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 Ira Deutchman, Ted Hope, Michael Lynne and James Schamus at the Indie Film Summit on Friday in Manhattan. Photo by Brian Brooks/indieWIREThe Summit began with about a half hour of milling about as guests arrived and gathered plates of buffet lunch. Many quizzed me about who would be attending and what we’d all be talking about. Early on in the planning process we’d agreed that Michael Lynne, given his long history as head of New Line, would be an ideal person to set the tone with some brief prepared remarks. On Friday, Michael offered no nonsense talk and at numerous points focused our discussion with keen insight. We also asked a number of leading folks to offer a few minutes of insight from their vantage point, knowing that reactions would ensue.
The striking tension between art and commerce was palpable on Friday. While a prominent insider spoke of an impossible to explain shock that has struck the independent film business, particularly on the sales side, another equally well-known participant eschewed any talk of a crisis, instead emphasizing that this is, “a golden age for international cinema.”
Producers butted heads with distributors over diminishing returns, particularly from digitally driven distribution, folks spoke of the end of equity financing (while others defended it), many considered shifts among moviegoers and the filters they rely on to tap into independent film, while filmmakers wondered how they might reclaim the magic of truly independent cinema before it became studio fodder.
“The magic is gone because we became a part of the system,” one veteran observed. “Our business needs to re-invent itself,” offered another. Meanwhile, an insider proclaimed simply, “We’re not working together.”
 Tom Quinn, Dina Kuperstock, Jason Janego and Arianna Bocco. Photo by Brian Brooks/indieWIRE“We are faced with a changing customer,” explained an engaged participant, “We are not going to be able to stop them from changing.”
This weekend’s dispatches from the event are required reading and there will certainly be more follow-up.
“The two polarizing issues were: how do we make money, and how can we protect passion and content,” noted Anne Thompson, in her dispatch.
“There are some for whom independent film is more of a business, and others for whom it is more of an art. And when assessing the effect of the crisis, one could simply point out that bad businesses went away and good ones stayed,” reacted Scott Macaulay in his wrap-up, “Ultimately, we are a diverse group clustering around a collection of content, but the answer of what we’d each do with these individual piece of contents varies greatly.”
“Crisis breeds solutions, which means opportunity for those willing to dive in,” wrote Ira Deutchman, optimistically, in his ten responses to the event.
At indieWIRE, we’re proud of the work we did to make this first event happen (thanks and congrats to everyone involved) and committed to digging deeper into the many issues raised at the Summit and broadening the discussion to include more voices, while also developing more focused conversations around key topics. This event was a starting point. As many told me immediately after the Summit, it was about time such a group got together. An even more focused round of conversations are in order. We’ll foster an ongoing conversation here at indieWIRE, continue to point to others who are part of the discussion, and widely solicit feedback and input.
 Raj Roy, Chris Horton and Mark Urman. Photo by Brian Brooks/indieWIREFor the record, participants at Friday’s Indie Summit included: Brian Ackerman (Jacob Burns Film Cener), Rick Allen (SnagFilms), Karen Arikian (Hamptons International Film Festival), Wren Arthur (Olive Productions), Josh Astrachan (producer), Michael Barker (Sony Pictures Classics), Tom Bernard (Sony Pictures Classics), Jeanne Berney (Apparition), Arianna Bocco (IFC Films), Josh Braun (Submarine), Peter Broderick (consultant), Brian Brooks (indieWIRE), Michelle Byrd (IFP), Victoria Cook (Cinetic), Tom Cunha (Mammoth), Ira Deutchman (Emerging Pictures), Chris Eigeman (filmmaker), Paola Freccero (B-Side), Nancy Gerstman (Zeitgeist Films), Geoff Gilmore (Tribeca Enterprises), Mark Greenberg (EPIX), John Haddity (Producers Guild of America), Eugene Hernandez (indieWIRE), Ted Hope (This Is That), Vaness Hope (producer), Chris Horton (Cinetic), Anne Hubbell (Kodak), James Israel (indieWIRE), Jason Janego (Big Beach Entertainment), Jytte Jensen (MoMA), Larry Kardish (MoMA), Pat Swinney Kaufman (NY State Governor’s Office), Jason Kliot (Open City Films), Pam Koffler (Killer Films), Dina Kuperstock (CAA), Marian Koltai Levine (Zipline Entertainment), Richard Lorber (Lorber Media), Glenn Lowry (MoMA), Michael Lynne (Unique Features), Scott Macaulay (Forensic Films), Susan Margolin (New Video), Eileen Newman (Tribeca Film Institute), John Penotti (GreeneStreet Films), Travis Pomposello (EPIX), Tom Quinn (Magnolia Pictures), Raj Roy (MoMA), Emily Russo (Zeitgeist), Ira Sachs (filmmaker), Peter Sarah (Big Beach Films), James Schamus (Focus Features), John Sloss (Cinetic), Dan Steinman (CAA), Jack Turner (White Buffalo Entertainment), Anne Thompson (Thompson On Hollywood), Mark Urman (Palladin), John Vanco (IFC Center), Joana Vicente (Open City Films), Ryan Werner (IFC Films). Apologies to those who may have been overlooked here, please contact us if you attended the Summit and would like your name added to this list.
Eugene Hernandez is the Editor-in-Chief & Co-Founder of indieWIRE and can be reached on his blog, through Facebook or via Twitter: @eug.
PREVIOUS WEEKLY COLUMNS:
09.21.09: The Oscar Marathon | 09.14.09: DIY v. DIWO | 09.08.09: SPC v. IFC | 08.30.09: Saving Cinema | 08.23.09: Nadie Sabe Nada | 08.16.09: Movies, Now More Than Ever | 08.09.09: It Came From The 80s
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by Eugene Hernandez (September 28, 2009)
While I appreciate the thoughts that were generated by this get-together and I absolutely appreciate Indiewire’s efforts to stir up a discussion, I am also disappointed by the execution. To echo the last comment… if the only people being invited to the table are friends from the neighborhood, then who’s there representing audiences in, oh I don’t know… California, filmmakers in Tennessee or festivals in Michigan? While New York may be the capital of independent film in this country, it is by no means the only place where this topic is being debated. Let’s please not let this very important conversation be dominated by the same ol’ “leading figures from the film community.” After all, while many of these folks certainly have—or will have—some good ideas… didn’t we arrive at this moment of crisis on their watch?
You guys might start by engaging the rest of the country in your conversation. Even though most of the industry is based in New York, many of us out here West of the Hudson have some good ideas and would love to be a part of the conversation. You can’t build the industry without us.
Where was Paul Mezey?
I think it’s great that you did this and I hope it will give everyone involved better resources to keep independent film alive- though it also seems like independent film may have a life beyond what distribution has looked like in the past.