Screen International’s Post

🎬Colleagues, 1989's neo-noir thriller, "The Killer" is a remarkable testament to the cinematic brilliance of action-genre filmmaking. Directed by John Woo and boasting 3 Hong Kong Film Awards including Best Director, it not only broke box office records but also served as a stepping stone for Woo. The film shows us the paramount importance of creative storytelling and engaging visuals, which enhance an action film's appeal and viewer reception. #ThrowbackThursday #FilmHistory #VisualStorytelling.

Filmmakers, financiers and agents are worried about the state of indie film. Some are frustrated with Sundance, which is hosting a meeting this week to address the problems. The source of their frustration is obvious. The number of hit indie movies is down about 30% from before the pandemic. Meanwhile, streaming services have tripled their movie output. The solution is less clear. What would you do to help independent filmmakers? That + more in this week's newsletter. https://lnkd.in/gK2EhGYW

How to watch your favorite A24 films online in 2024: ‘Civil War,’ ‘The Iron Claw,’ and more

🎬 Industry Alert: UK Indie Film Sector in Jeopardy According to Rebecca O’Brien 🎬 In a compelling testimony to the Culture, Media and Sport Committee, Rebecca O’Brien, the Bafta-winning producer behind Ken Loach’s films, expressed a dire need for additional fiscal support for the UK indie film industry. Highlighting the challenges brought by streaming services, the rise of high-end TV, and Hollywood’s dominance, O’Brien raised concerns over the sustainability of independent filmmaking in the UK. With decades of experience and a portfolio of impactful films, O’Brien’s insights call for immediate action to preserve the UK’s rich tradition of indie cinema. This is a pivotal moment for stakeholders across the industry to rally for measures that ensure the survival and growth of British film. https://shorturl.at/eilN6 #UKFilmIndustry #RebeccaOBrien #KenLoach #IndieFilmSupport #CulturalPolicy #FilmProduction

Taking the pulse of the movie industry, director Richard Linklater ("Boyhood," "School of Rock") noted that after passing on a completed, film festival and audience tested, popular crime/rom-com genre movie with a new "A-list" actor ("Hitman"), the legacy film studios "...A[They]’re not interested in adult entertainment.” He states that the studios are so risk averse that they walked away from a first class product handed to them on a platter. In this Indiewire article, he posits that the studios now want only established intellectual property (read, comic books). So, the original content is going to the streamers where the exhibition risk is diversified by the streamer and the ability for the filmmakers to make an outsize profit is limited (nominal). Read it here: https://lnkd.in/gUfVc545

Great article on the state of film and screening versus direct to stream. It's a tough road, but many think it worth the effort. This could very well be the future! https://lnkd.in/eGyWjz88

Great article here on indie filmmakers getting their movies into theaters through creative self-distribution. It's not for everyone, but certainly for those that want to reach audiences, and hopefully, make some money too. #film #distribution. https://lnkd.in/eGyWjz88

With major platforms reducing their investment in independent movies, industry insiders are raising concerns about the viability of the independent film market. The lack of revenue generated from at-home markets is making it difficult for these movies to cover their production costs. As the industry navigates this challenge, seeing what innovative solutions emerge to keep the indie film scene alive will be interesting.

It doesn’t take £3m to make a first feature (as the heads at BBC Film and Film Four suggest) - and the idea it does makes it difficult for new voices to be heard. We spent (roughly) 1/30th of that budget to make Lapwing and had a UK cinema release and digital release across the US and Europe. If we had any more money it would have been spent on supporting our release which was the area most impacted by a lower budget. So yes, more money would have been great. But the idea it must cost millions to make a feature does not come from independent filmmakers - I can name multiple excellent films made for a fraction of that. So what are we optimising for? Better stories? More adventurous filmmakers? Developing talent? If we were doing that, we would make more, faster, and allow unique voices to develop in a space where risk and play is actually encouraged. I can tell you with certainty that Lapwing would never have happened if it needed £3m to get started and that would mean the talent involved would still be waiting for a chance to shoot something longer than a short. Show me someone with £3m to invest, and I’ll direct them to 10 exceptional projects that can be shot and still leave them with change. https://lnkd.in/edi-ybQD

Digital Studio India explores how the pay-as-you-like pricing model used by the indie film Fairy Folk is revolutionizing distribution and gaining acclaim. This approach could offer a promising future for independent filmmakers. (CLICK ON THE LINK TO READ THE FULL STORY) #digitalstudioindia #cinema #indiecinema #streaming #ott #payasyoulike #pricingmodel