FlixTour Bags Mag as Sponsor
by Mark Rabinowitz
Fledgling alternative distribution outlet FlixTour grabbed a big sponsor
recently when Movieline Magazine joined the second-year effort as an
associate partner with a six-figure commitment. Tom McPhee, executive
director of FlixTour told indieWIRE that the sponsorship consists of ads
and cash, and includes access to the Movieline ad base. As part of the
deal, filmmakers selected to participate in the upcoming Spring tour will
be featured in a Movieline ad in a future issue. McPhee also confirmed that
Austin, Texas-based Internet film writer and personality, Harry Knowles,
will be joining with Movieline staff and others in selecting the films for
the tour.
According to McPhee, Knowles, an avowed indie fan, is “excited about finding the
little gems.” While the films have not yet been selected (an announcement
is expected on January 12, 1998; FlixTour is accepting entries until
January 10), the selected feature film directors will be invited to drive
in a tour bus to Sundance for an event introducing the filmmakers to the
media.
The Spring tour is expected to make 40 stops at colleges and arthouses,
with the number of stops to be expanded in the fall. “I anticipate we’ll be
doing 100 to 125 stops on the Fall tour,” said McPhee. He also added that
the tour was working directly with the colleges by using the services of
the Auburn Moon Agency, a National Association of Campus Activities (NACA)
award winning college booking agency. While screening facilities at some
non-theatrical venues can be suspect, McPhee stated that all attempts will
be made to find, and screen at, venues that will support the original
format of the films on the tour. Video projection will only be used as a
last resort.
As the tour is an obvious way for small distributors to get regional
exposure for their films at a low cost, several productions companies and
distribs have approached McPhee with films to submit, including: MTV Films,
October, Sony Pictures Classics, Alliance Communications and Artistic
License. The tour will program a minimum of four features with two to three
times as many shorts.
Other sponsors of the tour include Pelle Pelle clothing and Grace & Wild
film labs.
Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.
