Posted by Larry Gleeson The Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF), presented by UGG®, will offer a vast array of films representing 50+ countries, 51 world premieres and 64 US premieres…
Earlier this week, Amazon Video Direct (AVD, a department within Amazon focused on self-publishing distribution tools for filmmakers) announced an intriguing new opportunity available to Sundance 2017 feature filmmakers. Dubbed the “Film Festival Stars” program, AVD is offering, in exchange for a two-year worldwide SVOD (subscription VOD) contract (with one-year exclusive) an up-front “cash bonus” to Sundance titles on a sliding scale based on section ($100,000 for US Narrative Competition titles, $75,000 for US Documentary Competition Titles, and $25,000 for titles in the NEXT, Midnight, Kids, World, New Frontiers, and Spotlight sections). The deal also offers a preferential rate on Amazon’s standard payouts per stream.
Though AVD framed this announcement as a “self-distribution opportunity,” it was greeted with debate from a subset of influential independent producers on Facebook, who pointed out that it sounded less like “self-distribution” and more like a traditional, albeit standardized SVOD distribution deal. The point was raised that the initial exclusivity clause would all but rule out other distribution opportunities (as SVOD is the most lucrative revenue stream on most independent films in 2017), and that what was here being referred to as a “cash bonus” was simply a rebranded version of what other distributors referred to as an MG (or “minimum guarantee”). Further concern was raised over the fact that this standardized “cash bonus” publicly assigned an across-the-board standard price point to all Sundance films premiering in a given category. Would this devalue the market overall? $100k or $25k, after all, would hardly be considered “recouping” for most films premiering at Sundance.
This is a depressing fact, but to my eyes Amazon’s numbers are actually quite generous when you consider the fact that this is a deal aimed not at the major, star-driven films premiering at the festival, but rather at those films that won’t land a big sale. There are certainly plenty of Sundance films that will not be offered worldwide MGs for nearly as high an amount as those offered here.
So is there a downside to filmmakers and producers having this additional opportunity available to them?
Probably not, at least not in the immediate future. But in my opinion this announcement should worry one subsection of the industry: niche and micro-budget distributors. By naming a standardized price that many distributors can’t hope to match, Amazon wagers that there are filmmakers out there willing to choose upfront money over the less quantifiable benefits that a smaller distributor will offer in lieu of an MG (marketing, PR, P&A, theatrical bookings).
I queried AVD about their Film Festival Stars program via email, and tried to ask questions that I’d want to know more about if I was a filmmaker or producer considering this deal, or a distributor fretting about the future of my business. They replied with these responses attributed collectively to the AVD team.
Filmmaker: Can you clarify how Amazon Video Direct differs from Amazon Studios? Are the films participating in Amazon Video Direct also available to stream for free to all Amazon Prime members?
AVD: Amazon Original Movies is interested in films for acquisition purposes — they are looking to purchase, co-finance, pre-buy and invest in premium original content that will be theatrically released and can be viewed exclusively by Prime members. Amazon Video Direct is a service offered by Amazon Video that enables filmmakers and other content creators to make their titles available to Amazon customers worldwide, including millions of Amazon Prime customers, through a self-service publishing interface without the need for complex negotiations or contracts. The Film Festival Stars program, from Amazon Video Direct, is a program focused on filmmakers, beyond those targeted for direct acquisition by AOM and Prime Video teams at Sundance, who want to self-distribute their films by providing additional opportunities to make their films available to Amazon Prime members. The opt-in nature of Amazon Video Direct and Film Festival Stars is what makes it unique.
Filmmaker: Will similar offers (with upfront “publishing bonuses”) be made to filmmakers premiering at other US festivals like SXSW and Tribeca? Or is this deal unique to Sundance?
AVD: At this time, the Film Festival Stars program is only open to films chosen as official selections at Sundance 2017.
Filmmaker: Can you speak a bit about how you determined the pricing tiers offered in this deal? The numbers imply that you have generally determined that US Dramatic Competition films are 25% more valuable than US Documentaries, and four-times more valuable than films in the Foreign and Midnight sections. How did you arrive at these estimates?
AVD: As an opt-in program, we are not placing value on individual or classes of films. The non-recoupable up front bonus for filmmakers who opt-in to the program is intended to pay for a portion of the marketing and theatrical costs typically associated with films in these categories. Every title that is published in the program will earn double the per-hour royalty rate we pay with our standard terms.
Filmmaker: Why is exclusivity important to AVD’s business plan?
AVD: We require exclusivity to justify the substantial up-front cash bonus (non-recoupable) and elevated per-hour royalty rate. AVD is investing in the film with an up-front bonus (marketing dollars), and in exchange ask it to be exclusive to Prime members through SVOD for the first 12 months (starting after a 6-month window).
Filmmaker: Some producers have criticized the windowing of this deal (which requires films start streaming by September), arguing that smaller films considering self-distribution need more time to exhaust all distribution options, and to realistically plan and execute a theatrical release. How did you arrive at this deadline, and what is your response to those who say its in a filmmaker’s best interest to wait longer before choosing a VOD partner?
AVD: There are many high-quality films screened at major film festivals that are ultimately not acquired for full service distribution. The Film Festival Stars program is designed to provide a new distribution pathway alternative for a broader set of films screened during the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. Each film is unique and we believe expanding distribution options for filmmakers will result in more great films reaching a bigger audience. We also feel it is important to ensure filmmakers retain the flexibility to pursue additional distribution options outside of our SVOD exclusivity terms.
Filmmaker: I imagine many filmmakers will find themselves torn between this AVD offer and offers from smaller, niche distributors who are making lower monetary bids but with a more tailored, hands-on approach to things like P&A and theatrical. Taking into account that smaller distributors are still able to place films on major streaming platforms (including Amazon), and that self-distribution can be quite a time-consuming and costly endeavor, what would your argument be to a filmmaker to go with AVD outside of the money offered?
AVD: The “opt-in” nature of Film Festival Stars is what makes it unique.Filmmakers who do not choose to participate in the Film Festival Stars program are free to choose whether they want to license their SVOD rights on the standard program terms. With the Film Festival Stars program we are creating another option for filmmakers as they craft a holistic distribution strategy, which may include self-distribution or working with other distribution partners. The filmmaker is making the choice and in control.
In the tenth year of their existence, the “EFM Industry Debates” (February 10 to 12) will once again bring together high-calibre international experts to discuss current topics of interest, trends and perspectives for the rapidly changing film industry. The first panel discussion addresses the question to what extent digital distribution can be advantageous, in particular for independent film producers. The second debate focuses on the film industry in the Arab world and its challenges and potential. Finally, the significance and necessity of innovations in the field of film sales and marketing will be treated within the scope of the third debate.
The event is being presented for the sixth time by the IFA, the leading global trade show for consumer electronics and home appliances, the official host of the “EFM Industry Debates”.
The discussion series is organized in co-operation with the international trade magazines Screen International, The Hollywood Reporter and Variety. The “EFM Industry Debates” will take place on Friday, February 10; Saturday, February 11 and Sunday, February 12, from 4.00 to 5.00 pm at the Gropius Mirror Restaurant. Friday, Feb 10, 2017, 4.00–5.00 pm
Online Distribution: Promise and Reality In co-operation with The Hollywood Reporter
Online distribution promises to be the savior of the independent production industry, providing a long-tail global audience for even the most niche art house films and TV productions.
But how does the promise of online distribution match up to the reality? How can independent producers best use the Internet to both finance productions and recoup on their investment? And how can an indie producer or director assess the real value of their films on the global market?
Moderation: Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter Saturday, Feb 11, 2017, 4.00-5.00 pm
New Prospects: Challenges and Opportunities in the Arab Film Industry In co-operation with Variety
The Arab world is growing significantly as a market and producer of films. But growth has been uneven, with screens and investment increasing in areas like the Gulf but lagging in countries such as Egypt. Meanwhile, Arab producers and directors face creative and commercial challenges as pay-TV and SVOD gain ground. What are the region’s prospects? The panel will present fresh data on Arab cinema and discuss how best to navigate a growing but tricky market.
Moderation: Nick Vivarelli, Variety
Sunday, Feb 12, 2017, 4.00-5.00 pm
Market Innovation 2017: How To Get Things Moving? In co-operation with Screen International
With its new “EFM Horizon” platform, the EFM offers various initiatives focusing on the film industry of the future. “EFM Horizon” sets out to help discover the latest technological developments and forward-looking trends and to take advantage of networks in sectors bordering the audio-visual industry. The panel introduces entrepreneurs with strategies that will shape the future in distribution and marketing of films and potentially attract new audiences. The new “Propellor Film Tech Hub,” of which EFM is a founding partner, is setting up an incubator program for the development of new distribution and marketing prototypes, and will present its strategy for 2017 and 2018.
Moderation: Wendy Mitchell, contributing editor at Screen International.
Admission to the “EFM Industry Debates” is free of charge for owners of the market badge. The “EFM Industry Debates” will be followed every day by a networking cocktail hour.
Five of the seven restored versions screening in Berlinale Classics will be celebrating their world premiere in Berlin. In addition to the films from Germany, Israel and Mexico the section will include four additional restored versions of international classics, by Woody Allen, James Cameron, James Ivory and George A. Romero.
Arnold Schwarzenegger is back. In new, three-dimensional form, the T-800 returns to the big screen. DMG Entertainment and Studiocanal, working with James Cameron and his production company Lightstorm Entertainment, initiated the restoration and 3D conversion of Terminator 2: Judgment Day 3D (USA, 1991/2017). In the science-fiction classic, an android played by Arnold Schwarzenegger travels back through time to save from assassination the future leader in the human battle against the machines. To create the new version, the original negative was scanned in 4K at Deluxe LA and then digitally processed by Technicolor Hollywood, while StereoD undertook the conversion to 3D. Studiocanal will release the new, digitally restored 3D version of the film, which won four Oscars in 1992, theatrically. All the restoration work was personally supervised by director James Cameron and his team.
“Famous for its one-liners, Terminator 2: Judgment Day set a new bar for special effects and became a cult film. We’re very pleased to be celebrating the release of the new 3D version of the classic here in Berlin”, says Rainer Rother, head of the Retrospective section and artistic director of the Deutsche Kinemathek.
George A. Romero’s black-and-white film Night of the Living Dead (USA, 1968) is considered a milestone and a classic of the horror genre. The film is about a group of diverse personalities who barricade themselves into a secluded house in Pennsylvania to fend off an attack by a growing number of zombies. The impetus for the restoration was when the film’s Image Ten partners, Gary and Russell Streiner, donated the original camera negative to The Museum of Modern Art in New York. It was scanned in 4K by Cineric for digital processing and audio restoration was done by Audio Mechanics in Burbank. Night of the Living Dead was restored under the aegis of The Museum of Modern Art, New York and The Film Foundation, with funding provided by the George Lucas Family Foundation and the Celeste Bartos Preservation Fund.
Maurice (UK, 1987) won three awards at the 1987 Venice Film Festival – for director James Ivory, and the lead actors James Wilby and Hugh Grant. The film is based on the eponymous book by E.M. Forster and tells the story of a homosexual attraction. At the centre of the tale is young Cambridge graduate Maurice Hall, who must fight to realise his dreams in the puritanical England of the early 20th century. The restoration, by the Cohen Media Group, used a 4K scan of the original camera negative. Director James Ivory gave the nod to the digitally restored version of his film, and cinematographer Pierre Lhomme supervised the colour correction.
Annie Hall (USA, 1977), Woody Allen’s world-renowned comedy, which won four Oscars, is now available in a digitally restored theatrical version. In this semi-autobiographical tale, Allen plays the neurotic stand-up comedian Alvy Singer who occasionally talks directly to the audience as he relates the story of his relationship with the title character, using flashbacks and moving around in time. The film was restored by Park Circus and MGM at Deluxe, Culver City. The 4K restoration, using the original camera negative, was supervised by Grover Crisp in co-operation with the office of Woody Allen.
The full programme of the Berlinale Classics section:
Annie Hall
By Woody Allen, USA 1977
World premiere of the digitally restored version
In 4K DCP
Avanti Popolo
By Rafi Bukaee, Israel 1986
International premiere of the digitally restored version
In 2K DCP
Canoa
By Felipe Cazals, Mexico 1976
World premiere of the digitally restored version
In 2K DCP
Maurice
By James Ivory, UK 1987
World premiere of the digitally restored version
In 4K DCP
Night of the Living Dead
By George A. Romero, USA 1968
International premiere of the digitally restored version
In 4K DCP
Schwarzer Kies (Black Gravel)
By Helmut Käutner, West Germany 1961
World premiere of the digital version
In 2K DCP
Terminator 2: Judgment Day 3D
By James Cameron
World premiere of the digitally restored version
In 2K DCP
Minors in France will no longer be automatically barred from watching films containing real, non-simulated sex scenes, according to a report, as the Ministry of Culture is set to liberalize domestic laws on film classifications.
France’s Minister of Culture Audrey Azoulay will issue a decree softening the criteria for banning films to those aged under 18 as soon as next month, BFM TV reports.
Until now, a decree dating from 2003 stipulates that films “with non-simulated or very violent sex scenes” must be banned for children under 18 years of age. It means that any film covered by the description must be automatically prohibited to minors.
Joel Chapron, UniFrance head of research and distributor relations, and Cannes Film Festival consultant (Photo via UniFrance.org)
“To ban children under 18 from watching films is nonsense,” Joel Chapron, UniFrance head of research and distributor relations, and Cannes Film Festival consultant, told RT.
“Society has long surpassed cinema. If people younger than 18 are making love in real life, don’t they have a right to watch a similar movie in the cinema? It’s double-dealing, insincerity, hypocrisy.”
The new decree will put an end to this ‘automaticity,’ the Ministry of Culture says.
“The ban on children below the age of 18 will no longer be automatically applied to works containing non-simulated sex scenes, but [will be] reserved for works involving scenes of sex or violence likely to seriously offend the sensitivity of minors,” the Ministry of the Culture stated, as quoted by BFM TV.
The new decree is thought to have been prompted by a report presented last year by Jean-Francois Mary, chairman of the French film classification commission. According to the report, the criterion of ‘non-simulated’ sex was outdated because “a scene can be quite explicit on the screen, while being simulated during the shooting.”
Explicit scene still from Gasper Noe’s erotic 3D melodrama ‘Love.’ (Photo via hyperanimals.com)
In 2015, Gaspar Noé’s erotic 3D melodrama ‘Love,’ awash with explicit sexual scenes, provoked a war of words and ratings in France.
The film, which had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, was initially rated 16, meaning that children under that age could not watch it in French cinemas. Worried about the sexual nature of the film, then-Culture Minister Fleur Pellerin asked the ratings board for a second review, recommending a stronger rating.
The minister came under fire from the French Directors Guild (L’ARP) and film distribution and international sales giant Wild Bunch.
“We have nothing to gain from being in the game of conservatism and puritanism,” L’ARP said in a statement, as quoted by the Hollywood Reporter.
The ‘moralization’ of works, the intimate friend of censorship, is a dangerous game. The filmmakers of ARP remain convinced that poetry, sexual as it is, [from] filmmaker Gaspar Noé, will remain a better educational source than that of porn debauchery permanently available on the internet,” it added.
The French ratings board ignored Pellerin’s judgment, and the certificate for the erotic movie remained unchanged
In the tenth year of their existence, the “EFM Industry Debates” (February 10 to 12) will once again bring together high-calibre international experts to discuss current topics of interest, trends and perspectives for the rapidly changing film industry. The first panel discussion addresses the question to what extent digital distribution can be advantageous, in particular for independent film producers. The second debate focuses on the film industry in the Arab world and its challenges and potential. Finally, the significance and necessity of innovations in the field of film sales and marketing will be treated within the scope of the third debate.
