Film Distribution Sees Change with "Smother," "Fish"
August 17, 2008 by Jane Boursaw
Film distribution has been in a state of flux for several years. With all the new digital equipment available, things are moving away from the commercial studios and into the hands of independents.
But most of the filmmakers I talk to say it’s still a struggle. Making the movie is one thing. Getting it into theaters is another thing entirely.
Indie distributor Variance Films is new on the scene, and they’re hoping to change that. One of its first films in theaters will be Smother, a dark comedy starring Diane Keaton, Dax Shepard and Liv Tyler.
More after the jump…
Dylan Marchetti, former distribution and marketing director for ThinkFilm, is the head honcho and hopes Variance will bridge the gap between producers who self-release features and traditional distributors, avoiding the direct-to-video trap that many indies encounter.
Part of Marchetti’s strategy is to avoid conventional New York/Los Angeles platform releases, and instead focus on rollouts tailored to each film’s target audience. He’ll be scouting for more Variance projects at next month’s Toronto International Film Festival, and I bet a lot of indie filmmakers will be schmoozing with him at the cocktail parties.
Directed and written by Vince Di Meglio, Smother centers on an overbearing mother who worms her way into her son’s life. The film will open Sept. 26, 2008 in the top five markets.
Also on tap is Walking on Dead Fish, a Hurricane Katrina football documentary from exec producer Terry Bradshaw. The film opens Sept. 5, 2008 in New Orleans (back to that “target market” thing).
Images: Smother, Variance Films, 2008; Walking on Dead Fish, Variance Films, 2008
