00″, 2010, Nigeria
   3. MYRSKY|STORM HEART, Kaisa Rastimo, 2008, 100′00″, Finland
   4. JANAKI| DAUGHTER OF THE EARTH, MG Sasi, 92′00″, 2010, India
   5. MAGICZNE DRZEWO|THE MAGIC TREE, Andrzej Maleszka, 90′00″, 2009, Poland
   6. KIKKERDRIL|FROGS AND TOADS, Simone Van Dusseldorp, 75′00″, 2009, The Netherlands
   7. BIG SISTER PUNAM, Lucian Muntean and Natasa Muntean, 51′00″, 2009, Serbia
   8. ALBERT’S WINTER, Andreas Koefoed, 29′00″, 2009, Denmark
   9. HELP PEOPLE IN NEED, Catherine Nyambura, 24′00″, 2010, Kenya
   10. LOST AND FOUND, Philip Hunt, 24′00″, 2008, UK
   11. THE MISINVENTIONS OF MILO WEATHERBY, William Whirity, 22′00″, 2008, USA
   12. KAD ABOLI RIPO| WHEN APPLES ROLL, Reinis Kalnaellis, 6′46″, 2009, Latvia
   13. MASALA MAMA, Michael Kam, 8′30″, 2010, Singapore
   14. ISFISKE|FISHING WITH SAM, Atle S. Blakseth, 6′00″, 2009, Norway
   15. A TREE AND A FLOWER, Tomoko Oguchi, 5′23″, 2010, USA
   16. ADVENTURES OF ALAYO, Olanrewaju Oluwafemi, 1′30″, 2009, Nigeria
   17. JESUISITO DE MI VIDA|DEAR CHILD JESUS, Jesus Perez-Miranda, 9’00″, 2009, Spain
   18. PACI|THE HUNGRY, JD Imaya Varman, 2009, India
   19. KATAKOMBO, Michael Zamjatnins, 7′17″, 2008, Germany
   20. A VARINHA MAGICA|THE MAGIC WAND, Kurt Shaw, 4′14″, 2009, USA
   21. MOMOM EST UNE EIKOILE|MUM IS A STAR, Trabelsi Marwen, 10′00″, 2008, Tunisia
   22. THE YELLOW HOUSE: KEVIN THE SUPERHERO, Catherine Kunze, Jacob Wellendorf, 9′00″, 2009, Denmark
2. 5th Lola Kenya Screen 14-Plus Award Competition for the Best Youth Film
   1. MONNA WA MMINO: THE MIKE MASOTE STORY, Norman Maake, 126′03″, 2009, South Africa
   2. SEASONS OF A LIFE, C Shemu Joyah, 102′00″, 2009, Malawi
   3. WE WERE YOUNG, Philippe Talavera, 54′00″, 2009, Namibia
   4. PODER|ABLE, Emilio Santin, 15′00″, 2008, Spain
   5. BABCIA WYJEZDZA|GRANDMA HAS GONE, Tomasz Jurkiewz, 18′00″, 2009, Poland
   6. EN MODE AILLEURS|AIRHEAD, Vincent Chabrillat, 13′00″, 2009, France
   7. KNOCK OFF, Rosanne Flynn, 11′27″, 2009, UK
   8. CARTA DE FRANCIA|LETTER FROM FRANCE, Diego Lopez Cotillo, 17′00″, 2009, Spain
   9. TOGETHERNESS SUPREME, Nathan Collet, 94′00″, 2010, USA/Kenya
3. Films by Students
   1. DE KLEINE KRAAI MET BLOTE BILLEN|THE LITTLE CROW WITH THE NAKED BOTTOM, Raimke Groothuizen, 5’00″, 2008, The Netherlands
   2. GREAT EXPECTATIONS, Alexei Gubenco, 3′00″, 2009, Romania
   3. ORKESTERI|THE ORCHESTRA,Joonas Rutanen and Veera Lehtola,7′40″,2010, Finland
   4. KATISKA|THE TRAP,  Jonni Mannisto, Janne Kukkonen, JP Saari, Mikko Korhone, 4′33″, 2008, Finland
   5. KIBERA HAMLETS, Josphat Keya, 6′10″, 2010, Kenya
   6. HAPPY RE-UNION, Evans Kamau, 5′10″, 2010, Kenya
   7. RISE TO THE OCCASION, John Ngaruiya, 10′46″, 2010, Kenya7′11″
   8. KIBERA MPIRA MTAANI, John Ngaruiya, 4’42″, 2010, Kenya
   9. À OUTRANCE, Martha Kisaka, 5′41″, 2010, Kenya
   10. SILENT BATTLE, Josphat Keya, 13′26″, Kenya
   11. THEY ARE MY BROTHERS TOO, Victor Oluoch, 8′00″, 2010, Kenya
4. Films for Youth
   1. CATCH THEM YOUNG, Awoba Bob Manuel, 19′00″, 2009, Nigeria
   2. I AM PREPARED, Awoba Bob Manuel, 19′00″, 2009, Nigeria
   3. MY BROTHER’S KEEPER, Mellamby Ileogben, 17′30″, 2009, Nigeria
   4. THE JUJU DOCTOR, Mellamby Ileogben, 18′40″, 2009, Nigeria
   5. ONLY ONCE, Tunde Kelani, 17′40″, 2009, Nigeria
   6. THE VISIT, Tunde Kelani, 19′35″, 2009, Nigeria
   7. YOU NO BE MAN, Tunde Kelani, 20′20″ 2009, Nigeria
5. Eastern Africa Prism
   1. MOTHER OR…, Aster Bedane, 7′46″, 2010, Ethiopia
   2. MSETO WAHAPAHAPA, Jordan Riber, Tanzania
   3. EKITABO KYO’BULAMU|THE BOOK OF LIFE, Patrick Sekyaya, 85′00″, Uganda
   4. THE CARTER, David Omurunga, 50′00″, 2010, Kenya
   5. MUSIC FOR CHANGE, Wilson Muiruri, 3′41″, 2010, Kenya
   6. BREAKING BARRIERS, Yamrot Ritgussde, Ethiopia, 2009
   7. BUUFIS: A QUEST FOR RESETTLEMENT, Solomon Mwendwa, 3′30″, 2009, Kenya
6. World Panorama
   1. YATAKA|NIGHT JAR, Keu kaizu,10′00″, 2009, Japan
   2. ARAROMIRE|THE FIGURINE, Kunle Afolayan, 2009, 120′00″, Nigeria
   3. BIG FAMILY, Anand and Madhura Katti, 50′00″, 2009, India
   4. ERKCAR MIR LIEBE|TALES OF LOVE, Florian Aigner, 70′00″, 2010 Germany
   5. SOOT ZADAN ZIRE AB|WHISTLING UNDER WATER, Hooshmand Varaei 15′00″, 2009, Iran
   6. NO WAY THROUGH, Alexandra Monro, Sheila Menon, 7′11″, 2009, UK
   7. QUIERO SER UNA GACELA|I AM A GAZELLE, Ana Rodriguez Rosell, 29′00″, 2009, Spain/Senegal
   8. DARKA|THE DINNER, Blerta Zeqiri, 17′00″, 2009, Kosovo
   9. PINOCCHIO AL CIRCO|PINOCCHIO AT THE CIRCUS, Jacob Barua, 13′00″, 2009, Italy
   10. ARENA|SAND, Jota Aronak, 19′00″, 2009, Spain
   11. EL RAYO Y LA SIRENA| THUNDERBOLT AND THE MERMAID, Diego Sanchidrian, 11′00″, 2009, Spain
   12. LEVEDAD|LIGHTNESS, Lucid Del Rio, 15′00″, 2010, Spain
   13. ADIÓS, MUÑECA|GOOD BYE DOLL, Hugo Sanz, 15′00″, 2010, Spain
   14. A INCRIVEL HISTCIRIA VOVOZINHA E O LOBO MAU|THE INCREDIBLE STORY OF GRANNY AND THE BIG BAD WOLF, Kurt Shaw, 3′48″, 2009, USA/Brazil
   15. CUANDO LLEGÓ LA MUERTE|WHEN THE DEATH CAME, Antonio de la Llera, 29′00″, 2009, Spain
   16. BLACK DOGS BARKING, Mehmet Bahadir Er and Maryna Gorbach, 88’00″, 2009, Turkey
   17. DI ME QUE YO|SAY ME, Mateo Gil, 15′00″, 2008, Spain
   18. DOPPELGANGER, Oscar de Julian, 20′00″, 2010, Spain
   19. VIVE LA CRISE, Alexei Gubenco, 3′00″, 2009, Romania/Moldova
   20. TU(A)MOR, Fernando Franco, 13′00″, 2009, Spain
   21. QUIERO SER UNA GACELA, Ana Rodriguez Rosell, 29′00″, 2009, Spain
   22. A BICYCLE MADE OF SALT, Trinidad Lemos, 15′00″, 2008, Argentina
   23. MOJ PUT|MY WAY, Veljko Popovic, 6′40″, 2010, Croatia
   24. KOZUCHA KLAMCZUCHA|YAZMIN THE COCKROACH, Kurt Shaw, 4′05″, 2009, USA/Brazil
   25. UNEARTHING THE PEN, Carol Salter, 12′00″, 2009, UK/Uganda
   26. THE IMP IN THE CITY, Dawn Westlake, 2′18″, 2010, USA
   27. ASTHAMANAM|SUNSET, J Ramesh, 5′00″, 2008, India
7. Television Series
   1. KORALE CZAROWNICY|THE WITCH’S BEADS, Aniela Lubieniecka, 13′00″, 2008, Poland
   2. KOZUCHA KLAMCZUCHA|THE LYING GOAT, Andrzej Kukuła, 13′00″, 2008, Poland
   3. KRÓL KRUKÓW|THE RAVEN KING, Jacek Adamczak, 13′00″, 2008, Poland
8. Special Focus
   1. Experimental films spanning painting, photography and video by Trabelsi Marwen of Tunisia.
9. Films by Children and Youth
   1. BINN BUNNY GOES GREEN, 30 young people aged 9 and 10,  6′30″, 2009, UK
   2. PRE HISTORIC PET SHOP, young people aged 13 and 18, 4′20″, 2009, UK
   3. ONE GOAL, ONE HOPE, Jeff Mohammed, 13′00″, 2010, Kenya
   4. MY BEAUTIFUL DRESS, 1’50″, 2009, Kenya
   5. HAPPY CLOUD, 61 young people aged 7 and 18, 5′24″, 2009, UK
10. 4th Kids For Kids Africa Festival/Competition
    1. The films for this category shall be announced on July 4, 2010 as the deadline for submission is June 30, 2010.

The Video Battle is a competition of audio/visual media work, the A/V battle, the VIDEODROME. Developed from the idea of the hip hop DJ battle, artists will throw down fast and hard attempting to out flash each other with selections, cuts and mixes extreme, humorous and dangerous.

See the links below for more details: http://www.dropframevideo.com/news.html http://www.mocca.ca/exhibitions/upcoming-exhibitions/B

Experimental films, television series, and video games will be accepted. Even creatively packaged music videos, tackling issues related to children, youth, and family — and which provide strong role models to children and youth while speaking positively to children of diverse backgrounds — are welcome.

Showcases and Awards

Selected films will be showcased under various categories, with those starring children between ages of 6-13 competing for the prestigious Lola Kenya Screen Golden Mboni award for the best children’s film; those featuring children above 14 years competing for the Lola Kenya Screen 14-Plus Prize for the best youth film.

Workshops

The festival not only showcases films; it also places audiovisual media production tools into the hands of children and youth. It has equipped 92 children with basic skills — 47 in filmmaking, 19 in creative journalism, nine in events organization and presentation, and 17 in the critical appreciation of films. Its annual film production workshops have realised 20 short animations and eight documentaries.

Lola Kenya Screen Film Festival entry rules and submission form are online in PDF format. Details about the festival, and other Lola Kenya Screen activities are available at the Lola Kenya Screen Web site.

Films must be received between 2009 December 1, and 2010 April 15. Entries must reach the Lola Kenya Screen no later than 2010 April 15.

The festival — which recognizes that adults must be sensitised into creating for and with children and youth — has been held annually since 2006. By its fourth edition in August 2009, Lola Kenya Screen had showcased 1,450 films from six continents. The 2009 edition had attracted 315 films in 33 languages, out of which more than 250 were shown to over three thousand people.

The 2009 Golden Mboni prize went to IO PARLO by Marco Gianfreda of Italy, the Silver Mboni to THE HAPPY DUCKLING by Gili Dolev of Scotland/Israel, and the Bronze Mboni to PAMELA by James Kanja of Kenya. The Golden Mboni has been awarded since 2006.

The 14-Plus award was inaugurated in 2009, and was won by South Africa’s UGUGU NO ANDILE, a timeless love story set against the backdrop of a political war, directed by Minky Schlessinger. The 14-Plus award for the second and third best youth films went to Norway’s A BEAUTIFUL TRAGEDY by David Kinsella, and to Kenya’s FROM A WHISPER by Wanuri Kahiu, respectively.

Prior to working as a journalist, Zychal pursued a career as an actress. She toured several American states performing a one-woman show “Merely the Ravings of a Maniac,” that she wrote and produced. Her screenplay, What Comes Next, is a dark comedy about the difficulty of being married to a professional golfer. Zychal is writing a TV pilot called “Eco-Hookers.” She was educated at Lehigh University and studied abroad in England and Switzerland.

The formation of this firm, and its new, “fusion distribution” strategy, throws light on the dramatic changes in the market for independent films.

The 2009 American Film Market was a laboratory for producers and distributors (and a few filmmakers) to discover precisely how the market has changed; to experiment with new ways to get films before audiences; and to devise new methods to recoup investments and to realize profits from their productions.

The new market for independent films

In 2009 the market for independent movies is smaller, and heterogeneous. A producer cannot depend on a single big sale to Hollywood to recoup her costs or make profits; nor can she afford to “leave money on the table,” in smaller markets, new media, or new venues for exhibition.

Now, a filmmaker must begin early — in preproduction — to think about how she will sell her movie, get it distributed, and market it to an audience. Putting off those questions until after a film would have been completed is no longer a practical option.

Audience development

With so very many different kinds of entertainment competing for time, attention, and dollars, a movie audience is no longer a given. Nowadays, a movie does not find its audience, nor does an audience discover a movie; instead, an independent movie production must develop an audience.

Independent filmmakers must start to do what Hollywood has been doing for decades — start to work early with media, advertisers, and sponsors to develop audiences using coherent combinations of publicity, promotion, and co-branding. These relationships would not only provide financing; they would also leverage partnerships with established brands to seize public awareness — and amplify a film’s marketing message far beyond the reach of publicity and advertising.

House of Film’s new strategy for a new market

In an exclusive interview with Cinema Minima, founder Ava B. — previously, Vice President of Sales and Acquisitions at LongTale, a foreign sales and intellectual property asset management company — explained her firm’s “Fusion Distribution” strategy.

“House of Film connects independent movies with both traditional and non-traditional distribution. We can reach the widest possible global audience and maximize producers’ revenue in a new ‘fusion distribution’ model.

“This new business model underscores our ability to incorporate product placement and integration, as well as sponsorships, into the production of quality independent films.

“Watching what’s happening to distribution these days — traditional distribution does not work any longer, but new distribution does not work yet,” she averred. This refers to the fact that — although the number of persons who go to the movies continues to decrease, and DVD sales are declining — the number of persons getting movies online has not increased so much as to make up the difference. In short, the total audience for motion picture entertainment is shrinking. As Ava B. puts it, “Filmmakers are independent, but filmmakers are lost: There is no good solution to make enough money from their content.

“So, putting together my experiences — and learning from the mistakes of other companies — I thought, all right, let’s put this together: What can work? The business model of this company, is basically, optimizing profits from any content; to look at the content and see how much it can carry:

• Find the optimum distribution strategy.
• Combine digital technologies with the best of the traditional methods, for both USA domestic and international distribution.
• Negotiate contracts that provide the most lucrative return.

“First, start at the top with the best options of traditional distribution, then go one level lower, one level lower, like television, then DVD … and go through all the levels of traditional distribution. We have something like eight thousand buyers in our database — we are rather well-connected, especially with Academy Award-worthy content [i. e., SUNRISE/SUNSET] that brings in the important buyers.

“Once we have finished with the traditional distribution, we monetize the content as much as possible across all media. We switch over to non-traditional distribution for the content,” she said, “and we are trying to find other ways to monetize the content, for example, sponsorships, or cover-mount deals.

Product Integration and product placement

“And, we are looking at movies in development, where we could do product integration or product placement. That is why it is important for the company to pick up quality movies, so that it would be well-positioned to be attractive to high-end brands, so that — the Chanels, the Diors, and the Pradas of the world would not mind being associated with our company. That’s the vision. That’s what we are aiming for. …

Worldwide distribution under the House of Film brand


”… And we pick up the content accordingly. House of Film offers worldwide distribution to films — of any genre — that meet the highest standards in aesthetics, with a special focus on movies that relate to design, fashion, or the arts. Visually, quality has to be ‘A-plus’; or, a picture must be innovative in its presentation. We can pick up high-art movies, or a horror movie — if it is quality — or even an action movie, or a documentary.”

House of Film’s current lineup reflects its openness to different kinds of films — as well as its insistence on superlative visual quality. “These are all pearls here,” Ava B. remarks.

• SUNRISE/SUNSET: DALAI LAMA XIV follows the iconic Tibetan leader for one day for an intimate — and revealing — portrait.
• BELLADONNA is a feature which uses time travel to examine the moment of a wedding to contrast the evanescence of courtship with the permanence of love.
• FOR THE NEXT 7 GENERATIONS presents 900 years of wisdom and prophecy from the 13 most-powerful female elders on the planet.
• TATTOOS is a gripping documentary enlivened by celebrity cameos.
• MILAREPA is the epic story of Tibet’s greatest yogi and saint.
• THE RAIN is a wordless, all-dancing sequence of ravishing tableaux of love and passion.

Fashion + Design + Filmmaking

In this new environment, a distributor must be more than an efficient business opertion. To be a nexus for buyers and sellers, a market-maker must have a recognizable identity, a theme, a focus.

“Since we are aiming at establishing relationships with advertisers and sponsors,” Ava B. explains, “I thought: There is something no one is doing yet — and there is such an obvious need for it. To connect the three big businesses — fashion, design, and filmmaking/film distribution — under one umbrella. I would like this company to be the connecting point.

“Buyers would know that — when they come to House of Film — whatever they find here will be beautiful. It can be the beauty of the soul; it can be the beauty of the form, or the design, the fashion; or it can be via the participation of an artist. … Sooner or later, we will be identified as the meeting point. There’s no company that does that. It is an interesting niche; a new concept.”

A return to quality

“These days, everyone is going for quantity over quality — they’re aggregating bigger and bigger,” she observes. “If everone is going one way, there is room for someone who is doing exactly the opposite — quality over quantity.”

A focus on quality is a welcome development. The recent glut of undistinguished motion picture entertainments — created by financial, not business, considerations — has damaged the “brand” of cinema. Audiences no longer trust the movies to reliably deliver the high-quality confections of spectacle, drama, meaning, and pleasure which had made the cinema the unrivaled form of popular entertainment throughout the twentieth century. This has been especially destructive of the interests of independent filmmakers and distributors. At the Independent Film & Television Alliance’s 2009 Production Conference, independent producer (and former studio head) Bill Mechanic complained that the principal challenges to independent films are neither finance nor distribution nor piracy, but poor quality and lack of originality.

If cinema is to retrieve its privileged place in the popular imagination, and to resume its stature as a business which attracts the best and the brightest, it must again invest in the fundamental mythic and visual qualities which are meaningful to its customers. Also, it must promote business practices which foster its long-term prospects, and deprecate decisions which are motivated by short-term, financial considerations.

House of Film comes to market with a powerful strategy, singular films, and savvy, experienced management. Navigating by the pole star of æsthetic quality, it is well-positioned to prosper in this new and challenging market.

“The AFM is about the business of film — everyone is selling something — so it’s the perfect venue for a Favorite Film Pitch contest,” says AFM Managing Director Jonathan Wolf. “Imagine the winner telling a producer, The public voted my project the film they most wanted to see get made. That’s powerful.”

Pitches will be recorded live, in person, November 7–10 from 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM in the AFM Filmmakers Lounge at Le Merigot Hotel, 1740 Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica. A filmmaker can just show up, fill out the Entry Form & Release, and wait for her turn to record her pitch. An AFM badge will not be needed, but if there’s a line, priority will go to participants with an AFM badge or an AFM Seminar Ticket.

Only one film idea may be pitched. A pitch may not exceed two-and-a-half minutes. One retake, but no edits or pauses. Participants may not review the video afterwards.

Afterward, the AFM will assemble a group of industry leaders to select five finalists. Their pitches will be posted on the PCA Web site following the broadcast of “The 2010 People’s Choice Awards” show on the American television network CBS in early January 2010, allowing fans to choose the ultimate winner: the film they would most like to see get made.

In addition to receiving the Favorite Film Pitch award, the winner will also receive an AFM 2010 package that includes full access for two to the AFM, including seminars and conferences; airfare for two to Los Angeles; hotel for five nights in Santa Monica; and scheduled meetings with producers and distributors. Contest guidelines.

The September 29, 2009 Conference in Century City in did not disappoint. Bill Mechanic — President/CEO of Pandemonium LLC and former Chairman and CEO of Fox Filmed Entertainment — delivered a bracing assesment of the current state and the future of the independent film business in the keynote speech.

Here is a video of the speech. What follows is a transcript of his remarks, supplied by IFTA:

Greetings. I was asked to address you this morning with my observations on the present as well as the future state of independent production.

But before I begin, I have to relate the story of a close friend of mine, who’s a leading heart surgeon.

He said he’d recently been involved in a very trying and emotional six-hour piece of open heart surgery where he and a team of people fought valiantly, but unsuccessfully, to save a patient.

Afterwards, my friend entered the doctor’s locker room. One of his colleagues was staring absently into the void, clearly spent from the ordeal. He tried to cheer him up, but the colleague turned to him and asked why he was not more distraught.

My friend answered with a smile, “At least we weren’t asked to save Independent Production!”

Well — truth be told — we may not be heart patients; but we aren’t that far away.

We have too many insignificant movies clogging our distribution channels.

Tightening economic conditions are sending sharp pains through our systems. Our blood supply from heretofore vibrant markets such as DVD and TV seemingly have evaporated in front of our eyes.

The question we must ask is, whether the condition is fatal? In all candor, I would say, “Only to some — those who ignore the warning signs; who don’t adjust to the threatening conditions; those producers — and distributors — who pretend there is nothing wrong.”

Nine years ago, I was a healthy (and occasionally happy) studio executive. I had taken Fox over a seven-year period from a doormat to the number-one studio; and before that, I had spent nine years at Disney building a then-dormant minor player into a muscular and, for the first time in its history, a real force in the studio world. I left Fox with five of the top ten films in history and departed Disney with 19 of the top 20 videos ever, and as the number-one International distributor.

I had fought with Rupert Murdoch over my desire to create a business for Fox in the world of animation. He felt no one could compete with Disney. Nevertheless I started up Fox Animation. ANASTASIA was a start, it made money. TITAN AE a misstep, and lost [money]. Even though that is the nature of the business — that not everything works — he didn’t want to wait for ICE AGE to finish production. I didn’t have a foot out of the door before Fox tried to sell off the film. Luckily for them, they couldn’t get a deal done.

At the same time, Peter Chernin thought I was taking too much of a chance with X-MEN. He called it my “$70-million art film,” since everyone knew that not only were comic book movies dead, but you certainly couldn’t start one in a concentration camp. That wasn’t comic book fun. Maybe not, but most comic books are dark, so it was a question of being relevant, of being grounded.

Ironically, both films have lasted longer at Fox than I did and are now the most valuable franchises in the history of that studio, throwing off billions of dollars of profit.

But they also were, along with FIGHT CLUB, the leading reasons I was shown the door. My bosses couldn’t deal with the unconventional choices like those and others such as BRAVEHEART and THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY because the films weren’t pre-sold, and thus, seemed less predictable. This, despite the fact that these unconventional movies guided Fox to the five best years in its history.

When I left, a few of the other majors called to see if I were interested in running their shops. I thought instead it was time to do things on my own, to not work for companies that no longer wanted to be in the film business, that no longer thought enough about the future to not gum it up. Easier to raise money and worry only about making good movies which could make money.

Needless to say, I was naïve. I thought raising money would be easy. I didn’t exactly foresee such things as the Silicon Valley bubble bursting, or the economic meltdown, or the Madoff scandal. But then — I guess the Captain of the Titanic thought the Atlantic was smooth sailing. And Batman thought the Joker would be a laugh.

When I first made the decision to go off on my own, Larry Gordon said to me something that I’ve never forgotten. He said running a studio is a great job but a terrible life. Producing is a great life but a terrible job.

Nine years as an independent producer provides a great perspective. It also cause heart palpitations.

Here’s the one key thing I’ve learned: There is no such thing as an independent producer.

There are only dependent producers: Dependent on distributors, financiers, bankers, and distribution channels that understand the needs of the market even less than the corporations that own the studios.

Which makes a truly independent producer even more truly dependent because the alternatives to the studio system are in many ways more difficult, not easier.

Perhaps even more than the studios, those with the controls over whether or not a movie gets made independent of the studios, do so, almost with less attention to the movie itself.

Part of that is due to outsiders who always seem to come into the business believing they can do better and yet rarely have an idea of what they are doing. Attorneys and financial analysts picking movies is a recipe for disaster. They can tell you all day long what hasn’t recently worked, but in truth, haven’t the experience or the knowledge to do anything different than has already been done.

That has been the oddest lesson of this period for me: That the independent world — which should be aiming to do things better and different from the studios — doesn’t have that as a mandate at all. If anything, the only thing that independent distributors and financiers look for is the same. Maybe costing a little less than the majors but, they want what the studios want, or — in FIGHT CLUB-speak — they want copies of a copy.

I now understand that unconventional choices like X-MEN and ICE AGE would barely have a prayer getting made independently. Why? Because at the time, they didn’t look like anything else.

It’s disrespectful if not downright dumb to think audiences can’t tell the difference between the original — which occasionally might even have some fresh faces — and the copy, which almost always is populated with retreads. It’s like thinking you can sell yesterday’s news under a different banner.

The exception to the rule is DISTRICT 9, which didn’t try to compete with the Majors with special effects or stars or plot. Instead of feeling recycled, it was fresh and is now one of the year’s best and most successful pictures. But lot of credit has to go to Peter Jackson since it was undoubtedly his clout that got the film made.

Following the lead of the majors presumes that they know what they want. It presumes they have a fix on their audiences.

I would say that’s anything but true. Admissions are down over the past few years and — perhaps most troubling — the audience that Hollywood spends the majority of time focusing on, the under-25s, are the ones finding other things to do.

Take a look at this shift over the past decade. While use of the internet and video games have dominated leisure time activities, movie consumption is down or flat over the same period. And — more to the point — you can see that there is a 21% drop in film going amongst the core target audience, and a 24% drop in the next key category, 25–39-year-olds.

And yes, these charts beg another question [sic]: if the audiences are shifting, why isn’t the product shifting as well? Name five mainstream films this year that successfully targeted an over-30 year audience.

In that way, Hollywood in the broadest sense of the word is much like Detroit. It’s a manufacturer’s mentality that reigns, seemingly indifferent to the consumers it serves: Ignore whether the consumer likes our product as long as they buy it; market it and they will come; and don’t worry if they don’t come back. Accept 60% drop off rates as the norm, saying it’s all about wide openings.

Three years ago the [Los Angeles Lakers basketball team] all-but-sold-out every game, even though they had a lousy team. Since Jerry Buss is a smart owner, he knew if he didn’t fix things, no shows would eventually turn into season ticket non-renewals. He did what he needed to do to make it the hottest ticket in town again; and a no-show today is a no-no.

When was the last time you heard anyone either from a studio or an independent talking about improving their product, of creating positive buzz and expanding the audience?

Here’s one basic question to ask yourself: If the most popular film in history was TITANIC — and it did so by weaving together interest in all demographic pockets (as well as pulling in non-film goers) — why in the last 12 years has no attempted to do the same?

TITANIC was number one at the box office for 15 consecutive weeks. It not only spurred on record year in theatrical attendance, and had the biggest video in history, but also generated the biggest Oscar telecast in years. A good movie, like a good team in sports, makes everything around it better.

An independent couldn’t — and shouldn’t — make movies of that scale; but it should make movies [that are] as individualistic and compelling. Certainly there are good examples among some of the smaller independent films — SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE being an easy choice — that actually do stand out and succeed because of their quality and their uniqueness.

But as you can see from these next few charts, the independent world was no more concerned with the consumer than the studios.

With the influx of hedge fund money, the past decade saw a glutting of product, again most of it with no idea of who it was for or how it could be sold.

Whether some of these movies had artistic integrity or not, there is no question there was no audience appeal.

From the low water mark of 1990, there has been a 50% increase in the number of pictures and even since 2000, nearly a 25% increase. And most of the influx came from non-majors, rising from 150 in 1990 to 450 in 2008. That, my friends, is insanity.

Remember that through this entire period, the only growth at the box office has been inflationary, which means more films were fighting for a share of a flat box office. Over approximately this same period, the biggest hits took even a greater share of the box office pie, meaning the independents, even with a vastly greater number of releases, are taking a dramatically smaller percentage of the available money.

Let me get out the rest of the bad news, though I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know.

The next 2-3 years will be even worse, not because of the flood of new releases — since that is already abating — but rather due to the effect the over-saturation has had, combined with the economic downturn.

New money is going to be hard — if not impossible — to find. Ad sales are down, so TV networks around the world (other than cable) aren’t buying. Add in a confused video market and — it’s going to be tough.

To my mind, the next few years will be about survival.

If it’s any consolation, it will be harder on the Studios than the independents. Not only is it harder for big companies to change, to adapt, but there are legacy issues in terms of personnel. And within the next few years, their big market advantage, the bricks and mortar of their distribution operations, will become a disadvantage in the democratic age of digital. I would assume at least two of the Majors to be sold or consolidated by the middle of the decade.

Before I turn to why I don’t think this is all fatal — and in fact, might be a boon — let me address one more item, video. I get asked a lot if the problems are systemic. My answer is, “Not necessarily.” That we would reach a point of maturation in DVD is natural and logical, but too much of the downturn is completely self-imposed.

Like much of the bad decision making that has helped take a lot of the profit out of the business, the air was let out of the tires by the studios themselves.

No top management of a studio really cared what was going on over the past few years other than was their budget being met.

No one asked whether their units should be pushing Blu-Ray in the face of an economic melt-down or even whether or not Blu-Ray was going to be the next big app to the general consumer. They simply accepted the idea that they could resell their libraries at higher prices.

So no one asked what impact dropping the price on their existing DVD’s would have. I mean — if I can buy TITANIC for under $5 in some stores — why am I so eager then to rush out to pay $30 or so when it’s released on Blu Ray? Is the quality difference that great? How many formats are yet to come?

No one asked what buying great movies at cheap prices would do to new releases, which may not be as great. Give a consumer with less expendable dollars a choice between LEGALLY BLONDE for $5 or ALL ABOUT STEVE for $20 or $30, which do I want to buy?

Simply said: The studios have destroyed the price-value relationship in video — particularly when low-priced rental alternatives have sprung up everywhere.

And then, add in the absolute flooding of TV product from the beginning of time into the market, and you have the conditions that have absolutely killed video as the key profit center of new movies.

Ok — so in the face of all this, why can I say this is all good news? Because a lot of waste is going to be cleared from the marketplace. Excess product will go away, the people who don’t take the business seriously will go away.

Hopefully those who make crummy movies will also go away, but — that may just be a personal wish.

In 1984, I went with Michael Eisner and Jeffrey Katzenberg to Disney as perhaps the fourth employee of the new regime. Disney at the time was barely a film producer much less a major distributor. Before we could execute the plans to transform that company into one of the Majors, I was asked to prepare the presentation to the Board of Directors. A lot of capital was at stake.

The numbers, like some of those we’ve discussed today, were overwhelmingly negative. In truth, the film business has never been an easy one to master. More companies fail than succeed.

But what I presented, and this is still one of the absolute truths of the industry, was that it was only a bad business on average.

If you expect to be an average performer in this world, you can expect to fail.

Those without the ambition or the brains to figure their way through these tough economic conditions are going to be the heart patients who cannot be saved. No one has a birthright in this business.

It is a game for winners. And those who win today will win to an even greater extent than at almost any point in the past. The flattening of the box office is only true on a macro level. For the individual film, the sky is the limit. Even though there’s more piracy of the hit picture than any other, it’s still that same hit picture that can score giant revenues in all the ancillary streams.

Those who will win will be smart about what they make and how they sell their films. They will hopefully make good films but perhaps — even more key — they will make unique films that stand out, which means they will not have to compete against the bulk of the films for talent. They won’t look like all the other films so they won’t have to spend as much money marketing them.

It’s not that the buyers aren’t there. Consumers, TV outlets, Retailers and, yes, even Pirates want what works.

Don’t believe me? Ask Summit about TWILIGHT. Ask Searchlight about SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE. Ask Screen Gems about DISTRICT 9. Ask Focus about CORALINE.

Let me conclude by saying that the challenges are great: Technological innovations often hurt before they help; it takes resources to fight the sense of entitlement that breeds piracy; it takes skill and experience to know what [U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt] FDR really meant when he said, “We have nothing to fear, but fear, itself.”