Festival-Savvy, was Koroshiya Ichi/Ichi The Killer

[Stephen Cremin]

That US$20,000 floored me too when I heard the story from the director a 
few months ago, but obviously it was packaged within spurious 
consultancy terms and wouldn't be illegal.  It was outside of the budget 
of the director and his/her film never did make the festival circuit.  
But it was probably good value for money given the amount one spends 
making a film.  I think it's much worse when it's government money being 
spent and there's a good argument to be made that one gatekeeper in Asia 
(with a little too much access to government policy and funding 
decisions) singlehandedly destroyed a national cinema in the 1990s.

Columbia pretty much have mainland China nailed when it comes to local 
films.  I met with a dozen film directors in Beijing in November and it 
was very clear that Columbia was the only game in town.

Stephen


On Sunday, January 27, 2002, at 10:24  pm, Gavin Rees wrote:

> Thanks to Stephen too for another frank and informative posting. Once 
> more
> the scales have fallen from my eyes, and I feel fully mired in the ways 
> of
> the world. It will be interesting to see if the power of the 
> "gatekeepers"
> (sounds a
> bit like something out of the Lord of Rings, though) increases or 
> decreases,
> if the Asian film market continues to attract big money from American
> distributors, eager to break into China.
>
> These sorts of goings on aren't technically illegal, I don't think. But 
> it
> is interesting to note that the philosopher Roger Scruton, who wrote a
> countryside column for the FT, has just been sacked for failing to 
> declare
> payments he was receiving as a lobbyist for Japan Tobacco.   Recently 
> there
> have also been a few "outings" of Hollywood journalists who have been
> receiving kick-backs for plugging films.
>
>
> All the best,
>
>
> Gavin
>
>
> ----------
>> From: Stephen Cremin <asianfilmlibrary at mac.com>
>> To: KineJapan at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu
>> Subject: Re: Festival-Savvy, was Koroshiya Ichi/Ichi The Killer
>> Date: Sun, Jan 27, 2002, 6:16 pm
>>
>
>> So what makes a sales agent "festival savvy"?  Exploiting the
>> insecurities of festivals programmers.  Finding ways to getting money 
>> to
>> "gatekeepers" as subtitlers (doesn't matter if they only speak 
>> English),
>> consultants, or press book writers.  And make festival-friendly films,
>> even if they haven't got a chance at the domestic or international box
>> office.
>