September 2, 2008

iW BOT | Summer Winners and Losers at the Specialty Box Office

Box Office coverage presented by Rentrak Theatrical

by Peter Knegt (September 2, 2008)

The Summer season - at least by the finance-fueled standards of the film industry - is over. While this past final weekend may have been slow for the studios, Indiewood was relatively bustling. Despite "Hamlet 2"'s disastrous expansion, there was lots of hope elsewhere. First Look's "Sukiyaki Western Django," Sony Pictures Classics' "I Served The King of England," and TLA Releasing's "Another Gay Sequel: Gays Gone Wild" led the iW BOT on a handful (or less) screens each, and a burst of August specialty hits took full advantage of their numbered days. But with Labor Day a memory and TIFF just two days away, lets take a iW BOT detour and reflect back on Indiewood's summer.
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August 25, 2008

iW BOT | Sundance Trio Takes On The Specialty Box Office

Box Office coverage presented by Rentrak Theatrical

by Peter Knegt (August 25, 2008)

Three very different Sundance acquisitions found their way into the specialty marketplace this weekend. Two led the iW BOT, which ranks based on per-theater-averages, in small bows. Tia Lessin and Carl Deal's Katrina doc, "Trouble the Water," grossed $28,606 on 3 screens for Zeitgeist Films," and Azazel Jacobs' "Momma's Man" grossed $11,072 from one engagement in New York for Kino International. The film with the most box office potential of the three, Andrew Fleming's "Hamlet 2," was also the most disappointing, grossing $439,925 on 103 screens. That gave the Focus Features purchase a $4,271 average. Meanwhile, two Penelope Cruz starrers, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" and "Elegy," held up very well in their second and third weekends, respectively.
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Magnolia, Landmark, and Cinetic Planning Parallel Theatrical & Digital Releases for Upcoming Wayne Wang Films

by Eric Kohn (August 25, 2008)

For more than thirty years, Wayne Wang has navigated the vastly different terrains of the independent film industry and Hollywood. Now, he's preparing to extend his experience to another domain -- the Internet. Due to the close relationship between his latest two features, "The Princess of Nebraska" and "A Thousand Years of Good Prayers," Wang has decided to make "Princess" available online, for free, shortly after "A Thousand Years" hits theaters next month. Although the details of the distribution strategy remain in development, the final plan for the parallel releases will likely emerge in the coming weeks.
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August 24, 2008

Walking a Tight Rope and Swinging for the Fences: Across the Country, Non-Profits React to SFFS Announcement

by Eugene Hernandez (August 24, 2008)

"The rules of the game are in flux," noted Gabe Wardell via email last week, reacting to the news of the San Francisco Film Society's expansion into filmmaker services in the wake of the demise of the 32 year old Film Arts Foundation. "While some say the sky is falling, and others make bold predictions about the future of our independent film, the truth is that no one knows for sure what the future holds." Wardell, who runs the Atlanta Film Festival organization in Georgia, formerly known as the Image Film and Video Center, was just one of the veterans of the non-profit film sector surveyed by indieWIRE via email this week.
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August 20, 2008

"Hamlet 2" | Focus Features Hopes: Blithe Comedy + Well-Known Entertainers = Late Summer Hit

by Eric Kohn (August 19, 2008)

In a key scene halfway through "Hamlet 2," a downtrodden Arizona high school theater teacher named Dana Marschz (Steve Coogan), whose raunchy, quasi-autobiographical play has raised the ire of the local community, gets his confidence boosted by Cricket Feldstein (Amy Poehler), a fiery representative from the American Civil Liberties Union. With a twinge of excitement, Cricket explains that the school's attempt to suppress his work constitutes a First Amendment violation, and he stands a good chance of winning out. As she leaves, Dana notes that, by the way, the play is going to be really good. Without hesitation, she fires back, "It's irrelevant."
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August 19, 2008

Bay Area Blockbuster: SF Film Society Plans Expansion as Film Arts Foundation Closes Its Doors

by Eugene Hernandez (August 19, 2008)

In a seismic shift within the Bay Area film community, the San Francisco Film Society (SFFS), which organizes the annual San Francisco International Film Fesival -- the oldest fest in the United States -- today unveiled a major expansion in the wake of the simultaneous announcement of the closure of the city's 32 year old Film Arts Foundation. The latest non-profit film organization to face fatal financial challenges, Film Arts recently sold its interest in the local 9th Street building it shared with a number of festivals and arts organizations, paying down its debts in the process and paving the way for a deal with the Film Society. "Film Arts Foundation has essentially gone under," SFFS executive director Graham Leggat explained to indieWIRE late Friday, previewing today's announcement. "We managed to catch the ball before it hit the ground."
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August 18, 2008

iW BOT | The Weinsteins Win With Woody and "A Girl" Tops Chart

Box Office coverage presented by Rentrak Theatrical

by Peter Knegt (August 18, 2008)

Despite record-breaking audiences for swimmer Michael Phelps's bid for record-breaking Olympic gold medals, the semi-wide release of Woody Allen's "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" managed to crack the overall top ten, grossing $3,755,575 in 692 theatres. Though its $5,427 average wasn't enough to claim the top spot on the iW BOT, which is ranked by per-theater averages. Claude Chabrol's "A Girl Cut In Two," playing on a rather incomparable two screens, topped it with a $9,329 average. Both films can take pleasure in the fact that they aren't Mark Pellington's "Henry Poole Is Here," which debuted on 527 screens to the sad tune of just $805,219 or about $1,528 per screen.
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August 15, 2008

New Video Digital Aiming 1,600 New Films at iTunes, Other Platforms

by Eric Kohn (August 15, 2008)

Digital distribution keeps gaining momentum. While there are currently about 2,600 movies available for download on iTunes, including a number of independent movies and documentaries, that number will soon grow. New Video Digital confirmed this week that it has secured a whopping 1,600 titles for Apple's online store and other outlets. The independent video aggregator said that it has acquired the rights to over 5,000 hours of independent film and television content, with plans to double that number by the end of this year. The company will push that content out to iTunes and other online platforms in the coming months on a non-exclusive basis.
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August 13, 2008

Tribeca Institute Selects Seven for Gucci Doc Fund

Documentary coverage sponsored by SnagFilms.

by Eugene Hernandez (August 13, 2008)

Seven projects have been selected for the Tribeca Film Institute's inaugural Gucci Tribeca Documentary Finishing Fund. Selected from 450 applicants, the projects will receive a total of $80,000 in finishing funds and post production guidance from the Institute. The new fund is aimed at supporting, in the words of the Institute, "independent filmmakers in need of finances to complete feature length documentaries that promote social change and illuminate issues in need of comprehensive coverage currently missing from mainstream media."
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August 11, 2008

iW BOT | It's An Indie August Rush As "Elegy" and "Bottle Shock" Take Off

Box Office coverage presented by Rentrak Theatrical

by Peter Knegt (August 11, 2008)

In the past few years, late summer has become a key month for specialty releases, particularly those that skew older or female audiences. Last year saw both Julie Delpy's "2 Days in Paris" and Julian Jarrold's "Becoming Jane" become two of 2008's indie bright spots. Just last weekend, Sony Pictures Classics' "Frozen River" got off to a great start. And this weekend, two more examples can be added to that trend, with Isabel Coixet's "Elegy" and Randall Miller's "Bottle Shock" both opening to great numbers. IDP/Samuel Goldwyn Films's "Elegy" grossed a stellar $104,168 from just six screens, while Freestyle Releasing's more aggressive 48 locations for "Bottle" brought in a $277,839 gross.
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Curtain Rises on Music Box: Little Known Distributor Aiming To Impact Specialty Biz

by Steve Ramos (August 11, 2008)

The rattle and roar of Chicago's Lake Street 'L' is constant. It drowns out the words of Brian Andreotti and Bill Schopf, two of the principals with specialty film start-up Music Box Films. Inside a second-floor office adjacent to a modern art gallery, located in an industrial stretch of West Loop Chicago, Music Box Films performs its business behind a low-rise brick building without notice. For the four-month old distributor responsible for the surprise art-house hit of the summer, the lack of attention does not seem fair.
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August 5, 2008

DIY Deal: Sidetrack Aligns With Nike For "Beautiful Losers" Theatrical Release

Documentary coverage sponsored by SnagFilms.

by Peter Knegt (August 5, 2008)

Sidetrack Films has partnered with Nike Sportswear for the upcoming release of Aaron Rose and Joshua Leonard's "Beautiful Losers," the documentary that debuted earlier this year at the SXSW Film Festival. While the filmmakers and Sidetrack entertained traditional offers from distributors after the film's Austin premiere, they decided instead to release the film on their own. The shoe and apparel company will assist in funding a five market launch for the film. The doc won the Documentary Jury Award at 2008 Cinevegas and opens this Friday at New York's IFC Center, before a roll-out.
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August 4, 2008

iW BOT | Solid Opening For "Frozen River" As Sony Classics Hopes For Another Late Summer Hit

Box Office coverage presented by Rentrak Theatrical

by Peter Knegt (August 4, 2008)

Six months after receiving the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, Courtney Hunt's "Frozen River" found winning box office numbers in its first weekend of theatrical release. Opening on seven screens in New York and Los Angeles, the Sony Pictures Classics release grossed $73,322 for a per-theater-average of $10,476. The film's patient expansion schedule should hope to follow the promise of two recent films, this weekend's iW BOT leader, Brad Anderson's "Transsiberian," and Guillaume Canet's "Tell No One," which just crossed the $2 million mark. "River" is certainly off to a better start than the rest of the weekend's openers, which included the paltry $337 average Ryuhei Kitamura's "Midnight Meat Train" found on 102 screens.
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July 30, 2008

DOC COLUMN | Theatrical Docs Down, But Not Out

Documentary coverage sponsored by SnagFilms.

by Agnes Varnum (July 30, 2008)

A quick read of David Ansen's recent "The End of the Documentary Film Market" over at Newsweek is a good summary of the theatrical marketplace for documentary film as it stands here in mid-summer 2008. Too much content for too few screens, distributors closing their doors and small grosses for the films that do manage openings, with the mind-boggling exception of the Ben Stein anti-Darwin film "Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed" taking in a whopping $7.6 million. Despite the usual filmmaker mantra that their film requires a big screen to properly showcase their story, audiences are deciding with their dollars what movies they want to see in theaters and which they don't.
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July 28, 2008

iW BOT | Sky-High Crowds Make 'Man on Wire' 2008's Top Doc

Box Office coverage presented by Rentrak Theatrical

by Steve Ramos (July 28, 2008)

Reports of New York audiences breaking into applause at weekend shows of the debut documentary "Man on Wire," about high-wire artist Philippe Petit and his walk on a wire between the rooftops of the World Trade Center, led to Magnolia Pictures execs cheering chart-topping, weekend box office figures. While the overall domestic box office continued to be robust thanks to strong hold-over business by Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures' Batman installment "The Dark Knight," art house films only recently sprung to life with five new releases leading the top six spots on the weekend specialty charts. Magnolia Pictures achieved the best debut grosses for a documentary since last summer's Michael Moore healthcare documentary "SiCKO" with "Man on Wire," director James Marsh's documentary about Philippe Petit's notorious high-wire act atop the World Trade Center towers. 'Man on Wire" earned $51,392 for Magnolia Pictures.
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July 23, 2008

Netflix Folds Red Envelope; Exits Theatrical Acquisition and Production Biz

by Anthony Kaufman (July 23, 2008)

Netflix, the online film rental juggernaut, is adhering to its name: Getting out of the theatrical business altogether, abandoning film production, and focusing solely on Internet and new media distribution platforms. With the move, the company has folded its nearly 3-year-old division Red Envelope Entertainment (REE), which purchased all-rights to indie films, and will be letting go its 5-person staff, which includes veteran exec, Liesl Copland, head of Red Envelope Entertainment.
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July 22, 2008

IndiePix Studios Unveiled; Harrington to Spearhead Unit

by Brian Brooks (July 22, 2008)

Former A&E Indie Films exec Ryan Harrington will head up operations at the newly launched IndiePix Studios, the production and filmmaker relations arm of online consumer film website, IndiePix Films. In his new position Harrington, who currently oversees the Tribeca Film Institute's Gucci Fund, will take on executive producer reponsibilities for documentary and narrative productions that the company has invested in. He will also be responsible for the DVD and digital acquisitions at IndiePix, in addition to tailoring distribution strategies for the company. Additional responsibilites include spearheading sales to broadcasters both domestically and abroad of titles for which IndiePix holds TV rights.
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July 21, 2008

iW BOT | Crowds Put Railway Thriller "Transsiberian" On Track as Top Specialty Film

Box Office coverage presented by Rentrak Theatrical

by Steve Ramos (July 21, 2008)

[EDITOR'S NOTE: indieWIRE is starting a weekly documentary-focused box office entry on its new blog, DocSider. The first edition was posted this evening.] Thanks to record-setting earnings by the Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures Batman installment "The Dark Knight," the overall domestic box office enjoyed its all-time best, three-day weekend. But the summer outlook for art house films remained subdued as specialty outfits continue to struggle to launch the season's first cross-over hit; an earnings equal to last summer's Michael Moore healthcare documentary "SiCKO." First Look Studios achieved its second ranking atop the 2008 iWBOT with "Transsiberian," director Brad Anderson's thriller set aboard the famous Russian railway. Starring Woody Harrelson, Emily Mortimer and Ben Kingsley, "Transsiberian" averaged $17,308 from two debut runs in New York. "Before I Forget," French director and actor Jacques Nolot's drama for Strand Releasing, about an aging gay gigolo, ranked number two with $9,676 in weekend earnings from New York's IFC Center. Rounding out the iWBOT top five, which ranks films by per-screen average, were "Tell No One," French director Guillaume Canet's mystery for Music Box Films; filmmaker Jonathan Levine's '90s nostalgia comedy for Sony Pictures Classics, "The Wackness;" and "Days and Clouds," Italian director Silvio Soldini's estranged spouses drama for Film Movement.
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July 17, 2008

FIRST PERSON | A Letter to indieWIRE Readers

by Eugene Hernandez (July 17, 2008)

As you can read today on indieWIRE, we have some big news to share. In the waning hours of our 12th anniversary on Tuesday, we signed a deal to sell iW to SnagFilms, a new company founded by Ted Leonsis and backed by Steve Case and Miles Gilburne. We first sat down with Ted and Snag CEO Rick Allen six months ago, but it was a meeting with the two of them at the Morning Ray Cafe, during this year's Sundance Film Festival, that sealed it for us. We knew then that it was just a matter of time before we'd combine our efforts.
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July 14, 2008

iW BOT | Word-of-Mouth Buzz Pushes 'Tell No One' Atop Specialty Charts

Box Office coverage presented by Rentrak Theatrical

by Steve Ramos (July 14, 2008)

The young art-house outfit Music Box Films experienced its first ranking atop the iWBOT with "Tell No One," director Guillaume Canet's thriller about a husband who learns his long-murdered wife may somehow be alive. "Tell No One" earned $248,674 in its sophomore weekend from 19 runs; outperforming nine specialty debuts. Premiering on the big screen 47 years after it was made, "The Exiles," the late filmmaker Kent Mackenzie's drama about young Native Americans living in downtown Los Angeles' Bunker Hill neighborhood, earned $8,448 from its exclusive debut at New York's IFC Center. "Days and Clouds," Italian director Silvio Soldini's marriage-in-crisis drama for Film Movement, was close behind with $16,707 in weekend earnings from two New York engagements. Rounding out the iWBOT top five, which ranks films by per-screen average, were "August," director Austin Chick's drama for First Look Studios, featuring Josh Hartnett as a dot-com entrepreneur in crisis and filmmaker Jonathan Levine's '90s nostalgia comedy for Sony Pictures Classics, "The Wackness."
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Gaines Bolsters Withoutabox as B-Side Prepares Rival Online Fest Submission Site

by Eric Kohn (July 14, 2008)

"It's so good to find a company that does exactly what it says, does it honestly and well. Withoutabox has an excellent, efficient system that my staff loves and our filmmakers appreciate." Those were the kind words offered by former AFI Festival Director Christian Gaines that Withoutabox proudly touted on its website, but they double as foreshadowing of his new job. Last week, Gaines officially left his post at the American Film Institute, paving the way for his new job as Director of Festivals for Withoutabox, marking the latest example of the digitally-oriented film community reaching into the professional grab bag of the larger industry. As Gaines joins Withoutabox, the company is facing the threat of competition from a similar upstart service from B-Side, a would-be rival online film festival submission service.
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July 13, 2008

Nineteen Docs Set for Sundance Support

Documentary coverage sponsored by SnagFilms.

by Eugene Hernandez (July 13, 2008)

Sundance Film Festival hit "Trouble The Water" is among the films being funded with the next round of support from the non-profit group. Sundance Institute will back the doc with an audience engagement grant in the wake of its recently announced distribution deal with Zeitgeist Films. Eighteen other documentary film projects have also been selected for support from the Sundance Documentary Fund. The organization will provide more than $500,000 in funding for both emerging and established filmmakers, backing production and outreach efforts. Some 325 applications were received from more than 52 countries for this round of funding.
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July 7, 2008

iW BOT | Audiences High on Sony Classics' 'Wackness'

Box Office coverage presented by Rentrak Theatrical

by Steve Ramos (July 7, 2008)

Filmmaker Jonathan Levine enjoyed sophomore success thanks to a sky-high response to his '90s nostalgia tale "The Wackness." Featuring Josh Peck as a high school grad and Ben Kingsley as his crazy Manhattan psychiatrist, "Wackness" earned $172,179 for Sony Pictures Classics from six debut runs since opening July 3. "Tell No One," French director Guillaume Canet's thriller about a grieving husband who believes his murdered wife may be alive, debuted in the second spot on the iWBOT top five, which ranks films by per-screen average. "Tell No One" earned $169,707 from eight runs for Music Box Films and $220,679 since July 2. Rounding out the iWBOT top five were "Elsa & Fred," Argentine director Marcos Carnevale's seniors romance for Mitropoulos Films; "Kabluey," actor/director Scott Prendergast's screwball family comedy for Regent Releasing and Magnolia Pictures' "Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson," director Alex Gibney's documentary about the larger-than-life journalist.
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July 3, 2008

"Ballast" Steadies Course Alone: Sundance Winner Chooses Self-Distribution

by Anthony Kaufman (July 3, 2008)

Lance Hammer is going solo, of sorts, with his 2008 Sundance stunner "Ballast." The producer-director-writer, whose powerful debut wowed critics at January's prestigious Park City festival and won prizes for best director and cinematography, pulled out of a distribution deal with IFC Films in order to retain rights to the movie himself. Now the film's production entity, Alluvial Film Company, along with Steven Raphael's Required Viewing, will release "Ballast" at New York's Film Forum on October 1, followed by a national rollout.
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June 30, 2008

iW BOT | Kit Kittredge' Keeps Picturehouse On Top; 'Last Mistress' Seduces NY

Box Office coverage presented by Rentrak Theatrical

by Steve Ramos (June 30, 2008)

Veteran French filmmaker Catherine Breillat enjoyed her strongest U.S. debut thanks to a lusty response from New York audiences to "The Last Mistress," a period drama featuring Asia Argento as a woman jealous of her younger lover's plans to marry. "Last Mistress" earned a sizzling $33,554 for IFC Films from two debut runs in New York. "Trumbo," director Peter Askin's documentary about blacklisted screenwriter Dalton Trumbo, also debuted in the iWBOT top five, which ranks films by per-screen average. "Trumbo" earned $28,125 from three runs for Samuel Goldwyn Films. Picturehouse continued to rack up sky-high grosses for its family movie "Kit Kittredge: An American Girl;" earning $107,019 at five locations. Rounding out the iWBOT top five were "Encounters At The End Of The World," director Werner Herzog's Antarctica documentary for ThinkFilm and Zeitgeist Films' "Chris & Don: A Love Story," about the longstanding relationship between British writer Christopher Isherwood and American portraitist Don Bachardy.
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June 26, 2008

DISPATCH FROM LOS ANGELES: Insiders, Observers, and Many Others Wonder: Is the Sky Really Falling?

by Eugene Hernandez (June 26, 2008)

"Attached. Locked," Mark Gill said in a brief email to PR reps late Tuesday, June 17th. He was sending a final PDF version of "Yes, The Sky Really Is Falling," a keynote speech he would deliver in a few days at Film Independent's Film Financing Conference during the Los Angeles Film Festival. "Let's talk about what to do in terms of publicity," he noted in the short message, time stamped near midnight. By Sunday, 24 hours after the speech, numerous people were buzzing about his remarks, but on Monday, as insiders began forwarding online links to the transcript speech, the reaction intensified. "I've already received it nine or ten times," an industry insider told Gill, "I am going to scream, please make it stop!" In the past four days -- as of late morning local time today (Thursday) -- the article had been read on indieWIRE more than 99,100 times, a whopping immediate response.
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June 25, 2008

Zeitgeist Films at 20 Years: Building a Boutique Brand

by Eugene Hernandez (June 25, 2008)

"One thing we didn't have was a business plan, per se," recalled Zeitgeist Films co-president Emily Russo, "or deep pockets." Last week, she was seated alongside co-president Nancy Gerstman on a small sofa inside the compact but quite comfortable Lower Manhattan office where the two women have run the successful film distribution company together. Back in 1991, Gerstman and Russo moved to their Centre St. location -- into a space with large desks facing each other -- from a Waverly Place spot, and they've been there ever since. Zeitgeist's full-time staff, made up mostly of women, includes another eight people who handle the five or so films that the company releases each year. Most are documentaries these days, some are foreign language films, and a few additional titles are acquired each year for their home video label.
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June 23, 2008

iW BOT | Picturehouse On Fire Thanks to "Kit Kittredge" and "Mongol"

Box Office coverage presented by Rentrak Theatrical

by Steve Ramos (June 23, 2008)

The Warner Bros. specialty shingle Picturehouse continued to be on fire thanks to a strong expansion of its Genghis Khan epic "Mongol" and a rare excursion into the family movie biz, with its limited debut of "Kit Kittredge: An American Girl." In its third week and on 94 screens, "Mongol" averaged $8,287 as the top foreign-language drama on the iWBOT, which ranks films by per-screen average. "Kit Kittredge," directed by veteran indie filmmaker Patricia Rozema and starring Abigail Breslin, earned an impressive $220,297 from five runs; far ahead its competitors for the top of the specialty charts. Rounding out the iWBOT top five were "Encounters At The End Of The World," director Werner Herzog's Antarctica documentary for ThinkFilm; "Brick Lane," director Sarah Gavron's melodrama for Sony Pictures Classics and "The Grocer's Son," French filmmaker Eric Guirado's drama about a grown son returning to his rural hometown for Film Movement.
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Alex Gibney v. ThinkFilm: Claiming Botched "Taxi" Release, Oscar Winning Filmmaker Seeking $1 Million From Distributor

Documentary coverage sponsored by SnagFilms.

by Eugene Hernandez (June 23, 2008)

Documentary filmmaker Alex Gibney is seeking more than $1 million in damages from ThinkFilm, distributor of his recent Oscar-winning film, "Taxi to the Dark Side." Late last week X-Ray Productions, producers of Gibney's film, charged that ThinkFilm fradulently hid the fact that it could not properly release the film in theaters, in a complaint filed with the Independent Film & Television Alliance (IFTA), the organization agreed upon by both sides to arbitrate any dispute. Responding to Gibney's claims and the request for arbitration, ThinkFilm president Mark Urman this weekend defended his company and its work on the film and sharply criticized Gibney.
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June 22, 2008

FIRST PERSON | Film Department's Mark Gill: "Yes, The Sky Really Is Falling."

by Mark Gill (June 22, 2008)

On Saturday in Los Angeles, Mark Gill declared provocatively, "Yes, The Sky Really Is Falling." Speaking at the L.A. Film Festival's Financing Conference, the CEO of The Film Department (and former President of Miramax Films) detailed a litany of challenges currently facing independent film, yet offered his audience a happy ending. His complete prepared remarks are included below.
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