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Buyer Profile: Matt Brodlie, Miramax

Matt Brodlie of Miramax

Matt Brodlie
Senior VP of Acquisitions (worked for Miramax for nine years)

BACKGROUND: Grew up in Connecticut and went to Stanford. Started in the film business 10 years ago after quitting law school. Worked as an unpaid intern for a small independent producer and then worked in physical production on a small film in New York City. Started as an assistant at Miramax in L.A. nine years ago. 35 years old.

MOST IMPORTANT FILM FESTIVALS: Sundance for American independent cinema. Cannes for foreign cinema. And Toronto for both, although Toronto is by far the most pleasant. Berlin and Venice are also important for foreign films.

FAVORITE FILMS OF THE LAST THREE YEARS: "City of God," "Bend it Like Beckham," "Yossi and Jagger," "In the Bedroom," "Amelie," Bring it On," "Moulin Rouge," "Hedwig and the Angry Inch," "Presque Rien," "About a Boy"

RECENT FILMS INVOLVED WITH ACQUIRING: "Shaolin Soccer," "Buffalo Soldiers," Quiet American," "Hero," "Blue Car"

TYPES OF FILMS COMPANY LOOKS FOR: We look for everything: American independents, foreign films, mainstream pre-buys, thrillers for Dimension, remakes for our development department. We'll be paying special attention to documentaries as there have been a number of them that have done well this year.

HOW TO GET THE ATTENTION OF BUYERS: Chocolate!! No, actually...If it's a project that's hasn't yet been shot, my advice would be to contact buyers when a film is packaged and financed. I get a million calls from producers with scripts they want to send in, and 99 percent never get made and are a general waste of time. The stronger your package the better chance it has to catch someone's attention. There are many projects out there, and I really only have time to track those that are actually being made. If you've already made the film, it's our JOB to see it. So at that point, a filmmaker would just need to send us a fax or call us saying that it is done and ready to be seen (at a festival or distributor screening or wherever).

WRONG WAY TO GET ATTENTION: Sending scripts in blindly. Telling me a project is the next "Pulp Fiction," the next "Amelie," the next "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," the next whatever. With finished films, having sales reps repeatedly harass us. Not taking "no" for an answer once we have "passed" on a film.

GENERAL THOUGHTS: It's all about originality. I've seen a million films that are "similar" to hit films like those I mention above. They're boring -- they're not original and therefore not interesting. If it's "just like" or "better than" "Pulp Fiction," then Quentin would have made "Pulp Fiction 2," but he didn't and neither should anyone else. Legendary executive, producer, and all around mensch, Jack Lechner, once gave this brilliant advice to a conference of producers: "Astonish me."