November 5, 2009

FNB Special Feature: American Film Market – Day 1

By Catherine Clinch

You can always tell when the American Film Market is in town. Men and women in business garb walk briskly along the beach bluffs carrying matching canvas tote bags. A disproportionately high amount of cigarette smoke blends into the onshore breeze. And at least one disgruntled filmmaker will be picketing and/or distributing leaflets warning others about a foreign sales agent who has done them wrong. This year, a new level of creativity emerged when one filmmaker hired a truck to drive back and forth in front of Lowe’s with ad panels on all sides: “WARNING: Epic Pictures offering Stolen Movie.” The allegations include burglary at the filmmaker’s office; a stolen negative; a renamed film; 31 individuals named in three separate lawsuits; and the obligatory investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department. Whether or not any of this is true, it certainly peaks curiosity to see this movie-worth-stealing.

The American Film Market absorbs every square foot of Lowe’s Santa Monica Hotel, transforming it into a living, breathing organism whose sole purpose is to enable independently produced motion pictures to find their way to the four corners of the globe. The hotel’s design feels like a cruise ship, right down to the view of the Pacific Ocean through the huge picture windows. At its best, the AFM is like a trip on “The Love Boat” – a week long journey where people will bond quickly, share many complicated social and professional interactions, then go back to their respective homelands satisfied that they are much better off than they were when they arrived. But in this economic environment it remains to be seen how many companies will be feeling the love with territories sold and deals signed. Worst case scenario, this round of AFM just might turn out to be a cruise ship to nowhere.

After years of covering this market for another press outlet, I arrived ready to push my way through the crowds of aspiring writers, actors, producers and directors that typically populate the lobby. Unwilling or unable to afford the price of a market pass, they loiter, casually holding DVDs, CDs, headshots, screenplays and dreams – their desperation as obvious as a bulldog’s drool – attempting to be nonchalant while waiting for someone to come down from the upper levels to discover them. Their hopes are not completely unfounded because two years ago, Jenna Edwards was an aspiring young producer who had little more than a project she thought was important. She struck up a conversation with an investor who arrived early and was waiting for his colleague in the lobby. That conversation led to the poignant and moving film “April Showers,” a portrayal of a school shooting incident that was written and directed by one of the survivors of the Columbine massacre. Much to my surprise, this year everyone in the lobby had a market pass around their neck. Either “April Showers” is a well-kept secret or too many dreamers have already given up.

This year, I’ve set out with three specific missions:

  • Find The Next Summit – a company that is ready to burst onto the scene as a major player in the independent production market
  • Find the next “Paranormal Activity” – the low budget film that holds big box office potential
  • Identify and profile interesting filmmakers and producers who are still at the front end of the bell curve in their career

I began my excursion on the 8th floor – the top of the market in more ways than one. The suites on the upper floors of the market are considered to be the cream of the crop. The fourth floor – lobby level – is the dividing line. Suites below that level are frequently denigrated as the newbies, the wanna-bes and the nobodies. However, it is worth noting that a little film called “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” began its life in these lower floors, so nothing on these lower floors should be discounted.

Typically, the first day of the market is bustling with “window shopping” by the international film buyers. Most of them have an idea of what they intend to buy, but they look through the suites to see what else might catch their eye, knowing that they have a full week to make their commitment. According to the Buyer Registration Guide, most of the buyers have already arrived and are planning to stay through the beginning of next week. Even so, the hallways offered clear passage and many of the suites were filled with lonely sales agents who seemed bored and bewildered by the scarcity of first day traffic.

This is not to say that nobody was making first round sales. The Weinstein Company was like rush hour on a Friday evening. Harvey Weinstein walked quickly through the suite, talking on his cell while instructing those around him to keep up with his pace. Clearly, when Disney shuttered Miramax last week it became obvious that it is the brilliant brothers – and not the company – that generate amazing films. There was definitely a light in Harvey’s eyes as he stood amidst the one-sheets of his current slate. I’m going to remove The Weinstein Company from my quest for The Next Summit because even though they’ve had to reinvent themselves after Miramax, they’ve just picked up where they left off. They may be experiencing a glitch in their company finances, but they’re still the top of the heap and the players to emulate.

Around the corner, Showcase Entertainment proved to be a reliable stalwart company. EVP Shauna Shapiro Jackson and Market Coordinator Linda Paolucci continue to bring a steady slate of consistently good films to market year after year. Their business model is built around this market and they know how to be effective providers to their customers. They are clearly an excellent company, but aren’t yet going after the brass ring in domestic box office contenders.

London-based HanWay Films was aggressive with its positioning in five adjacent suites. It is worth noting that each of the first four suites were immersed in sales meetings with buyers and the reception office was juggling phone calls for many more meetings throughout the day. Another company from across the pond, InTandem Films has just announced that they will be replacing Seven Arts as the international sales agent for 13 high profile films that have already had a US domestic release – including the Keanu Reeve starrer “Johnny Mnemonic,” “I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead,” with Clive Owen, and “No Good Deed” starring Samuel L. Jackson and Milla Jovavich. While InTandem is best known as a company that provides Executive Producer services, this move will clearly expand their range of influence. They might be a move that makes them a contender in the search for The Next Summit.

Lightning Entertainment Group continues to be interesting in their choice of product and in the way they do business. Their front desk was staffed by AFI grad program interns, but those interns had actually seen the company’s slate of films and could speak eloquently about them. That shows a level of involvement that stands miles above much of their competition.

Last, but certainly not least, the companies to watch must include Maxim Media International. In some ways, MMI speaks to the historic undertones of AFM – focusing only on the horror genre. President Darrin Ramage describes himself as a hardcore horror fan for his entire life. He can trace his attraction back to the age of 8 when he sat white-knuckled on the sofa between his father and his stepmother watching “Psycho” on television. “Fear had consumed my entire body from the tips of the hair on my head to the very ends of my toenails. I have been chasing that fear my entire life,” he explains. “I don’t think I will ever be able to reach that level of fear, but I will never stop chasing the fear.”

More to come …

Catherine Clinch is the founder of Nuclear Family Films and is a frequent contributor to Film News Briefs. She can be reached at catherine@nuclearfamilyfilms.com.

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