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Growing SXSW hasn't lost its indie cred
Many filmmakers start journey to sell their pic at Texas fest
By Jay A. Fernandez
March 14, 2010, 11:00 PM ET
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| SXSW marquee |
AUSTIN, Texas -- Distribution deals were never the point of the
SXSW Film Festival, and that's still true at its 17th edition,
which began this weekend.
But for filmmakers, actors, independent film aficionados and yes,
sales executives, it's a laid-back Lone Star love-in.
"Audiences are more relaxed here," says Ron Yerxa, who with Albert
Berger executive produced Jacob Hatley's "Ain't in It for My
Health: A Film About Levon Helm," which held its world premiere
Saturday afternoon. "Screenings at the Alamo Draft House have
almost a party atmosphere, which is what I always thought festival
screenings should be."
Wedged as it is between Sundance and Tribeca, SXSW has continued to
grow and draw a wider spectrum of North American and world
premieres. (The sublime mid-March Texas weather may have something
to do with that.) Though this has contributed to greater
attendance, the festival remains a less pressurized destination for
film fans and industry folk to get a look at a new crop of films
without the pressure of marketing concerns.
There have been the rare SXSW acquisitions, including IFC's pick up
of Joe Swanberg and Greta Gerwig's "Nights and Weekends" in 2008
and Swanberg's "Hannah Takes the Stairs" the year before. But while
15-20 reps from potential buyers Apparition, Sony Pictures
Classics, Magnolia, IFC Films, Roadside Attractions and Paramount's
new low-budget initiative have circulated at premiere screenings
this year, not much sales activity is expected to coalesce at the
festival.
"It's a great place to start on the road to sell a film," says
Submarine Entertainment's Josh Braun, who first came to SXSW in
2002 with the documentary "Spellbound," which THINKFilm turned into
a mini-phenomenon after its SXSW premiere.
This weekend, Aaron Katz's drama "Cold Weather" was stirring
positive response after its premiere Saturday night at the Alamo
Draft House Ritz. And Mark Landsman's documentary "Thunder Soul"
fielded a strong premiere screening at the Paramount Saturday
morning.
Continuing a trend from the previous year, several films opted
pre-emptively to cut a deal with the new IFC Films/SXSW on Demand
platform, which, much like Sundance Selects, premieres festival
entries simultaneously on VOD. "Le Donk & Scor-zay-zee,"
directed by Shane Meadows, and "The White Stripes: Under Great
White Northern Lights," directed by Emmett Malloy, took that
path.
Filmbuff, the VOD label of Cinetic Rights Management, picked up
David Bond's "Erasing David" and Justin Molotnikov's "Crying with
Laughter" for VOD release and availability on iTunes and Amazon VOD
before SXSW kicked off this year.
Unlike at Sundance, most buyers' reps have left town by a film's
second screening, which can leave sellers scrambling to organize
screenings outside of SXSW to capitalize on whatever momentum a
film has acquired before everyone's attention is pulled away by the
next festival.
On the other hand, SXSW has drawn an ever more potent mix of flashy
buzzed-about films ("Kick-Ass," "Drag Me to Hell," "Bruno") and
world premieres as it's become more polished and lost a smidgen of
its "ragged edge," as Braun puts it. That, along with its
overlapping interactive and music fests, accounts for the swelling
with interest from fans and filmmakers. It's grown from 700
registrants for the music fest in 1987, to roughly 29,000 for the
music, film and interactive events last year. No one seems too
concerned that the fest is getting too big for its boots, at least
at this point.
"It certainly has grown," says filmmaker Steve James, who has
escorted three films to the festival: "Stevie" (2003), "At the
Death House Door" (2008) and "No Crossover: The Trial of Allen
Iverson," which had its world premiere Sunday morning. "They have
more venues, they're showing films a lot more frequently. The
screenings are more crowded and sold out, but it's a sign of great
growth and success."
Sunday afternoon, audiences were looking forward to the world
premieres of James Franco's "Saturday Night," Bernard Rose's "Mr.
Nice," Joseph Infantolino's "Helena From the Wedding" and Sebastian
Gutierrez's "Elektra Luxx," which CAA is repping at the fest.
Wes Orshoski and Greg Olliver's "Lemmy" and the mainstream Rogue
Pictures comedy "MacGruber" are part of Monday night's agenda at
the Paramount.
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