Today, IndieGoGo and Sausalito Film Festival will launch a new event called the Tease and Screen. The idea is to give filmmakers an opportunity to show clips from works-in-progress and invite audience members to participate as funders, crew, or publicity-generators. The work is featured at the Festival and on IndieGoGo.com.

The inaugural Tease and Screen showcases a number of projects:
o The Harvest – by Robin Romano (produced by Eva Longoria and the producers of War Dance) – A documentary about the children who work to feed America.

o Time to Impact – by Tom Cappello (produced by Dan Abrams and Richard Krasney) – A documentary about Paterson, NJ. Is it possible to turn a city around in 365 days?

o As The Dust Settles – by Arin Crumley (produced by Mike Hedge) – A participatory film, collaboratively shot and edited about life-changing experiences, the Zeitgeist and Burning Man.

o Eloquent Graffiti – by Zak Forsman – A story about the inability of humans to connect in a meaningful way despite the increasing presence of social technologies designed to do exactly that.

o Tapestries of Hope – by Michealene Christini Risly (produced by Michelle Titus) – A documentary about two activists from two corners of the world taking on a government and an urban myth to protect young girls from rape and abuse.

o Win or Lose: A Summer Camp Story – by Louis Lapat – A character driven, personal documentary about the thrill of the win and the agony of defeat… at summer camp.

I’ll have more on IndieGoGo and its funding model and an interview with Slava Rubin, its founder, in the coming days.

The SXSW Panel Picker went live today and there are many intriguing options. One I hope you’ll give the thumbs up to is mine, “The Main Event: Finding an Audience for Your Film.” The idea of the panel is to learn from awesome experts how to create event screenings, i.e. screenings with more excitement, interactivity and singularity than just your typical 7PM showing. Just as rock bands have used live shows to pick up the slack financially now that CD sales are slumping, independent filmmakers can create event screenings to bring more people in to see their movies. Vote here!

If you’re at Hot Docs next month, you’re welcome to check out this panel on ‘The New Distribution’ I’ll be on. It’s Tuesday, May 5th at the Rogers Industry Centre and will concern:

As commissioning budgets shrink, distribution bucks the trend with acquisition and sales windfalls. Is it a sign of the times, or the ebb and flow of the market? Join our international sales and distribution powerbrokers’ status report on their theatrical, broadcast, DVD and online media ventures. Find out how they are working for filmmakers and adapting sales techniques to the new economy.

Not sure if there’s really any bucking but it should be a good time. & After that I hope to be powerbroking at some nice TO bars and movie theatres.

The lovely and talented Scott Kirsner hosts a panel today at noon at Sundance described as “In today’s brutal marketplace, filmmakers and distributors are forced to think outside the box. From DIY theatrical to multiplatform releases and viral marketing, there are as many new strategies today as there are successful films. Join us as we showcase films capitalizing on the newest opportunities, as well as the distribution companies articulating the clearest visions.”No surprise that panelists include Matt Dentler from Cinetic, as well as Lance Hammer, Connie White, Christian Gaines, MJ Peckos, Cora Olson and Steven Raphael. Expect to see a post-game on this one at Cinematech.

On Wednesday, another panel in the What Next? series will cover “As traditional film distribution wanes, is broadband ready to pick up the slack? We are finally seeing the major Hollywood players put their cards on the table, and filmmakers are weighing their options. Will broadband revitalize the entertainment industry, or is the industry facing a collapse? This panel assembles studio execs, major independents, and trend spotters to discuss digital distribution. As traditional film distribution wanes, is broadband ready to pick up the slack? We are finally seeing the major Hollywood players put their cards on the table, and filmmakers are weighing their options. Will broadband revitalize the entertainment industry, or is the industry facing a collapse? This panel assembles studio execs, major independents, and trend spotters to discuss digital distribution.”

Oddly, though New Frontier panels are open to the public and free, the logical conclusion of streaming hasn’t really hit yet. What’s next?

During the festival run, January 15-25, iTunes will offer for free 10 shorts screening at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. The featured films are “Magnetic Movie”, “Countertransference”, “Acting For the Camera”, “James”, “Hug”, “From Burger it Came”, “Field Notes From Dimension X: Oasis”, “This Way Up”, “I Live in the Woods”, and “Instead of Abracadabra.”

At previous panels I have heard the idea floated about that a good idea would be to have features run online concurrent with their festival dates. No telling exactly what the repercussions of this would be for TV sales in particular (and slightly less of a concern might be theatrical impact) but for shorts, it’s seems only to be a winning proposition.

I’ll be moderating a panel at the IFP “Independent Film Week” next week and I hope you’ll come out and and join us.

Know Your Digital Rights
How much are digital rights worth to producers and filmmakers?  And which rights should filmmakers consider retaining or exploiting in this proliferation of new distribution outlets? Learn the deal structures and benefits for independent filmmakers from the experts.

Wednesday, September 17^th, 10-11 AM

FIT, 7th Ave between 27/28th, NYC

Panelists:

Steven Beer, Shareholder, Greenberg Traurig

Janet Brown, COO, Cinetic Rights Management

Charles Choi, Founder, Caachi

Karol Martesko-Fenster, Head of Film, Cinelan

Joe Swanberg, Director, Hannah Takes the Stairs

Going to Toronto and think you might not be entertained enough simply by watching movies (or gawking at celebrities?) Though TIFF may be the last monument of big theatrical distribution strategies, there are a couple events dedicated to the encroaching digital form.

At Meet With… at Match Club, on September 6, 11AM-12PM, Janet Brown AND Matt Dentler of Cinetic Rights Management talk to Shane Smith, Director of In-Flight Entertainment for Air Canada (it appears clear that CRM:digital distribution as Peter Broderick:self-distribution, appearing on every panel a film festival offers on the subject).

At Doc Roundtable, on September 7, 2-3 PM, Matt Dentler from CRM and Skye Sitney of Silverdocs sit down to chat. On September 8, 3-4 PM, Ira Deutchman of Emerging Pictures and Liesl Copland (formerly of Red Envelope and Cinetic) are available to meet.

From Spout‘s Telluride coverage (and brand new web look), Karina Longworth reports on a panel called “Snip Snip: Are Cutbacks in Film Distribution and Criticism Affecting Quality Filmmaking?“- the predetermined answer reiterated repeatedly as Karina describes the various doomy takes on the internet’s evil influence and some unmitigating weak sauce “positive sides” such as Paul Schrader‘s pithy “ ‘There’s [currently] no money in it, but it’s much better to gore the ox than to hold the ox that’s being gored.’ ”

The only person who seemed rather blithe, from Karina’s description, was Michael Barker.  As I previously noted, Sony Pictures Classics is in a rather smug position as far as “indie” distributors go- being in bed with Sony, who own the Blu-Ray patent and are working with a host of downloading folks with their Bravia TVs.  Perhaps Mr. Barker is just a natural optimist, but it does seem likely that as seasons change, SPC has some very good opportunities to grow.

As far as blogging goes- and this is really off topic- film criticism serves two purposes: 1- to tell people about the film so they can decide whether to see it, or in the case of ‘advanced’ criticism, so they can understand it more; and 2- for marketing purposes.

The second purpose is really only served by certain kinds of critics- either famous well-regarded ones, in the case of quality films, or at least national ones, in the case of popular fare.  All the other ones really aren’t that important and can be replaced with bloggers.

The main problem for independent film and bloggers is that everything gets very spread out, so that it’s hard for a small film to get much of a push from a good review.  It also means film is less in the public eye in general, since the local papers and weeklies all tend to have syndicated reviews of the same films.

Rather than a quality film site like GreenCine or Spout, what could be more effective in increasing audience is a great syndicated feed, with lots of variety and independent & arthouse cinema, that could feed to popular sites and portals.

HT: Chris Thilk